<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/798677/open_sms">Send us a text</a>This week’s episode of The Matt Cave Podcast is packed with storylines across Utah sports.The show opens with a full transfer portal breakdown across Utah State, Utah, and BYU — including why Kalani Sitake’s ability to retain elite talent has been one of the most impressive developments of the offseason. While there are still fair questions about BYU’s defensive coordinator hire, the overall roster retention and portal additions put the Cougars in an outstanding position heading into next season.From there, the focus shifts to the Holy War on the hardwood, where BYU earns a hard-fought 89–84 win at the Huntsman Center in a rivalry game that lived up to its chaotic reputation. The episode breaks down what BYU did well, what still needs tightening, and why Utah — despite its Big 12 struggles — showed signs of real potential.The spotlight then moves north to Logan, where Utah State basketball continues to be overlooked nationally. At 14–1, blowing out conference opponents and sharing offensive production, the Aggies look every bit like a Top-25 team and a serious Mountain West title contender.There’s also a candid look at the Utah Jazz, whose struggles without Lauri Markkanen have turned patience into frustration, followed by an encouraging update on the Utah Mammoth, who have won four of their last five games and are entering a crucial homestand with playoff positioning firmly in sight.From transfer portal chaos to rivalry intensity to pro teams moving in opposite directions, it’s a full Sunday spelunk into the state of Utah sports.<a rel="payment" href="https://paypal.me/themattcavepod?locale.x=en_US">Support the show</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/798677/open_sms"&gt;Send us a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This week’s episode of &lt;em&gt;The Matt Cave Podcast&lt;/em&gt; is packed with storylines across Utah sports.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The show opens with a full &lt;b&gt;transfer portal breakdown&lt;/b&gt; across Utah State, Utah, and BYU — including why Kalani Sitake’s ability to retain elite talent has been one of the most impressive developments of the offseason. While there are still fair questions about BYU’s defensive coordinator hire, the overall roster retention and portal additions put the Cougars in an outstanding position heading into next season.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;From there, the focus shifts to the &lt;b&gt;Holy War on the hardwood&lt;/b&gt;, where BYU earns a hard-fought 89–84 win at the Huntsman Center in a rivalry game that lived up to its chaotic reputation. The episode breaks down what BYU did well, what still needs tightening, and why Utah — despite its Big 12 struggles — showed signs of real potential.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The spotlight then moves north to Logan, where &lt;b&gt;Utah State basketball&lt;/b&gt; continues to be overlooked nationally. At 14–1, blowing out conference opponents and sharing offensive production, the Aggies look every bit like a Top-25 team and a serious Mountain West title contender.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;There’s also a candid look at the &lt;b&gt;Utah Jazz&lt;/b&gt;, whose struggles without Lauri Markkanen have turned patience into frustration, followed by an encouraging update on the &lt;b&gt;Utah Mammoth&lt;/b&gt;, who have won four of their last five games and are entering a crucial homestand with playoff positioning firmly in sight.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;From transfer portal chaos to rivalry intensity to pro teams moving in opposite directions, it’s a full Sunday spelunk into the state of Utah sports.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="https://paypal.me/themattcavepod?locale.x=en_US"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send us a text This week’s episode of The Matt Cave Podcast is packed with storylines across Utah sports. The show opens with a full transfer portal breakdown across Utah State, Utah, and BYU — including why Kalani Sitake’s ability to retain elite talent has been one of the most impressive developments of the offseason. While there are still fair questions about BYU’s defensive coordinator hire, the overall roster retention and portal additions put the Cougars in an outstanding position headi...

BYU’s Portal Masterclass, Holy War Hoops Chaos, Utah State’s Rise & Mammoth Momentum

