By the way, who in the world came up with the bright idea of holding it in Vegas in July? Anyway, I guess its time to break out the predictions and go on record for the 2010 season.

Predicted Order of Finish

1.TCU

2.BYU

3.Utah

4. Air Force

5. Wyoming

6. San Diego State

7. Colorado State

8. UNLV

9. New Mexico

Player of the Year Honors

Offensive POY: Andy Dalton (TCU)

Defensive POY: Reggie Rembert (AFA)

Special Teams POY: Jeremy Kerley (TCU)

First Team Offense

QB) Andy Dalton (TCU)

RB) Eddie Wide (Utah)

RB) Jared Tew (AFA)

WR) Vincent Brown (SDSU)

WR) McKay Jacobson (BYU)

TE) Alston Umuolo (SDSU)

OL) Matt Reynolds (BYU)

OL) Braden Hansen (BYU)

OL) Jake Kirkpatrick (TCU)

OL) Marcus Cannon (TCU)

OL) Caleb Schlauderaff (Utah)

First Team Defense

DL) Wayne Daniels (TCU)

DL) Cory Grant (TCU)

DL) Johnathan Rainey (UNM)

DL) Sealver Siliga (Utah)

LB) Jordan Pendleton (BYU)

LB) Brian Hendricks (WYO)

LB) Tank Carder (TCU)

DB) Andrew Rich (BYU)

DB) Reggie Rembert (AFA)

DB) Chris Prosinski (WYO)

DB) Brian Logan (BYU)

Special Teams

P) Riley Stephenson (BYU)

K) Ross Evans (TCU)

KR) Jeremy Kerley (TCU)

We’re interested to know your picks for 2010…

-Brett

In April the BCS made public the formula that it will use to determine whether or not a seventh conference will be admitted to join the PAC-10, Big XII, Big Ten, SEC, ACC and Big East.

We are currently in the middle of a four year evaluation period that began with the 2008 season and runs through 2011.

It is worth noting that even if Utah had elected to stay in the MWC after it added Boise State, it’s unlikely that the conference would have been in a position to earn its way into BCS automatic-qualifying status given the formula that the BCS has established for evaluating the non-AQ conferences.

The BCS formula consists of three criteria:

1) The ranking of the highest-ranked team in the final BCS Standings each year (if a conference does not have a team in the final BCS Standings, then its highest-ranked team is determined by the conference member that has the highest average ranking in the computer rankings used in the BCS Standings),

2) The final regular-season rankings of all conference teams in the computer rankings used by the BCS each year.

3) The percentage of the number of conference teams in the top 25 of the final BCS Standings each year.

A conference will become the seventh automatic qualifier if it finishes among the top six conferences in both No. 1 and No. 2 and if its ranking in No. 3 is equal to or greater than 50 percent of the conference with the highest ranking in No. 3.

Further, a conference will be eligible to apply to the Presidential Oversight Committee for an exemption if it, 1) finishes among the top six in both No. 1 and No. 2 and if its ranking in No. 3 is equal to or greater than 33.3 percent of the conference with the highest ranking in No. 3.

OR

2) If it finishes among the top seven in either No. 1 or No. 2 and among the top five in the other, and if its ranking in No. 3 is equal to or greater than 33.3 percent of the conference with the highest ranking in No. 3.

With the addition of Boise State, the Mountain West Conference as constituted for 2011 easily meets criteria No. 1 and No. 3. In fact the BSU for Utah swap actually gives the MWC a bump since BSU’s computer ranking the past two years has averaged a #7 ranking, while Utah has averaged a ranking of 14th.

Also consider that Boise State is poised to strengthen its average ranking in 2010, with the Broncos expected to start the season ranked in the top 5 and having a chance to potentially be the first non-AQ conference to play for a national title.

The MWC does fall short in the second criteria however. That’s because the performance of the schools in the lower echelon of the MWC significantly pulls down the overall BCS computer rankings of the conference. Currently the Mountain West ranks as the seventh conference in the computer rankings, significantly behind the Big Ten which strengthened itself with the recent addition of Nebraska.

So, it appears that BYU and the Mountain West Conference have two options in front of them.

1) It could increase its overall computer ranking by divesting itself of the statistical outliers and replacing them with schools that strengthen its rankings. Houston, Fresno State, Nevada and Tulsa are all programs that would increase the rankings. The schools that are dragging the rankings down include San Diego State, Colorado State, New Mexico, Wyoming and UNLV.

Simply adding schools to the mix would not be enough to get the conference over the bar for criteria No. 2. Which is why the MWC school presidents have opted to stand pat at the current time regarding expansion. At least two or three bottom feeders would have to be dropped as well.

Swapping out two or three schools could to the trick, but kicking schools out of the conference could be messy legally and be a public relations nightmare to boot. It would come across as a pure money grab, which it would be.

2) The second solution would be to petition the BCS Presidential Oversight Committee under the second exemption option. The MWC does currently qualify to apply under this provision since it currently ranks third among conferences in criteria No. 1, seventh in criteria No. 2 and third in criteria No. 3, ranking less than 10-percent behind the SEC.

There are some factors at play that could work in the MWC’s favor if it were to petition the BCS.

First, the gap between the Mountain West and the other non-AQ conferences is huge. That gap was further widened with the addition of Boise State.

