TexAgs Live - Billy Liucci : 08.07.26

Summary

TexAgs Live – Billy Liucci : 08.07.26

Zone 1150, August 7, 2026
Hosted by David Nuño, Billy Liucci, Olin, and crew

---

Episode Overview

This hour of TexAgs Live, anchored by David Nuño, marks a lively roundtable on Aggie football alongside co-hosts and special call-in guest (later in-studio), Billy Liucci. The crew covers recent fall camp developments, debates national championship banter (sparked by a viral quote from Purdue’s new AD), dives deep into preseason rankings, and discusses breakout Aggie players for 2026. As usual, the discussion is frank, high-energy, and driven by Aggie pride and skepticism alike.

---

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Purdue’s Provocative Championship Claim vs. Indiana

• [00:25–02:41] The show kicks off with banter about Purdue AD’s bold claim: “We are here to win championships. If you don’t want to win championships, go to Indiana.” The crew fact-checks the statement:

  • Championship Tally:

    • Purdue: 3 (Women’s Basketball 1999, Women’s Golf 2010, Men’s Golf 1961)
    • Indiana: 25, including 5 Men’s Basketball national titles and a recent football natty

  • David Nuño:
    “You can’t make those comments after [Indiana] wins the national championship.” [04:00]

• [03:40–05:24] Billy Liucci joins by phone, roasting Purdue’s decision:

  • “It makes me question this guy’s judgment... let’s just fast track him to be the College Football Playoff committee chair because he’s shown he’s got exactly what it takes to run that show.” [04:53]

2. Comparative Analysis: Indiana’s Prospects & Media Narratives

• [06:32–09:19] Liucci discusses Indiana post-title, their quarterback situation (Josh Hoover), and how media narratives differ:
  • “Everybody’s kind of panning A&M right now... They’re getting nitpicked... as Elko said, A&M has not historically been able to stack great seasons. I don’t even know what an A&M reload looks like.” [07:39]
  • Indiana’s schedule is dissected—Liucci says their non-conference opponents are unimpressive but acknowledges tough in-conference matchups.

3. Perceived Media Double-Standard

• [09:33–11:41] Rant on SEC scrutiny, Alabama/Texas Tech “humiliations,” and A&M’s Miami loss:
  • “Let’s call it what it is... everybody that doesn’t make the championship is not a fraud, but A&M is for some reason for playing Miami, you know, down to the final play. So I don’t get it.” [10:51]
  • Calls out national sports media for framing A&M’s season unfairly compared to others.

4. 2026 Preseason Rankings: Aggie Secondary Highlighted

• [14:42–21:47] Reese shares CBS Sports’ Top 10 CFB secondaries for 2026:

  • A&M ranks #9—first SEC teams ahead are Alabama (#4), Georgia (#5), then OU (#8).

  • The group discusses depth, talent, and breakout potential of the Aggie secondary led by Dalton Brooks, Desmond Ricks, Julio Humphrey, Ricky Gibson, and more.

  • Billy Liucci:
    “I think the secondary is going to be really damn good... If they can be a top five secondary in the SEC and maybe better, I think this defense could be lights out.” [19:05]

  • Points out the only uncertainty is linebacker depth behind Sanford.

5. Breakout Player Watch: Running Back Room & Reuben Owens

• [21:47–28:32] Discussion pivots to Reuben Owens and the importance of a strong running game:

  • Owens: 640 yards, 5.4 YPC last year, with significant outings against Mississippi State and Missouri.
  • “Ruben’s put in the work... The question is, to me, is Reuben Owens going to be a rock solid part of a one-two punch, or is Reuben going to be a breakout performer for this offense given the chance?” [26:40]

• A&M’s success hinges on backfield productivity, crucial for playoff ambitions.

6. 25 in 25 Segment: The “Swiss Army Knife” – Terry Bussey

• [29:58–39:42] Fun, drawn-out clue game leads to the focus on ATH Terry Bussey, dubbed a “Swiss army knife” for the Aggies. Segment includes much joking about how to pantomime a Swiss Army knife and poking fun at each other’s charades skills.

  • Billy Liucci:
    “He was the best player on the field every time... All of the traits translated to this level, which is why he was a five-star. Terry played... he’s now entering his third season as a wide receiver after probably an entire football lifetime of just doing a little bit of everything.” [36:00]
    • Cites his improvement, versatility (running, catching, returning), and potential to be a key “weapon” in the Aggie offense.

7. Show Wrap and Banter: Social Media “Doxxing” and Fan Wars

• [40:00–43:11] The crew jokes about fanbase trolling and “doxxing” (not really!), closes out with more inside-jokes about hints and practice nicknames.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Purdue’s AD:
  • “Let’s just fast track him to be the College Football Playoff committee chair because he’s shown he’s got exactly what it takes to run that show.” (Billy Liucci, 04:54)
• About the SEC criticism:
  • “Let’s call it what it is... so many people do with A&M from last year. Let’s call it what it is, you know, like it’s absurd the way Alabama, in two of their last three games... Everybody that doesn’t make the championship is not a fraud.” (Billy Liucci, 10:51)
• On Aggie secondary depth:
  • “You’re talking about depth... If that’s your starting lineup is the most basic of Gibson, Ricks, Batcliffe, and Brooks... Golly, think about that, and all the options that gives you for nickel and dime.” (Billy Liucci, 18:52)
• On Terry Bussey’s journey:
  • “He’s just a really damn good football player... Now you look at him... added weight and... still looks more leaned up. I think one of the most improved guys physically in this off season.” (Billy Liucci, 36:20)
  • “They get him, they understand how to use him. You say Swiss army knife… that’s exactly [right].” (Billy Liucci, 37:20)
• On Reuben Owens stepping up:
  • “The question is... is Reuben Owens going to be a rock solid part of a one-two punch or is Reuben going to be a breakout performer for this offense?” (Billy Liucci, 26:40)

