Someone who can give us ECU AND Carolina Panthers updates!

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Expect more from Rush Truck Centers. We all wear a lot of hats here. I cover the Carolina Hurricanes. I host this radio show. I do podcasts. Jim Zokey is not only analyst for the Carolina Panthers and a man about town on TV and radio in Charlotte.

He is also the voice of the ECU Pirates and don't you know the opener Saturday at the Big House in Michigan. So we have two things to talk to Jim Zokey about. I appreciate your time sir. How you doing? Adam, always fun to be on with you. Hope you're doing well.

Doing very well. So not a terrible opener for you and the Pirates to go up to Michigan and take on the Wolverines. They're only one of the sexy picks to win the national championship. Did I mention I'm from Ohio? Oh, so you're going to the team up north.

That's right. That's school up north and then we got the uh the uh you say cross out the M obviously for the big game which would be November 25th for the Ohio State of Michigan. But for this one yeah I've already got a built-in uh even if ECU wasn't playing this game I would be rooting against Michigan but the fact that I get to call the first game I get to do with ECU in the Big House. I've been to Ann Arbor twice before.

I was a student at Bowling Green State University which is like an hour 15 away from there so I visited up there. I've never heard games so first experience there's actually looking forward to being in there see what happens and uh and hey it's college football with 20 year old kids you never know what's going to happen. And look the last time a team from North Carolina went up and opened up Michigan's home schedule oh nothing crazy happened. What was it about 16, 17 years ago when App State went up to Ann Arbor and beat Lloyd Carr's Michigan Wolverines one of the greatest games I've ever watched.

Jim Zocchi is the voice of the ECU Panthers, Pirates, Panthers. I'm gonna come on. Don't get me doing that now. Oh I see it is contagious uh and we'll talk a little Panthers football before uh we let you get out of here. Uh but I mean what's the difference for you? I mean I'm gonna from your perspective as somebody first of all you slide over a chair uh you're in charge of telling us what's going on in every play there's no analysis although I guess there is some.