Second, with the growing PR problems of the BCS and the talk of potential government interference, the BCS would have to strongly consider adding the MWC. Adding a conference that didn’t technically qualify could alleviate many of the public and legal pressures on the BCS. It would also bring into the fold the schools that have historically been billed as the “BCS Busters”.

Third, the MWC could also help its case by agreeing to a ramp up in BCS revenues, much as Utah did when it was invited by the PAC-10.

Fourth, the BCS is considering adding the Cotton Bowl to its line-up. It would not be surprising to see another bowl, such as the Holiday, be added in the future as well. This would allow a place at the BCS table for the MWC and increase opportunities for all BCS schools.

Fifth, it also doesn’t hurt the MWC’s case that ESPN/ABC now has the contract to air the BCS games. BYU has long been a media darling of ESPN, consistently delivering strong ratings for the network.

Its important to remember that if it were to attain auto-qualifying status, the Mountain West Conference would begin its BCS membership on essentially a two year probation. It would have to continue to perform in order to remain a BCS fixture. The question is what happens when BSU, TCU and BYU are knocking each other off?

For that reason don’t be surprised to see the Mountain West expand to 12 teams if it were admitted to the BCS. Adding three of the above-mentioned programs would strengthen the second tier of the conference and likely cement the MWC as part of the BCS. It would separate some of the schools into different divisions that may otherwise knock one another off each year. It would also obviously create the opportunity for additional revenue from a championship game.

As a BSC conference with a championship game, the Mountain West would also find itself in a much stronger position to renegotiate its current television deal, or at least be able to land a much more lucrative deal in the future.

In some ways, the MWC becoming an automatic-qualifying BCS league could be better for BYU than jumping to an existing BCS conference. BYU would continue to be the big fish, but now in a much bigger pond. It could control such issues as Sunday play and perhaps negotiate an opportunity to create its own TV network in the process.

5 WORST THINGS:

5.   Not Dominating Washington.  At the beginning of the year perception can be detrimental to the psyche of the team.  We went into that game thinking Washington was supposed to be a good team.  They had a lot of hype around them this year coming in.  We were content with playing them tough and being ahead by a score.  Hindsight is 20/20 right?  Reference No.2 for this, but it would have been great to come out and stomp them like we did the UCLA and Wyoming.

4.   Collie not going to New York.  It was just announced that Collie is not one of the 3 Finalists for the Bilitnikoff Award.  He has dominated every opponent and posted 10 consecutive 100+ receiving games and is still not thought of as a top 3 receiver in the country.  For more on this see my article “Someone Stole Austin Collie’s Post Season Award.”

3.   Dave Nixon Being Hurt.  This did not “hurt” the team but I was just disappointed that I could not watch Dave at full strength one last time.  And I felt bad for him because I know what it’s like to play your senior year not at 100%.  Dave is an amazing athlete and an outstanding football player.  His shoes will be hard to fill at BYU.

2.   Inconsistent.  We never really played consistent on both sides of the ball all year.  One thing about the 06 and 07 teams that made them great were that aside from 1 game on O and 1 game on D you always knew what you were going to get from both sides of the ball.  For some reason that was not there this year.  That being said, I almost give them more credit for putting up 10 wins when they were not sure what was going to happen.  I got the feeling the team waited until the 2^nd quarter to decide what kind of game it was going to be. 

1. No Conference Championship. More than anything that had to be the No.1 Goal this year. Contrary to popular belief I think the MWC was the strongest it has been in a while this year. We had 4 great teams at the top and the middle teams (UNLV, UNM, CSU) were better than the also-rans the last couple years. Every Conference has their SDSU and Wyoming, you can’t change that. What makes this go from disappointing to #1 Worst is that in the two biggest games of the year we just flat out fell on our face. We were never in the TCU game and at Utah, well, enough said.

 5 BEST THINGS:

5.   Harvey Unga.  Another 1,000 yard season for Unga.  Harvey continues to be the workhorse on the offense.  I hope he comes back next year Healthy and in even better shape. 

4.  4^th Straight Bowl Game.  This will get even better when we win our 3^rd straight.  This is a great game to reward our seniors and prepare the underclassmen for next year.  How we play this game will determine what opportunities for greatness we will have next year.

3.  Speaking of Hype… This year there was and continues to be a lot of attention on our conference.  As we continue to get better and stronger as a conference we will help open doors to great things in the future.  In ‘06 we went to Vegas 10-2 and ranked #21, last year we were 10-2 and ranked #19, this year we are 10-2 ranked #18.  It takes a lot to move up a notch and we are moving.  This sets the stage even better for next year with a win.

2.  Austin Collie and Dennis Pitta.  Both of these guys spent their fair share of time at the top of the country and Collie had a carreer season.  He should be in New York making one more reception at the end of the year, but we all know he was the best out there.

1.  Another Undefeated Season at LES!  We are 2^nd in the country in consecutive home wins.  LES is becoming a tougher place to play and we are taking care of business at home.  More than anything else I want this to get even better.  I want to walk out of that stadium with a headache every home game because of how loud it was.

 By: Markell Staffieri

As far as goals are concerned this week isn’t different from past weeks.  We need to start fast on offense and stop the run on defense.  The Cougs offensive success depends on the offensive line’s ability to protect Max Hall from the Utah blitz, while Collie and Co. work their routes against Utah’s secondary.  Harvey and Fui need to get as close to 100 yards as possible.  I don’t know how many carries they’ll get, but one of Utah’s weaknesses is an offense that can line up in power formations and pound straight into the teeth of that red/black Ute defense.

