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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...

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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...

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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-da...

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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...

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Real Salt Lake finally ends their brutal winless streak — and they did it without Diego Luna. 

With the Gold Cup underway, Matt breaks down the USMNT’s roster, their chances (spoiler: not great), and why Luna’s value keeps rising.

On the gaming front, Xbox’s showcase delivered big with Clockwork Revolution, Beast of Reincarnation (yes, from Game Freak!), and news of a Halo Combat Evolved remaster. Plus: Is the Xbox Ally handheld the console killer we didn’t know we needed?

Matt wraps with early impressions of Dune: Aw...

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It was a quiet week in Utah sports—but not without drama. In this episode of The Matt Cave:

🇺🇸 Diego Luna earns the start for the USMNT against Turkey and makes a strong case for next summer’s World Cup roster.

🏀 BYU extends Kevin Young after one season. Is it a savvy move or a leap of faith in the new NIL era?

💰 The NCAA’s pay-for-play shift is official—what it means for schools like BYU, Utah, and Utah State going forward.

🎮 And Summer Game Fest 2025… well, i...

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 Real Salt Lake keeps finding new ways to disappoint, gifting the LA Galaxy their first win of the season in spectacular fashion. Meanwhile, the Utah Mammoth lock in two towering Russian prospects to bolster the blue line. And in gaming, Matt breaks down why Elden Ring: Night Reign flopped and how AAA studios are cashing in on your loyalty — again. 

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In this Memorial Day weekend edition of The Matt Cave, Matt breaks down Real Salt Lake’s gut-wrenching 2-3 collapse against Vancouver and raises serious questions about the club's leadership, captaincy choices, and lackluster roster beyond Diego Luna. 

He then celebrates Team USA’s exhilarating overtime win over Switzerland at the IIHF World Championship, led by Utah Mammoth stars Logan Cooley, Clayton Keller, Josh Doan, and Michael Kesselring.

Shifting gears, Matt previews the Mammoth’s exciting offseason—armed with the #4 pick, cap space, and a hunger for star power (hello, Mi...

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In this week’s spelunk into The Matt Cave, the optimism surrounding Real Salt Lake has evaporated. Matt breaks down a rough two-game stretch, the scoring crisis plaguing the team, and the looming shadow of a rebuild that may be inevitable—yes, even involving Diego Luna.

Then it's off to the IIHF World Championship, where Utah Mammoth players are repping the USA, Canada, and Czechia with pride (and some serious stats). What does it mean for the club and the future?

Plus: a loaded dive into the world of vide...

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No intro music. No jokes. Just fire.

Matt breaks down the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery disaster—where the Jazz fell to 5th despite having the best odds—while Dallas, San Antonio, and Philly magically rose to the top. 

He exposes the patterns, the hypocrisy, and the league’s blatant disrespect for small-market teams. 

If you still believe the NBA Lottery is fair after this episode, you’re not paying attention. 

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This week in The Matt Cave:

🏀 The NBA Draft Lottery is almost here—and Matt breaks down the Jazz’s odds, the top prospects, and why the entire lottery system might be due for a major shakeup.

⚽ Real Salt Lake just can't stop getting red cards. Matt vents his frustration as RSL once again plays with 10 men and drops points they should’ve earned.

⚖️ In gaming news: Bungie is being sued for allegedly stealing Destiny 2’s Red War storyline… from a WordPress blog. The legal circus has Matt laughing and s...

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🚨 BREAKING BONUS EPISODE! 🚨
The Utah Hockey Club has officially revealed its permanent name: The Utah Mammoth. In this quick-hit emergency spelunk, Matt breaks down the name reveal, digs into the branding rollout, unpacks the community-driven process (for better or worse), and gives you his honest thoughts on the new identity.

From “Tusks Up” to Mammoth Sands font, from YouTube leaks to puff pieces, and from potential lawsuits to paleontology, it’s all here. Plus: why Blizz would’ve been a branding disaster, and how Utah avoided going full Boaty McBoatface.

