On this edition of the Walking 'Strong Podcast, Billy Embody and Bill Armstrong look back on SMU-BYU then preview SMU vs. TCU as the Mustangs make a change at quarterback from Preston Stone to Kevin Jennings.
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If you're new to following the Walking 'Strong Podcast, it's a fun, light podcast from two SMU alums that share a bottle of wine while breaking down SMU's football season game-by-game, interviewing prominent Mustangs, and much more! We hope the ACC crew that SMU's now a part of enjoys learning about some of the world's best wines from Epoch while hearing things from SMU's angle.
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Welcome to this week's podcast and this podcast is about the previous loss to BYU and this upcoming week to TCU My name is Jalen Knighton aka the rooster and this is this week podcast. Dude, you were natural at this Hey, by the way, why don't they call you the rooster? They called me the rooster back in 2008 I was real fast and I had a red mohawk So and that my coach I had caught a kid return I took it to the house and he said his name not orange and green no more is the rooster and it's stuck with me ever since I love it. That's it. It's a really great. Yes. Yeah, fantastic. Well, thank you, buddy. Yes, sir This is the on the pony express podcast hosted by Billy and body brought to you by epic estate wines Walking strong on the pony express a weekly sega with SMU alum owner vittner of epic estate wines Bill Armstrong epic estate wines world-class wines from Paso Robles wine country and now your host Billy and body Welcome in ladies and gentlemen to another edition of the walking strong podcast. Oh, yeah podcast pot Yeah, you are my podcast partner. I'm psyched for this man. I am psyched. We're cuz we're getting into the meat We're getting into the meat of our schedule. Yeah, which is so much fun. So Let's talk about both BYU a little bit and let's talk about TCU a little bit and then What do you think about that? I love that we're got to get into the wine. Of course we're we're having a brilliant Bottle of wine this morning. We're actually filming this in the morning breakfast of champions. So today we're having a brilliant bottle of epic ingenuity and Of course, we'd love to have ingenuity in the web where we are. We're in the Armstrong wellness center in the in the web rins on complex and And you can see behind us all the weights and If you hear noises, it's because a Couple of our players are working out over here. It's actually during practice But you can see tomorrow over there you can see rooster over there and they're gonna be making smoothies for the team right behind us So that's the noise you hear around us, but we're in the action though We're smack dab in the middle of the action because you know, that's where we roll baby Cheers, I think we're the first people to have wine in this wellness center, right? Yeah, we've got to be a first, right? Absolutely. Hey Let's talk about the Well the weeks big, right? Yes, it's it's TCU. Yep I'm not sure if I told you this or not, but Last week we had our SMU board meetings Gerald Turner asked me not to dog sunny dykes or TCU. Why I never do that. That's hilarious Yeah Anyway, so I'm not good. I don't think I'm gonna lay off Sunny, I will never leave you dikes. Yeah, I'll never I won't criticize, you know, sunny I would walk across broken glass to coach SMU The only way you will ever ever I'll ever leave SMU is if you fire me dikes. I'm not even gonna do that I'm not gonna talk about the fact that you know sunny I shanked my former boss and then stole his job and then went to the national championship with his players dikes I'm not gonna talk about that. No, no, so None of that's gonna happen this week because we all know that I wanted sunny to stay here So I fought hard and sunny you're responsible for this end zone indirectly, correct, and it was actually the ingenuity of our athletic department our board and trustees and a bunch of generous donors particularly Gary Weber Yes, that made this happen. So that was lots of ingenuity that anyone that's lost the line this week And it led to SMU playing this game as an ACC as an AC 12 match up I know it because sunny kept us out of the big 12 Little do you think that we he would actually go to a much better conference. Mm-hmm. There you go So that was ingenious - yes. Yeah unbelievable. So here we are. Yeah great blend. I know it's a really thing So this blend is petitsra sira more vedra and a little garnash and it is rocket So it's in the Pony Express case, which you could find at epic wines.com/pony Game four game four. I think this is a 96 points corn wine. Not a bit. Yeah, that's what that's what SMU is hoping to do this week No, no kidding. I love it before we talk about the TCU game. Yes. I do want to talk about the coaching decision I'll excuse me the quarterback decision, which which Rhett made a really big decision But BYU yes, and that was hard to watch yes, that was unbelievable hard to wait. It was offensive. Yeah, it was just offensive and the offensive line really was offensive to me and What the heck