The Utes are a solid football team and they present a number of tough match ups on both sides of the ball. After watching thier games I am left asking myself, does BYU have enough magic left to finish out one of the best seasons ever?

I don’t know.  But I am sure that the character, determination, and will of BYU’s team has been molded over the past four years in a manner that prepares perfectly for Saturday’s test in Rice Eccles Stadium.  One thing that is different about this season’s game – BYU has nothing to lose.

The Utes come into this game with all the momentum in the world.  They feel like the past two years have left them hungry and motivated to destroy the Cougar’s hopes of winning.  They are riding the wave of an undefeated season, a second BCS berth, an undefeated MWC Championship, and a monster chip on their shoulder. I  am anxious to see how the Utes handle being the team with everything to lose.

Lets take a quick look at the offense and defense.

Offense

Quarterback

The Utes are lead by Brian Johnson.  He has been inconsistant during the first three quaters of most games but has pulled it together when it counted.  He isn’t a true pocket passer and his versatility has decreased significantly since his last injury.  He’ll make some mistakes during the game.   It is crucial that our defense maximizes those errors and that our offense then capitalizes on them.

Running Backs

Asiata is a beast.  The similarities between Harvey and him are astounding. I would expect Ludwig and his staff to rely heavily on Asiata in order to relieve some of the early pressure that Johnson should  be feeling. Like all big powerful backs he’s great when he’s going downhill, but struggles when he is forced horizontal and can’t find a hole right away.

Mack hasn’t gotten his touch this year due to Asiatas return from injury, but he is still a talented running back with dangerous capabilities.

The combination poses a serious threat.  Jan, Brett, Russ, and Ian must play physical enough to plug gaps and make it easier for our DB’s to come up and tackle.

Offensive Line

This is where we can win.  Utah offensive line really isn’t  great. They lack power, pass protection skills, and the ability to not make mistakes.

Some things to watch for will be if Matt Bauman, Matt Ahyou, Shawn Doman, Terrance Hooks and Colbey Clawson can find gaps in passing situations to disrupt BJ’s timing and force him to throw early. This is the one game where we need our linebackers to blitz like freaking animals.  They need to refuse to be blocked. This match up is something everyone needs to be watching – our blitzes against their blocking schemes.  I honestly think we can win, but it is going to take a great day from our LB’s.

Wide Receivers

Utah advantage lies in their ability to run four and five wide sets, with the occasional wild-cat formation. Casteel, Wilson, Wesson, Godfrey, and Brown are all quality WR’s when they get the ball in their hands. Ludwig hasn’t always been the best as using all his weapons and if he calls the game with “not losing” in mind, he’ll lose his job.

Utah has the advantage with their skill players. BYU has to control the explosive plays and make BJ be perfect when throwing the ball.  BYU’s secondary needs help from the DL and LB’s to insure that BJ gets rid of the ball quick and under pressure.  Our DB’s will hold up, but if the coverage is forced to hold on for longer than 3 seconds, WR’s will be running free and the risk of a big plays increases.

Defense

Defense has been Utah’s calling card all year.  They rely on their defense’s ability to create turnovers and big plays.  The Ute defense thrives against teams that think they have the ability to beat them sideline to sideline.  After TCU, Utah’s defense is the second fastest in the league. We won’t beat them by running sweeps and reverses.  We can win with power running and sound protection.

Defensive Line

Kruger and Misi are a great defensive tandem and if we can’t control them off the edge we could have trouble all day. Kruger has a great motor and great closing speed when he turns the corner towards the quarterback.  Misi is powerful and if Kruger is struggling, Misi is thriving.

Between the guards I think we are solid.  Matt is young and will most likely be one on one with Kruger most of the game.  Oswald has been playing better, but still has a tendency to stumble when facing a defender with good speed.  Honestly, these two have the greatest challenge and what a better stage to show how far you’ve come. With some strategic help from the running backs and with Max getting the ball off on time, BYU’s line will hold up and the offense will be business as usual.

Linebackers

The Ute defense has a great front, capable secondary, and a soft middle. The linebacking core is Utah’s weakest link.  They aren’t particularly big or fast and they aren’t physical like in years past.  They just do a good job of being where the defensive line isn’t.

The reason Utah struggles against power offenses is because this group can’t beat a block and make a tackle. Instead they will sidestep a block and grab at the running bakc’s leg.  Sometimes it works and sometimes they give up big plays.

This group has also been susceptible to underneath crossing routes, tight end match ups and option routes. This happens to be about 70% of BYU’s offense, with the other 30% being Austin Collie.  If our second and third receivers can win on the outside and pull coverage away from Austin our offense has a great chance of pulling out to an early lead.  Trust me, we need a lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Secondary

Collectively they are a good unit.  I like their size and speed and the way they play the game.  I hate how many chances they take and how many big plays they give up to mediocre players.  But as Utes, you cannot expect them to be very smart.

Utah is going to start out in man  coverage and hopefully we are running our pick plays to free up guys running across the middle.  If Utah can’t control Austin, Pita, and George in man coverage, they’ll have to play zone.  If the Cougars can force Utah into zone situations I think our offense will open up and Max will be able to use multiple weapons without working Austin and Pita and George to death.

