Up next in 10
“TH Tribune Podcast” Episode 11: THSN football sideline reporter and former #UNC QB Bryn Renner
Sep 10, 2026
Subscribe to the Tar Heel Tribune channel so that you don't miss any videos.
Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:01
Hey there along with RL Binham the
0:03
founder and publisher of the Tarhill
0:04
Tribune tarhill tribune.com. My name is
0:07
Brick Whitmire and we are glad to have
0:09
another Tarhill Tribune podcast with our
0:11
friend Bren Ritter. He is back the
0:13
former Carolina quarterback. He is part
0:14
of Tarhill Sports from Lefield and
0:16
you'll hear him and Jones Angel and the
0:18
whole gang calling the East Tennessee
0:20
State home opener on Saturday. Go ahead
0:22
and download that varsity app right now
0:24
and you will not miss one second. Hey
0:27
Bren, welcome back buddy.
0:31
Thanks for having me, guys. Excited to
0:32
be back.
0:34
>> Yeah, glad glad to have you back. Uh we
0:36
want to talk football, but we have to
0:37
mention the off the- field issues that
0:39
came up during the off week, including
0:41
Lombardi's resignation as GM and then
0:44
the reports of some troubling
0:46
allegations and now the inability to
0:49
bring in recruits for unofficial visits
0:51
for the opener. What's your view of all
0:53
this and what do you how do you think
0:55
the program the players in Belichic are
0:57
weathering all this stuff?
1:00
>> Yeah. Um, unfortunately I'm not allowed
1:02
and I'm not around those conversations
1:04
to have any comment on that. Um, but I
1:07
can't comment on a certain situation
1:08
where I was u a part of when I was a
1:11
player. Um, we had some NCA violations
1:13
as everyone knows kind of the 2010 2011
1:17
season. Um, we lost our head coach which
1:19
is even more damaging. uh the guy that
1:21
recruited me, Butch Davis was let go
1:23
right before we played James Madison,
1:24
2011, my first start as a as a Tarheel,
1:27
which I waited my entire career for. Um
1:30
and so that was kind of some things that
1:32
that were off the field um that we
1:35
couldn't control. I will say this, we
1:36
started six and one and we went down and
1:38
played Clemson. That was our only loss.
1:40
And then we had a really good season
1:41
going forward. Um I'll say this from a
1:43
players perspective, it really doesn't
1:46
bother them. Um, I I think I think it
1:48
bothers the national media a little bit
1:50
more because we play once a week. Um, I
1:52
think if it was baseball or basketball
1:54
or any other sport, they play two or
1:56
three times a week. Um, that kind of
1:58
gets flushed out once you start playing
2:00
games. Unfortunately, we we live in the
2:02
world of of football where you play one
2:04
Saturday and there's only 12 of them and
2:07
that you're guaranteed. So, there's a
2:08
lot more in between that we can talk
2:10
about and things like that. Um, but I I
2:12
really think from a football
2:14
perspective, we've kind of moved on u
2:16
and letting the off the off the- field
2:18
uh things take care of themselves.
2:20
>> Now, one negative I think from the TCU
2:23
win was sputtering running game. Uh,
2:26
Patrino seemed to uh spread the carriage
2:28
between Benjamin Hall who started Jaylen
2:31
McIll and Dean June, but Billy Edwards
2:34
Jr. had a better PFF run grade than all
2:37
of them, which not which you don't
2:39
really want. Uh Belch acknowledged
2:42
Monday that none of the threes really
2:43
separated himself from the others. And
2:46
Jude was the odd deal where he didn't
2:47
get any carries until he got every carry
2:50
in the last drive. Uh what do you see
2:52
from the running back room and you see
2:54
potential to get better?
2:56
>> Yeah, I think in college sports it's
2:58
really kind of weird because you don't
2:59
play any games before the first one.