we get in the in the red zone five times and we don't score a touchdown. It's unheard of fact We only score six points total, you know being in the end. We had two turnovers inside the ten. Huh anyway, I mean I guess in some respects, you know the fact that we had those three three turnovers all those penalties arguably a bunch of really bad calls against us and We were within at three points with two minutes to go. Yeah, I mean we should have we should have frankly won and but we didn't and it was Too bad because right now we would be three no would probably be ranked in the top 25 realistically Yep, and because BYU was arguably not bad and now we're saving boats to they are Yeah, they've got a little bit of recognition for their strong start and for us of you getting all the way down the red zone in different Opportunities those are just missed and and people say it was an ass whipping or whatever you want to call it I see we ran the ball well. Yes, we did brashard Smith over five yards Kerry rooster or four yards Gary Well, Kevin Jennings had some pop to him in the run game, but they just didn't finish drives and the past protection had so many Blown Assignments no and penalties and those types of things that it it was truly a you beat yourself type of game No doubt cuz the defense played great. They did play great. They did play great and Normally you win that game nor a retlasty team normally is course 40 and we hold them to 18 And that's a man. That's a win. That's a win. So that was what I predicted I think 31 20 something like that big hip and if they punch it in Yeah a timer - yeah looking at that being the score Which I know it tips in butts but didn't you think it both times we had turnovers on their team? I kept thinking myself the defense needs to score Because our office isn't scoring, you know the one good That was so close here in Harrison Hunt with with another big play to his early SMU career And I believe it was Ricky Hundley. Maybe Scott Simon's you said it last week on the by well We had an interception and we didn't score off of it and it's kind of one of those things It wasn't a shot, but you're like, yeah, it's true That was the difference of the ballgame Jared Harrison hunt get back on it at three at the three Yeah, then we had to do me have a holding penalty like a next play then like two plays later With to it was that was the The fumble on review. Yep, and I was on the field. Was it was it a clear-cut fumble? I don't think it was clear-cut because the issue is is when his forward progress stopped and right and I I felt like looking at it. It kind of looked like his leg was down So we had a forward progress and a leg down. Yeah. Yeah, and then they overturned it. That's the game Yeah, I mean theoretically that's the game. Yep. Anyway, that was a tough. It was a really tough loss But you know, let's be real. That's preseason, you know I know I hate to say that because we I really want to be three. No, but you know, Nevada Houston Christian kind of got going at BYU and really TCU That's all preseason before we get into league and the league plays in two weeks against Florida State By the way, what's happened to Florida State? Are you kidding me? That's one of the reasons why yes preseason SM You could lose all four of these games in the preseason and go on and still be if they found a way to You know when the conference people will be like all right. Wow, that was a chart the roller coaster But quite the turnaround. Yeah, exactly But but for Florida State you see why Winning this week is so important. Yeah, because if SMU goes and loses to BYU a big 12 team TCU a big 12 team all those ACC schools that took care of business against big 12 teams over the last three weeks. Yeah, yeah It's just an opportunity for SMU to say we got this. Don't worry at this use screwing things up We'll take this. Yeah, great point. They have a tough game in Cal. Oh, yeah, you know It's unbelievable who would ever think that their head coach might be on the on the block You know crazy When you make the quarterback decisions and they don't work out. I know which is what we're gonna talk about right now This is a huge decision that retlashley came out with last week and I love the timing of it me too. I like that you take the Gravity of what you've done, right? You kind of just say we're going with our guy We're try and stop us do whatever right and we're gonna be preparing for this game like it's a regular game because I think that's what Kevin maybe brings to the table in that regard that every game is just another game. He's definitely that way I Know it was a tough decision by Rhett. Yeah, really tough decision But I mean let's face it KJ's earned it I mean on the front and I we all love Preston Stone Yeah, and he is the best and he can throw the long ball is better than almost anybody But against BYU where they're just on slot of rush He was helpless back there and KJ is a little quicker with his feet. Yeah, and So very difficult decision and everybody loves KJ everybody loves Preston Yeah, and I'm no doubt on your on your board or whatever you call that. Yeah Hail to the red in the blue. I