One thing our wide outs need to do is BE PHYSICAL.  Austin and Co. can’t let the Ute defenders get in anyone’s face without retaliation. Last year Mike found Tate early in the game.  This year we need something similar.  I don’t know who it’s going to be, but it better happen early and often if we want to establish our presence in Rice Eccles stadium.

Special Teams

You have to give this one to the Utes.  Sakoda has been clutch for them all season and BYU can’t count on misses or screw-ups.

Our coverage teams will need to be almost perfect. We have to win the field position battle, so…. Santiago, Payne, and Sorenson better strap their soccer shoes on tight and bring some extra leg.

I spoke to John Beck this week and he seems to think that this game will come down to which team can control the momentum in the first and half and adjust in the second half.  Utah always has something a little extra saved up for BYU and this year won’t be an exception.

I think all the emotion and rivalry feelings distract from the fact that Utah has shown weaknesses, but teams just haven’t been able to finish them in the final few minutes.  BYU hasn’t lost a close game in a while either. BYU is playing more consistent on defense and the offense is nearly unstoppable.  BYU does have some question marks coming into the game, but after 12 weeks everyone is banged up and hurting.  BYU has 60 minutes to steal everything and lose very little.  If BYU wins it will probably mean another trip to Las Vegas, if they loose it will probably mean another trip to Las Vegas. All you can do is make it happen.

I like BYU’s chances and I like how our team has developed throughout the year. Yeah we do have some weaknesses and we are susceptible, but every game presents a new challenge and by week 12 teams should have run out of challenges.

It’s time to play.

Cougars 32-28

The first factor is Max Hall’s pocket time.  If our Offensive line can give Max at least 3 seconds in the pocket our passing offense will move the ball down the field.  3 seconds will afford our receivers enough time to shake loose in man coverage and find a soft spots in Utah’s zones.

The second is our ability to stop the Ute Run Game.  Utah is averaging 4.34yds/rush so far this year and BYU gives up an average of 3.96yds/rush so far.  That means that anyway you slice it the Utes could run the ball on every down and never see 4th down.  We need to cut the yds/play in half this game.  I think we can do it.  The extra emotion of the day will give our D the tenacity it needs to make it happen.

The final key to the game is the physicality.  Last year I was so fired up when on like the 2nd or 3rd play of the game Mike Reed just absolutely destroyed the Ute safety on a block.  It set the tempo for the day.  We were punishing them all day!  Whoever comes out and plays more physical on Saturday will win in the end.  Sometimes you just have to beat your opponent into submission.

Photo by Miller

I got a text from Quinn asking me if I would write a little bit about 2006’s final drive. Detailing my thougts and feelings on the final drive. I think for the rest of my life whenever it is the BYU vs Utah week I will always be reminded of that game in 2006. Even as I sit here typing, I have above me on a shelf the ball I took the final knee with. I wanted the ball that Johnny caught, but I don’t know if anybody knows where that ball currently resides. I just held on to the next best thing.

Well where do I begin.

When Dan Coats caught the touchdown on the goal line off of the play action I really thought that was the go ahead TD that would seal the game. Although Utah had a good amount of time left on the clock with the ball in their hands I believed our defense would hold the Utah offense and we would be back out on the field to run the clock out.

Yet, because of past games in my career I hesitated for a moment because there are so many crummy variables that every game is filled with. I knew that the offense needed to keep their heads in the game. Understand that our last TD wasn’t close to being the final play of the game. If we had to go out there and get a first down to seal the game or put another drive together we needed to be ready. I remember I was walking the sideline and I found Jake Kuresa and told him that we needed to make sure everyone was mentally prepared for whatever could happen.

After refocusing the offense I turned my attention to the defense.

There was a play where Aaron Wagner almost intercepted a pass to end it. I remember it played out in slow motion to my eyes because I knew that could have sealed the deal. When it wasn’t caught I had a feeling that Utah kind of got a second life. At that point I knew the offense was going to need to be ready. When Utah started getting some plays in big chunks my first thought was, “you’ve got to be kidding me. There’s no way it can end like this.” We had been in games over those last few years that had ended so crazy and somehow we ended up losing. To that point there had only been a few games where we had come from behind to win, but for many of us we remembered games like Stanford in 03, Boise St., UNLV and NM in 04, TCU, Utah and Cal in 05, and Arizona and BC in 06. Games where we fought so hard to get right there to win and in some cases even scored what we thought was the game winning score, but somehow still fell short.

When they continued to move the field I went back to the offense and said it looked like we are going to have to get ready to go into our two-minute offense and we would probably need to score. The best thing about that moment was nobody looked at me like “you think so” or “really”, they just nodded and said OK.

Moments later Utah hit that screen play for the TD and the stadium erupted. Looking back I’m glad that we got together as an offense before they scored because in our minds we were already prepared for what we needed to do. When Utah scored there was no quick rally needed. From that point until we took the field no words where needed, we were simply focused on the task at hand. Each person in their own way had already mentally prepared themselves for the final drive.

The last Thought I had was, ” I’m not going home with the game ending like this.”

Before games Matt Allen and I used to joke around and say “let’s just go out there, win this one, go home happy and kiss our wives.” At that point in the game , for whatever reason, that phrase was also what was being repeated in my head. I wanted to make sure I went home with the game ending with us on top. So after Curtis Brown returned the kick Coach Anae got the offense together on the side and basically said. “it was a two minute situation and we needed a touchdown to win.” I can remember glancing at the clock knowing we had over a minute and just running through all our two minute rules. No sacks, if you need to use a time out, get out of bounds to stop the clock, when do we take time outs and when do we want to spike it, than we took the field.