3:01
There's no preseason. You can't get reps
3:03
against another team. You're really just
3:04
kind of going against your own team and
3:05
there's only three scrimmages where you
3:07
can go full speed and take hits. So I
3:09
think kind of you saw the microcosm of
3:11
that is all three backs are going to
3:13
play. We're lucky to have three instead
3:15
of just one and we have three guys that
3:18
that that do a little bit of different
3:20
things. Like June had a great two drives
3:23
of four-minute icing the icing the game.
3:25
I mean the first down he picked up with
3:26
the extra effort was was incredible. We
3:28
know what he can do last year. Miguel
3:30
had a touchdown um and a big run that
3:32
was called back by a June hold. So, I
3:35
think some things happened um during the
3:38
course of the game where you're kind of
3:39
playing the hot hand. I really am I am
3:42
fortunate that we we are fortunate that
3:44
Natron Means is our running back coach.
3:45
I think he knows how to spread the
3:47
carries out. I think he does a good job
3:49
coaching the backs and I think Benjamin
3:51
Hall is going to have a really good year
3:52
as well. He's had a really good
3:53
offseason and looks pretty good. So to
3:55
answer your question about the running
3:56
game, I think that's the biggest thing
3:58
that takes time is the running game
4:01
because those guys are are kind of
4:03
figuring out a new defensive line. Those
4:05
are five new offensive linemen that we
4:07
have. Christo Kelly's coming back off an
4:09
injury. So the offensive line has to
4:12
marry up with with the running backs and
4:13
I think you saw that kind of in the TCU
4:16
game before we get in a flow. Uh I'm
4:18
looking forward to seeing how we run the
4:19
ball more effectively because I don't
4:20
think you're wrong. I think we we could
4:22
run the ball better. I think it's going
4:24
to be a point of emphasis going into
4:25
this game this week. Um, and I and I
4:27
think coach Patrino had a really good
4:28
handle on splitting the carries up,
4:31
getting the play action involved,
4:32
getting Thurman some touches kind of at
4:34
the line of scrimmage in the RPO game.
4:36
So, I'm looking forward to seeing how
4:37
our offense improves.
4:39
>> Let's talk a little bit about Saturday's
4:41
opponent, East Tennessee State
4:42
University. They're one and one in this
4:43
game. They lost a shootout to Campbell
4:45
in their home opener. They went to
4:46
Tuscolleum and one. They've got Mason
4:48
Mims, the quarterback who transferred
4:50
from Louisville. I think he's already
4:51
thrown six touchdown passes. This guy
4:54
appears to be a guy who can just sling
4:55
the ball. You would hope that the
4:56
Carolina defense would be a little
4:58
better than Campbell and Tuscullams, but
5:01
trying to limit this guy, put some
5:02
pressure in his face, that's going to be
5:03
the game plan on Saturday, right?
5:08
>> Yeah, of course. I when you look at this
5:09
East Tennessee State team, you know,
5:11
they this is their third game, so
5:12
they've played two, we've only played
5:14
one. Um I I think Mims is the key. I
5:17
think if you can kind of eliminate him
5:18
and get pressure with Melkart, get
5:20
pressure with the other guys, u Xavier
5:23
Lewis, and get pressure with four like
5:25
we did against TCU, I think we're going
5:27
to be in a good spot. But I would I the
5:29
game plan would be to get Mims
5:31
uncomfortable because I think he's a
5:33
really really good player. He's thrown
5:34
for a ton of yards. I think over 600 in
5:36
three games or two games. Um has had
5:39
really good success. I love their tight
5:41
end and they have a really good running
5:42
back that has I think 600 yards. So,
5:45
they're kind of very 50-50. I know Will
5:48
Healey well. My first job in college
5:49
football coaching was at Austin Pete
5:51
University where he was the head coach.
