Legendary LSU and Saints running back Dalton Hilliard joins the show to remember his former coach Jerry Stovall, who passed away at the age of 85 on Monday. Hilliard reflects on the teachings and impact of “Mr. Everything,” who was an All-American and two-time All-SEC selection as a player for the Tigers from 1960-1962 and led LSU as the head coach from 1980-1983.
Larry Williams, the host of Clemson Dubcast covering Tigers athletics, gives the scouting report on the Clemson Tigers and their new offensive coordinator Chad Morris and starting quarterback Christopher Vizzina. We wrap up Tiger Rag Radio with our bold predictions for the LSU football season.
Here is the complete transcript of the show from YouTube. Tiger Rag apologizes for any AI generated mistakes:
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Back here on Tiger Rag Radio for hour number two. And we got a great guest for you. One of the most versatile running backs in LSU in Saints history. Dalton
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Hillyard joins us to begin hour number two, Jeff Palmo, along with the executive editor for Tiger Magazine, Todd Orishnik, Glenn Gilbo in the
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building as well. But we bring in Dalton Hillier. Dalton, thanks a lot for joining us here on Tiger Rag Radio. How you doing tonight?
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Wonderful, guys. Thank you for having me on.
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Well, it’s great to have you on. We want to go back in memory lane here with you.
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First of all, we had Tony Clayton on to begin the show and he said that you’re the reason why he’s a lawyer. He said
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when uh Patterson played Bruley, you guys beat him like 56 to nothing and he ran over Tony Clayton on your way to probably your fourth or fifth touchdown of the night. Do you remember that game?
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Well, very unfortunately I do not, but I’m [laughter] sure we had some great great times
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type of rivalries in high school and [snorts] definitely Tony was among the member of the team during that time, but I’m sure he he he uh really put a good
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effort. We all played and had some great times [laughter] in our younger days.
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He he still wakes up in a cold sweat from that game. So, I don’t know if it was such a great time for him. But uh anyways, the the other question I wanted
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to ask you, one of the reasons why we wanted to bring you on is the the man who recruited you to LSU, Jerry Stoval, passed away uh at the age of 85. Jerry
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Stovall, Mr. Everything, just an outstanding uh football player, had a terrific uh run at it, you know, four
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seasons in a tough situation as far as being the head coach here at LSU. You remember when you uh first met Jerry Stovald when he came and uh recruited you?
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Yes, I do. I remember being recruited by Coach Buddy Nicks, a linebacker coach at that time. And I guess he had the area
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that where I was from in St. Mary Parish at Patterson High. So, Coach Buddy Nicks and I got a chance to see each other a
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few times at the high school, formed a great relationship, and uh got a chance to go visit and take a visit to LSU. Uh
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LSU was the only major school recruiting me at that time. But meeting coach Stoval for the first time on the LSU
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campus, he really assured me that coming to LSU, I would get the best opportunity and education, best opportunity and
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learning uh how to be a young man and how to be someone that really can be dependable. working together with a
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group of guys that really had a lot of respect for him and understood that he had our had our back. You know, he knew
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that as young men’s we needed that guidance. So, he was that person that really gave us the the motivation to
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want to play for LSU and really enjoyed the time I was there with him.
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Dalton, this is Todd Horn. Um, there’s a there’s an old Tiger Rag story from from
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years ago that about Coach Stoval calling you into his office before the
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1982 opener your freshman year and you guys had a loaded running back room.
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You, Gary James, I think there were eight people in that in that running back room.
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Jean Lang, Jean Lang. Yeah. Just uh I think Eric Martin had just been moved to to receiver, but he had been in that
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running back room, too. And it it was it was loaded. But when he called you in, according to the story in Tiger Rag years ago, you thought you were in
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trouble and instead he told you that you were starting. And when he asked you
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what would make you comfortable, you told him you wanted number 21, which was that. Yes, sir.
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That was his number. Take us back.
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Yes, I did. Uh definitely it was a very adventurous year for me as a freshman coming to LSU. Really not being the main
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guy, but just that underdog just really going to LSU to to go prove that I can play at a major university. you know, my
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high school coach, Jack Andre, always felt as though that I could play at that level. And I I really listened to him as
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well to choose LSU. And knowing that, you know, you can at that time you can play at a major university and maybe go
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down to a smaller university, you never could go up. So I took the chance to go to LSU because number one of coach Buddy Nixon and meeting Coach Stoval, you
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know, he won my mother over. when you win Miss Neighborh Hill over then everything is everything’s okay. You know, he met he really really instilled
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that confidence in and to her about me being at LSU with getting a good education and being around some great
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guys. I was very fortunate to to start my freshman year at the first game and he brought me in um I believe during the
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week of that game uh I guess against Oregon that um making me aware that I would be starting. I was very surprised
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that I really did thought I did something wrong or something took place I didn’t know about. And yes, you’re correct. Very few people know that
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story. And um he asked me what would make me feel comfortable going into the season. And I told him I love to wear number 21 because that’s the number I
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wore I had um throughout my high school and throughout junior high. That was my favorite number. I didn’t know it was his number that he would that he wore during his time.