There are certain plays in that drive that stick out to me as key plays.

First was the catch by Bryce Mahuika. Bryce did a great job of avoiding a tackler and picking up an extra 5 yards and in 2 minute offense, every yard is crucial. There was also a play where I checked down to CB and he made a few guys miss to get out of bounds. That “fight” in Curtis to shed those tacklers is what gave us the few extra seconds we needed at the end.

On the fourth down to Johnny I could tell that the Utah student section had come down on the field thinking that they were going to rush the field when the play ended. I just kept my mind on my reads and knew if they rushed two or three men I wouldn’t have to force anything and I would be able to move defenders with my eyes and feet and make a play to keep the drive going.

As it turned out they only rush a three, so I had the time to move defenders and it opened up Johnny in the middle for the fourth down conversion.

The big play to McKay Jacobsen was really what set us up for the final completion. When we lined up for that play I knew I would have to squeeze the ball in a tight window, but if I could hold the nickel defender  with my eyes, using Johnny to pull him towards the middle, McKay could push the defense vertical, break his route of sharpe and we would be able to pick up the yardage we needed.

McKay did a great job of feeling the hole and settling and the play worked, just as I had imagined.

The next play I took a shot to Johnny on a fade, because Johnny had man to man coverage. He had been winning all night and they left him matched up on another defender besides Weddle. I thought it would be a sure thing. The defender made a great play so we were down to 3 seconds and the last play.

We called a timeout and went to the sideline to discuss what we wanted to do. When they had played man-to-man the play before Zac Collie and been open in the back of the end zone. We thought if they went with the same coverage Zac could get open again for the score. If Zac wasn’t open, or they went to a different coverage we would just read out the three receiver side and find the open man.

 When we took the field CB was the first to ask me what I wanted him to do. I just said if I don’t get the ball off quick just try to get open somewhere in the end zone. When we got closer to the line Johnny asked the same thing, I told him to “run a fade again, but if the fade isn’t there find a way to get open when I’m scrambling.”

 When I got to the line I surveyed the defense and recognized that there was no way they could play man coverage in their presnap alignments. I knew they were going to drop 9 or 10 into coverage.

That is when my thoughts took me back to the quarterback meeting room in November of 2005. I know all of those close losses -which I mentioned earlier- were tough for a lot of BYU fans, but I also know that there’s no way anyone had a harder time swallowing them than I did.

 I hated losing! I couldn’t take another lose… and I wouldn’t.

After the 05 loss to Utah I decided I would sit down at the computer in the QB room with a pad of paper and the game film and make a list of all the things I could have done differently to insure our team wins that game in overtime. Especially on the last play. I remember closing my eyes with my hands on the remote thinking of every possible scenario, decision, even steps that I could have made to win that game.

I don’t even remember how long I was in that room but when I walked out with a sheet full of ways to win. I felt that if I was presented with a similar scenario, I knew exactly what I needed to do.

As I stood on the 15 yard line and glanced up at the clock, then back down to the defense and my teammates, I took a deep breath and had a feeling like I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I knew from their alignment they were only going to rush a couple -it was just like the year before. I knew I would just buy as much time as I could with my feet and throw the ball only when I found an open guy.

When I was shuffling left pointing, I knew I would eventually find an open receiver because they were working so hard to get open. My receivers where running all over and the Utah defenders where stationary, I knew we had them.

After the snap when Johnny and Zac were covered, it turned into a school yard play. Where you tell everyone to “get open and I’ll find you”.

When they brought the LB to put more pressure it forced me right and I felt everyone move right. I knew I was going to need to locate the initial rusher to determine how much time I was going to have before I needed to throw it.

It was than that I saw this one white jersey cutting through the flow. I knew if he could get through the clutter he would be open. I took a few more steps to my rigth, as I saw him clear the last defender, I let it loose.

As I jumped to throw it I knew it was going to be a touchdown. When I was on my back looking through my legs I saw Johnny go to his knees -and for a second I thought, what if the throw wasn’t long enough and he’s on his knees out of the endzone!!

But when there was a huge roar and I saw Johnny get up to he’s feet in celebration I knew we had done it. I ran straight to my line and jumped up on Travis Bright. It was pandemonium. BYU fans, reporters, cameras were all in the mix, I was wondering how so many BYU fans got the field so quickly?

There was a moment during that celebration where I was hoisted on my teammates shoulders and I got to hold my helmet up towards our fans -kind of sounds like that part from Nacho Libre when he says ” do you remember when I  ripped my blouse. That’s a moment I will always remember because of the effort that went into the performance. 

I grew up on an old tape called “Greatest Moments In BYU Football History”. I would gather the neighborhood kids and have them watch the beginning of the tape to fire them up before we played pick up games in the street in front of my house.  I actually brought that tape into the locker room at BYU and we would watch it on the TV’s.

Guys laughed because I knew the narrator’s part word for word. BYU’s tradition meant so much to me and at that moment when I held up my helmet and was on my teammates shoulders I felt lucky to be apart of another great BYU moment.

