Wildcard sweeps, so now MLB for a couple of days

NC State has replaced their quarterback and the first game this year for MJ Morris will be a CW Network special. James Bates, lead ACC football analyst for the CW.

2 o'clock. Marshall at NC State. And there are people who think, well, it's Marshall.

He's going to hit the ground running. Marshall's no joke, James. How you doing? Hey, Adam. Good.

Thanks for having me on. I like following Emmitt Smith on the QC Kinetics Committee. I like the energy that's going through camp with with with the with the new the change at quarterback to MJ, but I think that everybody needs to be reminded that this is a football team in Marshall that has won nine straight games going back to their last last five of last year. Last season. And it's, you know, it's a team that went to Notre Dame and pulled off an upset. And so a lot of those guys are back and there's something dangerous about a team that truly expects to win. You know, a lot of teams believe they can win and want to go win.

But when you win nine in a row, you almost forget what it's like to lose and they've been down in a lot of games too. So yeah, yeah, the pack. They they've got some excitement in camp, but they also have their hands full this weekend.

Let me ask you this. James Bates from the CW is joining us ACC football analyst. Because when you prep for these games and you're watching tape and you're watching past games, who knows how much it's going to change? But you've obviously seen the wolf pack play what has the reasons been of the reasons been primarily the quarterback or is in a myriad of things offensively? I, you know, I mean, a lot of us have watched him play ACC football fans have watched him play and watched him compete as much as anything there at the University of Virginia. And, and I hate it for him. I understand it.

I mean, it's, I understand you've, you've got to move and see if you can, can create some offense. And, um, but it's, you know, here's a guy who's played his guts out back to the high school days. He was such a good high school player. So, so I wish the best for Brennan Armstrong. And I don't think that anybody could, could put it on him.

And I would hate to hear anybody that mouth him because he didn't, he didn't want things to work out that way. So, but it's, you know, it's a, it's a combination. It certainly, I don't think you can put a whole lot of blame over on the defensive side of the ball because man, just, just as they always have Tony Gibson's defenses, they're just, there's so much fun to watch and they they're so fast and, and athletic and I just, I mean, of course, watching Peyton Wilson, I get kind of caught watching number 11 every now and then, and I should be watching the ball a little bit more, but I just, I can't help it. He's just fascinating and such a big playmaker. And so many of them on that defensive side of the ball. And I just, uh, I think that they'll, I look for them to put it together and play a good, crisp, uh, clean football game with some good energy to start. I think it's important for him to start fast this week. Well, if you're watching the ball, I mean, eventually Peyton Wilson's going to get there. You'll, you'll, you'll see the ball eventually.

James Bates is joining us here on the Adam Gold show. Yeah, it's going to be interesting to see how state, uh, plays the rest of the way. I mean, I, I agree with you.

It's not about, it's about a lot of different things. They have to learn how to run the ball. They have to really commit to being better on the offensive line that has been surprisingly bad for them. And they don't have the playmakers, at least the veteran playmakers on the outside that have made it easier, but man, their defense is something else. Let me ask you about North Carolina, who will, uh, host Syracuse today. We'll get back to a state Marshall if we have time at the end, but, uh, the story here is Dez Walker finally being eligible. Uh, I'm not going to ask you to get into our comment on the, the silly war of words we're hearing from, uh, the NCAA, but I mean, this is the weapon that Drake may is needed.

Let's go get some Oh my goodness. I know and well, and that coupled with a defense that's making some plays this season as well and playing better ball, it seems and you know, I just I just hate that. I hate that for the player as much as anything.

Yeah, it would have been great for Tar Heel fans to be able to watch him play a few more. But you know, to just blame it on things like they did. It's such a shame. It's such a shame with everything.

It seems like at times there's so many things feels like the wild, wild West and in ball compared to way back when, when I played that, that's something that, that you get hung up on. So I, I wish the best for him and hopefully they'll, they'll, they'll tear it up as soon as he gets back out on the field. And there's a good chance. I think that our crew is going to have Virginia at UNC next week or in two weeks rather. So I'm looking forward to seeing them first hand for the first time this season. Should be a good scrimmage for North Carolina. Man, I wish Virginia were, were playing better. Same thing for Virginia Tech. You've been doing ACC football for a number of years now, James. And I don't know if it hurts as an ACC guy cause some of the quality has not been there, but it's good to see North Carolina's defense start to play more complimentary football to the offense.