💥 First r...

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Spring might be rough on Matt’s sinuses, but the Utah sports scene keeps him going!

This week, he breaks down the Utah Hockey Club’s big presence at the 2025 IIHF World Championship — with Clayton Keller rocking the “C” for Team USA and multiple players repping internationally.

Then, it’s portal madness for BYU: from the Bachmeier brothers joining the football squad to a men’s basketball roster rebuild that looks... terrifying in the best way.

Finally, Matt takes Microsoft to task for jacking up Xbox prices and $80 games...

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From Utah’s draft flop to Real Salt Lake’s surprising spending spree — plus Oblivion breaking (and stealing) hearts again 

The 2025 NFL Draft is officially in the books, and Matt dives deep into how players from Utah colleges fared, where they landed, and what it means for their future.

Real Salt Lake's surprising moves at the MLS transfer deadline, including the signings of William Agada and Johnny Russell, and what it signals about new ownership's ambitions. Could Matt be wrong already? 

Plus, a breakdown of the Elder Scrolls...

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This week on The Matt Cave:

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The seasons are winding down, but the drama is just heating up. 

This week in The Matt Cave, Matt breaks down the Utah Jazz's 60-loss season and their odds of landing Cooper Flagg. 

He dives into the Utah Hockey Club’s narrow playoff miss and why they’re still one of the most exciting teams in the league. 

Real Salt Lake adds more heartbreak with a last-minute loss in Nashville.

But there’s hope down south — BYU is on fire with the best football and basketball...

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In this week’s episode of The Matt Cave Podcast, Matt dives into a wild week across Utah sports and the gaming world. 

Real Salt Lake grabs a win over a shorthanded LA Galaxy, but how long can they hold onto Diego Luna? 

The Utah Jazz are sprinting toward the draft lottery finish line—but will the NBA let them win the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes? 

The Utah Hockey Club might be on life support, but there’s still a flicker of playoff hope—and Matt is ALL in on hocke...

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It’s been a rough week for Utah sports fans. 

In this episode of The Matt Cave, Matt breaks down the Utes' odd appearance in the College Basketball Crown—a new and bizarre postseason tournament. 

BYU crashes out of the NCAA tournament while its players face major decisions.

Meanwhile, the Utah Jazz are leaning into late-season losses, and the Utah Hockey Club is slipping at the worst time. 

Oh—and Real Salt Lake? Ownership drama, no attack, and a whole lot of frustration. 

Buckle in...

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It’s madness in March, and BYU is back in the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since Jimmer-mania! 🏀 The Cougars lit it up and punched their ticket to the second weekend, bringing back memories of 2011 and sparking hopes of another deep tourney run.

Meanwhile, the Utah Hockey Club puts on an absolute show with a performance that has fans buzzing, and RSL gets done dirty with one of the most questionable red cards we’ve seen in a while. ⚽

Matt’s breaking it all down with passion, takes, and just th...

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March Madness is here, and the brackets are wild! 

BYU lands a No. 6 seed—can they make a deep run? 

Utah State gets a favorable matchup, but how far can the Aggies go? 

Matt breaks it all down, including his best (and worst) bracket picks.

Plus, the Utah Jazz are tanking perfectly (even the NBA noticed), and the Utah Hockey Club is in a heated playoff race. 

Oh, and RSL actually won in Houston?! 

All of this and more in this jam-pac...

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Sometimes, losing is the best path forward. Matt breaks down why the Utah Jazz’s recent struggles could actually be a good thing as they position themselves for better lottery odds.

🏀 College Hoops: BYU and Utah are in the thick of March Madness talk—who’s trending up, and who needs a miracle?
⚽ Real Salt Lake: A tough start—what needs to change?
🏒 Utah Hockey Club: The momentum is real, and the fan base is growing fast!

All that and more on The...

