Director of Sports Journalism Jerry Hill gives his three takeaways from Monday's weekly press conference with head coach Dave Aranda talking about the Bears' 2024 season opener against Auburn, which kicks off at 7 p.m. Saturday at McLane Stadium and will be nationally televised on FOX: 

1. BROWN IMPRESSES IN WR ROOM: In a deep room that includes the top two receivers from last season, four transfers and a talented freshman class, San Diego State Louis Brown IV has impressed the coaching staff with his size, speed and ability to "take over a game, . . . to take over a series," Aranda said. "I think he has those qualities. There have been practices, scrimmages, where he's done that. And right from the beginning. We've got a fair amount of quality transfers that have all achieved to some degree. But none as fast as him. None that were as immediate as him. And none that have continued to take off like he has. Whatever he's got, I'm buying it."
2. INJURY UPDATE: While the Bears stayed relatively injury-free, Aranda said he doesn't expect to have junior safety Carl Williams IV or true freshman running back Michael Turner available for Friday's season opener versus Auburn. At the nickel spot, BU could use more of a blitzer when the Tigers go with one tight end and three receivers, and a "bigger safety, somebody that can possibly man up a tight end" going against two-tight end packages. "We've got both body types working there," Aranda said. "I think one of the biggest differences with the defense, at least our plan going in, is to rotate quite a bit."
3. MEMORY WITH LEE CORSO: A staple of ESPN's College GameDay program since its inception in 1987, 90-year-old Lee Corso will make his final appearance on the program this Saturday from Ohio Stadium. As a 20-something assistant coach at Cal Lutheran University, Aranda remembers making a cold call to Corso at a number he found in the AFCA manual. "This is embarrassing. I was the dude that would call people," Aranda said. "I don't know why I called him, but I remember him being very gracious. It wasn't like, 'Who is this dude calling me?' It was none of that. He was answering all my questions. I was at Cal Lutheran University at the time, a Division III school, and he was asking me about Cal Lu and our season and all this stuff. I think about that now and wonder if I would be as gracious as he was. That's the one interaction I had with him, and I'll always remember that."