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:25 — Purdue-Indiana championship banter
• 03:40 — Billy Liucci joins, reacts to Purdue AD
• 06:32 — Indiana post-title, schedule rundown
• 09:33 — Liucci on media, SEC criticism
• 14:42 — CBS Top Secondaries for 2026, Aggie DB breakdown
• 21:47 — Reuben Owens & Aggie run game analysis
• 29:58 — 25-in-25: Terry Bussey (“Swiss Army Knife”) feature
• 40:00 — Social media/fanbase banter, Q&A finale

---

Summary Takeaway

This episode showcases the TexAgs crew’s signature mix of analysis and entertainment, focusing on fall camp insights, national CFB narratives, and Aggie player development. Billy Liucci’s candid takes, lively team chemistry, and deep knowledge keep the discussion both informative and thoroughly Aggie-centric.
If you want a sense of where optimism and skepticism stand in Aggieland this preseason—and which players to watch—this hour packs in all the headlines, hot takes, and inside jokes that define TexAgs Live.

Transcript

[A]

Well, hello, friends. Welcome to Tech SAGS Live. We are still presented by David Gardner's jewelers. We are in the Rollo Insurance studio and it is our number three of the program. Billy Lucci should be here momentarily. We've got a couple practices to discuss with Billy. Looking forward to doing that. And we'll go through some of his five and five topics. So it should be a loaded third hour. But beforehand, as we tap dance, we go to the Angry Elephant News and social center. Reece Nygren not only has what's poppin on Texas today, but he's got some things to chew on.

[B]

Yeah, I do. So we'll start off with on Tech SAGS today. And as David mentioned, we have a few fall camps under our belt, which includes sights and sounds from Andrew Wu, photo gallery from Mr. Danny Grant. We have the fourth part of Billy Lucci's 5 and 5. Bronnie has some snippets from fall camp as well. And then of course, the three things from the man himself, Jason Howell. That is what is popping on Tech SAGS today. And I will immediately go into a topic I want you to chew on. And I don't know if you know,

[A]

I say that all the time.

[B]

You don't.

[A]

Is that like a thing that people say, like, hey, I want you to chew on this for a little bit? Yeah.

[B]

I feel like it's something that that is said to people commonly, but yeah,

[A]

but I think you have to be 40 plus. I don't think anybody under 40 would say, okay.

[B]

Note to self, I will not say no.

[A]

Do you say it? If I didn't say it that way, would you have said it that way?

[B]

Very rarely, but I do use it. Yeah, Here and there.

[A]

So I got. I gotta get younger. All right, go ahead.

[B]

So I don't know if you saw what Purdue's athletic director told me.

[A]

I saw a tweet about it. I was like, is it a joke? Is it AI? Because I don't believe anything.

[B]

It was real. It was real. He said in his introductory press conference, we are here to win championships. If you don't want to win championships, go to Indiana. Straight Face was not kidding. Not even a little. Haha. I don't know what he was thinking.

[A]

Nick, can you do me a favor? Just, I want to do the Google game. Okay.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Can you Google how many championships Purdue has as an athletic program? It could be all sports and how many Indiana has on it. And then maybe we could talk about who's got the most recent one, I think, because in a sport that, that, you know, I'm saying, like.

[B]

Yeah, that boilermaking national champion Purdue, they

[A]

may have an incredible women's basketball program. I don't know. They may have.

[B]

Purdue has three across their existence.

[A]

Indiana has 25. Oh, so is that close?

[B]

No, it's not.

[C]

Huh.

[A]

You know what three those are. And what years does it have? That or. No, I'm asking.

[B]

Women's basketball in 1999, women's golf in 2010, and men's golf in 1961.

[A]

Wow. Okay.

[C]

Wow.

[A]

So their last national championship was 16 years ago. And I'm not saying that Indiana is this place that wins national championships all the time in the big three sports, but we just saw them win it like three days ago. They have five basketball titles, obviously the

[B]

football title, but nothing in baseball. Yeah, I mean, you're talking about one of the premier college basketball blue blood programs in Indiana. Now don't get me wrong, Purdue recently in men's basketball has leveled it up.

[A]

Absolutely.

[B]

Historically, Indiana has been a college basketball powerhouse.

[C]

And.

[B]

And then we also just saw them have a Heisman Trophy winning quarterback and win the national title game. So I don't know what Tommy McClelland was thinking, but he should not think it again.

[A]

Yeah, well, you know what? I don't know if we'll get Billy's thoughts on this or not, but let's go to the Buffy's Catering and Bartending hotline. That's where we find Billy Lucci, the executive editor and co owner of Tech sags. Billy, good morning, buddy. How are you?

[C]

I'm good. David, how are you?

