March 2 The Pod Podcast

Presented by: Eternal RoofingHosts: Cory Hogue & Ben Sorrells

Key segments & timestamps

0:00 Intro + episode overview (portal updates, WBB/MBB previews, Kat Fund)

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0:02 Winter weather impacts, travel/schedule implications

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0:05 Weekly ReKap: Women’s Bowling strong showing at Northeast Classic; quick tennis note

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0:09 Football portal/roster update:

O-line rebuild, concerns, and key additions discussed

QB room depth and the need for more bodies/competition

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0:27 Women’s Basketball: standings context, WKU win, MTSU one-point loss, FIU preview + stat keys

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WBB prediction: Ben SHSU 61–59, Cory SHSU 63–60 (both lean under)

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0:41 Kat Fund update: competitive excellence fund notes + upcoming Champions Dinner info

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0:42 Men’s Basketball: conference grind + schedule context; Kennesaw State scandal fallout; rebounding battle; identity trending defensively

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MBB prediction (vs KSU): Ben SHSU 75–70, Cory SHSU 83–78

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1:00 Outro / sign-off

Presented by: Eternal RoofingHosts: Cory Hogue + Ben Sorrells (@SportsofSHSU)

Segments & timestamps (approx.)

0:00 Intro + sponsor + “2026 tech struggles” (and Twitter still hacked)

0:04 Reset / Substack plans + quick FCS coaching carousel tangent

0:09 Portal opens: who’s out, what it means, what positions must be addressed

0:30 Midroll promo (rate/review + subscribe)

0:31 WBB update (8-4, 1-0 CUSA) + Liberty/Delaware preview + stat comps

0:41 WBB picks (ChatGPT line + Cory/Ben picks)

0:45 Kat Fund update

0:47 MBB update (8-6, 0-3 CUSA) + Delaware/Liberty preview + stat comps

0:59 MBB lines/picks + quick ATS note

1:04 Outro

Key portal discussion points

Departures include QB, multiple TEs, major OL turnover, plus secondary/special teams movement.

Additions include JUCO help and multiple defensive pieces; OL + QB remain the urgent needs.

Kat Fund note

Sam Houston Golf Champions Dinner — Jan. 30 (6 p.m.), Walker Education Center

Guest speaker: Randy Buzial (former Navy SEAL), steak dinner + auction items

Link: [ADD LINK] / DM @SportsofSHSU if needed

Games discussed

WBB: at Liberty (Thu), at Delaware (Sat)

MBB: vs Delaware (Thu), vs Liberty (Sat)

Sam Houston just crawled through a 2–10 football season, so it’s time for the annual March 2 The Pod report card. Ben and Cory go position by position and hand out honest grades for the 2025 Bearkats — quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, offensive line, defensive line, linebackers, defensive backs, special teams, and yes, head coach Phil Longo. We talk about where things completely fell apart, who actually earned passing marks, and what absolutely has to change in 2026 if Longo wants to quiet the noise in Huntsville.

Before we dive into the carnage, we start with something a little more fun: Bearkat hoops. The men are fresh off a win over Wyoming and a tough nonconference slate against Texas Tech, Utah, and Oklahoma State, and they still haven’t lost against the spread. We break down why this group is built for March in C-USA, touch on the women’s impressive start, and then close the show with our made-up betting line and score predictions for Sam Houston at Texas Southern.

If you want the full written report card with position-by-position notes, check out the Substack post (March2ThePod.Substack.com) for this episode.

We close the book on a brutal 2–10 season in Huntsville with our full Sam Houston football report card and a look at what absolutely has to change in 2026.

We start on a positive note with Bearkat hoops. The men are off to a 5–3 start after a home win over Wyoming and a strong showing at the Holiday Hoops Classic in Idaho, where they knocked off Idaho and Idaho State and went toe-to-toe with Oklahoma State. We talk about why this team’s toughness, guard play, and offensive rebounding give them real Conference USA tournament upside, and what we’re watching as they head into a road stretch against Rice and Texas Southern. Then we flip to the women, who have opened 5–1, and why their early-season form should have Bearkat fans paying attention.

Thanks for reading March 2 The Pod! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

From there, it’s back to the carnage on the gridiron. Position group by position group, we hand out grades for the 2025 Sam Houston offense and defense. We get into the quarterback carousel, an up-and-down offensive line, a running back room that was the best part of the offense, and a wide receiver/tight end group that never produced a true difference-maker. On defense, we dig into a thin defensive line, a linebacking corps where our grades don’t match, and a secondary that flashed but never found sustained consistency. Special teams come out as the one clear bright spot.

Finally, we zoom out to Phil Longo’s first year in charge. We talk about game management, fourth-down decisions, the disconnect between his offensive reputation and the actual production, and why Year 2 in the new Bowers Stadium has to look very different if tough conversations are going to be avoided.

