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The 2025 college football season is here — and The Matt Cave is diving deep into the BYU Cougars football preview before Week 1 kicks off.

In this episode, Matt breaks down everything Cougar Nation needs to know:

• QB1 Bear Bachmeier: true freshman starter, comparisons to Taysom Hill, and what fans can realistically expect.
• BYU’s offense: Chase Roberts, Tiger Bachmeier, JoJo Phillips, LJ Martin, and a rebuilt offensive line.
• BYU’s defense: led by Jack Kelly, Isaiah Glasker, and Raider Demouni — but can they finally generate sacks?
• Special teams strength: All-American kicker Will Ferrin and returner Parker Kingston.
• Season prediction: Ceiling, floor, and why Matt has BYU finishing 6–6 in 2025.

Plus — we end with a gamer’s PSA on The Finals, the free-to-play FPS you need to try if you’re tired of Call of Duty and Fortnite.

Grab a Diet Coke for those late kickoffs, and let’s spelunk into the BYU football season!

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The Utes are on deck! This week on The Matt Cave Podcast, Matt dives deep into the University of Utah’s 2025 football season outlook under Kyle Whittingham. With Devon Dampier stepping into the spotlight and Jason Beck bringing a new-look offense, what can Ute fans realistically expect? Matt lays out Utah’s floor, ceiling, and his season prediction, plus the players to watch as the Big 12 era ramps up.

To close things out, Matt reviews EA Sports College Football 26. Was this year’s version a step forward or just an expensive roster update? Hear his honest breakdown of what’s new, what still needs fixing, and whether it’s worth your money.

Oh, and this episode is dedicated to longtime listener Angela Hammond — and yes, we see you, Quench It fans in Lehi.

👉 Season predictions, roster questions, turnovers, defense, and video games — it’s all packed into this week’s episode.

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Football season is almost here, and it’s time to break down Year One of the Bronco Mendenhall era at Utah State. I cover the Aggies’ offense, defense, coaching staff, key players, and schedule before giving my official 2025 record prediction — and it might not be what Aggie fans want to hear.

Then we shift gears to gaming, diving into why the Battlefield 6 beta has over half a million concurrent players, how EA finally learned from Battlefield 2042’s mistakes, and why October 2025 could be the best month for shooter fans in years.

Whether you’re here for college football talk or video game hype, this episode has you covered.

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Soccer, shooters, and some spicy NFL drama—this week’s Matt Cave has it all.

First, Matt breaks down Real Salt Lake’s wild run in the Leagues Cup, explaining what the tournament actually is, why MLS vs. Liga MX is heating up, and how RSL’s penalty shootouts became must-watch chaos.

Then it’s on to Battlefield 6, where EA finally looks ready to bounce back after the disaster of 2042. Hear why the new reveal has Matt cautiously hyped and why this could be the Battlefield comeback fans have been waiting for.

Finally, we wrap with a hilarious dive into Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys’ Micah Parsons drama, because watching America’s Team implode in the offseason is just too much fun.

Football season is almost here, but until then, we’ve got plenty to rant about in the Cave. Spelunk in and enjoy the show!

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This week in The Matt Cave, Matt tries to process two things he never thought he'd say in 2025: Real Salt Lake is in playoff position, and BYU Men’s Basketball is being hyped as a national title contender. No, seriously.

First, he breaks down RSL’s wild 2-1 win over San Jose, featuring two goals that were more “gifts” than greatness. Then it's time to dive into an ESPN article that has BYU ahead of blue bloods like Duke, Kansas, and Michigan State — a sentence 15-year-old Matt would never believe. AJ Dybantsa, transfer portal wins, and offensive firepower? What timeline is this?

Plus:

• Thoughts on Pablo Mastroeni’s Herculean coaching job
• A preview of what’s coming during college football season
• Updates on Matt’s EA Sports College Football 26 review and a potential Mammoth podcast opportunity 👀

Spelunk in, share with a friend, and prepare for some unfiltered Utah sports takes like only The Matt Cave can provide.