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/798677/open_sms">Send us a text</a>The first episode of 2026 is a full-state check-in on Utah sports — and it starts with BYU finally having real options.Matt breaks down the Cougars’ defensive coordinator search and explains why this hire is different from past cycles, with deep dives on Shaun Nua, Vic So’oto, Gary Andersen, Justin Ena, and why an in-house move would be settling. From there, the focus shifts north to a University of Utah program in flux, examining the coaching exodus to Michigan, the loss of elite offensive line development, roster departures, and the pressure now facing Morgan Scalley.The episode also tackles the Utah Mammoth’s maddening inconsistency, questioning roster construction, special teams accountability, and whether lingering Coyotes-era holdovers are preventing real progress — while giving a well-earned Olympic shoutout to Clayton Keller. The Utah Jazz’s directionless rebuild comes under fire next, followed by Real Salt Lake’s Ojeda sale, what it means financially, and why the January transfer window complicates attacking upgrades.Finally, Matt closes with BYU basketball and the AJ Dybantsa show, breaking down elite production, turnover concerns, short rotation warning signs, and why this Cougar trio might be the best in the country.This episode sets the tone for 2026: less patience, more accountability, and real expectations across Utah sports.<a rel="payment" href="https://paypal.me/themattcavepod?locale.x=en_US">Support the show</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/798677/open_sms"&gt;Send us a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The first episode of 2026 is a full-state check-in on Utah sports — and it starts with &lt;b&gt;BYU finally having real options&lt;/b&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Matt breaks down the Cougars’ defensive coordinator search and explains why this hire is different from past cycles, with deep dives on Shaun Nua, Vic So’oto, Gary Andersen, Justin Ena, and why an in-house move would be settling. From there, the focus shifts north to a &lt;b&gt;University of Utah program in flux&lt;/b&gt;, examining the coaching exodus to Michigan, the loss of elite offensive line development, roster departures, and the pressure now facing Morgan Scalley.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The episode also tackles the &lt;b&gt;Utah Mammoth’s maddening inconsistency&lt;/b&gt;, questioning roster construction, special teams accountability, and whether lingering Coyotes-era holdovers are preventing real progress — while giving a well-earned Olympic shoutout to Clayton Keller. The &lt;b&gt;Utah Jazz’s directionless rebuild&lt;/b&gt; comes under fire next, followed by &lt;b&gt;Real Salt Lake’s Ojeda sale&lt;/b&gt;, what it means financially, and why the January transfer window complicates attacking upgrades.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Finally, Matt closes with BYU basketball and the &lt;b&gt;AJ Dybantsa show&lt;/b&gt;, breaking down elite production, turnover concerns, short rotation warning signs, and why this Cougar trio might be the best in the country.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This episode sets the tone for 2026: less patience, more accountability, and real expectations across Utah sports.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="https://paypal.me/themattcavepod?locale.x=en_US"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send us a text The first episode of 2026 is a full-state check-in on Utah sports — and it starts with BYU finally having real options. Matt breaks down the Cougars’ defensive coordinator search and explains why this hire is different from past cycles, with deep dives on Shaun Nua, Vic So’oto, Gary Andersen, Justin Ena, and why an in-house move would be settling. From there, the focus shifts north to a University of Utah program in flux, examining the coaching exodus to Michigan, the loss of e...

BYU’s DC Options, Utah’s Coaching Exodus, Mammoth Inconsistency & AJ Dybantsa’s Rise | Utah Sports to Start 2026

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/798677/open_sms">Send us a text</a>It’s the final Matt Cave Sunday of the year, so buckle up — because we’re hitting every major Utah team before we head into 2026.Matt starts things off with bowl season, where Utah State gets a legit coin-flip matchup with Washington State, BYU gets a winnable showdown with Georgia Tech, and Utah walks into Kyle Whittingham’s last-ever game as a 16.5-point favorite in the Las Vegas. Then we jump to college hoops:<ul><li>Utah State looks like the class of the Mountain West.</li><li>Utah gears up for Big 12 play with Arizona waiting.</li><li>And BYU heads into conference play behind the 7–9 million dollar man AJ Dybantsa, who just dropped 35.</li></ul>From there, we go pro: Real Salt Lake is quiet as usual, the Utah Jazz don’t play defense (seriously, not once under 100 allowed all season), and the Utah Mammoth sit just outside the wild card with a positive goal differential… but a real offensive problem.And to close out 2025: a thank-you message straight from Matt to you. This year was the hardest Matt has had since starting The Matt Cave — and also the most successful. You showed up, you shared the show, you supported it, and you helped it grow into something that opened doors Matt never thought he’d walk through.Thank you, Spelunkers. Enjoy the final episode of the year, and Matt’ll see you in 2026.<a rel="payment" href="https://paypal.me/themattcavepod?locale.x=en_US">Support the show</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/798677/open_sms"&gt;Send us a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;It’s the &lt;em&gt;final&lt;/em&gt; Matt Cave Sunday of the year, so buckle up — because we’re hitting &lt;b&gt;every major Utah team&lt;/b&gt; before we head into 2026.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Matt starts things off with bowl season, where Utah State gets a legit coin-flip matchup with Washington State, BYU gets a winnable showdown with Georgia Tech, and Utah walks into Kyle Whittingham’s &lt;b&gt;last-ever game&lt;/b&gt; as a 16.5-point favorite in the Las Vegas. Then we jump to college hoops:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Utah State looks like the &lt;em&gt;class of the Mountain West&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Utah gears up for Big 12 play with Arizona waiting.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;And BYU heads into conference play behind the 7–9 million dollar man AJ Dybantsa, who just dropped 35.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;From there, we go pro: Real Salt Lake is quiet as usual, the Utah Jazz don’t play defense (seriously, not once under 100 allowed all season), and the Utah Mammoth sit just outside the wild card with a positive goal differential… but a real offensive problem.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And to close out 2025: a thank-you message straight from Matt to you.&lt;br/&gt;This year was the hardest Matt has had since starting The Matt Cave — and also the most successful. You showed up, you shared the show, you supported it, and you helped it grow into something that opened doors Matt never thought he’d walk through.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Thank you, Spelunkers.&lt;br/&gt;Enjoy the final episode of the year, and Matt’ll see you in 2026.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="https://paypal.me/themattcavepod?locale.x=en_US"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send us a text It’s the final Matt Cave Sunday of the year, so buckle up — because we’re hitting every major Utah team before we head into 2026. Matt starts things off with bowl season, where Utah State gets a legit coin-flip matchup with Washington State, BYU gets a winnable showdown with Georgia Tech, and Utah walks into Kyle Whittingham’s last-ever game as a 16.5-point favorite in the Las Vegas. Then we jump to college hoops: Utah State looks like the class of the Mountain West.Utah gears ...

