Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: The Big Suey: Taller Van Dyke
Date: September 29, 2025
Location: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami
Hosts: Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, with Mike Ryan and others

Episode Overview

The “Big Suey: Taller Van Dyke” episode features Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, and Mike Ryan diving into the unforgettable moments of the recent football weekend, both NFL and college. The show centers on mind-bending on-field follies, the razor-thin margins of victory and defeat, and humorous takes on everything from advanced stats to field-rushing fans. The hosts mix serious football insights with their characteristic blend of laughs, pop culture references, and light-hearted jabs at each other.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Baker Mayfield, Quarterback Anomalies, and PFF Metrics

• Baker Mayfield’s Luck and Recklessness (02:07): Stugotz notes Baker’s reckless play, citing “nine turnover-worthy plays in 13 quarters.” However, Dan disputes PFF’s assessment, arguing that aggressive play can sometimes be necessary.
  • Dan Le Batard (02:33): “This is where PFF is flawed. Yeah, turnover-worthy... it was also a fricking touchdown because he's got a laser arm.”
• “Healthy Interceptions” Theory: Dan argues that some quarterbacks need to take risks for big plays, leading to occasional interceptions—defending Mayfield’s style.
• Stat Skepticism: Stugotz trusts PFF over Dan’s “bias,” suggesting some of Baker’s successes could easily have been interceptions.

2. Extraordinary Errors: Adonai Mitchell’s Unbelievable Play

• The Play of the Weekend (03:26 – 07:13):
  • Stugotz highlights Adonai Mitchell, a Colts receiver, who made a 75-yard play: catching the ball with his right elbow in double coverage, only to fumble it into the end zone at the 1-yard line.
    • Stugotz (03:26): “The single greatest instance I've ever seen between an extraordinary excellent play turning into a profound stupidity.”
  • This play flipped the game—Rams got the ball, Colts lost momentum.
  • The discussion expands to similar past gaffes (DeSean Jackson, amateur somersaults, dropped balls at the goal line) but differentiates Mitchell’s genuine effort from showboating.
  • Dan Le Batard (07:13): “It’s almost scientifically impossible to have his gloves that grippy with the ball after touching his skin… that’s almost physically, scientifically, mathematically impossible.”
• Emotional Fallout (09:00 – 10:55):
  • The guys empathize with Mitchell: his visible panic, avoiding teammates’ celebration, and the haunting feeling that he cost his team the win.

3. NFL Roundup: Surprises, Patterns, and Quarterback Chemistry

• Bills' Routine Greatness; Giants’ Upset (08:46):
  • Bills routinely score 31+ points, making even their “average” games intimidating for most teams.
• Brandon Cooks’ Non-Touchdown Celebration (09:00):
  • A limp celebration tips Dan off that Cooks knew the refs would overturn his touchdown.
    • Dan Le Batard (10:39): “[He] did a really super half-hearted bow and arrow celebration... like, I'll do this to try and fix it to try and fool the refs, but I know that they know that I didn't actually catch this ball.”
• Rams’ Playoff Prospect and Stafford’s Chemistry with Receivers (13:24, 17:29):
  • Stafford continues to lock onto “unguardable” receivers (now Puka Nacua), reminiscent of his connection with Cooper Kupp.
  • Stugotz (17:29): “It is odd... to see Stafford turn Nakua into what Cooper Cup was… There is not a team in the universe that wants to play the Rams.”

4. College Football: Field Rushes, Upsets, and Fandom Extremes

• Nuttiest Fan Segment (20:00 – 24:00):
  • Nominees include a shirtless Virginia fan on the goalpost, an Oregon fan in a sea of Penn State white, and the rapid, “rabid” field rush by Virginia fans after an upset.
  • Concerns about field-rush safety; suggestion to “build a wall” around stadiums to prevent it.
    • Dan Le Batard (24:13): “If the ACC is actually serious about stopping this… maybe your last line of defense shouldn’t be just, you know, a couple dudes with a rope.”
• Field Rushing: Cool or Cringe?
  • Mike finds it excessive—questioning when fans should feel it’s truly warranted.
    • Mike Ryan (23:20): “Can you have a little self respect? Like they stormed the field after beating a team that was ranked two spots higher…”
  • Dan offers context: not all upsets are created equal, especially for long-suffering programs.

5. Special Teams and the Rise of the Modern Kicker

• Impactful Special Teams Plays, New Kickoff Rules (25:58 – 28:06):
  • Dan and Mike discuss the increasing frequency of blocked kicks, the uncertainty over the new NFL kickoff “drop zone” rule (“I have no idea how that rule works.” – Mike Ryan, 26:42).
  • Rise of super-long field goals: more 65-yarders, breaking the Tom Dempsey 63-yard record, and commentary on how kickers have rendered distance records “irrelevant.”