[A]

Good, man. I don't know if you want to chime in a little bit, but did you hear that whole Purdue versus Indiana commentary?

[C]

Yeah, I mean, what was he. He was imitating what Signetti said basically

[A]

at Signetti's, you know, introductory press conference. But I almost feel like you can't make those comments after that team wins the national championship.

[C]

Of course. And that's why everybody in the country ridiculing him. I mean, that's just, that's one like, hey, we are not we all. But I get what you're trying to do there. But yeah, let's, let's not do that then. Not. Not where Indiana's at, not where Purdue's at. Now, when Signetti said Indiana was at rock bottom, but Purdue wasn't much higher. So it wasn't like he said Ohio State or Michigan at that time. He picked Purdue, this AD pick the team that is the current Ohio State, Michigan, you know, I. E. The defending national champ. So, yeah, just. It makes me question this guy's judgment. I mean, hell, at this point, let's just fast track him to be the College Football Playoff committee chair because he's shown he's got exactly what it takes to run that show. So maybe that's what he's shooting for, is he's like, I want to be the committee chair by tomorrow, so let me say the dumbest crap imaginable and I'll fast track my way to that position. So maybe that's what he was doing, but it was stupid. Makes me question his judgment in other things. You know, what was the guy in politics that he ruined his career with that maniacal yell? Was it. Was it Herb Dean? No, that's the Howard Dean.

[A]

Howard Dean.

[C]

Howard Dean. When he does that, we're gonna take back the white. And then it was over for him. Like, there's something to be said for that. If you have some kind of insane moment like that, it makes you question like, damn, okay, why. Why did he just do or say that? That makes me question. Well, that's what happened. What. What would happen to me if an A M AD got up there and said that you want to win championships, national championship, you come to Purdue, you don't go to Alabama, or you come to A and M, you don't go to Alabama, you know, or something like. It just. It's crazy. So. And maybe he was talking about basketball and he could have done that, actually would have been pretty funny if he said that and then just deadpan the camera and said, in basketball,

[A]

Billy, by the. For the record, they play each other the last game of the season, and I'm wondering if Kirk Signetti is going to have any commentary leading up to that game or maybe afterwards. I don't know if he's been asked about it. I haven't seen it.

[C]

I think Signetti is the type that would do it afterwards and then do some kind of, like, mic drop and a post game interview, like, on the field. You know, I'm very interested in Indiana this year. You know, everybody's. I want to talk when I get in there, but everybody's kind of panning A M. Right now. You know, everybody's kind of, you know, I. And nobody's down on A M, but, like, they're not getting the same kind of love this year. And even though the rankings are number eight and, you know, they're sitting there at number eight in the country, they were number four in the SEC in the polls. But I knew this was coming because they're just. They're getting nitpicked. And I want to talk about why and why I understand it, but why? I think it's wrong here in a minute when we get on in the studio. But as far as Indiana, like, no one's doing that to them. And I just. I understand they were really good before Mendoza, and people. People forget about that. But you go back and look, they were really good. And then they were, you know, obviously historic last year. They lose a ton. They really do. But I. At the same time, I really like Hoover at quarterback. You know, I. I don't love him, but I really like him at tcu. And now going there with what they did with Mendoza and the quarterback the year before, I feel like you'll get a better version of Josh Hoover. So they're. They're an interesting one to me because I could see them. I don't. I haven't studied the schedule. I think they have a tough one. I could see them dropping a couple and be in an early playoff exit or dropping three, or I could see them being right back there where they kind of live in the top five all year. I mean, I just don't know what to expect in a Signetti reload, you know, in Indiana, Hoosier reload. I don't even know what to expect in a Texas A M. I mean, I think I do because we were so close to it. But again, that's why I understand people around the country maybe having a skeptical eye towards A M, because like Elko said the other day, the A M has not historically been able to stack great seasons. And it's like, I don't even know what an A M reload looks like. And we know what they recruit and portal like. So Indiana is a really fascinating one to me. I mean, again, they won title and were undefeated. You know, where do they go from here? How. How big is the step back?

[A]

I've got their schedule in front of me, and I don't think it's that ridiculous. Billy. I'll just. I'm just going to read it to you real quick and we can move on. But North Texas, Howard, Western Kentucky, Northwestern, Rutgers, Nebraska, then they.

[C]

Yeah, time out. Time out. So this guy Signetti wants to talk crap constantly about the sec, you know, and thank you, Alabama, for humiliating the conference against India. You know, I hear more crap about A and M losing to Miami, who finished second to Indiana losing 10 to three in a game that was tied at three with a minute and a half left and three shots. From the five yard line for overtime at worst. And I don't hear nearly enough about Alabama and Texas Tech getting absolutely freaking humiliated. And that goes for barstool my boy, Brandon Walker. Like, start calling Tech a fraud. Start calling Alabama a fraud every time their name comes up, like so many people do with A and M from last year. Let's call it what it is, you know, like it's absurd the way Alabama, in two of their last three games. How about we call OU a fraud? I don't know who they. I don't know who they really be. They beat Tennessee and Alabama. Tennessee didn't go to the playoffs. Alabama wasn't that good and they lose on their home field. The bama and blow a seven was a 17 nothing or 17 seven lead at home. So, I mean, everybody that doesn't make the championship is not a fraud, you know, like, but A and M is for some reason for playing Miami, you know, down to the final play. So I don't get it. I. As far as Indiana goes, Signetti talks all that crap about the SEC and, you know, scheduling and things like that. Read those first three teams again. This is their entirety of their non conference schedule.