5:53
Um, and so Will's going to have his team
5:56
ready to go. Um, they're they're a very
5:58
young bunch, uh, playing a ton of
6:00
freshman, sophomores across the board,
6:02
but like you said, their offense has
6:04
been very consistent through the the
6:06
first two games and have put up points.
6:08
It's kind of been the defense that has
6:09
kind of struggled a little bit by giving
6:11
up yards and points.
6:13
And speaking of quarterbacks, uh, Billy
6:15
Ers Jr. seemed to provide pretty good
6:17
leadership. It was like a solid but not
6:20
spectacular performance. He didn't turn
6:22
the ball over. There were a couple of
6:26
uh, plays that he wasn't quite on
6:28
target. They could have been touchdowns,
6:30
but you've been there as a player.
6:31
What's your perspective of Edward's
6:33
performance and what's ahead for him?
6:35
And do you expect Patrino to play
6:37
multiple quarterbacks on Saturday?
6:40
Yeah, you know, to answer your first
6:42
question, I think that was kind of who
6:44
Billy is right now. I think, you know,
6:46
that was the first time he's played in
6:47
600 days, uh, coming off a knee injury
6:50
that he had to kind of rehab and get get
6:52
ready to go for the season all off
6:55
season. So, um, I thought he did a
6:57
really good job of of going on
6:59
international waters, playing in a rain
7:02
game, and and protecting the football.
7:04
He missed throws. I think he'd be the
7:06
first one to tell you that. I think
7:06
coach Patino would. he missed the throw
7:09
uh to ship down the sideline that would
7:10
have iced the game. Um I thought he
7:12
could have done a better job with his
7:13
accuracy. He would tell you that. Um but
7:16
I think to get his feet wet, to not have
7:18
any pre- or post snap penalties to to
7:21
keep the ball off the ground, no
7:22
turnovers from him, limited sacks. I
7:25
think they had three on the day and he
7:27
kind of managed the game and kept us in
7:29
it. Um and and some part of the
7:31
quarterback job is we had a couple
7:33
possessions that we were backed up and
7:35
he got two or three first downs. Now we
7:38
we turned the ball over in downs and had
7:39
to punt, but there was situations where
7:42
we flipped the field. So, I think, you
7:44
know, it's all not about scoring points,
7:46
but I go back to a game where uh we
7:48
played Louisville in that 2011 season
7:51
and it was the lowest scoring game we
7:53
ever had when I was there and we won 14
7:54
to7. And I walked off the field and I
7:56
thought I played like crap. And I
7:58
remember John Shupe saying, "We won the
8:00
game. You have to get a lot better, but
8:02
you won the game 14 to7." and let's not
8:05
lose sight of the fact that if he played
8:08
really well and threw for 350 and five
8:09
touchdowns and we lost, everyone would
8:12
be like, you know, we we would be going
8:14
back to the drawing board. So, it's a
8:15
long season. I think this is kind of who
8:17
he is as a player. He's he's going to
8:19
get us in the right place, the right
8:20
situation. I think he'll grow from that
8:22
experience.
8:24
>> And uh in Dublin, for the most part,
8:26
Carolina controlled the line of
8:27
scrimmage on both sides, and we haven't
8:29
said that much in recent years. Uh what
8:32
were the positives and negatives you saw
8:34
in the trenches for UNCC? And then you
8:37
touched on the offensive line. Uh those
8:39
five guys played every down.
8:42
Does that tell you anything about uh
8:45
confidence in the depth?
8:47
>> Yeah, I think you know it was it was
8:49
really good to see five guys kind of get
8:51
in unison for four quarters. Uh I
8:53
thought we got stronger as the game went
8:55
on. I thought we were the better in
8:57
shape team just from being on the
8:58
sideline and seeing it firsthand. They
9:00
might have been bigger, but I thought we
9:02
were in shape for four quarters and kind
9:03
of won the the trenches battle, which
9:05
was great to see. I think a key guy, the
9:07
two key guys that I saw on the field on
9:10
Saturday were Christo Kelly at center
9:12
and Allen Banfield at guard. I thought
9:14
the right guard and right in center did
9:16
a really really good job all day of of
9:18
being in control. Remember Christo Kelly
9:20
didn't play all last season. And so
9:22
having that continuity of he's a really
9:25
really great leader in that locker room.