Utah Football’s Bowl Finale, BYU & Aggies Predictions, Jazz Defensive Collapse, Mammoth Playoff Fight & A Thank You Message

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/798677/open_sms">Send us a text</a>This week’s episode of The Matt Cave Podcast opens with a deep dive into the University of Utah’s oddly worded announcement that Kyle Whittingham is “stepping down” — not retiring — and why the timing of that decision raises real questions. With a $500 million private equity partnership suddenly entering the picture, Matt breaks down why the language matters, why the silence around it is strange, and why the story may not be as simple as it seems.From there, the show turns to bowl season — and whether it has meant anything for years now. Utah, BYU, and Utah State all earn postseason games, but opt-outs, transfers, and shifting incentives continue to erode what bowl games used to represent. Matt still walks through the matchups, expectations, and transfer portal implications, even while questioning why fans should care at all.The episode wraps with a full reaction to The Game Awards, which finally felt like an actual awards show again. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 dominates the night for good reason, while the absence of Call of Duty, Destiny 2, and World of Warcraft sends a clear message about the current state of AAA and live-service gaming.Utah sports, college football, gaming culture, and context — all in one Sunday episode.<a rel="payment" href="https://paypal.me/themattcavepod?locale.x=en_US">Support the show</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/798677/open_sms"&gt;Send us a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This week’s episode of &lt;b&gt;The Matt Cave Podcast&lt;/b&gt; opens with a deep dive into the University of Utah’s oddly worded announcement that Kyle Whittingham is “stepping down” — not retiring — and why the timing of that decision raises real questions. With a $500 million private equity partnership suddenly entering the picture, Matt breaks down why the language matters, why the silence around it is strange, and why the story may not be as simple as it seems.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;From there, the show turns to bowl season — and whether it has meant anything for years now. Utah, BYU, and Utah State all earn postseason games, but opt-outs, transfers, and shifting incentives continue to erode what bowl games used to represent. Matt still walks through the matchups, expectations, and transfer portal implications, even while questioning why fans should care at all.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The episode wraps with a full reaction to &lt;b&gt;The Game Awards&lt;/b&gt;, which finally felt like an actual awards show again. &lt;em&gt;Clair Obscur: Expedition 33&lt;/em&gt; dominates the night for good reason, while the absence of Call of Duty, Destiny 2, and World of Warcraft sends a clear message about the current state of AAA and live-service gaming.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Utah sports, college football, gaming culture, and context — all in one Sunday episode.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="https://paypal.me/themattcavepod?locale.x=en_US"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send us a text This week’s episode of The Matt Cave Podcast opens with a deep dive into the University of Utah’s oddly worded announcement that Kyle Whittingham is “stepping down” — not retiring — and why the timing of that decision raises real questions. With a $500 million private equity partnership suddenly entering the picture, Matt breaks down why the language matters, why the silence around it is strange, and why the story may not be as simple as it seems. From there, the show turns to ...