[A]

Please go North Texas, Howard, Western Kentucky.

[C]

Howard. Yeah, Howard, North Texas without the L and Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers, they're the hip hoppers, right? Or is it east? Yeah, the Western Kentucky.

[A]

Yeah, you're right.

[C]

I mean, there's a humiliating non conference schedule and they did it the year before. Who do they get in the. In the Big Ten out of Oregon, usc, Michigan and Ohio State?

[A]

They get Ohio State, they get Michigan, they get usc.

[C]

All right. I mean, I think that's okay. You get three of the four. Do they, do they play Penn State? No, they get. I don't even think Penn State's gonna be great, but their schedule's so bad. But they get three of the four that I think are relevant there besides themselves. So I'll give them a little bit. Now with that said, you're one under a coach at Michigan and I don't trust Underwood at all. I've got Indiana there. I mean, if they split with Ohio State and usc, what's their next toughest one you see on there? Nuno?

[A]

The next toughest one. Washington.

[C]

On the road or at home?

[A]

Yeah, on the road. On the road at Washington.

[C]

Okay. If they split with USC and Ohio State, they're probably going to the College Football Playoff, you know, whether they beat Washington or not, you know, they could be sitting there at 10 and 2, so. And I think They. I think. I think Indiana. Yeah, pencil them in with that schedule.

[A]

Billy, do you want me to hit a break and let you in or do you want to continue on the phone?

[C]

Let's hit a break.

[A]

All right, we'll hit a break with Billy Lucci there on the Bupes catering and bartending hotline. We'll have him in the studio. Aggie football the rest of the way, not Indiana. Way to go, Reese. It was all right. It was fun. When it comes to financial advice, independence matters. And Paragon Financial Advisors is an Aggie owned and operated independent fee only fiduciary firm. That means that the recommendations are not influenced by commissions or propriety products or sales quotas. So whether you're managing family wealth or growing a successful business, their team helps you and their clients make informed decisions with comprehensive planning and disciplined investment management. For many business owners, that means developing strategies not only to grow that business, but also preparing for one of the biggest financial events of that life, which is the eventual sale or transition of that business. What you need to do is visit paragon-adv.com and learn how independent advice can help you prepare for what is next. It is Paragon Financial Advisors. Aggie own independent serving clients nationwide.

[D]

The Money Machine. The Money Machine is open now.

[B]

Let's go.

[C]

Let's go.

[D]

@zone1150.com or you can enter through the Zone newsletter to win $5,000.

[A]

Come on. And we're back. Only 18 minutes of music to enter this segment. It is Tech Sags Live. We are presented by David Gardner's jewelers. Let's go to Reese Nygren to start off this.

[D]

What do you got

[C]

with us?

[B]

So CBS Sports listed their top secondaries for the 2026 season in all of college football. If you guys had to take a guess on where the Aggies fell.

[A]

Fell. They listened.

[B]

One through one through ten.

[D]

Okay.

[B]

One through ten.

[A]

Six.

[D]

No, not on the list.

[B]

They are on the list. They are number nine.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

On the list. Okay.

[D]

I'm okay with that. I mean, I read me some of the one. Okay, so here's the thing. Who's number one?

[B]

Notre Dame.

[C]

Okay.

[D]

I. I will give them benefit of the doubt. I know they've got some big name NFL draft picks returning and Marcus Freeman and what they do. Okay, who else?

[B]

Number two. Miami.

[D]

They impressed me last year.

[B]

Number they bring back number three. Oregon.

[A]

Sure.

[D]

You know, all I know about them honestly is that they added the. The perch perch kids. Minnesota.

[C]

Go ahead.

[B]

First SEC school at number four is Alabama.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Number five. The Second SEC school, Georgia.

[D]

All right.

[B]

Number six, Iowa.

[D]

Skeptical.

[B]

Number seven, Utah.

[D]

Skeptical.

[C]

Sure.

[B]

Number eight, Oklahoma. One spot right above the naggies.

[D]

I'm not sold on the Bowen. The Bowens being as good as people say.

[C]

I don't.

[D]

I mean, I don't have a problem if they, if they're saying a M 4th SEC, 4th in the SEC, 4th in the SEC.

[A]

It's pretty good.

[D]