I get asked all the time about that Utah game and when did I see Johnny and how did it feel. That one play was definitely a great moment and one I will always remember, but to be honest it was a culmination of many things, of years of work, that made that game and that play so special to me. In that game there was a group of guys on our team, on both sides of the ball that had been through so much adversity. Through all the adversity we never lost the belief that we could do it. The road to get to that opportunity was a difficult road to travel. The thing that made it so special was that everyone was prepared. Everyone wanted it so bad because we wanted to overcome the hardships that we had been through and just go out there and win it…and we did!

 On a side note:

I also get asked what Weddle and I were talking about when we were walking down the field together before I took the knee to end the game. Earlier that year, during the summer, a couple of my buddies and I were fishing at Fish Creek down by Scofield Reservoir. One of my friends was also friends with Weddle and had told Eric that he was going fishing with me that weekend. I guess Eric likes to fish also and wanted to come. I told my friend to tell him No… that I couldn’t fish with him until after the season, I wasn’t going to fish with a Ute that I was going to be playing later that year.

As Eric and I were walking towards the ball we were joking about our future fishing expedition to Scofield Reservoir and the fish we would catch.

Like all of you I hope BYU can get it done this weekend. I believe they will and I think they believe they will. Sounds to me like this one could be. . .another great moment in BYU football history!

Go Courgars.

Photo by Ravell Call

At this point of the season there really isn’t a person on the field that is 100%. If you have endured 11 games without some sort of injury, you’re a stronger man then I ever was. That being said there are different levels of injury. Harvey is probably the most banged up player on the team, but that’s because of the style. Add in the fact that he touches the ball the most and you have a recipe for some sore Sunday mornings.

Most of Harvey’s injuries will only heal with time. Sorry folks, one week isn’t enough time for an aggravated nerve to settle down and go away. But his injury can be managed with some R and R during the week, physical therapy, and lots and lots of treatment, daily I vitamin, and massage therapy. I think he’ll still be very effective on Saturday and what he isn’t able to do, Fui will pick-up the slack.

Dennis’s knee is another story. A sprained MCL is no picnic to play with. Every time your leg turns a certain way your knee “gaps”. Basically it feels like you injured your knee every time you turn quickly or move to fast. With the right amount of physical therapy the knee can return relatively quickly, depending on the severity of the sprain. He’ll be doing sets of leg press from Monday until Friday in hopes that the knee will tighten up and feel alright. Early in the week, Dennis will be fitted for a brace and what the brace and physical therapy doesn’t fix adrenaline will control.

Aaron Fransico played with the Dennis’ exact injury in 2004. Actually I think it was an MCL tear, and he strapped it up and played the whole game.

Injuries are a part of football -as any football player will tell you. If your playing football and your not banged up, your not playing the game right. I don’t know if that’s smart or not, but it’s the truth. I would expect both Harvey and Dennis to be in the game on Saturday and if they aren’t Fui and A. George will have to pick-up the slack.

Both Fui and Andrew are capable of playing the primary role. Kariyea and Latu could also help the work load and Anae could possible put another receiver in the game. There are a lot of ways to compensate, but I don’t think BYU will need to.

I am more concerned about Rey Fienga being out of last week’s game with back spasms. Without Rey our line plays significantly different. RJ will be a great player, but I don’t think he is quite ready to step into the prime time and perform like Rey.

The all important factor is adrenaline. When the crowd starts yelling and the intensity of the game picks up all the bruises, strains and damage can’t be felt. Your mind finds other things to focus on and your body reacts like nothing is wrong. Sunday is when everything is 100x worse.

Gett’er done.

 So does this game carry the same weight and implication as the previously anticipated, undefeated BYU vs Utah game?

 I believe this game has identical implication as an undefeated Holy War match-up. BYU’s loss to TCU -while frustrating- possible put BYU in an overall better situation coming into the Utah game. Of course the negatives are obvious, we no longer can be a definite BCS buster team, we can’t win an out-right MWC Championship, and we can only fulfill the spiritual side of the Quest for Perfection -BOOO…..JK. I hope I don’t get struck for that one.

 The good that came out of that TCU loss are also numerous, 1.) Our team was brought back to reality and redirected their energy towards getting better each week. 2.) Our coaching staff realized that they needed to find new ways to get their play makers the ball. 3.) BYU was rid of the pressure that accompanied the title of BCS prince. That pressure -while sought after and wanted- has shifted north and sits squarely on the Ute’s shoulders. 4.) BYU is still in a position to fulfill all their goals as a MWC Champion and if their living right beat the Utes -wink wink.

 This game still has all the same implication as the zero loss BYU team against a zero loss Utah team. The pressure and media attention has simply driven 40 minutes north. Do I care that we have lost our BCS darling billing…..kind of, but each week has become increasingly more meaningful since the loss to TCU. BYU has kept their hopes of a third championship in tact and while it would have been great to go somewhere other then Las Vegas, should it really matter?

I am asking, because I want someone else to tell me if it should….

 I think BYU fans are feeling somewhat disappointed in this season because of our team long history as a top program, yet Utah and Boise St. have been the only BCS busting teams. Should BYU base their programs success on an appearance in a BCS game? Should our main goal every year be busting into a system that is designed and run to keep us out? Is a 10-1 season disappointing?

 Does Utah’s current success say they’re a better program or team?