6. College Game Discussions: Coaches, Upsets and Quarterback Questions

• Big Games Recap and Coaching Records (31:06 – 36:05):
  • Discussion of Georgia Tech/Wake Forest, Ole Miss/LSU, Alabama/Georgia, and especially Oregon/Penn State.
  • James Franklin’s dismal record against top-10 teams (4–21):
    • Dan Le Batard (33:24): “So never talk to me about Drew Aller ever again. He's got that guy, that guy Taller Van Dyke stinks. His name is taller Van Dyke.”
  • James Franklin, though credited with rebuilding Penn State, is criticized for failure in big games.
• Best Defensive Games:
  • Mike Ryan and Stugotz debate whether low-scoring, defense-heavy games are boring or compelling.
    • Iowa/Indiana Radio Announcers (36:05): “Who doesn’t love defensive football?” — “I don’t want this game to ever end.”

7. SEC Quarterback Inventory & Playoff Picture

• Alabama’s Resurgence, Georgia’s QB Issues (39:46 – 44:12):
  • Alabama looks back to form—FSU game now possibly just an anomaly.
  • Georgia faces criticism for its quarterback situation: hosts list 8+ SEC teams with better QB play.
    • Dan Le Batard (42:49): “UGA is not going to win a title when… they have that many teams ahead of them.”
    • Mike Ryan (44:22): “I think [Alabama] are a playoff team. And… Kaylin DeBoer all he does is win the big games.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• On PFF and Baker Mayfield:
  • “I guess the ball that he fit between two defenders…was turnover worthy. It was also a fricking touchdown because he's got a laser arm.” — Dan Le Batard (02:33)
• Adonai Mitchell’s Play:
  • “Catches the ball with just the inside of his right elbow. Like I don't even know how it got stuck there…as he gets to the one yard line, it slips out of his hands.” — Stugotz (04:03)
  • “That’s almost physically, scientifically, mathematically impossible.” — Dan Le Batard (07:13)
• On Field Rushes:
  • “This is the greatest field rush in the history of [college football]…it looked a lot worse than it was. Nobody got hurt.” — Dan Le Batard (21:30)
• Kickoff Rule Confusion:
  • “I have no idea how that rule works. I have no clue what's happening there. I don’t know where they have to land. I don’t know what happens if it doesn’t land there.” — Mike Ryan (26:42)
• James Franklin’s Record:
  • “James Franklin is now 4 and 21 against top 10 teams. And in the Big Ten against the top 10, he's one in [18]…third worst since 1937.” — Stugotz (31:48)
• Low Scoring Football as Entertaining:
  • “Who doesn’t love defensive football?” — Unnamed Iowa radio announcer (36:05)
• Alabama’s Playoff Hopes:
  • “Bama looks so good. They just have UGA's number…Bama might be back.” — Dan Le Batard (39:47)

Important Segment Timestamps

| Segment/Topic | Timestamps | |:------------------------------------------- |:--------------:| | Baker Mayfield & PFF Critique | 02:07–03:26 | | Adonai Mitchell Fumble Analysis | 03:26–08:03 | | Brandon Cooks “Celebration” | 09:00–10:55 | | NFL Weekend Recap | 12:00–17:29 | | Field Rush/Nuttiest Fan Segment | 20:00–24:41 | | Special Teams & Kickoff Rule | 25:58–28:06 | | College Football Coaches’ Records | 31:06–36:05 | | Best Games of the Weekend | 37:19–39:46 | | Alabama, SEC QBs, Playoff Outlook | 39:46–44:41 |

Tone & Style

Fast-paced banter, quick pivots between serious football talk and irreverent humor. Plenty of inside jokes, light-hearted sarcasm, and self-deprecating acknowledgment of their own football biases or lack of expertise in certain areas.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

• The guys dig into football’s wildest moments of the week and explain how razor-thin the difference between glory and goat can be.
• Hilariously describe on-field snafus—from Adonai Mitchell’s elbow-catch catastrophe to limp touchdown fake-outs.
• Poke fun at obsessive football stats, field rush etiquette, and the never-ending search for the next unstoppable receiver-quarterback duo.
• Provide context for why history, circumstance, and raw luck play a role in college football upsets and heartbreaks.
• If you love football talk that veers between brilliant analysis and zany laughter, this show remains in fine form.