One spot out of third. Bama and Georgia is kind of the two. I tend to. I'm okay with that. You know, I think that's because I love this A M secondary as a top tier SEC unit. I. You want to call them a top 10 in the country, I'll say sign me up. If that ends up, you know, coming to fruition. And I also understand, I don't think they should get credit based on like what we think the guys are going to be. You know, Dalton, Brooks and Ratcliffe on the back end. You know, we have to see better tackling back there. We have to see. It's a group that picked off as a Unit 1 pass last year. Julio Humphrey had a great off season, but he didn't play much last season because he, you know, Will Lee and Des Riggs were ahead of him. So with all that said, I'm fine with putting them there. I'm actually pleased that they were in the top 10 by that ranking. I was. I'm kind of surprised they did. I'm glad they're getting that appreciation. But I think the upside of this group is terrific. People like Dalton Brooks. I know that Dalton, like to me needed to, you know, they need to take better angles back there, make better tackles. But like the last time I saw Jordan Shaw, he was doing a terrific job covering Malachi, Tony, Dalton, Brooks in their last three games against power. So South Carolina, Texas and Miami. Three sacks. He had an interception against South Carolina. He forced a fumble against Miami. And then. And then a game, or was it one game before that was Missouri. It was Missouri before South Carolina. He had the 50 yard fake punt and the almost 50 yard fumble return for almost two. You know, both of them set up scores. He was really good in Aggies last, you know, few games against power five Power four competition. So I think Brooks is a guy that could be a breakout, have that monster senior year. And I might say the same thing about Des Ricks. And then you got Humphrey and you've got Humphrey and Ricky Gibson, who I don't. A lot of these people, I think forget about that. He was going to be one of the SEC's more highly regarded corners last year and then suffered that torn peck in game one. And man, two of your safeties are captains. Tells you a lot about Ratcliffe and Brooks. And then you've got guys like you've got a five star in Brandon Arrington, you got a second year guy in Adonis Curry, you've got a veteran, very experienced guy in nickel mix and Bryce Anderson. So that position, you've got his fellow lagrange leopard, Braveon Rogers, who's been here forever. Like, I'm not talking about a monster impact starting type player, but when you're talking about depth and you go, okay, here's Braveon, who's going into. What is it Reese, year four?

[B]

Yeah, year four.

[D]

Year four. And is, you know, if you count special teams and reps, he's played quite a bit. Like there's depth. Miles, you know, you got Miles Davis at safety going into year three, who's a hard, hard hitter. You've got, you know, Tom, Tom Johnson in year two. Chance Collins is a guy I've been writing about a lot. Go watch him when you're out at practice this week. Like watch Chance Collins for a few minutes, look at how he's built, look at how he plays. And then a guy that another transfer that's not talked about enough is Tafik Bayer. Yeah, he's a stud. I mean, again, he's going to play a lot. Go look at his Colorado tape. Look at him this spring. He's going to play a lot. So safety, depth, corner depth, nickel versatility. And you never know if Elko might say one of these safeties all of a sudden might be just an absolute steal at nickel. You know, it's likely a Jordan Shaw, Bryce Anderson thing, but what if one of them just all of a sudden you go, wait, wait a second, this guy's game changer at nickel. Or if you, you know, if it's one of the corners, like you've got a bunch of backups that could be complete studs, nickel, I don't know who, but if that's your starting lineup is the most basic of Gibson, Ricks Batcliffe and Brooks. Right? Then who does that leave? And who's that leave as your. And Shaw, who does that leave as your backup? Okay, Bryce Anderson, Brandon Harrington, Adonis Curry to feed Bayard like Julio Humphrey. Golly, think about that. And all the options that gives you for nickel and dime. So I think the secondary is going to be really damn good. I agree about Georgia and Alabama and OU also. So if they can be a top five secondary in the SEC and maybe better. I think this defense could be lights out. My questions about linebacker, not that it can't be, but there's just so much unproven there outside of Sanford. We got to see it. We got to see it from Mikhail, from, from Lockhart, from Kony, those guys in particular. So linebacker will be one that we watch closely this fall.

[A]

You talked about Brooks, but when you wrote about breakout performers in September, another name I wanted to bring up to you is Reuben Owens. Because I said earlier this week he could be the key that room, but he could be the key to I think Marcel's success this year when they were able to run the ball. He was a different quarterback. And Reuben at times was excellent. Last year he just didn't finish the season as strong as he had played earlier. But if he has a big breakout September, what that could mean for this team.

[D]

Yeah, and I think what I, I don't know if I called him, enlisted him in the breakouts. It was more of like setting the stage. Like his August to me is going to set the stage for how he does start the season. So I had like a vet, a couple of veterans like Adult and Brooks and Rubin. But then I had, I know I had Aaron Gregory on there and Bryce Perry Wright, the freshman defensive end. Just in terms of like what they do in August, I think is going to go a long way towards what we see in September for a couple of guys. Like how much are they going to play? Meaning those youngsters. For a guy like Ruben, how big an impact is he going to have then? They need it. And I think Morrow is a future star, I really do. But Reuben, Reuben averaged, what is it, Reese, 5.8 a carry last year, healthy amount of yards. And I don't feel like he like padded up outside the SEC. You look at his games, what do you have? 140 against Mississippi State on like 21 carries.

[B]

Yeah, 21 for 142 against Mississippi State. 5.4 yard per carry average on the year.

[D]