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So he made that happen for me tied and and and that was something very um pleasing, very uh relaxing, made me feel
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comfortable about that situation. I had number 26 when I first got there. So, he was able to get me number 21 and and the
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story was um going forward uh as it did in the past. Had a great time my freshman year.
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So, Don, I got I have two questions for you. That’s a great story first of all and it it’s it’s amazing. Um, but did
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did he ever tell you at that point that that was his number and that maybe he expected something
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extraordinary from somebody wearing his number or anything like that or did he just let you find that out on your own?
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Basically, let me find that out on my own. He did tell me he wore that number during his time. You know, he had that smile on his face about that specific
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number. And uh he’s one of those guys that he never put pressure on anyone. He he was a leader in an aspect of giving
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you the tools and the information or the advice you need to to succeed. And that’s what he done with me as a head
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coach during that time. Um, class of 82, we had a lot of talented guys uh that year. You can go down that roster and
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see quite a few guys that made it to the NFL offensively and defensively. And uh I was just probably seventh on the depth
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chart when I got there. was very fortunate to work my way up um through the ranks and and be a starter.
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What the after that that year and you guys lost two games late in the season, first to Mississippi State, then you
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blew out Florida State to make it to the Orange Bowl. The the the Mississippi State game was your first loss following
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a 24-24 tie earlier in the season to Tennessee. And then you lose to two lane after you beat Florida State, but you still go to the Orange Bowl.
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Were you shocked the next year in 1983 when when Coach Stoval’s effort and your
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guys’ effort went yielded a 4 and seven record and no SEC wins? Very, very much so. Definitely a shock.
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you know, um the kind of level we had our freshman year, but like anything goes, you know, you you have so many injuries throughout your throughout the
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season, uh even myself included that you didn’t perform at the higher level. And that’s something that no coach I think
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can control. And it was just very fortunate in my opinion that we had quite a few injuries my sophomore year
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that led to a performance that wasn’t up to par to the standards of LSU of us during that time. but still very shocked
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to the point that he did not coach my junior year uh with me through throughout my career going into my senior year. But he was that individual
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that made us feel comfortable understanding that, you know, changes take place that you can’t control and
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you have to adjust and adapt to those changes and make the best out of them.
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What uh looking back, what do you what do you remember most about Jerry in the in the good times and and bad times uh
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uh at at the end there when he was let go? But what what what memories of of Jerry last in in your heart and brain? Uh Dalton?
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No matter how things went uh good or bad, he still had that same type of attitude. He was always upbeat, always
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inspiring. You know, another story. We used to practice across the track over there where the baseball field is at in
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the old diamond. And that practice field, man, we used to call that the Ponderosa where we practice. We used to
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take a bus uh from the Tiger Stadium locker room and just drive across the the railroad track to the practice
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field. And you know, Louisiana in this kind of weather is is very hot. And this guy would be out there, man. and he’d be
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telling us, “Thank snow.” You know, even though it’s probably 100 degrees out there, [laughter] you know, and we’re on the road to thank
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snow, baby. And that’s that’s what his attitude was about. He no matter how things was, he was very positive throughout the whole tender.
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Don, do you get a chance to go back and watch LSU practice any today over at the new Ponderosa?
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No, I haven’t. I’ve been very secluded to myself, business, working, not really going to a lot of functions with a lot of crowds. I’m one of those persons.
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I’ve had season tickets over there at LSU for probably 25, 30 years now. And very fortunate to have a good parking
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spot. Uh, and I would go to a game maybe one or two a year. And that’s basically for me to go see the ex players I played
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with and see the players that I didn’t play with and enjoy the company meeting those fantast fantastic guys that that
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had so much talent and played at LSU during that time. So I I I’ll probably definitely be at the Clemson game for sure this week coming up.
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Well, that’s good. That leads me to the to my next question. when you when you see and when LSU fans see that number 21
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from Jerry Stoval, which was retired um in October of 2018, hanging up on the
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facade in Tiger Stadium alongside Tommy Kasanova and Billy Cannon, what do you want them to know about the
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man whose name is attached to that about Jerry Stoval?
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Well, not really seen coach Stoval play during during my days, during my time, but heard so many stories about his
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ability to play and his attitude, his his work ethic, and I think it transfer
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over to his coaching style as well. You know, when Coach Stoval and his number was retired, he he made a call to me
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personally and say, “Hey, Dalton, that’s our number.” you know, and and I really appreciate him, you know, calling me and letting me know personally as that individual who wore number 21 as well.
