1-on-1 with DP – 93.7 The Ticket KNTK - Can Nebraska shock Utah in Las Vegas?: December 30th, 11:00am

Episode Date: December 30, 2025

What can the Cornhuskers' do to upset Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

one-on-one with D.P. Coming at you live from the heart of Lincoln America, a 93-7-the-ticket and the Ticketfm.com, sponsored by the Downtown Lincoln Foundation. Here is your host, Derek Pearson. Boom. This is one-on-one here with D.P. on 93-7. The ticket still working with D.P. as he is joining us live from Las Vegas. We will work to kind of get his sound there. I don't think he can hear too well as of yet, but we will get that going here and get the voice of one-on-one with D.P. on in just a second. want to thank our bowl game sponsors because without them, we would not be bringing you DP from Vegas. And once again, he'll join us here in a second as we work out some of the bugs. But

did want to thank our sponsors here for the bowl game coverage. You'll hear plenty of from us in, in the next couple of days. But Amigos slash Kings classic score big with Amigos fan favorites like soft tacos, crips, meat, burritos, and of course, game changing ranch dressing. Amigos now has eight value-priced, value meals priced at $5 and $6. Tackle your game day hunger with the bold, fresh flavors of Amigos, advanced medical imaging, AMI Surgery Center, specializes in cardiology, vascular radiology, orthopedics, pain management, and more.

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game in Las Vegas. I could see if we can hear from DP now live from Vegas. DP can you hear us? Can we hear you? I hear you. Can you hear me? We can hear you. It is,

I had to call the audible there, you know, coaching decisions on the fly, make a decision and make it work. Yeah, it is, it's an interesting time, Bach.

First of all, how the heck are you? Oh, not too bad. It's a good, good little break. there with Christmas. Everybody got to spend some time with the family and now we're kind of back

in the full swing with Nebraska football just a day away. It is I'm told we're having better weather in Vegas than you guys are having in Lincoln. What would be the story there?

Well, on Sunday it was, it's cold. I don't know what day you left. The wind was kind of bad, especially that day. It wasn't too bad today. I didn't, I, you know, there's still some snow on the ground. So, you know, probably not as good as in Vegas, but it's still it wasn't too bad today. As long as

the wind stays down, I think we're in a good spot. Well, we're going to enjoy the Las Vegas weather for you. All right, sir. I didn't catch the, I caught you thanking our sponsors for this trip out here.

But did we pay the big boys as well? Oh, not yet. The show today is sponsored by Hamilton Telecommunications, bringing the latest quality of technology and communication services since 1901. Whether it's residential or business, Hamilton has the answers. Visit Hamilton Dell.com for more info today. Thank you, guys, sir.

Well done. 402, 4656-8-5, the Sard of Hammond Text Line, if you want to be a part of what we're doing. And if you have questions, comments, opinions, etc. And we appreciate you following us on all the live video streams as well, Facebook, YouTube, X. If you have not downloaded the ticket app, do so. some things coming up that we want you to have access to in duality. You'll have some options and choices.

So we're working on that to let you know. And for you fancy folks on Amazon Prime, thank you very much. Vak, the vibe is this. It's weird because we expected the Sea of Red in Vegas. But both teams are hiding out. in black both teams are working yeah yeah both teams uh fan bases are the fan bases they're going to come as they are uh but the teams um you know we're hiding out in in full black gear um it's going to be interesting bach and i and i guess for me my question to you is

what is your comfort level on what you're going to see tomorrow what do you what do you think you're going to see because i think that word think is important as we have this discussion so what do you think you will see tomorrow well unfortunately i think most people look at it this way is that it's a two possession um game as far as Vegas which you're in Vegas has the odds go in there Nebraska has is coming off uh two games in which They were combined, obviously, losses, but outscored 77 to 26. And now I think likely you're going up against the best team of all of them, right? In Utah, now Utah is without a few folks, Nebraska's without a few folks.

So maybe you can kind of throw some of that in there and keep some of it out. But unfortunately, you know, and I was kind of stating this the other day, this isn't, in two ways, this is kind of a rough matchup for Nebraska. One, in the style of play, right, where Utah. is that smash mouth football team that Nebraska maybe once was and of course has specifically given Nebraska problems with the rush defense and all that this season. Again, maybe Coach Snow can kind of come in and wave a wand and fix that, but it looks like a mismatch there.

