Tag: Laura Rutledge

SEC Network’s Laura Rutledge reflects on Texas first season in SEC

SEC Network analyst says Texas is right at home in the SEC.

The Texas Longhorns wasted no time establishing themselves as a force in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), advancing to the College Football Playoff (CFP) semifinals as the lone SEC representative. Despite falling short to Georgia, Texas defeated every SEC opponent in regular season play, including arch-rival Texas A&M.

The Longhorns capped their first season in the conference by advancing to the SEC Championship—something Texas A&M has yet to achieve in its 12 years in the league.

Legendary former Alabama head coach Nick Saban, speaking at SEC Media Days in Dallas, had praise for Texas but also a word of caution: “Texas ain’t gonna run the SEC.”

The Longhorns’ success didn’t come as a surprise to SEC Network host Laura Rutledge, who commended head coach Steve Sarkisian’s strategic approach to building a team suited for SEC play.

“I thought they were built for this,” Rutledge said. “I thought Steve Sarkisian really looked what they needed to be line of scrimmage-wise and said, That’s what we’re going to do, that’s what we’re going to build.’

They really were a team that I thought fit right into the SEC, which is a big deal, and they gave so many teams in the league tough tests. The other side of it, too, is fans got to experience what Austin is. People who weren’t familiar with Texas got to experience that and it was absolutely fantastic. I can’t wait to see what they do next season.

This marks the first time since 2004 and 2005 that consecutive seasons will end without an SEC team competing for the national championship—a stark departure from the conference’s dominance in college football over the past two decades.

The SEC’s presence will still be felt at Monday’s national championship with officiating crews and likely conference commissioner Greg Sankey in attendance. For Texas, however, their inaugural SEC campaign sets a high bar for what’s to come in their new conference home.

SEC Nation will travel to Jacksonville for Florida-Georgia rivalry game

Florida alumna Laura Rutledge will host the show and will be joined by Gator great Tim Tebow as well as the rest of the crew.

One of the most storied rivalries in all of college football is coming up next weekend when the Florida Gator and Georgia Bulldogs clash inside EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville. The SEC Network’s weekly pregame traveling show, SEC Nation, will be on hand for the festivities in Week 10.

SEC Nation regularly follows the site of each week’s SEC on ABC showdowns during the fall.

Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET but the SEC Nation broadcast begins at 9 a.m. ET. Fans are encouraged to arrive early at Lot P outside the stadium if they wish to secure a spot at the front; early birds have a chance to meet the talent, be on TV and win giveaways.

Florida alumna [autotag]Laura Rutledge[/autotag] will host the show in her eighth season as the point woman — also marking her ninth on the show overall — joined by Gator great [autotag]Tim Tebow[/autotag] as well as Paul Finebaum, Jordan Rodgers and Roman Harper.

Also of note to the Gator Nation is that the SEC Nation’s new theme song, commemorating the program’s tenth season on air and a new era for the conference as a whole, was written and recorded by UF alumna Brooke Eden.

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SEC Nation crew picks Florida to upset No. 19 Miami

SEC Nation was in Gainesville this weekend, and the crew didn’t shy away from picking Florida to pull off the upset against Miami.

Just before Week 1 of the college football season kicked off, the [autotag]SEC Nation[/autotag] crew submitted their picks for every matchup featuring a team from the Southeastern Conference.

Live from Gainesville, the big focus was on the rivalry matchup between Florida and Miami. Gators legend [autotag]Jevon Kearse[/autotag] (holding a Gator) joined [autotag]Tim Tebow[/autotag], [autotag]Laura Rutledge[/autotag], Paul Finebaum, Roman Harper and Jordan Rodgers to make the pick. All but one of the analysts went with the Orange and Blue to pull off the upset.

“I’m going with those Florida Gators,” Kearse said. “Both head coaches are on the hot seat right now, and they’ve got to come out firing on all cylinders. Game One, there’s a lot of energy here today. I’m feeling the Gators.”

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Rodgers donned an oversized Gators hat while making his pick. He noted that the team is more explosive than it was a year ago, thanks to transfer portal additions, and shouted out Eugene “Tre” Wilson III as a dangerous weapon for the offense.

Finebaum isn’t known for giving much love to the Gators, especially over the past few years, but it’s a new season.

“I haven’t picked Florida to win a big game in a long time,” Finebaum said. “But that changes today!”

Roman Harper agreed that “everything is setting up just perfect for Florida,” but he decided to go with the “better team” and picked Miami. Everyone loves a contrarian…

When 93,000 people show up, a lot of people get intimated,” Tebow said. “I think that 93 make Miami blink just a little bit, make them hesitate just a little bit. I think Gator Nation shows up, and they know how to play rivalry games. So, of course, I’m going with Gator Nation because Gator Nation is the only one that gets out alive.”