9:27
I believe he's a captain and he kind of
9:29
drives that ship and you really saw the
9:31
fourth quarter he was going to guys
9:33
saying hey we got this let's keep you
9:35
know keep the foot on the gas and just
9:37
different motivational things and I
9:38
think that's that's a big key but you
9:40
know I look injuries are going to happen
9:42
we're going to have to get to six or
9:44
seven deep at that offensive line
9:45
position it's just part of the sport and
9:47
so you know I I I think having five now
9:50
is great but I think we're going to have
9:51
to get to six to seven as the season
9:52
goes on
9:54
>> one of the great success stories from
9:56
the TCU game at least offensively was
9:58
Galani Thurman. Eight targets, four
10:00
receptions, 95 yard 94 yards receiving.
10:03
When we talk about Bill Bich football,
10:05
we talk obviously about defense. Because
10:07
of Steve Bichc's absence, it obviously
10:10
meant that the the head coach was going
10:11
to have to get more involved in defense,
10:13
which is fine. That's how Bill Bich made
10:14
his bones in the National Football
10:16
League. He had the greatest defensive
10:18
player by many standards uh in the NFL.
10:21
but also the tight end play. When you
10:23
talk about Bill Bichc football as uh via
10:26
Bobby Patrino, uh he had the greatest
10:29
pass catching tight end of the history
10:30
of the NFL. So, you see that he's got a
10:32
tight end that's going to catch some
10:34
passes. Don't you think u in your
10:36
opinion that Galani Thurman is going to
10:37
be a huge part of this offense come
10:39
Saturday and going forward?
10:44
>> Yeah, I think Galani was was incredible.
10:46
Um it was fun to watch him play. He
10:49
reminded me kind of uh of a basketball
10:51
player like an Antonio Gates or like an
10:53
Eric Ebron that was very fluid when he
10:55
was running. You know, it was it was
10:58
kind of one of those, you know, new age
10:59
tight ends where he was in a three-point
11:02
stance, but when he got up, he looked
11:03
like a receiver. Um and and that's
11:05
really cool to see. I thought, you know,
11:07
for his first time, uh in pads getting
11:10
hit and taking hits, like even the first
11:12
play of the game, the screen was
11:13
fantastic. He kind of ran the guy over.
11:16
It was a momentum play. And then the
11:17
third play, he catches the the uh the
11:19
fake pump screen, uh vertical seam
11:22
route, uh right through the middle of
11:23
the defense and it was it was really
11:25
great. So, um he is exciting to watch
11:28
and I love how Patrino used him. Uh
11:30
there's easy catches involved. Uh and he
11:32
ran great routes. Um so I'm excited for
11:35
him. I also am excited for the entire
11:37
receiver room. I think he makes them
11:39
better because whenever you have to put
11:41
eyes on a tight end, you can have single
11:43
coverages outside
11:45
>> and that wasn't a big part of the
11:47
offense uh last couple of seasons. So,
11:49
that's a huge difference. Uh over on the
11:51
defensive side, I wanted to talk about
11:53
uh defensive tackle Xavier Lewis. He
11:55
really seemed to make a statement. I
11:57
didn't hear much about him preseason and
12:01
and boy, he had a huge impact on the
12:03
game. And if he keeps that up, it seems
12:06
like it's really going to help guys like
12:07
Mel Cart Abuja
12:10
uh have a a big impact too. And he did
12:13
against TCU.