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Played four years at LSU, and he knew I played the game with the same type of attitude that he had with giving every
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effort you can each play, each game, really being a team player. Uh, really got along with everyone. Um, and I felt
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I was liked by everyone I played with because, you know, this just the attitude. It’s a team sport. Uh you have brothers that you play with that you
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considered your family members, you know, that you begin to to to know throughout your career in college during
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our time. So his atmosphere as a coach uh really um molded me in that that same direction.
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And uh we’re talking to Dalton Hillard here on Tiger Rag Radio. and and Dalton, then you went to the New Orleans Saints and and kind of like LSU before you got
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there, they were struggling and and you helped them turn around, they had a 7-9 season, your rookie year, but then after that, man, made the playoffs and were
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really good for a long time. Uh, did you talk to Jerry as your career was going on with the Saints?
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few times I did, not as much, but he he did reach out to me a few times during my career LSU to to keep me motivated,
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make me realize. And I I realized my my rookie year going in NFL getting drafted uh getting a phone call uh making me
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aware even though this team have never had a winning season, you know, and and what what I came from from LSU, I always felt I’m used to winning. uh his
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attitude and his uh uh communication to me would just continue to play the game like I’ve been playing it and everything else would take care of itself and and
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that’s basically uh how I played the game and basically how he motivated me personally and trying to achieve all the goals I could playing football.
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How different was it Dalton whenever 1984 and coach Arnberger came in? Yeah, obviously Arnsburgger was a legend.
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Stovall was a legend. Stovall had been the coach of the year in 1982, national coach of the year, SEC coach of the
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year. Then what happened in ‘ 83 happened and and he’s gone and now you’re dealing with Bill Arner. How how different was that?
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Well, you can see the business side of it. Um uh came to the program with us being, you know, young men’s playing in
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LSU. you you played a game during my time that you know you played it with with players you you got to know and
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understand uh and you build relationships uh together with these individuals in
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college at that sense but coach realized that there’s a lot of changes that will take place and he brought in that
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atmosphere from atmosphere that you know as players you know you have to do a job you know do what you’re supposed to do
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and and his motto So, uh, coach Bill Hersburg was do what you’re supposed to do and the rest will take care of yourself. And that’s similar to the same
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philosophy, uh, Coach Stoval had. And, uh, it was a generation of change in time, but it still had the same type of
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atmosphere still had the same professional feel of another coach coming in. Uh, Coach Armsburg did a
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great job of making the players relax and understand that this is a change that, you know, we don’t have control of. only thing we had control of what we
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do out there on the field. So that’s was basically the the kind of adjustment that really took place when coach
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Armsburg came aboard and um I think the guys that plays you with coach realized that you know you had the same type of tradition and that was a good thing.
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Well, Dalton, you’re uh obviously one of the legends in LSU football history, one of the greatest running backs ever to to
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put on the the pads in Tiger Stadium and in the SEC for that matter. Um, but you
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only played four years. You know, you ran over Tony Clayton. Maybe you could give him a call and see how he’s doing and ask him if you can come back for your fifth year.
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Well, I tell you what, I I think myself and Tony both would love to come back during this generation with the type of income that’s being uh presented to the
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guys these days. But uh Tony and I both know that we at an age that we we’re fine right where we at [laughter] right now.
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Dan, thanks a lot for joining us. We appreciate it. Thanks. And uh continued good health and we hope to talk to you again soon. [snorts]
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Yes, appreciate it, guys. Thank you for having me on. Dalton Hillyard 4,000 yards rushing at LSU, 44 touchdowns, 50
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from scrimmage. He also had six receiving touchdowns, 1100 yards receiving. We’re going to take a break, more of Tiger Rag Radio when we come back.
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I’m Richard Fontau, president of the Louisiana Farm Bureau [music] Federation. My brother and I grow rice, soybeans, and raised crawfish on our farm in Evangeline Parish. For a fourth
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generation farmer like myself, [music] Louisiana Farm Bureau is as much a part of my life as checking traps or harvesting rice. Our organization is
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more than 145,000 members strong and we’ve [music] been around for more than 100 years. The Louisiana Farm Bureau spans generations and we want you to join our family.
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Visit lafarmbureau.org. The Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation, the voice of Louisiana agriculture.
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Now back to Tiger Rag Radio.
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Looking forward to our next guest, Larry Williams from onree.com, Tigers Illustrated, Clemson Dubcast. We’ll get our scouting report on the Clemson
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Tigers coming up in the next segment. Of course, uh Davos Sweeney was asked about uh the situation involving the fifthear seniors trying to regain eligibility.
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Some of them were involved in NFL mini camps and training camps. And Davos Sweeney gave this answer in Dabau Sweeney like fashion.
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Rarely am I at a loss for words, but Chapo, I’m at kind of a loss of words. I would just say it’s kind of embarrassing. I mean, honestly, just
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it’s just embarrassing that that’s where we are. And I don’t blame the kids, people trying to take advantage of the system. I just think it’s embarrassing where we are with college football. And
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we’ve been there for a while. So, I just keep my energy my my focus on and my energy on the things that that I control
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and and the things that matter, and that’s these kids here and our team.