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Tebow, Spurrier and Wuerffel take over SEC Nation

Florida football royalty took over the Week 1 edition of SEC Nation and discussed what needs to change for the Gators to return to greatness.

Florida football royalty appeared on SEC Nation Saturday morning in Gainesville ahead of the season opener against Miami.

The two “greatest quarterbacks in the history of Gator football” appeared alongside the man who brought the winning culture to The Swamp — the Head Ball Coach, [autotag]Steve Spurrier[/autotag] — in a segment hosted by UF Journalism School alumna [autotag]Laura Rutledge[/autotag].

Spurrier deflected much of the praise that came from [autotag]Tim Tebow[/autotag] and [autotag]Danny Wuerffel[/autotag], but he offered some commentary on the mentality shift he’d like to see from the Gators after three-straight losing seasons.

“That’s what we need to get back to right there,” Spurrier said after being reminded of a time when Florida consistently competed for the SEC crown.

“Our expectations have got to be up there and go after them. Somebody asked me one time, ‘How did you guys win so many SECs?’ Danny and his guys won four in a row, ’93 through ’96.

“Somebody once said, that what you accomplish in life is proportionate to what you attempt to do. And we tried to win it every year. Y’all did too,” Spurrier said pointing to Tebow. “You can’t win it every year. It just doesn’t work out. But if you try to every year, sometimes you might just do it.”

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Wuerffel added to Spurrier’s comments, noting that it takes more than desire to accomplish what his teams did.

“When you have great players, you also have people who care about one another,” Wuerffel said remembering a Tebow comment from earlier.

“There’s some magic that happens when it’s not just about you. You kind of sprinkle that in with some swagger, with maybe the greatest offensive head coach ever (Spurrier) and you make a run.

“I think we were a little ahead of our time. We were cutting edge. Several of those pieces are together now, but this team needs to find their swagger, find what they can do to put a run together.”

Spurrier closed the segment out by remembering a quote from tennis great Arthur Ashe.

“Preparation will build confidence, and confidence leads to success.”

Wuerffel and Tebow concluded that the culture is changing in Gainesville under Billy Napier.

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SEC Nation is coming to Oxford for Texas A&M vs. Ole Miss

SEC Nation is coming to Oxford (MS) for Texas A&M’s pivotal road test vs. Ole Miss on Saturday, Nov. 5th.

Texas A&M’s (5-3, 3-2 SEC) Week 10 road test vs. the 11th-ranked Ole Miss Rebels (7-1, 4-1 SEC) is by far the Aggies’ most critical game remaining on the schedule, outside of the season finale road trip vs. LSU, of course.

While revenge is a dish best served cold, Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin is less strategic when it comes to facing Jimbo Fisher, who, after hiring former Ole Miss defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin to the same position two seasons ago may still harbor some anger, but after the display he put on after defeating the Aggies in Kyle Field last season, this Aggies squad, specifically the defense, is out for some revenge of their own.

Returning to the win column after downing the visiting South Carolina Gamecocks, Texas A&M is just one win away from bowl eligibility. Still, the main goal is to win the next 3 out of four or win out.

Due to the importance of the matchup, SEC Nation, including host Laura Rutledge, along with analysts Tim Tebow, Paul Finebaum, Roman Harper, and Jordan Rodgers, will return to The Grove in Oxford (MS). At the same time, the show is set to begin at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 4, as the Marty & McGee show will air a couple of hours beforehand before the 11:00 a.m. kickoff.

Ole Miss, of course, defeated Texas A&M 35-28 last season, spoiling then-freshman quarterback Conner Weigman’s four-touchdown performance, while Rebels star running back Quinshon Judkins ran for 205 yards in a memorable back-and-forth contest. With the new SEC format in 2024, this will be the final meeting between both programs until at least 2025.

Texas A&M will now travel to Oxford (MS) to face the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday, Nov. 5, where the game will again air on ESPN at 11:00 a.m. CT.

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ESPN’s Laura Rutledge believes Texas A&M’s matchup vs. Tennessee will determine the season

The ESPN and SEC Network analyst believes Saturday’s matchup against the Vols will determine how the Aggies close out their season.

One prominent ESPN and SEC analyst isn’t ready to give up hope on Texas A&M’s season. If anything, they believe the Maroon and White can still make some noise.

While appearing on the Up to the SECond College Football Show, Laura Rutledge of ESPN and SEC Network added her perspective on A&M’s 2023 season. While acknowledging last week’s tough loss, Rutledge aptly noted that the outcome this weekend could very much serve as a barometer for the remainder of the season:

“This is sort of the game now, with that’s happened for both these teams, but maybe even more for A&M, where you sort of figure out what the rest of the season is going to be.”

Part of Rutledge’s belief in the Aggies finishing strong is that the SEC West continues to be a wide-open race, even after A&M fell to No. 11 Alabama:

“I still think that the SEC West is going to potentially end up being, this cannibalistic situation, and you never know what can happen. A&M’s chances to certainly make the postseason, and potentially go to the playoff, those may be diminished. I do think that they can still contend and they can still finish the season strong.”

