First Impressions About the Win?
12 September 2009
Quinn Gooch
49 Comments
Photo by Mark Philbrick, BYU
Just wanted to see what people thought about the beating BYU gave Tulane. Does the slow start concern anyone, or is it more important to finish the game?
Will the kick off problems continue or will they improve?
How about those young receivers?
Is the D legit or are they simple falling into good spots?
Let me know…..
Quinn/Markell/Criddle,
Interested to get your thoughts on the MIKE position. While it seems that Bauman is pretty assignment sound, as much as you can tell from watching on TV, I feel like he’s a bit slow. Being at the game in Dallas, it felt like the combo of Hooks and Doman brought more speed and aggressiveness to the field at the MLB positions. (See: Hooks forced fumble today – getting around the block – and Doman’s play on the goaline stand last week.)
Also, any opinions on how BYU is playing the stretch plays, spread formations, etc.? I really feel like the improved play brought by Pendleton, Hooks, Denney, etc.
Finally, what can BYU do to get the ball into Jacobson and Chambers hands? (i.e. while at the BYU / OU game I tried to key in on how Jacobson was handling jams at the line of scrimmage. His lack of size seemed to make it hard to get off the line at times. I am wondering if putting him in the slot at times might create mismatches.)
I was very pleased with the final score. That said, the first quarter was indeed troubling. Nice to see the team pull away towards the half and after wards. That is what matters. Although I do worry that our team isn’t as tested at playing from behind, so if and when it happens, I wonder how that type of pressure will affect them.
Kicking game is worrisome. If our kicker can’t keep it in bounds, I think we need to start recruiting from the soccer or rugby teams. Same goes for the missed extra point, perhaps was the snap or holder though. I don’t have a lot of confidence going forward. Glad he hit those field goals though.
The receivers looked good. Loved Jacobson’s grab in the end zone. Absolutely love how Hall distributes the ball between wide receivers, tight ends and running backs so that defenders never know who to zero in on.
The defense looked sharp overall. Not sure how good Tulane is over all, but since I’m guessing they’re not one of the better teams we’ll play all year, I would expect to see forced fumbles and interceptions.
I really enjoyed the fact that BYU came out and won this came by the score that they should have. As I sit watching the USC and OSU game, and after watching the ND Michigan game, BYU is not in the same league as those teams. That’s not even including teams like Florida and Penn State and Alabama.
Don’t get me wrong, I think the Cougs can beat anyone on any given night, they have some good players (the distribution by max and on the ground, as mentioned above, was awesome), but let’s be serious, they would have no chance of winning any of the top three conference championships. That is why a mid major winning a bcs game is still not that big of a deal. The lesser team can get the big win, but that does not change the fact that they do not play in the big conferences. And no, I do not think the Big East and the ACC are that good. BYU COULD win those conferences. But I am talking about national champions not just making it to a bcs game.
BYU’s defense is not that good and their running game, while okay against the Green Wave is average at best. Absolutely NO speed. I am glad that FSU did not lose today, and I am already excited for next week’s game. GO COUGS!!!
Slow start, but once the team got rolling, they looked solid. It’s somewhat tough to gauge when playing such a weak team. Next week will be another great test to see where we stack up.
The kicking game needs some serious attention! It’s the one area that I am really worried about. Not everygame is going to be a 54 point blowout. Kicking the ball out of bounds twice and missing a PAT…seriously?! It nearly cost us the game last week and before the end of the season, it could dash our BCS hopes against the rocks. If we want any legitimate shot at the title, we better figure it out, or we’re doomed! What do you guys think? Is there any other option for Bronco besides crossing his fingers and hoping Payne gets better?
Great win today! Feels good to get the blowout, but I can’t wait for next week! Bring on them ‘Noles!
