We got the win, and in the grand scheme of things that’s all that should matter. It is just more exciting to look deeper into the performances. First of all, lets look at my performance. After watching the game, here is what I thought of my scouting report. (more…)
Check back after the game for the post game wrap-up. Also, you can hear me on the radio at Kfan AM 1320. I’ll be helping with the post game show.
I am missing football like crazy, and can’t wait to see the blue and white out on Lavell’s field. Don’t get caught wearing something other than blue.
If this doesn’t get your heart pounding then call an ambulance.
Basically the night before the game is filled with meetings, eating, and waiting. You have various meetings, reviewing film and talking about the “keys” to the game. Some coaches get nervous before games and some are very relaxed and easy going. Coach Hill is always relaxed. He exudes that been there, done that attitude that can calm a nervous player. After arrival at the hotel the team is steered to a dinning room to eat. This is probably the best “perk” to being on the team (if there are any), and the part that I will miss severely. The night is kick started with a smorgasbord of food from Ruby River. Then after you have eaten to your hearts content you retire to your room for a bit to get ready for the fireside. (the firesides are something I will address later)
After the fireside the defense goes to campus for another walk through before, what my wife calls, second dinner. At around 9 o’clock we have a snack of cheese burgers, hot wings and everything else. You are most certainly not left wanting. After second dinner you head back to your room to watch some TV or film and normally lights are out by 10:30 or so.
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It doesn’t suprise me that the pitcher is wearing red. This one for DPG.
I guess the Washington Post will be running a feature article on Bronco during the week leading up to the Washington Game. This will be the 3rd or 4th feature article in a national newspaper this year. With articles in the New York Times, USA Today, feature articles on Sports Illustrated.com and ESPN.COM the cougars are getting all the needed attention to bust the big boy party. It’s amazing the attention BYU is getting just by starting in the top 25. So keep your heads on a swivel looking for the upcoming article.
In an interesting discussion with two fellow college football fans, the topic of BYU and the national championship came under fire. Our scenario was if Georgia goes 12-1 and Ohio State goes 9-2 and then all the other top 25 schools have 3 or more losses, except for BYU who goes 11-0. Would the BCS let BYU play Georgia for the national championship? Or would the big brothers of the BCS keep us out? (granted that this scenario is very hypothetical, but its a good discussion.)
Our conclusion:
Of coarse we need to win but we also need to get some of the back-up players some playing time. During fall camp players get an opportunity to show the coaches they are capable of making plays. Now they need to make all those practices, and lifts translate to the field. By getting the second and third string guys some playing time it will give them some much needed confidence and also give the coaches a chance to see their players in real game situations. You would be amazed to know that there are players that show all the promise in the world in practice and in the weight-room and then you get them on the field and they are like a deer in head lights.
A few players that could benefit from some do or die, between the white lines without a coach, time are:
Here are my .02 cents about the football captains:
Travis Bright- Possible the largest man alive. He is by far the most physical player on the team, and possible the dirtiest player. He has been known to hit certain middle linebackers way late and for zero reason, but you didn’t hear that from me. Ask Kelly Poppinga, I’m sure he has a few good stories, if he can remember them. As far as Travis as a captain, great choice. He is a guy that will lead by action. Plus when you walk out for the coin toss you always need a guy that can intimidate. I never wanted to get in Travis’s way on the field and will still approach him at an unseen angle.
Max Hall- He’s the quarterback, isn’t it just the natural order. Although, he definately is a leader. He has been in the foreground the moment he walked on the campus. One thing he is good at is making the players around him believe in what he can do and beleive in their abilities. From a defensive player that played against him, he’s good and he will tell you just how good he is. Humility is not his strong point, but as long as you produce no one cares. He will be the chirpy leader that yells and claps. Every team needs one of those guys. As a captain good choice, enough said.
A normal football work week will consist of the following:
Monday: Lifting weights, a necessary evil. After a game you normally feel like you have been in a ten car pile-up. Lifting weights helps work out the kinks and soreness and will get you back into playing condition. Meetings, meetings and more meetings. My guess is that the normal corporation doesn’t have as many meetings as a football team. Film study, this of coarse is what all the meetings are about. Each play from the previous game is graded on a sheet and watched, sometimes over and over depending on how funny you look. After all that, you then put on your cleats and hit the field for a short and intense 12-14 period practice. With lifting and meetings and everything, it takes about 4 hours of your day. Then you have to factor in the time in the training room, classroom, individual film study and the ladies, and well, your out of day light and out of energy.
There are a few things that the coaching staff stresses going into a game. Among these items are a few that are very important to the success of the team. Coach Mendenhall of coarse likes to talk about the 3 pillars of the game. Those pillars are holding the opponent under 100 yards rushing, scoring more than 24 points and holding the opponent to under 24 points, and winning the turnover margin. These 3 pillars have been key to the success of the past two teams and will continue to play a significant roll in Bronco’s team meetings. The coaching staff came up with these numbers after a summer of research into the most successful programs. They came to the understanding that these three benchmarks are the key to 9 or more wins a year.
What you may not know is how much attention is paid to stats. Coach Mendenhall spent a lot of time “going over the numbers” of college footballs elite. Understanding the numbers has helped him know which facets of the game to concentrate on. Another very important part of the game, that most teams neglect, are the special teams. Yet, special teams are the single most important part of the field position battle. By concentrating an inordinate amount of time on special teams during the week, our team has improved their performances during those other plays; giving the special teams units an important role in the outcome of the game and achievement of a goal.
By concentrating the efforts of the team, BYU’s coaching staff is able to advise and instruct their individual players towards the common goals. This increased focus gives each rep, period and portion of practice an identity with a tangible outcome, the achievement of the 3 pillars.