5 4. Then he had, then he had 5, 4 is healthy too in the SEC. Then he had 100 yard game against Missouri and by the way 13 for 102 had the 57 yard touchdown. And by the way, that Missouri defense, people, people want to rail on that. Oh, A and M played a third string quarterback in that one defense was legit. Their defense finished like eighth in the country. Going through the entire SEC schedule. They finished eighth in the country. So he had two nice SEC games. And against Arkansas, he had those two big second half, if not fourth quarter touchdowns. That was big. So I, to me, Ruben just the whole running game struggled so much against Texas and, and Miami. And Ruben mentioned it himself, like he just didn't keep his feet in that Texas game. And I know it was something that went on most of the year, so I'm not just blaming it on the field surface there. Not in a way that, like, oh, it's. No, it was just like for whatever reason, that combination of him running on that surface and whatever cleats he was wearing, he kept stumbling when he'd break out into the clear. He says it's something he's really worked on this offseason. And he was right. Like, yeah, it left some yards on the to. There he is scoring against Florida. He had, he had a huge catch against Notre Dame early in that game when A and M was trying to hang in it, then down to the one yard line. He's excellent receiver out of the backfield. So, yeah, man, I, I would love to see both those guys be really good this year because if they are, then I love this A and M offense and it would also tell me the O lines doing a good job. But Ruben's put in the work. You can see it physically. The question is, to me, is Reuben Owens going to be a rock solid part of a one, two punch or is Ruben going to be a breakout performer for this offense given the chance? Remember, last year was really his first full year to play college football as, like, you know, you had a freshman year. And I remember Elko telling me about a practice they had last summer where he said, Man, Le'Veon and Ruben were so good. We did a goal line thing and those guys were just running angry and they were. And then he was talking about what a great combination they had. And I think it was the most surprising position maybe to him when he got here because he kind of knew of those guys. Obviously. I think he was here when they recruited Le'Veon. He was. But to get here and go, damn, like, they have a really good one, two punch and then boom, sure enough, Reuben breaks the foot, he's out for the year, comes back against Texas for three carries or something in USC. What are you gaining about 40, 50 yards in that one? But basically missed the whole season. Last year was his first full year and he was part of a three man rotation behind the starter. And then all of a sudden here, okay, he runs for 600, what, 40 yards or 639? 640. Reese yeah, 640.

[C]

Good.

[D]

I'm sure somewhere along the way they shorted him somewhere inches. Then er, 640 yards, 5.4 carry in the games we talked about. He's going to be a good back. The question is how good can he be? Because I think A and M needs. They have. They're not, they're not going to the playoffs without real firepower and real productivity in the backfield. It's just not happening. And by the way, we can talk about those last three games all we want, but the reason they got there is because of what they did in the first nine games, which was run the ball. They ran the ball either effectively or excellently. That's such a word. Effectively or excellently. They were somewhere in between there all season. If you look against tough defenses even like Auburn, 200 plus yards.

[A]

Missouri.

[D]

Missouri. Good run defense in Baton Rouge by the way. Like look at what LSU's defense did to Bama and to Oklahoma after playing A and M. After A and M ripped their hearts out. Like look at what they did Clemson. Vandy I don't think LSU like regularly got gashed on the ground last year and maybe by Ole Miss. Maybe. But the Aggies ran the football against pretty much everyone until the end there. And I'm not sure what happened. Part of me would say if you were looking at who the best defensive ends in college football were last year, Stewart, Simmons, Bain and Mazador certainly made the list.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

So that has a little bit to do with it. If you are ranking the best defenses A and M played last year, probably maybe one and two at worst one and three in your last two games. So that had something to do with it as well.

[A]

We'll hit a break, we'll come back with 25 and 25. Right now we're talking about Bubba's 33. Last Friday I went there, had awesome burger there and on Mondays they have 1099 burgers all day. So when you if you're in the mood for a burger, Monday night's the way to go. And if you're looking for Aggie football when the season starts and you don't make it out to Kyle, they'll have all the Aggie football games played with surround sound and the vibes and all the highs there. Wall to wall TVs. When you go to Bubba's 33, you won't miss a single play from anywhere in the restaurant. It's really good food. I always get the wings. I had burger the other day. I'm going to have the pizza soon. They have great pizzas as well as Bubba's 33 eat in College Station on Highway 6. Go check them out.

[D]

You can hear Aggie football [e-mail]

[C]

this

[A]

presented by David Gardner's Drills Radler Insurance studio. Shout out to unrained bourbon raised in Texas. They're having their grand opening tomorrow at the Wild horse Ranch from 11am to 9pm they have tours, tasting cocktails, Wild Horse Ranch, bison burgers, free giveaways and much more. 1022 Peach Creek Road, College Station. Should be a cool, cool event.

[D]

I'm really looking forward to tonight seeing Jay and his dad I'm sure will be there. Who? I'm my breakfast buddy over there at Broken Egg. Most days you can find him there.

[B]

But

[D]

I'm looking forward to it. Tonight's event and then tomorrow's open to the public. I actually was. I took a ride the other day after dinner, went down to Navasota, ate a little dinner as Zane was with me and his fiance, big pharma. And we drove. I said, you want to go see some buffalo? And they were like, what? Just turned down there. Drove, took a drive by down the road and you know, we got lucky. And they were right by the.

[A]

Right there.

[D]

Right by the road. A little herd. Not little, a lot of them.

[A]

Buffalo.

[D]

Little babies. Baby buffalo. Baby bison are adorable if you've never seen them. They're like a light brown. They look. I mean. So anyway, go out there, see that, drink some what I think is going to be a really good bourbon. Can't wait for that. And then I think the facility is going to be pretty incredible based on

[A]

everything I've heard one of the lines here. Born in Kentucky, raised in Texas. All in. And so they got. They got a cool history. Go to their website, unrained whiskey dot com. You can learn all about them. And check out the grand opening tomorrow.

[D]

Both days.

[A]

Why not? Why not? Let's do 25 and 25. Presented by Paragon Financial Advisors and Aggie owned independent.

[D]

Hold on, I'll go ahead. Don't say who it is. Read the Paragon. I don't want to upset Precious McGee.