A College Football Playoff appearance may be wishful thinking, but it’s not to say the Aggies can’t close out the season strong and make it a success. A&M is tied for third in the SEC West, with important matchups against Ole Miss and No. 22 LSU still on the horizon.

The talent of the Aggies has been on display all season, and they’ve managed to stay within the race for the division despite playing, essentially, with a backup quarterback. Despite some mismanagement in the playcalling and a less-than-ideal showing from their secondary, A&M managed to fall to the Crimson Tide by just six points.

Aggies fans expect excellence, as they should, but it doesn’t mean last week’s defeat was season-ending. As Rutledge illustrated, there is plenty of football left to be played, but it’s up to A&M if they want to close out on a strong note or the alternative.

Texas A&M will kick off against No. 19 Tennessee from inside Neyland Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 14, at 2:30 p.m. CT, and the game will air on CBS.

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Bell has all the respect for KJ and Rocket; so does Rutledge

KJ Jefferson and Rocket Sanders command the respect of Western Carolina coach Kerwin Bell. And Laura Rutledge had some nice things to say about them as well.

Western Carolina coach Kerwin Bell knows what’s in store for his Catamounts on Saturday afternoon in Little Rock.

A heavy dose of quarterback KJ Jefferson and running back Raheim ‘Rocket’ Sanders, to be exact.

“Can we get him (KJ) on the ground when he makes those runs? Can we cage him in the pocket and make sure we make him a pocket passer?” Bell said. “And don’t give him those explosive runs out of the pocket. And then also the same thing with Rocket, can we get him on the ground? They’re going to get their yards, but let’s don’t give them the easy 60-yard runs that are easy touchdowns.

“Let’s make them earn it. And if we can do that and tackle well like I said earlier, I’ll be very pleased, and I think we’ll be in the game.”

SEC Network and NFL Live host Laura Rutledge, who is a Florida alum just like Bell is a former Gator quarterback, was also highly complimentary of the Jefferson-Sanders combination during her Monday speaking engagement at the Little Rock Touchdown Club.

Rutledge, who had been off the air for the last three plus months on maternity leave, returned to her NFL Live hosting duties on Tuesday.

ESPN announces commentators for Broncos’ game vs. Jaguars in London

The Broncos’ game against the Jaguars will stream exclusively on ESPN+ in Week 8.

ESPN announced earlier this week that Steve Levy (play-by-play), Louis Riddick (analyst), Dan Orlovsky (analyst) and Laura Rutledge (sideline reporter) will call the game between the Denver Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars in London this season.

The game will be exclusively streamed on ESPN+ on Sunday, Oct. 30 in Week 8. The Broncos-Jags showdown is scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m. MT to accommodate a European audience at Wembley Stadium.

It will mark the first time an NFL game has ever been broadcast exclusively on ESPN+, but Levy will be a familiar commentator for fans in Denver. Levy previously called Broncos preseason games with Brian Griese, who left ESPN in March to become the Miami Dolphins’ new quarterbacks coach.

In addition to Denver-Jacksonsille game, Levy, Riddick, Orlovsky and Rutledge will also serve as commentators when ESPN has Monday Night Football doubleheaders in Weeks 2 and 18 this season.

The Broncos will open the season on MNF against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1. Troy Aikman and Joe Buck will call that game for ESPN.

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Commentary team announced for Jags’ international matchup vs. Broncos

Steve Levy (play-by-play), Louis Riddick and Dan Orlovsky (analysts), and Laura Rutledge (reporter) have been assigned to the Jags’ Week 8 game in London on ESPN+.

The date and details for the Jacksonville Jaguars’ international game against the Denver Broncos was announced in early May as the teams will battle on Sunday, Oct. 31, which takes place during Week 8’s series of games. We also learned that the game would be televised on ESPN+, the first-ever NFL game aired on the streaming network.

Now, the details for the commentary team have come out, and ESPN will have Steve Levy (play-by-play), Louis Riddick and Dan Orlovsky (analysts), and Laura Rutledge (reporter) assigned to the international battle.

Of course, ESPN’s primary primetime team (a.k.a. the Monday Night Football crew) will consist of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, who previously worked together calling games for FOX. They will join Lisa Salters, who will continue to handle sideline reporting duties, in the process.

Riddick and Levy aren’t foreign to calling games in the booth for ESPN, as both called their Monday Night Football games the past two seasons. Orlovsky also has experience in the booth, calling college football games for ESPN since 2018. Rutledge has reported during NFL games in the past on occasions and worked her first NFL game in 2018.

As for the Jags, they have a 4-4 record in their games in the United Kingdom. They will enter their Week 8 game against Denver with a record of .500 (7-7) when looking at their all-time series.