Re RMearski
Didn’t last weeks game teach you anything. Byu can hang with any one. I am also watching the USC game and I had a much different impression. USC isn’t the godly team we make them out to be they make mistakes their players miss tackles and that safety was just sloppy. BYU can hang with any of these teams. Remember how they didn’t just beat oklahoma they beat them at every aspect of the game. GO BYU
RMearski,
I don’t know what game you were watching, but how can you say the run game was “okay” when we rushed for 206 yards…and without Unga? DiLuigi and Kariya averaged 5.9 and 5.2 yards/carry. I wouldn’t classify it as “average at best”. If 206 yards is average, I’ll take it every week. And as far as the defense goes, only giving up 265 total yards and 13 points to a team that averaged 51 points a game last year says something. 2 forced turnovers last week, 4 this week and only 162 total yards given up agains Tulane…again, tough to say they’re “not that good”.
IMO BYU did exactly what a top ten team should do to a team like Tulane. I didn’t learn much, however. I think it was a bad idea to play Unga. It appears he hasn’t fully recovered. Big risk playing him. I wanted to see if the defense came out and played with the same intensity as last week. I love the way they are limiting yards after catch. Also, they are causing turnovers and hitting very hard. If we run the table this year, it will be because of our defense. Hope Scott Johnson recovers and returns next week. That was a scary hit. We will need him. Max Hall is distributing the ball much better than last season. Props to our young offensive line.
Concerns: Kicking game and running backs. We really need Unga back, 100%
RMearski, you must have stars in your eyes. Neither USC nor OSU looked impressive tonight.
My observations:
Running backs continue to impress me. Yes, I know it was only Tulane but Kariya and DiLuigi have both made a quantum jump in their rock toting skills since last year. They are both running with attitude and laying hurt on anyone who gets in their way. You can try and say Tulane’s defense is suspect but they did the same thing to Oklahoma’s superstars. Our running back coach has done an outstanding job.
I agree with the comments already made about the kicking game. Has to be our biggest priority to improve at the moment. Can we at least keep the kick-offs in bounds. There has to be someone on a campus of 30,000 that can keep a kick-off in bounds.
Hall – I have been frustrated and disappointed by a lot of the negativity about Hall during the off season. It has been nice to see him vindicated. Yes he can win big games. Yes he can find secondary receivers. We have to accept that he is from the same mold as Brett Farve and likes to thread the needle. It’s just in his character. Usually it results in jaw dropping receptions with 2 or 3 defenders seemingly draped on the receiver. Sometimes it will result in an ugly interception. The only thing he doesn’t do well is to give up. Let’s embrace him and honor him as a legitimate member of the BYU pantheon of great quarterbacks.
Offensive Line – is it just me or are they playing better than our O-line last year?
Defensive backfield – for a bunch of “slow” guys they seem to always be wherever the ball is and are stopping any run plays that come their way as well.
I can hardly wait to fly to Utah on Friday for the Florida State game. LES will be going nuts when the Cougars take the field on Saturday.
I think the jury may still be out on the pass defense. The starting QB for Tulane threw for a low yardage total but a very high percentage. If they would have just abandoned the run and thrown the short routes, I’m not sure they couldn’t have had more success against us.
Offense looked scary good in the second half . . .
Remearski: I couldn’t disagree more. You would’ve included Oklahoma in that list had we not played them two weeks ago, and you know it.
While we certainly play numerous opponents with much more team speed (couldn’t you argue Tulane had that?), appropriate defensive adjustments can be made. Also, speed doesn’t mean much if you can’t establish a good run game, and BYU in the last 2 games have now allowed either team to have a run game, at all. They are STUFFING the line, and it’s awesome to see.
I have absolutely no doubt BYU can and likely would beat the teams you watched today: USC, Ohio St., Michigan, Notre Dame, etc.
Throw a few weird looks at Prior and he struggles mightly.
The top 10 (probably now 7th or 8th or so) ranking is absolutely deserved, and at this point, I think the pecking order is about right.
A win over FSU next week will really make me feel great about this team.
Back to the game: my first reaction afterwards was what an absolutely terrific game JJ DiLuigi had. I’d been down on him in the past for the fumbles, but tonight, he looked terrific. His craftiness to get through small holes and to make defenders miss helped us obtained numerous first downs and YAC.
I can’t wait to get down to LES (Finally!) for a showdown with FSU. Their QB could make things interesting….
Go Cougs!
Sorry but Payne’s got to go! We can’t keep giving every team we face 35-40 yd line field position. His kick offs barely make it to the 10… and missing a PAT? I’m hoping we don’t have to rely on his leg to win a game. I can’t wait to see Sorenson in 2011.