 My two MWC Championship rings say differently. It would have been amazing to enter into this game undefeated and that TCU game is hard to swallow because of how bad BYU played -and how good TCU played. Regardless I am proud to have been a part of BYU climb back to national prominence. I am proud to wear my blue shirt and shun the color red -to this day I don’t own a single red article of clothing. I am encouraged at how BYU is playing and I am hoping there is an ace up Bronco’s sleeve.

 Go Cougars.

The first video is from BYU’s last win at Rice Eccles and the second video is from Lavells final win against Utah, in Rice Eccles.
The first video picks up around the 2:52 point, I got chills remembering where I was when John threw that pass to Johnny. Enjoy, but don’t get in trouble at work.

I didn’t want to make the post completely one sided, so I threw this one in there. The best games are the ones where both sidelines bring their best performances. Watch out Jenkins!!

They run a 3-4 with an outside linebacker putting his hand down every once in a while. They run a lot of twist stunts up front and blitz linebackers and safeties in key situations. Their pass rush, like ours, is most efficient if the DB’s provide adequate coverage to allow the lineman time to get a sack.  Besides Jake Paulson the other D-linemen perform well within their assignment and role. These guys really are a no name defense.

Air Force runs a lot of cover two with some Tampa two mixed in on third and long situations. They also run some man free coverages, but I would expect less man coverage  due to our advantage in the receiver/ defensive back match up. Air Force will also zone blitz to stop the run and as a change up to their man coverage.

It will be interesting to see how the Falcons will choose to handle our offense. Will they take the Utah approach and man up and bring pressure? Or will they drop seven and eight and play coverage? Last week the Cougar’s had some trouble against the eight man coverage of the mighty Aztecs, which forced Max to scramble.  Last year Max was able to use Manase Tonga and Harvey when they came out of the backfield after checking their blocking assignments.  In previous games BYU hasn’t used Harvey in this capacity, so it will be interesting to see how Coach Anae and Doman choose to attack the Falcon coverages.

An effective running game will go a long way this week. With Air Forces dependence on the run, our offense will need to give our defense some rest. Three and outs won’t be long enough. Harvey should find success with Feinga and Bright pulling in order to pancake the AFA outside linebackers. I guarantee those guys haven’t seen the likes of Travis or Rey.

If we can get a run game going it will force Air Force to use more man-to-man coverages, which will put Austin, Mike, Dennis, and Andrew in space against mediocre cover men.

Like always mental mistakes and turnovers will lead to a close game. Our offense needs to be playing their best football, which will lead our whole team towards victory. The confident swagger displayed by our offense should be somewhat reassuring going into this weeks game. If our offense performs well and our special teams recover from last weeks vacation, BYU wins by 21.  If Air Force creates turnovers and the defense struggles with the option it will be a three point game.

I feeling a 38-24 win.

Schematically the offense takes on some different dimensions with Jefferson in the game. He isn’t the tough runner that Carney was, but he instead excels when he is in open space or on the edge. The offense is more prone to working the ball sideline to sideline when Jefferson has the ball in his hands.

Air Force’s fullback still plays a large part in the success of the offense, but with AF’s new found youth and athleticism at QB their offense looks to be more dynamic than past years. Jefferson has yet to develop the arm necessary to pick apart defenses, instead he relies on defensive errors to free up wide outs for easy throws.

After playing against Air Force I am still amazed at how many defensive backs are fooled by Air Force’s play action. Yes, they do a good job of disguising it, but if a DB can focus on the right keys he shouldn’t screw it up. Plus the Falcons only two or three recievers on pass plays so if one guys blows it, there is normally another DB that can help out.

Besides the quarterback the offense depends on the running backs. They use five or six different backs and to be honest, you can’t tell which one is which. They are all basically the same size, build, speed and agility. It’s like the AF coaches have a queue on the sideline and running backs simply take a number and wait their turn. The running backs this year don’t have the savvy and game breaking ability as Hall from last year. The big time runs tend to come from the quarterback. The running backs are in the game to fool the defense into thinking a run play is coming every time. Then just when you think your going to make a game changing play, a receiver runs past you for an easy score.

The receivers are identical to the running backs. None stand out, but collectively they block well, catch the ball when it comes their way and generally fulfill their roll.

Our defense needs to dominate their offensive line.  If our tackles/ends can handle the fullback alone it will free up Bauman and Doman to scrape quick and make sure the quarterback can’t make it into the open field.

Denny and Jorgenson will need to have great days. They’ll need to stay square to the line and avoid running up field against the run. The also need to keep their feet against the cut-blocks, if not, gaping holes will be opened and the cadets will consistently gain 5-8 yards a pop. In past years the defensive ends/outside linebackers have do a great job of neutralizing the quarterback, which gave the defensive backs enough time to run the alley and make a tackle for a minimal gain.

For the most part this game will hinge on our defense’s ability to keep their feet against cut blocks and recognize play action. Air Force will get their yards on the ground. It is up to our defense to make the Falcons earn their rushing yards in increments of 3-5 yards instead of 10-15 yards.

After our defense has stopped numerous running plays they will need to have enough concentration to recognize play action and stick to the receivers.  Our coverage package will be extremely simple. Air Force doesn’t run enough route combination’s to justify using a full coverage package.  We should only need three; maybe four core coverage’s to cover anything the cadets could throw at us.