[A]

Okay.

[D]

By the way, Swope with another big hit last night. Precious McGee gets destroyed when as Haynes King crosses the goal line to win it. You know, Swote went all in on King. Now they might both win. And A and M. Well, A and M, they could all win. Let's say they might both win in A and M. Be the loser because Haynes King, the career he had and then, you know, McGee was all in with Wigman and the season he had last year and could have this year in the Big 12. And that would be like, damn. A and M was the big loser. McGee had his. Swope had his. But the Aggies had Marcel Reed, who also had a terrific season last year. So it might be the rare instance where we're just happy for everyone. But. Yeah, go ahead and finish that read.

[A]

So you weren't listening in the 8 o' clock hour when we said who

[D]

this person was so we don't upset Precious McGee. No, I was not listening to 8 o'.

[B]

Clock.

[A]

Let me finish.

[D]

I will be surprised. You can give me a hint. I want to try to guess it.

[A]

Visit paragon-adv.com all right, here's my hint. Swiss.

[D]

How do you think he feels about precious McGee? Swiss. What is Theo Melon Orstrom back?

[A]

I'm just saying. Swiss.

[D]

Is he Swiss cheese? I don't like that if he's a db.

[A]

If you didn't have.

[B]

It was a salt. It was a good hint.

[D]

What was that brief? Tell me what that was. A whip?

[B]

No, it was a. I don't. If I said. I feel like if I say what it was, it's gonna give away the player.

[C]

Swiss.

[A]

Gotta make the sound effects.

[D]

Give me another hand.

[B]

Elite hint.

[A]

Okay. Yoked.

[B]

Come on.

[D]

Yoked.

[A]

He's Yo.

[D]

I mean, I know what you're saying, but I'm like, there are a few dudes.

[A]

Okay. Do you know why they call 1775? 1775?

[C]

Yes.

[A]

Why do they call it?

[D]

It's the Texas Independent.

[A]

Well, the army

[B]

just

[A]

Swiss.

[B]

David is doing a Swiss army knife. Is what. David is doing this.

[A]

That was fantastic.

[B]

It was.

[D]

That is a Swiss army knife. You have to do all this. I mean, who the hell stabs like this?

[B]

Maybe not all of it.

[D]

That's very dainty.

[B]

But he went Swiss.

[D]

You didn't do that. You did this.

[A]

I want to get on the brain

[D]

like Woody, Brad Pitt and Troy.

[A]

And obviously they're small.

[D]

So this is what you were doing. Like, okay, so. Terry Bussey.

[A]

Thank you, by the way. If you had any eyes at all. It's like in huge letters right here. And I saw you looking at it.

[D]

I didn't look.

[A]

I know, but you can't see.

[D]

But I didn't want to.

[A]

By the way.

[D]

I'm going to get contacts. I. Doc Mike.

[C]

Shout out.

[A]

Michael Reyes.

[D]

There you go. I love that. Everyone who's been to two days of practice all of a sudden. And all the. Not all The I actually like the majority of the Twitter burners out there for A and M, but there's a couple of them that have just been mega haters of Terry Bussey and just, you know, I wish I could say the word because it crap on them. Isn't. Is not doing it justice to Bussey. Last year and throughout this off season, anytime anyone tried to compliment him, they don't understand the path that Terry Bussey has taken so far. This is a guy that was a tiny high school in Texas, you know, played at a tiny level, so he did everything. Reese and I talk often about Dalton Brooks and what he did at Shiner because it's his area, but same type deal with Bussy. Like he was the best player on the field. Every time they took the field, he was the fastest, have the ball in his hands every play, let him play wherever you need him to make an impact in a play. So you never truly specialize and develop like some of these kids, like a 6A program do at their respective position because he's just so. He was so dynamic at that level and all of the traits translated to this level, which is why he was a five star. Terry played. He got to A and M late. He was hurt during track his senior year. He arrived at A and M in June when the rest of the class got here in, you know, in January. He played corner and he was hurt some of that summer. Played corner for half of fall camp, got moved to wide receiver. Had basically a season of, hey, we'll try to get you the ball once or twice in a game by handing it off or some kind of easy play. But he was not a wide receiver. He was a true athlete like you said. And then last year kind of is to me like his first full year at wide receiver. But he also missed most of that off season with injury. Now this year, and by the way, here he is running a kickoff back against Notre Dame that would have won the game in South Bend against the top 10 opponent at night in the final moments, he had a couple. He had some really nice returns last year as a punt returner in particular and made some good catches. He kind of was one of the game savers against South Carolina, made that fourth down catch. But now you look at him and I thought this time a year ago he looked a little not out of shape. But again, this is a guy that missed a lot of the off season, but he just looked a little more squatty. Yeah, now he's added weight and he looks with more weight, still looks More leaned up like Terry is, I think one of the most improved guys physically in this off season. And then I was talking to people during the off season and was writing about it. I talked about it, I wrote about it, said, hey, this dude's a receiver now. He gets it. They get him, they understand how to use him. And you say Swiss army knife doing all this. You say Swiss army knife. That's exactly. You know, I think they understand, like there's a lot of ways you can utilize this guy. And it is, it is not dissimilar to a nice Smith. But Bussy is. You watch him run routes in practice. I don't know if you've watched him yet in the first couple days. He. It just looks so much more crisp, so much different. And I kept trying to tell anyone that would listen, he was the best player on the A and M offense in my opinion for the first. I don't know how many practices he lasted before he had that high ankle sprain. Maybe it was five, maybe it was six. Whatever it was into the 15 practice Paul camp, I'm not sure he did. He wasn't the best. To me, it was him or Craver that were standing out the most on the offensive side of the ball. So he's a different player than Aggie fans remember him as. And I think you're going to see that this season. And he is a. Like Isaiah Horton, he's a very unique weapon for this offense, as in he can do something that not a lot of the guys can. And I think they've got like three of those. And we see what they do when they hand the ball off to Craver. But Craver, Bussy and Horton are all kind of different weapons at receiver. They've got a lot of different ways to attack and then you've got the pure speed of someone like abr. But Bussy's going to be a part of that receiving core that rounds it out. And again, you can give him a reverse, you can line them up at running back, you can get a match up on a safety or even a linebacker and it's going to be a nightmare for them. He's. I think people forget they ran him on the goal line in that comeback against Auburn and he fought his way into the end zone. He's a. He's just a really damn good football player. And sometimes you take those guys and if they're from a small town, you let them develop a little bit. But I think more than anything, Nuno, he's now entering his third season as a wide receiver after probably an entire football lifetime of just doing a little bit of everything. Third season at wide receiver and his first full off season in a college weight room. And that's what you're seeing out there with Terry.