And then it's just somewhat of a mismatch as far as like Utah's on the door, knocking on the door of the playoffs. I mean, they're the number 15 team in the nation. Nebraska was not, you know, it was not. So we'll put it that way. I think that there are a couple things working against the Nebraska in that regard. But if you kind of take that away from it, what I expect or hope to see. And in hope kind of should go along with expect because I think that's what makes a fan,

you know, you got to hold your team accountable, right? So I want to see T.J. Lateef improve. I want to see the best looking T.J. Latif we've seen. I want to see running backs, you know, somebody kind of take this opportunity to make something of it of their own. I want to see the defense obviously step up significantly and stop this rushing attack that Utah is going to bring, especially with their dual threat quarterback. So all that maybe factors more into the want compared to what I expect to see, which, again, maybe it makes me a bad guy, whatever you want to say, but I just watch this team get beat

77 to 26 in the previous two games. So unfortunately, what I expect to see is something similar. If I asked you this, that after seeing this entire group, and of course, some would say that this is not the best lineup Nebraska can put on the field tomorrow, right? That it's not the best availability. It's not the healthiest. It's certainly without Dillon Raola for whatever that means, without Emmett Johnson for whatever that means. But is the expectation too high that Nebraska can pull together with new coordinators, new fingerprints, like new new chefs in the kitchen to pull together a performance against as you defined it and others have described it as the best team Nebraska is going to face all year? Is that too much to ask?

I think I think I wouldn't say too much to ask because Nebraska fans have had the patience over the years obviously but you know it is it's just one of those deals where they're going to have to surprise us in doing so at this point right I mean you go with the long losing streak for both the program and Matt rule against top 25 teams again as I would as I was looking at it this way you know this is not the most I mean and somebody would say maybe it is because Utah's got players sitting out and all that and all that but this is not the most ideal matchup of those top 25 games, right, over that time. I mean, I think the Emmett Johnson factor is huge. Where would Nebraska be this year without Emmett Johnson? It's hard to say. And so, you know, you're going to have to, well, they're going to have to do it differently, kind of with a different look. Like you said, with kind of different chefs in the kitchen, kind of jumping in and out,

halfway there, halfway not for this, for this thing. so it doesn't feel unfortunately again i i wish i could come on air and and say i think this is the big breakout game and and this is where i think it's going to happen and and all that sort of stuff but they're going to have to surprise me a little bit and i think surprised cusker nation a little bit and pulled together this win and if they do it it can mean great things heading into the off-season a whole new scope and look at what happened this year but if things go as as many might expect it to, then you're kind of in, you know, three straight losses. Yes, it's a shift.

And Matt Ruhl might want to say, you know, it's not reshuffling the deck. It's not, you know, whatever phrasing frustrates him, but it's hard to look at it otherwise. And it would be hard to say, why wouldn't you do that after three straight losses that would come in that fashion? Again, Nebraska maybe can can kind of land somewhere in the middle, not quite win this game, but be competitive, you know, lose by a possession. or 10 points, and then you could come out with a different kind of take from it. But ultimately, I think Nebraska is going to have to surprise, not just me, but Vegas,

everybody out there to keep this game competitive, and the reasons are well known and kind of listed out. Yeah, it has been interesting. I went in, I tried to clean the palette, right, coming out here and cleaning up old luggage when it comes to mentalities about who Nebraska football currently is, who Utah football currently is, and what you want to hope is that Nebraska catches lightning in a bottle. And I hate to say that it has to be lightning in the bottle. We saw flashes. So if we said that UCLA, Nebraska shows up what happens right what does that mean um because that's the the best version that we've seen

with tj latif behind behind center um and then defensively being able to make plays to get off the field and leave a building with a win this is you know in fact a road game i would tell you that i normally there is a greater resource of husker fans in the in the building I'm not sure that will be the case. Tomorrow, Utah has a very finite way of traveling to Vegas from Utah. They know the path. They know where to stay. They know how to get here.

They know how to get it done. So it's not really that. I don't feel comfortable in, and then there's no need. There's plenty of places for folks to go and get Nebraska back. going into this thing. And there are no ideal bowl situations. It's just it's better or worse, depending on how you feel about it.

Dust Mojong asked the question. He said, who's missing more overall for the bull game in Grasper, Utah? That's quantitative. You know, the two best players on the field may not play. Right? Like the two best players for Utah may not play, maybe three best players. The three best players on the field, who would be eligible to play, may not play. But Keyes and Vital, missing Emmett Johnson is a statement out loud.