12:16
>> Yeah, I I think you know that was my
12:18
concern going into the season is if they
12:21
were going to double Melcard or not and
12:22
who was going to pick up the slack with
12:23
that with Tyler Thompson leaving. Um
12:25
with Xavier Lewis playing inside and our
12:28
defense being eight rotationally that
12:31
played about eight guys, nine guys. Um,
12:33
it was really good to see they could
12:35
single up Milkart. Milk could be
12:36
one-on-one with the tackle and obviously
12:38
had a strip sack fumble and then Xavier
12:40
Lewis had a ton of tackles for losses. I
12:42
think those interior guys um and and
12:45
getting those TFLs are better than
12:47
sacks. I think the the tackles for
12:49
losses, especially in the run game, he
12:50
played with a high motor. I heard about
12:53
him in one of the scrimmage that
12:55
scrimmages that I went to. He was the
12:57
best player on the field I saw. and and
12:58
and so his motor, his his strength and
13:02
and to be kind of the anchor of our
13:05
defense is is really great to see going
13:06
forward.
13:08
>> And what about the rest of the defense?
13:10
I thought uh Derek McDonald was really
13:13
good and we saw some maybe adjustment
13:17
from the FCS level for Payton Sealman,
13:20
although he's made some good plays. What
13:22
What was your assessment overall the
13:24
defense?
13:25
>> I was really impressed with Derek
13:27
McDonald. I really didn't have any
13:28
expectations going in of his ability to
13:31
play, but I I want to say he had like 11
13:33
or 10 tackles, maybe double digits, and
13:35
he tackled well in space. And I think,
13:38
you know, when I when I when I heard
13:39
Coach Bich, he he was preaching
13:41
tackling. Um I think we form tackled in
13:44
space really really well. I think there
13:46
was only a couple times that we we
13:48
didn't have two hats on the ball and and
13:50
you know, even Derek, I mean, I thought
13:51
he had really good one-on-one skills to
13:53
get the ball carrier down. Really
13:55
impressed with him. He's a bigger kid
13:57
than we think. Um, and runs really well.
14:00
I I would probably say he's at least 6'2
14:02
and he's a taller linebacker. Um, and
14:05
and and a really good put together kid.
14:07
So, I'm excited to watch him play. Um,
14:09
and Sealman, I thought Sealman played
14:11
played pretty well. Um, he was he was
14:13
those two guys looked in control of of
14:16
um of the defense.
14:19
I just looked at one of my apps that's
14:21
been a money furnace for me and it's
14:22
favoring Carolina by about five
14:24
touchdowns on Saturday. So the in in
14:28
these games obviously after this game
14:32
comes a big part of the schedule with
14:34
Clemson, Notre Dame, Duke, is there a
14:36
fear that the team will not be focused
14:38
be looking past this game? I mean, can
14:40
you think about back to your time when
14:42
you were playing at a time when you were
14:43
like, "Well, this is going to be a game
14:44
that should be easy for us and maybe you
14:48
weren't as focused as you should be and
14:49
maybe the the staff was able to focus."
14:54
>> Yeah, I I think there's there's a couple
14:56
games that come to mind, but to to
14:58
answer about this team, um I think Coach
15:01
Belich is the perfect guy to not allow
15:03
that to happen. You know, he he's so
15:05
focused on the little details of every
15:07
single game. He doesn't really, his past
15:10
record does not allow you to think that
15:12
they're going to look past any opponent.
15:14
If anything, he wants to improve and
15:15
keep the keep the team motivated. Um,
15:18
from my experience, uh, we played South
15:20
Carolina, I believe, the first game, and
15:22
you guys have to fact check me, and then
15:23
we played Middle Tennessee State when I
15:25
was with Larry Fedora, and I remember,
15:27
you know, coach Fedor, we lost against
15:30
South Carolina. It was a close ball
15:31
game. And then, excuse me, the second
15:33
game was Middle Tennessee State and they
15:35
came out and like literally lit their
15:37
hair on fire and were running around.