[A]

All right, we'll hit a break. We'll come back with one final segment here on Tech Sags Live, presented by Dave at Gardner's Jewelers.

[D]

You can get the podcasts of Texangs Live, the Louis Bellina show, or chip power at sony1150.com Google Play, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. This is your community capital.

[A]

It is football season because the opposing fan bases are making their appearance here on TexAct Live. Appreciate that. Billy, this is a question that you're gonna hate, but we got two.

[D]

You doxed some guy.

[A]

I did not Dox. His name's on his YouTube page. That's not doxxing if it's on there.

[B]

You also dropped.

[A]

I've got a couple of great.

[D]

I've got a couple of great docs of. Of the burner verse, but I'm just kind of biting, you know, just that moment. It's not inviting time, but just like, okay, you're filed away. Just don't cross lines with me. And we're good.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Have. Have fun. I don't want to, but, like, you do. I don't care. Then you do enough where it's like, okay, I gotta figure out.

[A]

I'm.

[D]

I'm actually quite savvy at that. I think the person. I found out, like, a bunch of young kids in the office knew him. They were like, no way. Yeah. So we. We do that.

[A]

I think we're elite.

[D]

I think it's fair. I think it's fair to do that when there's like a. Just a certain line where it's like, okay, you just. You went over that with me personally. So here we go.

[B]

This. This guy made one comment.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

On the YouTube page.

[D]

This guy didn't cross the line.

[B]

He got. He dropped one comment on that. No, he dropped two.

[A]

There was two.

[C]

And.

[B]

Okay, what was the.

[D]

It wasn't even that. It was just stupid.

[B]

Yeah. He said, A and M is Tex's son. And then David proceeded to drop his LinkedIn on the YouTube.

[A]

No, I didn't do that. Okay, baby.

[D]

Golly.

[A]

I'm just saying, like, look, he went to sfa.

[D]

Who know this guy. This guy deserves the Swiss army treatment.

[A]

Just saying.

[C]

How.

[D]

How did you say that was good?

[C]

Huh?

[A]

He enjoyed it.

[D]

How do you say his hint was good? Like, oh, Swiss Swiss.

[A]

1775 army.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Knife.

[D]

Well, after he said it. After Swiss.

[B]

And once you did that, I thought you would pick up on the like Swiss army knife.

[D]

Why? Because who that. That looked like. I thought he was like a Three Musketeer. He looked like one of the Three Musketeers. Or like he was, like he was fancy.

[B]

So when he said Swiss and did that, what player did your mind go to?

[C]

9.

[D]

Theo Mellon or Swede. The big Swede. Like, I thought it was fantastic, that hand gesture. I was like, oh, is this.

[B]

Was.

[D]

Does someone on the team, were they an Olympic fencer or did somebody see. I'm just, you know, I'm just here. One of our members, were they in a play, the Three Musketeers? Like, I don't get it.

[B]

Did do everything in high school. Who's to say he didn't. He might have Three Musketeers play.

[C]

You know what?

[A]

I think I'm a Swiss, by the way, this company.

[D]

Are you confusing a Swiss army knife with like a butterfly knife?

[A]

Yeah, but it was just, it was

[D]

for more of a dramatic reaction. Pretty sure it's Swiss army knife. You just pull it out.

[A]

You pull it open. It's got little things. Yes, but I wanted it to be.

[D]

You could have. You could have pulled it open and like did like a screwdriver with the little screwdriver part.

[A]

Pull out the wine uncorked.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

I think I've.

[D]

I rest my case.

[C]

That. That was not.

[A]

Everybody else liked it. Hey, thank you for watching. And that's it?

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

And go extra.

[A]

Nah, we'll do a. We're going to do a luchador soon. Cuz we got an interview starting.

[D]

Oh yeah, we were planning on Sunday or Monday. Luchador reprising it.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

We'll be back to you by poncho.

[A]

Show's over.

[C]

Goodbye.