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This week in The Matt Cave, Real Salt Lake finally breaks the curse in Portland, notching their first win in Oregon since 2017 — only to trip over themselves at home against Eastern Conference leader FC Cincinnati. Matt breaks down both matches and what they mean for RSL’s playoff hopes (yes, playoffs).

Plus: A quick but funny Utah Mammoth update involving ESPN’s painfully slow name correction, and a deep dive into six video games worth your time in a pretty meh release year. From Borderlands 4 hype to Pokémon Legends: Z-A, to tangents on why Ubisoft is the worst, this episode has rants, recs, and real talk.

Celebrate Pioneer Day with some salty MLS truth and nerdy game previews — only in The Matt Cave.

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Real Salt Lake makes it four unbeaten, but are they for real? Diego Luna's return sparks life into the squad, but will he even be here for their next match? Matt dives deep into RSL's win over Houston, Luna's looming transfer, and the growing tension between short-term results and long-term planning.

Then it's Big 12 Media Days recap time: BYU and Utah showed up in full fluff mode, but there were still some nuggets to break down. Matt gives his honest take on Devin Dampier, Utah's new offense, Kalani Sitake's refreshing NIL perspective, and who he thinks should be QB1 for the Cougars (spoiler: it's not McCae Hillstead).

Plus, some props to Kyle Whittingham and a brutally honest look at what both programs need to prove heading into the fall.

Rate, review, subscribe, and as always—share the show with just one person who'd enjoy spelunking into the Cave.

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Matt’s back after the holiday weekend with a three-segment breakdown across soccer and hockey, starting with Real Salt Lake’s chaotic 3-2 win over St. Louis City FC. Two own goals, clueless defending, and somehow a win? Yeah, it’s that kind of year in Sandy.

Then it’s all eyes on the USMNT as Matt breaks down their undefeated Gold Cup run and explains why this “C team” is actually putting pressure on the World Cup roster. Three new locks, a goalie controversy, and a whole lot of grit.

Finally, the Utah Mammoth’s first real free agency period gets the Matt Cave treatment. No stars? No problem. Matt breaks down why leadership, playoff rings, and a patient strategy might be exactly what Utah needs to hit the postseason for the first time.

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This week, Matt dives into the 2025 NBA and NHL Drafts, and for once, he’s giving himself a little credit. The Utah Jazz surprised fans by drafting Ace Bailey at #5, trading up for Walter Clayton Jr., and grabbing John Tonje in Round 2. He breaks down each pick, roasts ESPN’s anti-small-market narratives, and celebrates a rare aggressive move by Utah’s front office.

Then it’s over to the ice, where Utah Mammoth GM Bill Armstrong pulls off a blockbuster trade for JJ Peterka and follows it up with two big draft-day hits in Caleb Desnoyers (Matt called it) and Max Psenicka. Matt hands out grades, praise, and a little friendly sarcasm along the way. (While still mispronouncing hockey players names...)

Finally, Real Salt Lake didn’t lose to Sporting KC, without Diego Luna! Is the team finally stabilizing? Or are we just in the calm before the (transfer window) storm?

Plus: A few Fourth of July jokes, Matt’s Canadian birthday, and a reminder to always read local over national when it comes to sports media.

👉 RATE, REVIEW & SUBSCRIBE — and keep spelunking!

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This week on The Matt Cave Podcast, host Matt Smith dives into the high-stakes world of draft strategy as the Utah Jazz and Utah Mammoth prepare for back-to-back draft nights. With both teams holding top-5 picks, the pressure is on—so Matt’s breaking down what he thinks they’ll do versus what they should do.

🏀 For the Jazz, Matt predicts a predictable pick (hello, Trey Johnson) and calls out the team’s addiction to “upside” and inaction in trade talks.
 🏒 For the Mammoth, he sees potential for a bold, franchise-defining move—maybe even a trade for a top-six forward.
 📺 And yes, ESPN gets absolutely roasted for its lazy coverage of Utah’s sports scene.

Plus, Matt opens up about losing his day job and how that might impact game reviews going forward.

Subscribe, rate, and leave a review (especially on Spotify), and don’t forget to follow The Matt Cave on Facebook and Instagram.

📬 Email: [email protected]

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