15:39
And that wasn't the same team that we
15:41
saw on film. And it was a lot like when
15:44
we played ECU. ECU would look like they
15:47
would lose a game by like 20 points, but
15:49
when they stepped in Keenan, they looked
15:50
at the freaking the Bears of of you
15:53
know, they looked like the Bears, the
15:55
old school Chicago Bears. And so we
15:58
always had to have like a first quarter
16:00
come to Jesus meeting with our head
16:02
coach. And I remember Larry brought us
16:03
all in and kind of refocused us because
16:06
what you see on tape with some of these
16:08
teams that come into Kenan, this is
16:09
might be their only chance they're going
16:11
to play a division one team. And so
16:13
that's really something that I really
16:15
never thought of as a player is like
16:17
they're going to play exponentially
16:18
above their whatever they put on tape
16:20
because they're in front of more fans.
16:22
Uh they're nationally televised.
16:24
everyone's going to see them and that
16:25
this might be their only week and they
16:26
circled it on your calendar and for an
16:29
opponent for North Carolina team it's
16:30
the opposite. You're just trying to get
16:32
through the game. So I learned that
16:34
young in my career of you can never look
16:36
past the team but to answer your
16:38
question like it it takes a quarter or
16:40
quarter or two and they might have some
16:42
tricks up their sleeve. It may be a fake
16:43
punt, maybe uh you know a reverse and
16:46
they're going to score and you're going
16:47
to have to adjust and adapt because
16:49
that's just the nature of football.
16:51
Um, I'll mention real quick. You may
16:54
wonder about the background. My home
16:55
internet is down. So, I'm at the a
16:57
Durham Library branch. So, it's really
17:00
odd what you have to do sometimes to get
17:02
a podcast out. But, uh, yeah, you you
17:05
were talking about how Carolina should
17:07
have an easy time against East Tennessee
17:09
State. Um, but from what you saw in
17:11
Dublin and what you saw from Clemson at
17:15
LSU,
17:17
what are the chances that Carolina goes
17:19
into the Notre Dame game 3 and 0?
17:22
>> Yeah, I I think um I think LSU is one of
17:25
the best football teams in the country
17:27
and I think Clemson is still a very very
17:29
good team. Um, and and you have to
17:32
respect what Davo's done. I think
17:33
they're going to play better as the
17:34
season goes on. I I I saw his press
17:37
conference and he's kind of said exactly
17:39
what I what I said. So, I don't think
17:41
Clemson is bad as bad as people thinks
17:43
and I and I think LSU is better than
17:45
people think. So, I think it's a little
17:46
bit of both. Um, to answer your
17:48
question, I think it's going to be
17:49
really cool uh if we can get through
17:52
Saturday to go to Death Valley and to
17:54
see what this team has. Um, I think it's
17:56
going to be a great opponent. I remember
17:58
we went and played there in 2011 and it
18:01
was electric at noon played Taj Boyd,
18:04
Sammy Watkins and and DeAndre Hopkins
18:06
and Dcoin Bowers and that was a really
18:08
fun game. So, I'm hoping we get through
18:10
Saturday healthy. I'm hoping that these
18:13
guys get more reps under their belt and
18:15
we're going to Death Valley being 2 and0
18:16
with a chance to compete. I think it's
18:18
going to be a really good game. I think
18:20
we're better than people think. Um, and
18:22
I think, you know, we're going to have
18:24
to see what Clemson does and uh and put
18:26
your put your chips on the table. The
18:28
one thing I do love about the ACC is
18:30
every year I feel like we get to this
18:32
point of it's wide open. And we have a
18:34
really hard October coming up. We have
18:37
Clemson, bye, Notre Dame, and Duke. And
18:40
that's like the that's the four games
18:42
that are really really hard. And that's
18:44
the middle stretch and the meat and
18:46
potatoes. And football. The football
18:48
season's a journey. It's every single
18:49
day. And like I said, you only play one
18:51
time a week, so you you have a chance
18:53
every single game that that you you
18:55
strapped it up. But I like our chances.