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But, you know, all that outside stuff. I mean, we just kind of, no pun intended, we just stay in our lane, you know, uh here here at Clemson. try to every now
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and then somebody will ram into us but but we try to just kind of handle our business here but it’s embarrassing I mean it really is you know we have no
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rules there’s no governance I mean it’s a joke there’s zero rules and when you enforce rules somebody just goes and finds a judge to say no you can’t
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enforce that rule so never did I think I’d be living in an era like this but that’s where we are yeah I I I love Dabau he’s
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[snorts] he puts things in great perspective and you know he was he was talking about Lane somewhat and the NFL players coming back to college somewhat,
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but he was talking about what’s been going on since the portal in NIL started. He even said that it’s been going on for years. And the uh guys
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going to getting the judge for whatever they want. That that didn’t just start happening this month either. That’s been going on forever. And I think that’s also ridiculous, you know. I mean,
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that’s how Alabama got the NBA player last year. They got a Tuscaloosa judge to put him in there. Well, that’s how Trinidad Chamblas got his
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job at Old Miss this year, right? Right. And of course, yeah, I think he had a better argument, but but uh yeah, he they did find a a friendly
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judge at the local 7-Eleven. That that’s the strategy. And I think that’s what Davo’s uh talking about. He took an interesting little shot at at Lane,
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which everybody does. But uh it uh he’s right. He’s absolutely right. It’s hard to uh to have a consistent structure of
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a league like college football or college basketball or any college sports when there’s 50 different states making
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rules for you and you don’t have one particular rule book that you can go by.
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Yeah. There’s just too many hands in the in the gumbo. And and you know, you can say what you want about the NCAA, but when they were in power and not as weak
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as they are now and not losing as many law cases as U. Attorney Burgerer did to Perry Mason back in the day. You know,
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the the the the c the college football was organized. Things were organized.
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Maybe they weren’t done the right way, but but they were much more organized and it was a much more enjoyable sport.
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uh in the off season. I I think I mean once the games start everything kind of goes away, I hope though there’ll probably be more TTRO’s but but um yeah,
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it it’s just a mess. They they don’t know how to govern themselves.
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Yeah. And and I I can’t help Glenn but think about you and I sitting down with Verge Osbury for several hours in February
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um of this past year and him just repeating over and over again, the system’s broken. The whole system’s broken. This is not sustainable. This is not sustainable.
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He’s right.
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We’ll take another break and we’ll start to break down the LSU Clemson game even more with Larry Williams of onree.com, Tigers Illustrated, and Clemson Dubcast.
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Got a lot of great questions lined up here for Larry. So stay tuned for that here on Tiger Rag Radio.
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The East Baton [music] Rouge Parish Library believes that supporting the education of students is good for us all.
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That’s why we provide access [music] to live in-person online tutoring through homework Louisiana.
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Get a library [music] card. Get free education at ebrpl.com/homeworkhelp.
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We now return to Tiger Rag Radio.
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[music]
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Back here on Tiger Rag Radio, Jeff Polmo, news and sports director, Louisiana Radio Network, along with the executive editor for Tiger Magazine,
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Todd Horn, and Gwen Gilbo with us as well, along with Case Kishnik, our producer. Let’s bring in our next guest.
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It’s Larry Williams. He covers the Clemson Tigers for on three.com, Tigers Illustrated, and the Clemson Dubcast.
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Larry, seems like we’ve been talking about this game for months because we have, and it’s finally here. How you doing tonight?
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I’m doing great. Uh, can we talk about the game? I really hope not.
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That’s exactly what we’re going to talk [laughter] about.
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Trust me. Trust me. We are not going to ask you any uh legal legal questions.
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That’s for sure. I want to ask you about Chad Morris. Uh, talk about bringing him back and what does this mean for the Clemson offense?
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Well, I think it sort of the intent is to sort of rekindle what really got the Dabo era started in
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such a big way. Back in 2011, um he hired Chad Morris from Tulsa.
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Morris was, you know, kind of little known at that time. Had been in the high school ranks forever, had only been Tulsa for one season under Ty Graham.
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But [clears throat] if you take yourself back, 2010 was when Gush and Cam Newton set the world on
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fire at Auburn. And uh so Mars had was a close disciple of Malz. And so at that
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time the what they called the hurry up no huddle offense and and and you know the spreading you out horizontally and
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vertically and um quarterback run game, all that stuff. It was all the rage. And the tempo as well, by the way. And so
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[clears throat]
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24 minutes, 17 seconds
Mars was here for four years before going on to to SMU and I think Davo just after dealing with Garrett Riley in the
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24 minutes, 26 seconds
air raid and realizing you know it’s kind of like a different language. I don’t really understand it. Um he wanted to get back to his instincts, back to
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24 minutes, 34 seconds
his comfort zone and Chad Morris just so happened to be available and really interested in the job. And so I think initially it was like wait what really?