actually know I know it's called pretty pretty nice, right? I went on at once and it was the stench of everybody like second-guessing everybody else Just made me I just had you couldn't go there, but I can imagine they had a lot of comments Oh, yes a lot of comments Which would have opinions like put you in a bad spot because they're asking you like, you know This because they all want you to give them the back story right and what's happening behind the scenes well in every and everything is is Nuanced right like Preston that did lead us to be back against Nevada in the fourth quarter But he also did have a poor start to that game and every single game this year Nevada poor shark yep interception in three And out against Houston Christian Yes, three and out twice in a row against BYU and and against BYU the rush was the rush like Preston Yeah, some of those had no chance, but it's still a all right this guy Unfortunately for Preston has started that way and we're seeing how fine the line is if some butts again, but let's say Kevin it was a startup for BYU Yeah, maybe there is one more field go on the board. Yeah, I mean, you know like I agree series were Nothing. Yeah, and so no the idea is maybe this jump starts the offense from the beginning Yeah, and they can control the clock a little bit more We talked about that going into the BYU game if SMU came out with a slow start BYU got some of that confidence that they can be physical and push SMU around it was gonna be a dogfight and it was Yeah, it was I had an interesting phone call after the game from shame, but she'll one of our podcast buddies Yeah, he's you know, obviously is the our X quarterback now. He's playing for the Buffalo Bills He calls me up and he said there's that old saying if you have two quarterbacks, you have no quarterback and he said I was at UT before I came to SMU and they tried to do the same thing to me That Rhett's doing with KJ and Preston He says it destroys the confidence of the guys that are trying to be quarterback And then the team naturally kind of selects who they're kind of pull them for said it just tears up the locker room Yeah, so we needed to get away from that system. I and I think I think Rhett's decision to do it now was what was timely about it and and the first two weeks They were able to survive Nevada they get up get a win doing some of that. Yep Houston Christian was Houston Christian But against BYU that was the game that going in at least I said on the the mess of where they said guys this is gonna be resolved this week or Infatically against TCU and it was resolved emphatically Against BYU in time for TCU and then the stretch of maybe ACC play right and who knows who knows if it works out If it is the right decision, but it is the right decision to pick one now and let them roll I totally agree with you and I think I don't know. I'm not sure how you feel about that practice for the last two weeks The level of intensity has gone up. Yeah, I mean you see a lot more asked you when going on a lot more You know getting the offensive line working properly there a lot of you know receivers get open you missed the you know blah blah blah because Yeah, and I think This team had a lot of trust from the coaches going into the season and you know what? Every team is different and this team hey the defense maybe has a trust they got that down right? Yeah, but the offense you know what they had to say Your way might not have been working as well time for this bi-week to reset do it our way get back on track And they're gonna look to do that against TCU. I totally agree So let's talk about the TCU game. Hey a couple of things. I love to tell you guys and I got a couple of funny emails in Texas week What did TCU students and SMU students all have in common they all applied to SMU? That's kind of funny. That's a good good. That's an easy t-shirt. That's an easy t-shirt. Yeah, or how about this one? What does What is the TCU grad call an SMU grad boss now that is a t-shirt that is is that a t-shirt in the bookstore? Or was it was it? Yeah, yeah, and I was thinking last night before this podcast. What does a TCU graduate? ask an SMU graduate Who ordered the double-child latte frappuccino? Come on you gotta have fun. I love rivalries. I love rivalries. Yeah, but literally there's good barbs I know you're not on Twitter. You're lucky. Yeah, but there is some great follows on both sides of this rivalry and it's It's stupid that in two years from now. I don't care what side you're on how biased you are on either side 100 plus year rivalry that's across town. It's crazy. Duke and Carolina aren't canceling theirs. I know their conference conference both But Georgia Georgia State's not canceling. Yeah, Jordan's Tech. Yeah, Auburn and Alabama are canceling. Yeah, they're South Carolina Clemson. Yeah, they're not a great one. You know, I mean it come on NC State NC I mean come on. Yeah, and this is this great rivalry It's been what 107 years or something like that. Yeah, except for a few they missed and all of a sudden for hit then to pull I don't know I hope sunny I hope you reconsider because it's good for Dallas and