And as much as this is a T. People want to put this on T.J. Lateef as I read a story that said this was an iconic moment. This may be the biggest game that T.J. Lateef plays as a Husker. I don't agree with that at all. And I don't want to do that to the kid. Why would you do that to the kid? That in his, you know, in his quarterback infancy at the college level and the powerful level of the Big Ten,

why would you put that on him? We don't do that to people. We know all the bad that happens when we put that kind of immediate and undue pressure on freshman quarterbacks. So let's not do that. allow him to go and be great. And if he's great, you applaud it. But if he fails, it's a part of the process.

Literally, you're putting in one of his earliest starts as a college quarterback, you're putting him against a Utah defense that is amongst the angriest, most aggressive, and violent in all of college football. That's everybody. So putting that on him. But I think as much as we look at TJ, And what's in play for him. And quite frankly, he's familiar with a lot of people he's playing against.

He played against him in high school. So he knows a lot of a lot of the opponents. But then it becomes Tyler Kinnack. What do you get from him playing one-handed against a violent, aggressive physical Utah defensive front? Right? That there's two Husker linemen that have one good hand. I mean, if you're talking about Rocco and Tyler, what's this mean for them? What does it mean for Tyler Kinnak?

If you're going to put that on T.J., you've got to put it on Tyler. If you're going to put it on those two, then you have to put it on whoever is RB1 and 2 or 1A and 1B. Because this is their breakout, breakthrough first, you know, first debut as the, as the Belkow or the potential Belkow running backs for Nebraska. Right? What are you going to? So you have to be careful in the pressures that in these conversations you want to put on that. I think both teams are missing, valuable talent. There's some new coaching situations on both sides. Utah's got its own stuff to deal with with Kyle Whittingham and Morgan Scally. And Scali has been a force and a factor within the Utah program.

you know, since 2002. So Scali is a youth. They know him as a player. They know him as a man. They know him as a coach. They know him as a coordinator. And now they will know him as the head guy. I don't think there's going to be much different other than the fact that there are people in Utah on that Utah roster that, quite frankly, some of them, this is an opportunity for them to impress Morgan.

right it's a chance for morgan to to to press the play on some of the players that maybe he thought more of than say Kyle did um there's some players at uh and on the depth chart that have the opportunity to showcase hey coach hey coach galley this is hey i'm your guy next year like it's the same old Utah youths but it's different and how they respond to that um the thought was that people were going to play for Kyle. But what we know in bowl games, especially now, is that

players play for themselves. They play for their brand. This is their legacy and resume. And it's an opportunity for them to play through. Nebraska has a lot of the, if players are missing and new starters are named for Nebraska,

they have an opportunity. Now, I use the word think. in the first in the first question because I think Nebraska players think they're prepared to play their best game in season and I say that in full sincerity

that I think Nebraska players think they're going to play their best their best game against Utah tomorrow in discussion that you know we've got some things You know, we're doing some things. And the coaches have been open that, you know, bringing in, you know, new coaches has added some juice for the squeeze.

So they may in full and fall, honestly think that this is going to go very well for Nebraska. I also would tell you that Utah thinks that they're going to put on a dominant performance against Nebraska. So it's a lot in play. Brock, and again, on an interesting transition for what it means for this program because this, you know, I say it each week, this is the opportunity that, like, after today's game, you know, this is a, every week, it's always, you know, you're 500 with a chance to extend yourself. And with a win, you feel so much better about this program.

going forward than after a loss because loss is going to be some lessons that means some things you think are right are not right like that's the the coaching mentality is you don't go into a game thinking you don't have the answers you think you you have an answer for whatever question can be asked that's if you know the you know the questions but if it doesn't work then bob either you had the wrong answers or you didn't ask to write questions. And that leading to an entire off-season is different in Nebraska. And I can tell you it's different than Nebraska than most places that I've ever lived

because the vacuum is so active and so full with the conversations about what it all means. So listen, a win against Utah changes a lot of the discussion. A loss against Utah is a sense. statement out loud about the state of the program with more questions. I say it all the time, Bach, and I mean it. You can tell the state of a program by the number of

questions that you have about it. And Bach, one to ten, how many questions you got about Nebraska football go into this thing tomorrow? Oh, how many more than that? I mean, it is,

it's a lot. And that's what you hope, right, is that you do get some answers for all these questions and you hope to see some of the young guys step in. I mean, I think that's part of the excitement about tomorrow's game. And, you know, you can get all into, you know, bowl games, people sitting out and what do bowl games mean now? But one of the exciting part is it's really a big look into what is going to be next year. Who's going to step up? Who's going to, you know, kind of take on some of these roles? And so whether it be by injury, I mean, we see Singleton, now not going to be available for the game. Okay, well, then

let's get a good look at Justin Red. You know, let's kind of see. So hopefully some of those answers maybe could pop up and you can answer those throughout the game or at least feel more comfortable about them moving into next season. But like you said, I mean, there's a lot more, there's a lot more questions after losing 40 to 16 or 37 to 10 than there are answers.