Wow what a bizzare comment by “RMearski”. USC’s offense was pathetic until the final drive. OSU hasn’t done anything except stop a 2 point coversion on bottom feeder Navy.
Michigan and ND will both be lucky to win 8 games against mediocre competition.
Sounds to me he is a Ute fan and wishes the Michigan game last year was against a big time opponent. Yea right, Michigan was less then .500 last year.
Ben, what is wrong with admitting that BYU is not an elite program? Hey, they played and beat OU straight up, they took care of business today. But like RMearski said, sure the Cougars could beat elite teams, they just proved that last week. But wins like that are one in every 25 years for the Cougars, not once a season for the teams you mentioned.
Hey, this could be a special year, year…history has shown that it is very difficult for the Cougars to maintain high level football (e.g. beating ranked teams consistently) over years.
But hey, it’s not a big deal, BYU is what it is, a good program that every once in a while has a special team that gains some respect beyond the MWC, unfortunately it is like, every 12-13 years (1984, 1996, 2009?)
As for the game, I liked that the Cougars didn’t rush when they didn’t get in the end zone early, I thought Max would try to force things (like last year). Tulane blows and it starts at the head of that program.
Did you see the garbage Ute kicking game tonight? BYU’s situation could always be worse!
I’m ok with the slow start today. Teams really differentiate themselves in the second half once they have to dig into their bench and deal with fatigue and injuries. BYU showed today that they are up to their eyeballs in capable receivers and ball carriers, and the McKay Jacobson threat will always be lurking in the back of the D’s mind.
Speaking of which, I wonder if D coordinators are warning their safeties and corners about offside downs. “If you see a yellow flag fly, double-team McKay!”
totally disagree with rmearski. Normally USC looks all world but both they and Ohio State looked one dimensional on offense. Ohio looked awful in the no huddle prior cant throw. Judging by all the scores it seems like there is more parity in college footbal this year then in years past.
I think a game in which we are sluggish at the beginning and then get into a groove is just what the dr. ordered. I think we’re in good shape for the FSU game. I am pissed that VS isn’t available.
Does anyone know anything about about the injury report? How are Johnson/Hansen?
Te’o looked good (as did the O line) but we could use them next week.
I liked the outcome of the game. The score reflected an outcome of what I would expect from a team that just beat a number 3. I agree the first quarter was a little slow but we did come out with two solid drives, we just could’t capitalize the way we wanted and had to settle for 2 3s. but we still looked like we were in control.
the kicking game however is SO worrisome. our special teams is really our only true weak point right now and it’s headlined by the joke of a kicker Payne. I don’t get it. How hard would it be for bronco to just go to the soccer team and say… alright who here can kick the straightest and the longest. they wouldn’t even have to do field goals. I just can’t take any more kicks to the 20 and don’t get me started about the kicks out of bounds!?…no excuse payne! If we’re just going to give it to them on the 40, why don’t we just have Hall kick em? i’m sure he can get it there…
I would have liked to see a faster start just so those second string guys could get a little more time today. I did like what I see from them. And the final score will stand out with the AP.
RMearski I appreciate you bringing some realism/skepticism to the blog and you raise some interesting points. USC, Ohio St, ND and Michigan were the teams that you mentioned “BYU is not in the same league as those teams.” Then, you brought up Florida, Penn St, and Alabama.
Utah has beaten two of the teams on your list recently – Michigan and Alabama. We beat ND in 2004 when we went 5-6; USC lost to Oregon St last year who Utah beat. My point being that we are in the same league. Do we beat these teams 10 out of 10 times that we play them? Maybe not, but I would say 3-4 times out of 10 we could get the win. Now, Florida and USC seem to dominate teams at time, but remember, Oklahoma dominated teams last year. My point is just that we can play with these guys.
Look at it from their point of view. Do you think those teams’ head coaches are thinking, “Perfect, we have BYU on our schedule. They’re usually ranked but overrated and they will be an easy nonconference win for our program.” I doubt it.