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he he’s he’s doing this. But I think the more you sort of piece it together and the more you understand like man, they
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they really needed an identity over the last few years, they just they’ve just been sort of lost. Um kind of kind of
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25 minutes, 2 seconds
soulless, I guess, on offense, if that makes any sense. And I’m not sitting here saying I don’t think anybody knows whether it’s going to be a rousing
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25 minutes, 11 seconds
success, but I can see the logic and and from, you know, behind the scenes and all that. Ted Morris just his presence
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25 minutes, 19 seconds
and his command and his authority and his voice have made a huge difference, not just on the offensive side of the ball, but I
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25 minutes, 26 seconds
think for their overall just the feel of things.
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The other big news from today is of course Davos Sweeney announcing that Christopher Vzena, senior quarterback, is going to be the starter uh when the
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25 minutes, 38 seconds
Clemson Tigers come to visit LSU week one. What can Tiger fans expect to see from a guy who spent his three years taking his time sitting behind Kate
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25 minutes, 47 seconds
Clubnick a lot like how Garrett Nmeer sat behind Jaden Daniels, now he gets his opportunity to start. Is that where the comparison stops between the two or
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what can Tiger fans expect to see on Saturday?
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Yeah, I think so. So, with Clemson, I think you’re going to see two quarterbacks Saturday. Uh Tate, uh Chris Vazina, like
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26 minutes, 6 seconds
you said, the starter, and Tate Reynolds, a freshman who enrolled midyear and who has really impressed them.
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26 minutes, 16 seconds
Reynolds is the more of the dual threat variety. Um way more active with his legs. Um can extend plays, can make
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26 minutes, 24 seconds
throws on the run. Um you know, just has that juice. I guess you could say Vzena less of a threat to run the ball, but
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26 minutes, 33 seconds
not a statue either. Um, and so I could see him, you know, pulling it on some zone reads and and and making you pay
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26 minutes, 41 seconds
with maybe a seven or eight yard gain if you don’t honor that, you know, the edge player. Um, he could also maybe some of
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26 minutes, 49 seconds
the more designed runs in the red zone goal line situations uh between the tackles. He’s a he’s Bazine is a big dude. Um, but I think
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26 minutes, 58 seconds
what got him the job so far, and it I have to emphasize so far because Davos says it remains an open competition is
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27 minutes, 6 seconds
uh, Vzina just did a better job of making the right decisions and protecting the football over the last few weeks in practice. I think uh,
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27 minutes, 14 seconds
Reynolds is more of a highwire act, puts the ball in jeopardy. And, um, you know, they’re going to have enough obstacles
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27 minutes, 21 seconds
on Saturday night um, against LSU in front of that crowd. uh to to to deal with, you know, to to have to worry
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27 minutes, 29 seconds
about, you know, throwing pick sixes and stuff like that. That game could be over uh in a hurry if that starts happening.
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27 minutes, 36 seconds
Hey, Larry, it’s Todd. Um you know, you guys were just talking about the quarterbacks. Um obviously Sam Levit is
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27 minutes, 43 seconds
is a a question mark, but he’s got a lot of confidence going into this game, he says, and and he’s got confidence behind him.
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27 minutes, 52 seconds
But is this game actually about being decided inside? I mean, Clemson has had a lot of attrition at defensive
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27 minutes, 59 seconds
tackle and on the other side LSU has concerns about its offensive line depth. Which team has the bigger problem there?
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Boy, it’s a great question. I I think um I think LSU, their offensive line, the starting five is looks, you know, very salty to me.
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Very talented, of course.
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Um, you know, Clemson’s Clemson just has more questions, I believe. Um, if you’re talking about that particular matchup,
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28 minutes, 29 seconds
um, Clemson’s interior defensive line.
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Um, they lost Peter Woods, they lost Deonte Kart, they lost of course Green, who’s over there. Um, and they lost a
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28 minutes, 44 seconds
portal guy, Courtney Kelly, during the spring who suffered a torn ACL. And so really right now, Clemson has three
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28 minutes, 53 seconds
defensive tackles um who they’re going to rotate. I mean, I guess they could conceivably put a fourth guy out there,
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29 minutes, 1 second
but even those three that I just referred to, none of those are proven guys. Uh Marcus Strong, an Oklahoma
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29 minutes, 9 seconds
transfer, uh he was a backup, didn’t play many snaps, maybe like a little over a hundred last year. Amari Adams is
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29 minutes, 17 seconds
a is a is a high school recruit for Clemson. Uh he was a freshman last year, played 107 snaps.
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Um and uh Andy Beraria, who is a Jo transfer who they really liked, but that’s what you got. And that is
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just um that’s concerning. I think it’s concerning overall for them this season, but I think it’s particularly concerning in light of this matchup Saturday night.