“Stepping Down” Isn’t Retiring, Bowl Season Apathy, and a Rare Win for the VGAs

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/798677/open_sms">Send us a text</a>This week on The Matt Cave, Matt&apos;s doing a full post-mortem on Championship Weekend…and folks, woof barely covers it. BYU walked into a Texas Tech buzzsaw with a one-legged freshman quarterback and left with a reminder of what a real championship roster looks like. Kalani isn’t going anywhere (and never was), and the Cougars now have their blueprint for the future, whether they like it or not.Then we move into college basketball, where the Utes are confusing, Utah State is quietly becoming a wagon, and BYU Hoops looks like the most legitimate program in the state. AJ Dybantsa is the real deal, Robert Wright is settling in, and this team could realistically hit the Elite Eight if depth doesn’t betray them.The Jazz? Yeah…they stink. That’s the segment. (Fine, Matt talks more — but that’s the headline.)We also dig into the Utah Mammoth, who somehow look like world-beaters one night and a rec-league drop-in squad the next. The power play is statistically the worst in hockey, and nothing seems close to changing. Vanecek even played a great game and still got hung out to dry. This team is testing the limits of Matt&apos;s sanity.And finally — a long-awaited return of Matt’s Game Review Corner, featuring Dispatch. Think Telltale Games meets superhero management meets dating sim meets “hey this is actually really good.” It’s mature, it’s well-acted, it’s choice-driven, and it’s absolutely worth your time (if you’re an adult, or a parent willing to check the content first before handing it to your kid).It’s a loaded week. Thanks for the best engagement week we’ve ever had! Let’s keep the momentum going! See you next time when we spelunk back into The Matt Cave.<a rel="payment" href="https://paypal.me/themattcavepod?locale.x=en_US">Support the show</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/798677/open_sms"&gt;Send us a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This week on The Matt Cave, Matt&amp;apos;s doing a full post-mortem on Championship Weekend…and folks, &lt;em&gt;woof&lt;/em&gt; barely covers it. BYU walked into a Texas Tech buzzsaw with a one-legged freshman quarterback and left with a reminder of what a real championship roster looks like. Kalani isn’t going anywhere (and never was), and the Cougars now have their blueprint for the future, whether they like it or not.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Then we move into college basketball, where the Utes are confusing, Utah State is quietly becoming a wagon, and BYU Hoops looks like the most legitimate program in the state. AJ Dybantsa is the real deal, Robert Wright is settling in, and this team could realistically hit the Elite Eight if depth doesn’t betray them.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Jazz? Yeah…they stink. That’s the segment. (Fine, Matt talks more — but that’s the headline.)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We also dig into the Utah Mammoth, who somehow look like world-beaters one night and a rec-league drop-in squad the next. The power play is statistically the worst in hockey, and nothing seems close to changing. Vanecek even played a great game and still got hung out to dry. This team is testing the limits of Matt&amp;apos;s sanity.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And finally — a long-awaited return of &lt;b&gt;Matt’s Game Review Corner&lt;/b&gt;, featuring &lt;em&gt;Dispatch&lt;/em&gt;. Think Telltale Games meets superhero management meets dating sim meets “hey this is actually really good.” It’s mature, it’s well-acted, it’s choice-driven, and it’s absolutely worth your time (if you’re an adult, or a parent willing to check the content first before handing it to your kid).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;It’s a loaded week. Thanks for the best engagement week we’ve ever had! Let’s keep the momentum going!&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;See you next time when we spelunk back into The Matt Cave.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="https://paypal.me/themattcavepod?locale.x=en_US"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send us a text This week on The Matt Cave, Matt's doing a full post-mortem on Championship Weekend…and folks, woof barely covers it. BYU walked into a Texas Tech buzzsaw with a one-legged freshman quarterback and left with a reminder of what a real championship roster looks like. Kalani isn’t going anywhere (and never was), and the Cougars now have their blueprint for the future, whether they like it or not. Then we move into college basketball, where the Utes are confusing, Utah State is qui...

Championship Weekend Chaos, Utah Hoops Heating Up, Mammoth Meltdowns & a Must-Play Game Review

The Voice for all things Utah sports, Matt gives you his unedited and unbridled opinion on the current events around the state. Sprinkled in are video game reviews and talk about important national sports stories. Listen now and become a spelunker today!

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