I argued last year that MWC was the 3rd best conference in the country; now that may be a bit high, but you’ve already conceded that we’re better than Big East and ACC. I’ll add in Pac-10 based on our performance last year as a conference. So that just leaves SEC, Big 12 and Big 10. I’m not even going to bring up SEC and Big 12 because I will concede top to bottom they are better than MWC. But Big 10? Wisconsin struggled against Fresno St, and Michigan St lost to a directional team. I would put our top 3 TCU, Utah and BYU against the top 3 of Michigan, Ohio St and Penn St. Even the Big 12 is vulnerable as you saw with Houston taking it to Oklahoma St in Stillwater.
We don’t have a Joe McKnight or a Tim Tebow or a Dez Bryant. But, we have guys who have size, strength and desire and we have great coaching. So that can sometimes neutralize the skill that you are enamored with.
Ryan, as for addressing our need to come from behind you are the man because you have done what ALL of us need to do – forget the Oklahoma game.
A lot of firsts out there tonight – Riley Nelson’s first snap, DiLuigi’s first TD, BLo’s first pick, Mike Hague’s first carry back from a mission. Te’o didn’t look out of place in the secondary at all.
Great comments.
I do not think that a win over Florida State is THAT big of a statement this year. They have been pretty horrible the last two weeks. Nevertheless, in the eyes of the BCS world, they will give us some credibility for it, so we need it. FSU will be hungry and that is a scary game.
Our passing game is good. But lest you forget, Max struggles with pressure and has a habit of throwing the ball to the other team in tight spots. He led the final drive against OU with perfection and when our oline can give him time, he will pick apart most teams. But do you guys forget TCU and Utah last year? Pressure = interceptions for Maxy.
kiyosege: One thing that I think lacks in your analyses above is that you are picking out specific upset wins. Upsets happen, especially in college football, when one team has something to prove and the favorite has a let down. That happens when a mid major has a bcs team on its schedule. The emotion, desire, and urgency that the mid major plays with is amazing and oft times will will them to victory. The mid majors cannot do that week in and week out though.
Max Hall’s face after the OU win tells it all. Bronco’s emotion after the win tells it all. Would Pete Carrol or Tim Tebow started to cry if they beat OU in week one? Come on.
We need to appreciate the Cougars for what they are. They should be a perenial top 25 team and once in a while, perhaps every 5-10 years they may have that special team that can play with the big boys. And maybe, just maybe, this year is that year. All I am saying is that from what I have seen, I really don’t think so right now. But if BYU continues to improve and stays focus, and gets through this schedule undefeated, THAT will prove their worth. Not beating fraking Tulsa.
Also, the fact that big schools do not want to schedule BYU just proves my point that BYU is a solid team that is a possible upset team. IF you played four top-25 teams during your conference year, would you want to schedule a decent school for a non-conference game? BYU is not alone in that group, I am sure those same schools would not want to schedule Utah (who sorry guys deserves much more credibility in the last decade than our Cougs – an that is okay, don’t throw a tissy thats just the way it is) or Boise State (who, like BYU has more cred in recent years).
Tw: USC and OSU did not look that impressive tonight? Really? And “stars in my eyes”? What does that mean? I am am Cougar blue through and through. I also went to Notre Dame for school and learned what big time college football is all about. While parity in college football is continuing to increase (and that is probably the biggest story of the 2009 season thusfar and the one I am most excited about), the MWC is simply not there.
Ben H: I still include Oklahome on that list. Like I have said before, OU lost that game and BYU took advantage. Thank heavens. Like I also said before, I think BYU can beat any team on any given night, so could a lot of teams, that doesn’t mean they should be national champs.
I meant “freaking Tulane.”
RMearski,
Here is why your analysis is nothing more than BCS homerism.
In order to validate your premise you need to be able to answer “yes” and then “no” to the following vital questions:
1) Do you believe it to be the case that the very worst BCS team would regularly beat the number 1 non-BCS team?
2) Do you believe it to be the case that if a top non-BCS team were given access to the millions of dollars that BCS teams (even bad ones) receive every year w/o fail that they would then be able to more readily compete with BCS-ers due to facility, recruiting, and other upgrades?