We close with a preview of the Bearkats men’s basketball team heading to Houston on Saturday to play Texas Southern, and give our picks against the entirely fictional spread and total that Cory decided arbitrarily.

Bearkats Weekly ReKap (MBB/WBB & signings)

Men’s basketball signings: four-star guard Ryland Kelly and versatile forward Xavier Roberson

Women’s basketball adds 6-4 forward Amya Hall from a 6A state-title program

MBB: strong showing in 85–79 loss at Utah, Wyoming at Johnson Coliseum, Schreiner on Saturday, Idaho Classic on deck

WBB: blowout wins over UAPB and Prairie View A&M, offense finally catching up to the defense, Annika Corcoran’s return and Fontacone’s CUSA weekly honor

Delaware recap

Early 10–0 hole and familiar script… until the defense flipped the game

Antavious Fish forced fumble recovered by A.J. Sargent

Coco Brown’s two TDs, including the 62-yard hurdle run

Christian Pavon’s 4-for-4 night and CUSA POTW performance

Defense piles up eight sacks and three takeaways

Longo on “ugly wins,” November, and closing games

Injury & QB room updates

Hunter Watson’s season-ending surgery and what his Bearkat career meant

Pavon’s health, kicker depth, and special teams confidence

Why Landyn Locke is trending as QB1 and what that means for Matoyer and Mabrey

Middle Tennessee State preview

Series history and the 2023 kerfuffle

MTSU’s home struggles, OL churn, and veteran secondary in the “Get a Damn Job” program

National and CUSA stat comps: bad offense, bad defense, good turnover margin for the Kats

Longo on MTSU’s offense and defensive front

The Charmin Toilet Bowl / Sickos football vibes, Vegas line, and why both of us picked Sam Houston

Kat Fund update

New partnership with LPT and ways local businesses and fans can support Bearkat student-athletes

Predictions

Ben’s 24–23 Sam Houston pick

ChatGPT’s “coin-flippy and ugly” projection

Cory’s jinx-friendly 27–17 Sam Houston prediction

0:00 Intro, sponsor

0:02 Weekly ReKap (signings, MBB/WBB updates)

0:05 Oregon State breakdown: fumble/INTs, red-zone stall, 98-yard Burns KR, blocked punt TD, late defensive stands

0:20 “3rd-and-Longo” sequence and coaching decisions

0:25 Delaware preview: Carty tendencies, Minicucci/Duplessis/Moul scouting, key metrics (30+ points, turnover margin)

QB update: Hunter Watson out; Mettauer starts, Locke available

0:45 Kat Fund update with Ben

0:48 Predictions (ATS/Total), closing thoughts

Presented by Eternal Roofing. Subscribe to CoryHogueSports on Substack. Follow @March2ThePod @CoryHogueSports @SportsofSHSU.

00:01:30 — Women’s Soccer: Villatoro equalizer, Bond’s PK heroics, Murray clincher; Liberty recap.

00:08:05 — Hoops openers: defense strong for the women; Damon Nicholas shines for the men.

00:14:12 — LA Tech recap: explosive plays, red-zone decisions, Green’s TDs.

00:22:39 — Availability report & D-line injuries: why it matters.

00:28:55 — QB room: Hunter’s knee, why Mabry may start, youth movement notes.

00:45:18 — Oregon State preview: two QBs, run-first tilt since the change.

00:56:13 — Lines & predictions; Cat Fund update.

0:02 Opening — “Tell me something positive, Ben!”

0:05 WSOC: No. 3 seed; Delaware first; Liberty likely in semi; keys: defend, win midfield, create chances

WBB: Monday 4 p.m. vs Southwestern Christian; want offensive step forward

MBB: After WBB vs LeTourneau; takeaways from SFA scrimmage—guards legit, bigs need touches, defense must firm up

0:25 LA Tech Preview: Halloween uniforms; series notes; Friday records; best defense in CUSA; turnover margin edge

Longo soundbites: “get-better week,” outside noise, recruiting/portal approach

Personnel: Hunter Watson cleared; CJ Brown likely out; Tech QB Blake Baker

0:46 Kat Fund Update: membership & giveaway tease

0:48 Predictions: Ben 30–20 Tech (Cats cover); Cory 38–17 Tech (cover + over)

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📋 Episode Notes:

Opening thoughts: Searching for something positive

Reviewing the Jacksonville State heartbreak

Why the late-game cushion coverage mattered

Phil Longo’s reverse-pass calls explained — and debated

Defensive improvement and turnover highlights

Previewing UTEP’s elite CUSA defense and what the Kats must fix

Kat Fund update and how fans can help

Predictions and prop-style game projection

Presented by Eternal Roofing — Roofing you can trust with your home, just like you trust us with Bearkat sports