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Will the Utah Hockey Club make some moves—or will they ride it out with the young core? 

Meanwhile, the Jazz are winning… which is actually a bad thing. With the NBA Draft looming, are these wins hurting their future?

Plus, Matt got his hands on Monster Hunter Wilds! First impressions—does it live up to the hype, or is it just another hunt?

Join Matt in The Matt Cave Podcast for another deep dive into Utah sports and gaming!

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In this episode of The Matt Cave, Matt dives into the latest Utah sports drama. 

He starts with a detailed breakdown of Real Salt Lake’s dismal season opener—highlighting their possession versus finishing woes. 

Matt then rants about the Utah Jazz, who are winning games they should be losing in order to tank for a better draft pick, and shifts to the Utah Hockey Club, criticizing their defensive lapses despite offensive sparks. 

Finally, he covers college basketball, comparing the recent successes and challenges of both the Univers...

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 This week on The Matt Cave Podcast, Matt dives into All-Star Weekend and who gets it wrong, who gets it right and if Gary Bettman actually got something right!

Then, he shifts gears to Real Salt Lake as they kick off their 2025 MLS season. What are the biggest storylines heading into the season, and what can we expect from RSL this year?

Finally, Matt takes a detour into the world of gaming, breaking down what’s missing from World of Warcraft and what Blizzard needs to do to bring bac...

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In this episode of The Matt Cave Podcast, Matt breaks down the most boring Super Bowl we’ve seen in nearly a decade (seriously, yawn city). 

Then, he untangles the Utah Jazz’s trade moves—who’s gone, who’s still here, and what it means. 

Utah Hockey Club makes history with their first-ever overtime shootout win, while BYU Men’s basketball... well, let’s just say they really need to hit those threes.

Finally, Matt gives a brutally honest review of Sid Meier’s Civilization VII

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Matt picks the Super Bowl winner for the 59th edition! Chiefs? Eagles!? Matt will tell you who and why! 

The Jazz had a busy weekend but what were they doing? Matt tells you why he thinks Danny Ainge is taking the Godfather approach to the rest of the NBA.

The Club missed out on another star caliber player in the trade market. What are they doing? Will they get any better? Will it be a repeat of last season!?

There are two HUGE games coming out in F...

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This week, Matt catches up with the Utah Hockey Club, the Utah Jazz, BYU Men's Basketball, Utah Men's Basketball and reviews the newest installment of the Dynasty Warriors franchise!

The Club missed out on Matt's pie in the sky trade. What was it? Will/are they being active in the trade market?? Matt gives the answers.

The Jazz are losing, but are they losing "correctly"? What does that even mean? Who are the Jazzmen most likely to be moved? Matt has those answers too!

College basketball is...

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Matt finishes his look back at the year that was for the Big 3 college football schools in Utah!

Ending with Brigham Young University, Matt will dive into the overall season performance, where he thought they would finish going into the season and the amount of production lost to the transfer portal.

How did BYU do? Well... in a word, fantastically! Listen now to hear where the Cougars succeeded, where they looked worse than a Jake Retzlaff throw and the changes that are coming in 2025.

Stick around until...

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Matt continues his look back at the year that was for the Big 3 college football schools in Utah!

Moving on with the University of Utah, Matt will dive into the overall season performance, where he thought they would be going into the season and the amount of production lost to the transfer portal.

How did Utah do? Well... we all know... Listen now to hear where the Utes succeeded (Yes, there was some bright spots!), where they fell harder than a Cam Rising sack and the changes that are c...

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It's time to take a look back at the year that was for the Big 3 college football schools in Utah!

Starting with Utah State, Matt will dive into the overall season performance, where he thought they would be going into the season and the amount of production lost to transfer, graduation and the NFL Draft.

How did Utah State do? Well, actually BETTER than the prediction! Listen now to hear where the Aggies exceeded, where they fell flatter than a piece of paper and the changes that are coming...