So what's the difference for you? Difference for me is I love doing play-by-play so I appreciate at the NFL level I get to do what I do but I used to do the four preseason games every year and then that changed kind of post COVID so I always enjoyed those four games of play-by-play but I've done you know national radio and regional games of football and basketball so I've gotten plenty of play-by-play experience through the years and then um so I love that aspect of it. College atmosphere I love as well I mean the games are different college and pro skill level is certainly different even the best I've always said the best college team would still lose to the worst NFL team because that NFL team is filled with college all-stars you know the worst whoever it is you think is the worst team but beyond that the atmosphere though to go into place that seats over 100,000 like this just that atmosphere and the tradition I mean yes they're trying to ruin traditions with conferences and all this transfer portal stuff but for now at least there's enough of that left where it just it just feels like a different sport with some different rules to it so I really enjoy the college game too. Well at least the college game is starting to get the timing similar it's not going to be the same but it should be the same I've always argued there's there should be no difference in that way the college game is timed with clock stopping what it's supposed to three timeouts two minute warning they should be identical I don't know why they're not because they don't have to be I don't know the whole overtime screwy too I don't like I'd much prefer the the NFL overtime and the fact that you know what you can have a tie sometimes a game should be tied I've seen plenty of games where neither team deserve to win you hate to reward that but what do you what kind of chances do you give the the the Pirates going into this how do they how do they approach this game? Yeah I give them that puncher's chance right because again we're dealing with you know not Tom Brady and you know 30 and 35 year olds we're dealing with 20 year old kids and things happen so I mean you come in and you play good solid football don't beat yourself don't turn the ball over don't get a bunch of penalties take care of your stuff and and just see see where it goes and I if it was me I'd be thinking let's let's let's get to the first quarter ending let's get to halftime let's get to third and then try to steal it in the fourth quarter because that's I think you just got to bite it up into little pieces like that and you know this is an ECU team as we all know last year didn't turn the ball over I mean they led the nation in not giving it away if and again holding Naylor's isn't there but if Mason Garcia and these guys can kind of keep that tradition going from last year that and being you know not too penalized can can do it for you yes hey Michigan may set the record for most guys drafted at the end of this year they're going for the Georgia record of 15 guys in one draft so obviously the talent is a different scale but if you just play good solid fundamental football you can hang around and give yourself that puncher's chance so that's that's what I'm hoping happens. Steve Logan former East Carolina coach obviously you know that used to sit in the studio with me every week and he would say the same thing every time we talked about it keep it close win it late that was their philosophy don't don't don't get out in front early don't do that because then you just tick them off so you keep it close and then you shock them late in the game all right to to the Panthers with Jim Zocchi and we are once again proud where I am at 99.9 the fan of Raleigh proud to be the affiliate here in the capital city of the Panthers I know they they waved Shy Smith today also Dion Jones and I brought in a receiver more of a kick returner probably from Kansas City in a in a quick trade where do you think they are with the wide receiver position what are they still possibly looking for I think you know for one thing there's some uncertainty as far as the health I think they probably you know got the guys they want you just mentioned they just added a new one today with the addition of Amir Smith Marcette gives them a speed option and one of the best pre-seasons in football and coming out of Kansas City obviously a good pedigree there but also gives you another option in the return game so that's going to be obviously it's to make a trade like that it wasn't anything big swapping of conditional seventh round picks in 2025 it's not a big deal it looks like Laviska should know from what they're saying is going to be ready for the regular season out of the concussion protocol what's not known is Terrace Marshall with the back injury DJ Turk with the hamstring and DJ was having a really nice training camps you got feeling you've got Mingo obviously there as well so I think you're just looking for you know just to see who you actually have healthy coming out of this thing and guys are going to get some of these guys we mentioned they got you they had like two or three more movies make they're gonna be on the practice squad and you could elevate them and make some changes in the next week and a half but that's kind of what they're working with right now receiver any other positions that you would like to see Scott Fitterer fortify as we get to the opener 12 days from now Hey Carolina Panthers fans Chris Lee and Dennis Cox here we're excited to offer you all the inside information on your team with the newest member of the capital broadcasting podcast network Panthers playbook twice a week we'll keep you updated on your Carolina Panthers we're talking about lacquer room insight exclusive interviews and of course in-depth looks at all of the Panthers wins touchdown Carolina Panthers playbook download and subscribe today at WRL sports fan.com or wherever you discover your favorite podcasts I think for me looking at probably like interior offensive line you know you know where are they going to be with that I think that you know they're not going to have Austin Corbett and it's going to be at least the first four weeks because they put him on the PUP list today so Zavala you know it is can he be the guy possibly and maybe he will be that guy but I would probably look at at least a veteran plug-and-play guy in case it doesn't go well or if you think the ball is not quite ready and you want to plug someone in week one and have him kind of learn a little bit more in some way or another but I probably think it's an interior offensive lined up I would think secondary you know they also waived Eric Rowe who is brought in to be a safety veteran presence there and they released him he didn't really have a good camp here as it turned out so I think veteran could be corner and it could be safety that they're looking at so we'll see what they actually do with all that and you mentioned receiver they I think they maybe try to address that with the trade today so it's probably the main things you look at right now. All right final thing for Jim Zocchi not only the voice of the ECU Pirates who are playing in Ann Arbor and I think we have the game Saturday afternoon at Michigan here on 99.9 the fan but is also part of the Carolina Panthers radio broadcast we have that game Sunday the 10th in Atlanta just your overall impression of what we saw from Bryce Young obviously he saved the best in the preseason for last but your thoughts on what what do you think the franchise has in number nine? I think the other big picture is what they kind of sold it as being is what it's been is that a kid who is confident who to me looks like he's in command he's got the respect of a veteran group of players around him whether it be the offensive line or skill position guys he's got those leadership traits quarterbacks different than coming in as a receiver or a safety I mean you've got to be a leader he clearly just look at him process as quickly as they said he would has the running ability stuff you can't teach in that regard but also just makes good decision you throw any interceptions during the preseason so people talk about the lack of productivity maybe in terms of touchdowns but he had two scoring drives two for two in this last game here so to me it doesn't look too big for him at no point my last thing would be at no point I look out there go oh he's too small what they're doing with him rolling the pocket finding passing ways I think they're even dropping him back deeper out of the shotgun than they did with Baker Mayfield with the other coaching regime you know he's not had batted down passes I'm sure he'll have some during the season all quarterbacks do but it's not looked like he's been out there you know trying to figure out how to get that slingshot into Goliath's eye out there it seems like it works it works out pretty good from the way he works it now I love that I mean I he didn't have that problem in Alabama they have they go against NFL caliber defenses all year long in the SEC he didn't have that problem in Alabama he's always been short he didn't suddenly become short he's always been short and he was adjusting to it it's not a new situation and the thing I love about at least the last game was his ability to feel the rush and make little subtle moves to escape either by time and he's quick enough to make plays with his legs he picked up three first downs on the ground against the Detroit Lions Jim Zocchi enjoy the big house and then Atlanta hopefully we'll talk to you before that but appreciate your time always fun thanks Adam you got it at Jim Zocchi J I M S Z O K E on Twitter JCPenney