it's good for Fort Worth and having these rivalries really is good It really is good for college sports He won't consider it But if he's one day in the next couple years not the TCU You just said that didn't you I said it last year in November that Rhett signed an extension After winning in November and one was gonna be on the hot seat this year and well if you TCU fans were really mad about that and after UCF came back they were Some of them are out. Well, I'll tell you what I mean. I'm not gonna pile on sunny, but Why not? if you add up losing to Kansas State in the big 12th championship and Then getting their ass absolutely crushed by Georgia and then all last season and now this season I think he's under 500. Okay in the last year and what not change. Yeah, you're in change. So When you're used to winning the way TCU is I mean, you know your alums will turn on you in a moment and they're and they're a proud alum group Yes, they are they they hiring Andy oblows hiring Kendall brawls. I mean those are choices Yeah, I mean those are choices. Yeah, and he put a lot of political capital into that for Sonny, I mean, I asked one of the TC reporters this week I said is this game not necessarily coaching for his job because they could go on and play well in big 12 Sure, but is it that big of a game and and there was not a firm Yes, it's that big of a game But you can tell that if if I assume you can come out take care of business The the hot seat is is fine is truly there. Yeah, I completely agree And let's let's face it. The big 12 is a grab bag About who's gonna win. Yeah, I mean even the ACC to some extent is a grab bag this year I mean Boston College is better than everybody thought is he's in seats taste not as good as everybody thought Who knows what's happening at Florida State? Holy shit, and then And then no SMU is sputtering and who knows what we're gonna do the rest of the season And the big 12 is exactly the same way any one of those teams on any given it's Saturday Yeah, can win and the whole idea this year was that OU Texas gone TC you should step into that spotlight and be one of the top teams in the big 12 They could be that but giving up a 21-point lead and being run on like they were by UCF Who first of all gives us some you a good blueprint right last year's old boss Gus mouths on yeah Probably chatting with him a little bit. Oh, I mean what works. I mean Gus and in red or close Yeah They don't do a podcast together, but you know they're they're super close Yeah, I mean he he was the quarterback at Shiloh. We heard that on that earlier origin story about ret In Gus Malzom was his high school coach. I mean think about that so they go way back And so there's no doubt that they have been talking. That's the way the college game works That's the way any game works. So I the the oil and gas game works that way even the wine game works that way when you find when you Drew Blessa look at my boy, you know, so by the way, I was gonna have Andy Dalton on this week To like talk a little smack about the game coming up. He is my favorite TCU grad of all time Very proud of Andy Dalton because he just got the nod to be the starting quarterback for the Panthers. Yeah this weekend He's 36 talk about making a career. I mean he he's a legend over there in Fort Worth But for so many reasons one of the I believe the first SV TCU game I ever attended was Andy Dalton leading Them to win here at Ford. No kidding. Yes. Well, I have my name's right indirectly We can thank Andy Dalton for our new spirit program Because when he took them to the Rose Bowl against Wisconsin It was some alum like me sitting in the stands and they're looking down at their cheer squad and they said Wisconsin is a lot better than our cheer squad and so that was how they Created the showgirls gotcha and then the showgirls Inspired us me Liz and I to let's see if we can revamp our spirit program So I'm gonna give that to Andy. You know, you know, it's my checkbook, but his his inspiration that did that Well, see this good. There's good and there's there's praise and you know a little ribbing on this side of the rivalry Yeah, absolutely and I think it's good. I think it's good for college football I think the the students at TCU like it the alums like it SMU alums, so Gerald, I love you, but I can't lay off TCU or Sonny. I just can't I mean, it's good for the game 4600 students. They've sold out the students. They get allotment allotment and added more They're all gonna be sitting right behind TCU's bench I hope that our students are classier than their students because last year when we played there I had them scream them screaming the f-bomb at me the whole game It was just some you know, I'm just the one who never do to you guys Took the Christian out of TCU on that day. It was weird anyway, and so I hope the SMU fans just be classy Try to be classy. Yeah, have fun, but be classy. So How do you see this by now? It's gonna be it's I think it's gonna be a dogfight. We have the defense. I feel good about that I have to admit I have lost confidence in our offense, and they have to show me. Yep. Show me again It's a show me game for me