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He said, and that leads me to this next question. I mean, obviously, you know, Clemson in the last like 54 road games is something like I think 44 and 10. But
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Rody Jones told you something on your your podcast recently that that jumped out at me. He said he thinks Clemson
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30 minutes
believes it’s good, but he’s not sure Clemson knows it’s good yet, and LSU may answer that question.
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30 minutes, 8 seconds
Uh, is that the psychology around this Clemson team right now?
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30 minutes, 12 seconds
Yeah, I thought I thought that was a great and dead-on kind of observation.
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You got to understand the everything is about the context of last year. Um, top five team. Um, they
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30 minutes, 26 seconds
spend the spring and summer being told how great they’re going to be. Kade Club Nick, number one draft pick, Heisman
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30 minutes, 33 seconds
candidate. Clemson’s going back to, you know, getting back in the business of playing for national championships. Then you come out and lose the opener.
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Of course, LSU, you know, tight game.
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You know, the the world’s not ending, but they were just kind of I just think
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they were just kind of shattered from that result. Um, you know, at home in the opener, and then they go on the road
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30 minutes, 59 seconds
two weeks later, lose to Georgia Tech, and it’s like just they they fell apart and started one and three. They were three and five
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31 minutes, 8 seconds
at one point. My point is there is so much PTSD from last fall
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31 minutes, 15 seconds
because I think inside that building last summer, a year ago, right now, they all thought, man, we are really
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31 minutes, 22 seconds
freaking good. I mean that countless people told me like this, we got our best, we got our most talented team since 2019, the team that played LSU in the championship down in New Orleans.
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31 minutes, 34 seconds
And I just think that they’re still kind of shell shocked that they were that wrong about a team. And so, yeah, I
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31 minutes, 41 seconds
think they’re they are confident in some ways right now, but it’s like, yeah, we still don’t know. You know, it’s I don’t think
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31 minutes, 49 seconds
anybody any team really knows. It’s just so hard to tell when you’ve been playing against yourself. Um, and there are so many variables like injuries and such
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31 minutes, 57 seconds
things like that. But, but I think Rody Jones probably hit on it. Like I I think even Davo right now, the most optimistic
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32 minutes, 7 seconds
person on the planet, you could argue, is saying, “Okay, yeah, we got some good pieces, but y’all got to show me after
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32 minutes, 14 seconds
last year.” Hey, Larry, this is Glenn. Thanks for joining us on the show. Yes, sir.
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32 minutes, 19 seconds
Um, do you realize that this could be the first game that Clemson grad, former Clemson grad assistant, Will Wade,
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32 minutes, 28 seconds
attends, first Clemson football game since 2007. Will Wade’s going to be in the house, man? You think that’s going to inspire Clemson? Or [laughter]
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32 minutes, 38 seconds
are you laughing from the gut or from the stomach? That sound like a deep belly laugh to me.
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I just want laugh I’ve had all day.
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I just want to see the guy. He He Nobody can find him. He’s He’s only got four guys on his roster, but there’s a bunch of guys coming in. They just got to get him signed and everything.
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32 minutes, 54 seconds
You can find him in the courtroom. Yeah, they’ll be in the courtroom.
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32 minutes, 56 seconds
He [laughter] goes to Superior Grill for lunch over there on government.
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33 minutes
Oh, okay. All right. Well, I don’t go there. So, [laughter] I’ll say this. I’ll say this. I know Will and I mean I was here when he was
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here u when he was uh on Oliver Presell’s staff. He was and is a a huge Clemson fan.
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Oh, cool. Cool.
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Huge. Uh you know, I don’t know how open he’ll be about it Saturday night, but um
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Oh, yeah. when so they were he and there were these noon time basketball games here at the athletic department way back
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when dating back to as far back as when Davo was the receivers’s coach here. Um and so
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33 minutes, 40 seconds
Will Way and and Will Wade and a bunch of others um you know support staffers
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33 minutes, 47 seconds
and things like that they would play and so that’s how they really got to know Davo. Um, and so [clears throat] when
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33 minutes, 55 seconds
Will left, I can’t remember the year. I think he 2007. 2007 was his last year at Clemson.
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34 minutes, 2 seconds
Okay, great. Um, so of course that’s the year, that’s the year before Davo takes over. Davo took over in ‘ 08. And so
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34 minutes, 10 seconds
fast forward to like, you know, 09, Clemson wins the ACC Atlantic Division for the first time. Then 2011, like I
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34 minutes, 18 seconds
was saying earlier, is when they take off after Chad Morris got there. Well, Will Weey and Shaka Smart, Mike Morurell was another one. He’s a head coach at
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34 minutes, 26 seconds
UNC Asheville right now. They were all on the same staff at VCU when Shaka was
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the head coach there. And so they would they would literally will told me this
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um they Shaka would would would cancel practice or or or schedule practice basketball practices around fall
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Saturday so they could Yeah.