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Well, Matt was not expecting THAT from the Cougars! He breaks down what he saw and puts a little damper on the end of the season party that occurred in San Antonio.

Matt would like to know what is going on with the Club's home performances. Is it as simple as how the bowl is set? Matt gets into some ideas.

Lastly, the Jazz seem to have figured out the formula that Matt has been preaching all season. What is it? 

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The Club is on a winning streak! Not only that, they are on a 7 game point streak! How is Matt reacting to this??

We get it, Will. You're a really good coach. Matt explains what the Jazz need to do to make the rest of the season a success.

The Jets. Need Matt say more? Probably not, but he's going to anyways! A BOMBSHELL article was published by The Athletic about the disfunction in New York. Matt highlights just a couple of the biggest stories from the wonderful article.<...

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What is there to talk about now that college football is (pretty much) over? Well, PLENTY!

Matt talks about the Utah Hockey Club finding their groove (FOUR WINS in five games!).

How he sees the Jazz utilizing the G-League as a tool.

And his reaction to The Game Awards!

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The coaching search has come to an end for Utah State University and it is a very familiar face. Matt breaks down the history of the new hire and if he thinks it will be a good fit and what Aggie fans should expect over the next six years.

A quick show content update! The end of season reviews will be recorded but not as soon as Matt originally said, SORRY!!!

The Utah Jazz have finally started a season how they are supposed to! Now, the trades could be...

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College football's regular season has come to an end (sans the Army/Navy game, go Navy!) and Matt will give you his immediate reaction to the final games and an overview of the seasons for both Utah and BYU!

What lies ahead for the U and head coach Kyle Whittingham? What about head coach in waiting Morgan Scalley? Will anyone on the offense stay, or will they all hit the portal?

Matt has had enough of the fire Aaron Roderick talk. The BYU OC doesn't need to be fired...

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Another close loss with a lot of hurt feelings. Matt is here to pull you back from the ledge and give you perspective on just how great this season has been for BYU Football!

Unfortunately, Ute fans, Matt doesn't have the same message for you... If the reports are true about the upcoming offseason, the future does not look great.

The Jazz have three more wins than they should. Whose fault is it? And is it a bad thing to have a coach this good? Matt will let you...

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While the dream isn't over, it took a dark turn this week for BYU Football and Jake the... well the offense in general. Matt goes over the problems and if he thinks they can be fixed in time.

The nightmare continues for Kyle Whittingham and Co. Six straight losses, but will it continue? Or did Matt see a glimmer of hope in the Colorado blowout loss?

The Utah Jazz continue to perform as they need. Keep games close, get the important reps and minutes to the young guys and...

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The Holy War. Not much else needs to be said, but Matt will say it anyway! 

Matt finally comes clean about something the spelunkers probably already knew. He also officially retires a nickname!

BYU survived a game they regularly lost in the past and the Utah hierarchy canNOT stand it! Matt reacts to the meltdown.

Hey! The Jazz are playing games too! (Apparently) Matt shoots down a dream of Jazz fans and explains the veteran minutes in recent games.

Lastly, the athletics revolution at BYU c...

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Rivalry week is here (a little too early in the season, but too late in the day)! BYU faces off against the University of Utah. Who ya got!?!? 

Matt breaks down what is happening with the QB situation with Utah and why it may be a strategy that Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham is dusting off. He also will give is prediction and even a SCORE!

Real Salt Lake bows out meekly in the first round. While it does hurt, the season was still a resounding success!

M...

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BYU is starting to earn Matt's respect, but not the respect of the AP Poll... Listen to how Matt feels about Jake the Mistake and how the rest of the season will go for the Cougars.

Can we say it now? The wheels have completely fallen off of this Utah team. The offense is terrible. The defense is playing too many snaps and now they benched the QB they had "all the faith in the world" in for a "spark". Matt breaks down the dim reality of this once bright season.<...