and you know the offensive line in particular I mean we have the bodies, you know We have the skills, but they're just not gelling yet. They may gel this week Yep, and they seem to be gelling in practice, but wow until that happens. I think it's gonna be a close game. Yeah, and Colin Rogers by the way player of the game against BYU Five for five by the way kicking five field glues in a game. It is not that's not easy to do I mean, let's it's not I bet he got drug tested after that. I mean some of those were monster I just wish that four of them was for extra points Oh sure as opposed to like these long field goals, but he's you can see him practicing out there right now We ought to have him introduce us on this field. It'll be fun. He's a good. He's a really fun young man So anyway, I'm gonna say SMU in a squeaker SMU by three It's a show me game Unfortunately for SMU they've not won the last two years. You know show me. Don't do it. Don't do it. Oh Man I can't do it. I can't I can't I can't do it. I can't either can hate an hour - he couldn't pick against SMU, but I may have to get a new pocket of podcast Gordon. I think that's gonna be the last two years Maybe it changes how how oh, I see you're you're so all powerful. It is your call is gonna decide Well, they're gonna be pissed at me and then maybe okay. Yeah. Yeah, right. Yeah when they run on the field They're thinking about yeah, they're holding up the sign. There's your pick. There's you're carrying You know, they're throwing stuff at you Billy and buddy. Yep. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Hey listen if we never in a squeaker You never know what the inspiration is gonna come from. Yes, so so you're saying TCU And squeaker in a squeaker All right. Well, listen, it's gonna be a really great game. It's gonna be a full house. Yep, weather's fantastic Weather's gonna be warm. We're gonna be in the shade on the east on the west side here Which will be good and there's always shade in the Weber in zone, which is incredible So come visit us in our suite and make sure you come to the game be loud Be proud and the boulevard should be awesome. Oh the boulevard will be out there awesome Yes, we should film a podcast from the boulevard. Sign me out. How much fun would that be? We ought to do a walking? Cast I'll meet you at 8 a.m. What do you call it on a stick where you have the camera and you I want to walk through like sorority row down there and show why every 17-year-old male Or female in the country wants to come there say a good recruiting weekend for us to be basketball couple top 100 guys So maybe they walk them through there too. Oh, really? Hmm. Great. Yeah, cuz we're We're about to land. We think a couple of top 100 players. They're good spots. Yep Fantastic and he's working it, didn't he? Yes, he is. I love that. So Hey, by the way Somebody from Denver you'll correct up at this. They caught our podcast somehow I'm gonna be on the drive-by sports the drive time sports show today What live to talk about how we turn around SMU? We'll have to pop that on the message board to our dozens of fans Our dozens of fans our dozens of fans they'll probably ask me about what I think of prime Oh, yeah What would you say is it see you now? I think for the florida and florida state jobs are gonna come up. I think I think florida for sure I don't think they're gonna do that to norville after this year. He made a bad quarterback choice Okay, and that has been kind of the but don't you think don't you think nia? But next year you got but don't you think nia is looking at it and thinking you know, that's my home Yeah, oh 100% and maybe that's why he stays another year at Colorado Yeah, talk about energizing a fan base. It's electric out there It's a circus as well, but yeah, it's electric out there. I mean Neon's a bit like donald trump, right? You kind of love him. I hate him. Yeah polarizing But I think he's really turned the program around. Yeah, so and it's certainly for the fan base standpoint Yeah, and it says I lived in Denver for 50 years I was I'm kind of a secret CU fan. I was really hoping that we'd be playing them in the pack 12 there for a well But now we're in America or the good lord the ACC. Yeah, the ACC. So we're happy to anyway This is going on too long dude. This is great. Yeah, cheers another great. You have their battle for the iron skillet Iron skillet. I forgot about the iron skillet. Yeah, maybe maybe you'll be beating Sonny over the head Just kidding everyone Sunday night our buddies Kind of well not really but we were we were and so hey, that's part of the rivalry, right? Yep, so all right for bill Armstrong. I'm billy m buddy Thanks for listening to this edition of the walking strong podcast and check out the pony express case at epic wines.com Slashpony catch guys next time talking about SMU's ACC opener against flotistic. That'll be fun. Thanks for listening. Thank you Thanks for listening to the on the pony express podcast with billy and body follow us on your socials on X at SMU on three and on instagram at on three SMU and keep it locked to on the pony www.ponyexpress.com for more coverage. [BLANK_AUDIO]