Our offense can help our defense by scoring early and often. This will force the Falcon offense to use riskier plays and employ more drop back passes. The Falcon offensive line simply can’t block straight drop back pass plays. The quarterback won’t have any time to find receivers and their offense will have to resort to grinding the ball out on the ground. Which will run the clock down too quickly and BYU could leave Colorado Springs without needing a last second TD to Dennis Pitta or Austin Collie.

Worse case scenario is our defense struggles early, then rallies late to stop the Falcons when they need to in order to win the game. I would prefer the first scenario, but in all honesty it could go either way.

I am going to open the windows so I don’t sweat through my shirts.  You know…just in case.

During AFA’s offensive series in the 05′-06′ games the defense could hear the Air Force quarterback calling out signals at the line of scrimmage involving numbers and -if I remember correctly- colors. As the game progressed the quarterback kept repeating colors and numbers followed by identical run plays.

It was a difficult code to decipher, but the D managed.

As Cameron and Co. caught onto the signals he started yelling out where the players were going, who was getting the ball and what the running back’s girlfriend’s favorite color was.

You could just see Carney’s frustration mounting as Cameron would yell who was getting the ball and what gap they were running into. This friendly exchange proceeded for a couple of series until Air Force finally changed up the signals and decided they would rather play the game without Cameron being part of their offense and our defense.

There was also a moment late in the 2006 game where the back-up quarterback came in the game, looked to the sideline got the play and yelled it out to is teammates. As I heard the call I recognized the numbers and yelled out where the ball was going. The quarterback stepped back from center, looked at the coach who said,” run the play dammit!!.” They ran the play and I blasted the pitch player as he caught the ball.

I got up, shook my head, turned and trotted off the field. I chuckled the whole way back to Provo about that play…dammit.

Football is an easy game if you are able to understand your job well enough so you can start paying attention to the details. Isn’t there some kind of Chinese proverb that says “it’s all in the details”….maybe not, but there should be.

Personally I think our staff will be intact for another 2 years. After that BYU’s program will be in for some changes -but I could be wrong.

I like to speculate as much as the next guy and this coaching staff has produced three 10+ wins seasons since they have been with BYU. With that kind of success other programs have to be taking notice. Plus, with the rumors of Patterson to Kansas St. and Mora to Washington; could some of the BCS coaching changes effect Provo…..or even Utah?

Whittingham has also built himself a good wrap sheet and with big name programs and wallets in need to coaches, could the Beehive states coaches soon board a plane for a bigger payday??

BYU fans are left to question what team will show up in Colorado Springs on Saturday? Will the team that pummeled UCLA and Wyoming show up or will the team from the TCU and Washington -both road games- show up. Each day the season draws closer, I am astounded at what the coaching staff has accomplished with this years team after two dominate Mountain West Conference championships. It isn’t easy to win back-to-back championships. Let alone be in a championship position in the third year with an inexperienced, young defense -that honestly has been over achieving.

Ten and eleven win seasons are hard to come by and this year could be BYU’s third straight! Cougar fans have cause to be thankful. It could be worse, you could live in or cheer for Tennessee, Arizona, and Miami, anywhere in the ACC or Big East or Washington/Washington St. -oh baby that would suck.

I don’t know where this post came from because I want to write about this weeks practice schedule and how it differs from a normal week. Yet, as I think about how the BYU football program has improved, I can only look forward to this years bowl game and what needs to transpire during the summer in order to improve upon the past 3 years of success. TCU and Utah will have hosts of player returning next year and the conference is shaping up to improve upon this years non-conference successes. BYU will have its work cut out for them in order to four-peat and become that BCS buster I think they should be.

Go Cougars.

Photo by Kevin Kreck

After a defense has successfully defended the veer option and kept their feet against a cut block. The defense next has to respect the Falcons ability when running play action passes. Air Force’s play action is unique because everything looks exactly the same -except for the uncovered linemen.

The running back’s action, the quarterback’s action and the cover lineman’s movements -linemen with a defender in front of them- all do what they would normally do on a run play. On a run play the uncovered linemen have to shoot outward in order to get to the second level of the defense and cut off linebackers and safeties, so on pass plays they aren’t as aggressive. They have to stand up or they run sideways and for the Falcon offense that doesn’t make sense.

Now there are occasions where the motion might be different or the personal might be different so a DB needs to be paying attention to everything that goes on before the snap. What type of motion, arch, fly, slow, fast? What formation did they start out in? How many running backs are in the game? Where are they aligned and what kind of spacing do they have?

All of these questions if answered before the snap can give little clues as to what type of play it might be. For instance in the home game last year I noticed that during pass plays the arch motion would slow down just before the ball was snapped, which allowed the running back to help block the defensive ends. It wasn’t much but it gave me a split second to get myself in better position against the play action pass.

Air Force doesn’t have a lot of route combination’s, but when they run their routes in combination with play action it leaves no margin for error by the defense. If a defensive back hesitates or is late making their decisions the ball will be flying over their heads to open cadets all over the field.

Once our team gets the feel for what the play action looks like all the motion and deception is a non-issue. The problem arises when you aren’t confident in how you’ve prepared during the week in recognizing the blocks and schemes. But, that’s why the week of practice is so demanding. That’s why there hasn’t been a player in the history of BYU football that looked forward to the AFA week of practice. Everyday is physically and mentally challenging and if you left you concentration at home that day, you could find yourself on the sideline during the game.

At 2:00 Monday-Friday class is in session and you better be at the front of the classroom.