18:57
>> Yeah. I wanted to get your reaction on
18:59
what we saw last night from Drake May,
19:01
particularly those three fourth quarter
19:03
interceptions. He made some nice
19:05
connections with M. Collins. Uh but he
19:08
admitted that maybe he was a little
19:10
wasn't patient enough when he tried to
19:13
hit him one more time in the end zone
19:15
when they could have tied it with a
19:16
field goal. What was your reaction to
19:19
what you saw last night?
19:21
>> Yeah. Um I football is very hard and
19:25
every season is very hard and if you
19:28
think about the defense that he played,
19:30
it's honestly I I I've heard from people
19:32
around the NFL it's one of the best
19:34
defenses, you know, if not rivaling the
19:36
the Raiders. I mean, it's not the
19:38
Raiders, the Ravens back in uh the 2001
19:40
era. They're very physical. M Mike
19:42
McDonald, I played for the Ravens when
19:44
he was just a quality control guy. So,
19:47
he kind of has that that uh tenacity
19:50
about him. I thought Drake played really
19:52
well. I really do. I think if Romeo Dobs
19:54
catches that ball that he dropped, it's
19:57
a different story, right? And so, you
19:59
know, I thought Drake playing a really
20:01
really hard defense, he he probably
20:03
doesn't get enough credit because
20:04
everyone's going to remember the pick or
20:06
the picks that he threw. I think he
20:07
would tell you he would want all three
20:09
throws back. And, you know, I look, I I
20:12
think football's a really hard game. Um,
20:14
I think that play that we saw was a
20:16
quick game play that he tried to extend
20:18
and do what Drake May does. And
20:20
sometimes it just it just happens where
20:23
you you you don't make the right
20:24
decision. But I'll go back to a game
20:26
that I remember. Uh, it was the opening
20:28
game. Aaron Rogers was playing with the
20:30
Jets. He got hurt, tears his Achilles.
20:32
Josh Allen threw four interceptions that
20:34
were really, really bad and they lost to
20:36
the Jets. And so when you come to a new
20:40
season, it kind of, you know, you have
20:42
to get back to what this team does well,
20:44
uh, the play calling and it takes a
20:46
little bit to get going. And like I
20:48
said, the preseason, you don't really
20:50
play against the starters. It's kind of
20:52
like you're just kind of going through
20:53
the motions in camp. And that NFL
20:55
season's a long journey. I think it was
20:57
one one good game that he's going to
20:59
learn from um, and as they go forward.
21:01
But I still think I mean, everyone knows
21:03
his talent level was incredible. Um, but
21:05
you know, it was it was a tough start,
21:06
but he's going to bounce back.
21:08
>> Because of the anomaly with the Carolina
21:10
schedule, you play the week zero game,
21:12
then everybody else plays the week one
21:14
game. You may have had a chance to see
21:15
some of the ACC teams in action. You
21:17
talked about the Clemson game. SMU tried
21:20
very hard to hand Florida State a
21:22
victory. Georgia Tech lost a
21:23
heartbreaker. Uh, Stanford took care of
21:25
business against a pretty good Hawaii
21:27
team. Cal had a tough team game against
21:29
UCLA. What struck you about the other
21:31
teams in the league?
21:35
Yeah. Uh, Miami is really good.