And so that's in Nebraska's answered some of those questions for, what it means next year and now you're just kind of in this middle ground and you've got phil snow coaching the defense and neckler helping it and you we don't have a defensive line coach yet so that rules turn his hat around backwards and so you at least kind of get an idea to see okay if that works what worked about it right um but you just hope like you said they are asking the right questions and and like i always say too is don't go into this this this this game with one plan okay If that starts to not work, you better have a backup plan. You better start to think about some other things that you can get going

or you're just going to be running your head into a wall. Well, this is one of those things with bowl games. Program identity and team identity always come into play. Who you are at your core. Because when friction happens in sports, especially at the higher levels, You engage, and then if you are gaining ground, you sink deeper into your core to gain a greater advantage. If you engage and you lose ground, you engage your core, you go back to your foundation to regain footing so that you can go forward. And for the first time this season, and Bach it hit me, it hit me yesterday, for the first time this season, this team will take the field without Emmett Johnson and without Dillon Raola.

What is the identity of this offense going to be? And if this is a Dana Holgerson showcase, what will it show? us. Maybe, you know, there's some, some, some, some, some irons in the fire for the passing game. Maybe it is utilizing, uh, whoever running backs one A and one B out of the backfield more if the run game itself and its purity doesn't work, right? Because you better have, you better have choice. The, the simplest way to protect a young quarterback is the run game. It's the run game. and to not put the run of that run game,

the production of the run game, on the quarterback. A small quarterback, a small young quarterback. But this is a part of the system. The Reed system is a part of what Dana wants to do. And RPO game has some advantages against Utah, if that's what you're able to do. But then that means you got to, you start looking back, then you got to get wins outside on the perimeter.

for the RPO game to work and take some of that burden off and do you feel comfortable in believing that Nebraska's three, four, five top receivers can get open wins on man-to-man covers against Utah's corners. What say you, Jake? Well, I think that could be proved to be difficult. We haven't seen too much of that. And again, I think that was with, at least in Dylan Royola, you know, kind of a guy that was more suited to that offense or at least doesn't have the backup plan of kind of the mobility that you have in T.J. Lateef, you know, this is a pretty darn good pass defense there for Utah. And over the years, Kyle Whittingham and the reason why I chose Morgan Scala is that defense has been pretty darned good. And so,

you know, I don't know. I don't know if that's the route to go. I mean, you hope maybe like a Barney or a Hunter can kind of pop off and have a big game here, maybe find a mismatch there. but I think what hasn't been talked about enough and I think it's partially because Nebraska doesn't have Emmett Johnson is if Emmett did play in this game I think you I think there's a path there right to kind of feel because Utah

as good as we talk about and how much they run the ball well on the offensive side of the ball that's kind of the weakness on defense is rush defense they gave up 293 yards to one guy in Kansas State and now they're down even in it wasn't from the lack of town they had some really talented guys but

that one is opting out. One's injured. Their guy that had 11.5 sacks actually entered the transfer portal, I think, today, which look out for him maybe to go to Michigan. But so I think that that's more the path that Nebraska might have, but then you just kind of sit there with the question, well, who's going to be the leading rusher? Who's going to get the ball?

And that's where I really don't have an answer because I couldn't tell you. Maybe T.J. Latif, you kind of mix it in. Other than that, you've got three running backs that are going to, be fighting for that spot. Nebraska's got to figure it out. So it's kind of, it's a good matchup in that way that Nebraska, if Nebraska doesn't get the run game going, and I assume obviously the other side of the ball is stopping the runs number one, but we say this often with Nebraska seems to be true in many football games. This game's going to be one in the trenches. Can Nebraska fight back offensively for a little bit of damage that's going to be done and hopefully not a whole lot of

damage that's going to be done on the defensive side of the ball for it? Well, Bach, we're going to take our first break. We'll get to Kent. Kent has an interesting question for us. Cubsker is good to see you on and we'll react and respond to yours. But, Bach, we're going to go back in time. Jimmy Greak used to do a thing in his pregame analysis of going group against group and trying to identify who had the advantage.

And I want to do this because I found it fascinating at what my brain processed because I thought it would go a certain way. It didn't. It didn't go the way if you said which group has the advantages, but will help us look at them. We'll do all those when we come back to one-on-one.