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play. It’s a great That’s awesome. That’s awesome. Well, and I also wanted to ask you, do do you feel like Davo and uh and Lane Keifin
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34 minutes, 59 seconds
are kind of opposites? I mean, one loves the portal, one hates the portal, one’s a country dude from Decatur, and Lane’s a big California guy. Uh, you think
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35 minutes, 8 seconds
they’re kind of opposites or what do you think?
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35 minutes, 10 seconds
Kind of, Glenn? Kind of. I think I think they are polar opposites. I mean, there’s no doubt. I mean, I And that’s
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35 minutes, 18 seconds
not to say Lane doesn’t have some good qualities. I mean, he’s a freaking genius, of course, as a schemer and play caller and all that, but you just you
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35 minutes, 25 seconds
can’t get more opposite than this. Um, you know, I I feel I I don’t see how you can’t sort of if you put yourself in the
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35 minutes, 33 seconds
shoes of Davo and Clemson, like how you can’t feel a little bad for him with all this stuff that’s been going on. I know we’ve been talking about we promised to
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35 minutes, 40 seconds
talk about the game only, but um but this kind of impacts the game. Yeah. Yeah.
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35 minutes, 45 seconds
So, like the the the Pete Golding situation back in January, you know, it’s like, “Oh my god, we we just had
35:53
35 minutes, 53 seconds
this linebacker who was in class for a week at Clemson. Pete Golding comes and is texting him during class and Pete
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36 minutes, 1 second
Golding’s response is well uh LSU did it to us, you know, and so it’s like you’re in this triangle if you’re Clemson and
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36 minutes, 8 seconds
you’re at the bottom of that food chain and then now fast forward to now and you’re suddenly having to go dust off
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36 minutes, 15 seconds
NFL tape. [laughter] Stay in your lane, Larry.
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36 minutes, 22 seconds
Hey, man. Hey, you think I don’t think that was I don’t think that was spur of the moment. And I bet De thought thought of that oneliner like a couple of days ago.
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36 minutes, 29 seconds
Hey. Hey, Larry. Have you ever been to Death Valley?
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36 minutes, 33 seconds
I have. I uh I came I I was So you’re So you’re thinking of Death Valley in Baton Rouge, the real one.
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36 minutes, 40 seconds
Well, I mean, I assume that you’re talking about Okay. Okay. Stay in. Stay in [laughter] Atlanta.
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36 minutes, 48 seconds
Hey. Hey. I love I love Clemson’s Death Valley. I mean, I think it’s a a freaking awesome place to watch a game.
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36 minutes, 54 seconds
And I think Glenn, you were here last year. It was. It was.
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36 minutes, 57 seconds
Not for that. But LSU is the pinnacle like that. I mean, that’s just it’s just different down there, man.
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37 minutes, 3 seconds
It’s just different. Where where did you get that from?
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37 minutes, 5 seconds
That’s the lane law. Stay in your [laughter] lane, Larry. Tommy, I got to tell you.
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37 minutes, 9 seconds
I think he’s been reading tiger.com a little bit. [laughter] Larry, when are you getting When are you getting here?
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37 minutes, 16 seconds
I came down there uh I came down there in 03. Uh, no. When are you getting here for the game this time? Are you coming? I I actually am not I’m not coming.
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37 minutes, 24 seconds
Oh, shoot. Okay. Unfortunately.
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37 minutes, 26 seconds
Um I have a family obligation, but uh um Yeah. 03 the Georgia LSU game.
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37 minutes, 34 seconds
That’s a great game.
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37 minutes, 36 seconds
Yeah, it it was not a night game, but it was still just and y’all probably remember.
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37 minutes, 41 seconds
Oh, yeah. It was it was a huge game. It was a huge game. I think it was the game that LSU fans uh finally believed, you
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37 minutes, 49 seconds
know, that true that, you know, Nick Sabin what he was preaching to the fan base for two years um to about the process and there was a
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37 minutes, 58 seconds
big touchdown that went against LSU at the towards the end of that game and the fans kind of rallied behind the team and the big touchdown pass to Skyler Green
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38 minutes, 7 seconds
which is one of the more legendary plays in LSU history. So that was huge. Game day was there for that one too and they’ll be there uh this Saturday.
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38 minutes, 15 seconds
Larry, we are running up against the break. Thank you very much for your time. Enjoy the 2026 season and who knows, maybe uh we’ll see a rematch
38:23
38 minutes, 23 seconds
between these two teams in the college football playoffs. Maybe maybe our lanes will cross again.
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38 minutes, 28 seconds
[laughter]
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38 minutes, 30 seconds
All right, Larry. Thanks, man.
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38 minutes, 31 seconds
All right, let’s take a break. Uh right after this, more of Tiger Rag Radio.