21:38
Uh, I thought they were the most
21:40
impressive against Stanford. Um, you
21:43
know, that that jumped off me. I think
21:45
Mensah, even seeing him last year, he's
21:47
gotten better. Like that kid throws the
21:49
ball like he should be I'd probably have
21:51
him at at my top pick right now in the
21:54
country. Um, if I had to pick and and
21:56
that's nothing against Archin and
21:58
everybody else, but I I think he's the
21:59
been the most impressive that I've seen
22:01
just seeing him watching him play at
22:02
Duke. Um, and I thought I thought
22:04
Stanford looked more improved. I thought
22:06
they were really well. They they they
22:07
obviously beat Hawaii in a close game
22:10
and then they kept it, you know, I
22:11
thought they were more organized against
22:13
Miami. Um, I liked Duke. I thought Duke
22:16
played played decent. Um, and really,
22:18
like we all know, the ACC is going to
22:20
come down to to those games, you know,
22:22
in the middle of October, end of
22:24
October, right around the Thanksgiving
22:26
that really determine it. Uh, I thought
22:28
UVA looked great against State. I was
22:30
shocked by how uh State played. I think
22:32
we all were um just because of the
22:35
preseason hype. Um and then you look at,
22:38
you know, the Notre Dame. Notre Dame had
22:39
a really good second half against
22:41
Wisconsin. Um and and and just I think
22:44
it's going to be who can who can improve
22:47
each and every single game uh the most
22:50
cuz look right now guys, college
22:53
football is very fragile because these
22:55
guys haven't had many reps in the
22:57
offense. like I played in the same
22:58
offense for like two years and so I knew
23:01
like the back of my hand and so when you
23:03
when you're learning a new offense you
23:04
got to figure out where the players are
23:06
too. So I think you're seeing a little
23:07
bit of that. Um and as we go forward
23:10
it's going to be about the guys who can
23:11
make plays but I I think the ACC is just
23:13
wide open. I really do.
23:16
>> Yeah. Obviously uh we both went to
23:19
Dublin. I had a blast. I didn't like the
23:21
weather in particular except for Friday,
23:24
but uh I was wondering if you had any
23:26
good stories from uh Ireland. I I've
23:28
heard the uh the uh you had some
23:31
technical issues there on the field, but
23:33
uh how was that experience for you and
23:35
what can you tell me about your
23:36
experience?
23:38
>> Yeah, it was phenomenal. I've never been
23:40
to Dublin. I like to travel a lot and I
23:42
thought the city and the people were
23:43
fantastic. Um I love the Guinnesses. The
23:46
Guinnesses were great. It was like the
23:48
the signing and and branding for
23:49
Guinness in Dublin was incredible. I
23:51
mean, everywhere you turned, it was like
23:53
you either had a Guinness in your hand
23:54
or someone was handing you one. And so,
23:56
uh, ton of pubs, really good atmosphere.
23:59
Um, but, you know, the story that that I
24:01
really loved is how the Carolina fans
24:03
travel. Um, I thought for the for as
24:06
hard as it is to probably get to Dublin,
24:08
the people that planned this plan to go
24:10
see Carolina play football was really
24:13
cool. And you know, like when I when I
24:14
was getting recruited, I I had a kind of
24:16
a pinch me moment when I was on the
24:17
sideline. I looked up and it was like
24:19
people that I knew since I was, you
24:22
know, getting recruited at 18 that I
24:24
played with, the alumni, the donors, the
24:27
professors that made the trip. It was
24:29
really cool to see Carolina Blue in the
24:31
stands. And it was a it was a home game
24:33
for TCU. And that was like very odd to
24:36
me, but to see everyone travel and when
24:40
Billy Edwards got them to jump off sides
24:42
and to see the elation and kind of like
24:45
the euphoria that we had across like you
24:48
know the players storming the field like
24:50
their happiness and you know since coach
24:52
Bichc is that's probably the biggest win
24:53
we've had and it was last year was
24:55
really tough to celebrate any type of
24:58
success. It was really hard. And then
25:00
that was kind of like the culmination
25:01
of, okay, we've gotten better. We
25:04
weren't we weren't supposed to win this
25:05
game. We won the game. And then after
25:07
the game, it was really cool to kind of
25:09
be around your friends and supporters.
25:32
Thanks guys.
25:34
>> Thanks Bren.
25:35
Yeah.
#Sports