And I don't, I don't know how much you get, you had a chance to watch this past week, but the blue devils are no joke as a football team. I know I've, I've, I've had an eye on them all season and they have been so much fun to watch and, you know, and good for Mike Elko to go in there. And, and, and I was such a big fan of, of coach cut, but you know, I just, when they made that change and here comes Mike Elko for them to have so much success in such a hurry was exciting. But then when they got everybody back, you knew that it was going to get pretty interesting.

You just didn't realize how interesting it was going to be. I hated to see Riley Leonard go down, but I'm glad to hear that it's, it's not a season ender, but still, if, if they're saying it's a high ankle sprain, that's something that you can't really rush back. It's you know, unfortunately that'll be about what, three or four weeks. Is that what they're saying with him? Yeah. And especially the type of player he is, he is, I mean, he is the leading rusher for Duke. We got the Jordan waters, they're running back on the show tomorrow. And it's a good thing that they're off this week, but I don't think he'll be ready for NC state.

At least I would be surprised if he is. So it looks like they're going to have to use their backup in that game, which makes it a little bit problematic. But then the blue devils, I believe have a trip to Tallahassee to take on the Seminoles. And let me ask you this, as a Florida Gator, is FSU back? You know, I, I think so.

They plugged in the right pieces. They, and it all starts, let's face it. I mean, that's why, that's why they're in Raleigh on Saturday. We're going to see a different guy running the show. It all starts and stops with, with the quarterback at any level, NFL or in college. And they have a guy who, who not only is a fantastic football player, but, but he's a great kid as well. And you know, it's, I would say it's tough for me to say as, as a Gator, but I, you know, I, I root for, I root for good dudes and this guy is, he's a good dude, you know, like Riley Leonard, like Drake, like, you know, and, you know, like Brennan Armstrong, you know?

And so it's just, he's a good guy and, and they've got so much talent around him. And you know, I, I used to, I used to hate on the Tennessee volunteers a little bit more. You know, that was my team with FSU.

I didn't grow up around the Florida. So the rivalry that much just when I was playing. But I shoot, man, I appreciate the opportunity to do the job that I do to go out every Saturday and, and to televise, help showcase these kids that are living out a dream. And so I, a lot of the sec folks, a lot of the Florida folks are like, oh man, you got to come back and cover the Gators or cover the sec. And to be honest with you, I just, I just love just going and watching them strap it up and go and, and, and play football on Saturdays. And I feel so blessed to be able to cover it and be a part of the ACC.

That's, that's the truth. What did Steve Spurrier say? You can't spell citrus, the citrus bowl without UT or Peyton Manning came back for his senior year because he wanted to like when the, when the citrus ball, it was just, it was just the greatest ever.

I just don't know if there's a second place. Do you think Miami is for you? Well, you know, it's, it's funny because I think we've all been from the outside looking and we've all been gun shy to, you know, from, from years past, everybody kept picking all they've got all this talent. This is the year, this is the year, this is the year.

Ah, this is the year. And I think finally everyone's like, ah, I don't know, maybe it's the year, but I'm not going to get too fired up about them early on. And, and they've kind of, they've, they've done what, what they've needed to do. And they too have gone and filled in some gaps and, and they have better quarterback play than, than, uh, they had TVD throwing the ball last year.

He's, he seems to be doing a lot better and, and are staying healthy. So I think it, it, at the very least, it's setting up for a nice little clash of the Titans between, uh, Miami and Florida state, just, just the way, whether you love them or hate them, those two teams that's college football right there. That's kind of in my wheelhouse growing up, you know, like late eighties, early nineties, mid nineties when Miami and FSU got it on that, uh, that was the gossip of college football.

Yeah. It was the, it was the game of the year in week five, every year, every year I'm older than you. Uh, so I go back to this game really in the mid eighties, Florida state was still at the pinnacle at Miami was there too. And this, these games were, I mean, noon Saturday, every fifth, what the fifth week of the season, every single year. And it was almost always, it seemed like a top five or a top 10 matchup, James Bates, the CW two o'clock Wolfpack hosting Marshall.

It is the debut season debut of MJ Morris. Uh, James, I thank you very much for your time. We'll do it again. We will. Thanks for having me and have a great weekend. You too, James Bates, the CW has state and Marshall coming up on Saturday.