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38 minutes, 36 seconds
We’re back to Tiger Rag Radio. All right, back here on Tiger Rag Radio, we finish up the show. I think all of us
38:43
38 minutes, 43 seconds
are on the same page that LSU figures out a way to win it despite all the distractions and so forth. And I’m being
38:50
38 minutes, 50 seconds
a little bit of um uh a little bit of tongue and cheek on that. Uh and I think all of us would say 9 and three, 10 and
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38 minutes, 59 seconds
two. That’s what pretty much everyone is saying. So what we’re going to do here in this final segment is bold B O D B O
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39 minutes, 6 seconds
D predictions. And we’ll start with you, Todd.
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39 minutes, 10 seconds
My bold prediction for this season is that Dylan Jones, LSU running back,
39:18
39 minutes, 18 seconds
Kiwan Lacy, Miss running back, finished one and two in the SEC in rushing.
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39 minutes, 25 seconds
I’m not saying which one’s one, which one’s two, but they’re going to finish one and two in rushing. That’s my bold prediction.
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39 minutes, 31 seconds
All right, Case. I’m going to directly disagree with Todd and I’m gonna say that none of the three LSU running backs
39:39
39 minutes, 39 seconds
go over 600 yards this season. I think uh Durham had 505 last year, Barry 491, Dylan Jones had 300 in only seven games,
39:47
39 minutes, 47 seconds
which of course would put him on pace if he’s the lead back, but I think they just do it too much by committee. And I don’t think that they lean on him as much as they have as a single back in
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39 minutes, 55 seconds
past years. I think Gifin and Weiss changed their offense based off their personnel, and that’s what they’re going to do again this year. You’re entitled to your own opinion case, but you’re
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40 minutes, 3 seconds
also fired. [laughter] All right, my bold prediction. I’ll go defense. I don’t know how bold it is,
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40 minutes, 10 seconds
but I believe DJ Picket leads the team in interceptions.
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40 minutes, 15 seconds
I don’t think they’re going to throw at him enough for that to happen. But that’s why it’s a bold prediction. Okay.
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40 minutes, 21 seconds
I think he’s going to have three interceptions, which is the number he should be wearing. [laughter] Okay. My bold prediction is you got you
40:28
40 minutes, 28 seconds
got three coaches on the hot seat in the SEC. Josh Hypel, uh Shane Beamer, and in my opinion, Pete
40:36
40 minutes, 36 seconds
Golding, cuz he shouldn’t have got the job. He got the job in kind of a strange situation, and he probably shouldn’t have got it. I’m surprised they didn’t
40:43
40 minutes, 43 seconds
hire Charlie Weiss Jr., but I predict Pete Golding has a very disappointing year. And because of his questionable
40:51
40 minutes, 51 seconds
hiring, Pete Golden gets fired at Old Miss this season. Charlie Weiss Jr.
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40 minutes, 57 seconds
replaces him as head coach and Pete Golding becomes the defensive coordinator at LSU because Blake Baker becomes the new head coach at South Carolina. There you go.
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41 minutes, 6 seconds
And SEC media days suffers [laughter] for it. Wow.
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41 minutes, 12 seconds
Wow. That is uh that is quite a twist there. All right, we got to put that on the shelf so we can review it.
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41 minutes, 18 seconds
[laughter]
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41 minutes, 20 seconds
And you need to rehire uh Case because I’m not writing 15 stories a day, pal. All right, case you’re rehired. Appreciate that.
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41 minutes, 28 seconds
Well, speaking of tiger.com, check it out. Uh multiple stories are going up there uh every day. It’s a it’s amazing
41:36
41 minutes, 36 seconds
the amount of work that Glenn, Todd, and Case put in. And uh there’s a lot of great stuff, player profiles, great columns from Todd, great stories from
41:44
41 minutes, 44 seconds
Glenn. Uh Case knocks it out of the park with all the information that he provides and his stories. If you missed any of this podcast, you’ll certainly
41:52
41 minutes, 52 seconds
want to listen to it or missed any of the show. You want to get it anywhere you get your podcast. It’ll also be uploaded to YouTube uh sometime tonight.
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42 minutes
Really good show. Got to thank all our guests. Tony Clayton, Corey Diaz from the USA Today Network, Dalton Hillyard, Larry Williams. It was a great way to uh
42:10
42 minutes, 10 seconds
kick off the 2026 season. We’ll be back with you next week to recap what happened uh or what will happen on an
42:18
42 minutes, 18 seconds
historic night in Tiger Stadium. Should be an outstanding atmosphere. Can’t wait for it. And until then, for the latest in LSU sports, check out tiger.com. For
42:27
42 minutes, 27 seconds
Case Glen, Todd, I’m Jeff Polmo. Have a good night, everyone.
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42 minutes, 33 seconds
Tiger Ragg is everywhere. Online at tiger.com.
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