You have to understand that when you’re comparing BYU to Penn St. you’re not making an apples to apples comparison. When you say BYU would lose 6/10 times to USC, that is not a fair question. BCS homers have never understood this crucial point.
Pete Carrol can walk up to a Manti Teo and say “Hey come here because at USC you’ll be on national TV, play in BCS bowls every year, and you can win a national championship. But you can’t do that at BYU.” Who would choose BYU in that scenario? They are clearly out-resourced. It has nothing to do with BYU being an inferior program that just can’t get it done against big boys; they’re just being told “no” by the BCS committee.
What you should be doing is asking yourself “If BYU had guaranteed millions every single year and could tell potential recruits that they too have a legit shot at a national title every year, then how would the Y do against OSU in 10 games?”
What’s ironic is that while you’re giving the BCS teams undue props, you’re actually demeaning them by saying that a team with inferior potential and funding can still hang with and beat programs that have every advantage available to them. Once you level that playing field, you’ll see that the BCS argument holds no water.
My big concern that nobody seems to address is the stud O-line men that seem to keep diminishing week by week. I did not enjoy watching the replay of Braden Hansen’s leg turning into spaghetti. My first assumption looking at that is, “Out for the season.” Do we have more guys to keep inserting in the O-line? I’m dang impressed w/ the line this year, but knowing how long of a season it is, I was interested to hear some of you guys’ thoughts. Btw, very impressed w/ the win yesterday all around. GO COUGS!!!
FSU will come in hungrey and they wont look past BYU at all. Infact look at BYU as a stepping stone, they need to make some noise for themselves in the poles. I’m mostly concerned with 2 things, The corners still give too much space, they close faster, but still give up too much. With FSU they will need to cover at the line or give up yardage.
WoW that kicking game. True, it could be worse. but thats settling. If the Cougs hope to make a run at FSU,TCU,and uofu they will need a good kicking game. I would put Stevensen at # 1 and give him a ton of reps, I know he put one out but with more practice he should improve, he just returned this year from a mission. Payne or Pain been back for several and is as good as he’s going to get.
Go COUGS
RMearski, it will be moot by 2012 when MWC becomes the first mid-major to earn its way into the BCS.
FSU may not look as great as they have in the past, but they still have a lagit shot at the ACC title. Its still up for grabs. If they get that, and BYU beats them, that would be huge. Just saying don’t discount FSU
A couple rejoinders to rmearski: You’ve allowed for BYU going up against the ‘big boys’. My friend, in the present, we ARE one of those ‘big boys’!
When you speak of ‘appreciating the Cougars for what they are’ you do it disparagingly, referencing, I suppose, previous season records. And in what I thought was a rather condescending tone, there was the underlying assumption that we are somehow limited to the same results. That’s not logical to me. What is in the past is in the past. It’s not really a reliable indicator for what the team is currently doing nor is it a dependable predictor for all future games.
What we don’t currently enjoy is that BCS cachet that speaks of ‘elitism’—and that, I assure you , is something that I am willing to go without.
This is a totally unique team playing other totally unique teams in a new season. Anything can happen—-even a national championship! Do I expect that will happen for us? No. But I do believe it is possible. Go Cougs!
RMearski smells suspiciously like a troll to me. She makes all sorts of denigrating comments about the MWC and the Cougs and then concludes with a “GO COUGS!”
A real live BYU fan? Yeah right.
“On the internet nobody knows you’re a _________”
He’s definitely a troll. I feel stupid for wasting my time posting my bulletproof argument to a girl/guy who is voluntarily living in his mom’s basement.
NOT WORRIED. Just how many times was BYU forced to punt the ball? Hold on, let me count. ZERO. A more telling fact is the number of 3rd downs BYU faced. Nine. BYU scored 54 points, yet only had 9 3rd downs. One of those was when Nelson took a knee, so that doesn’t count. That means for most of the game, BYU was getting first downs in one or two plays.
Byu played a great game. One thing that has caught my attention this year is our linebacker corps is awesome. The safeties are really good too. Byu should do fine against FSU, their pass defense is horrible, they have one good d lineman and that’s it. They can move ball, but I think the defense will frustrate them. It should a very emotional game for the Cougs.
WHAT SLOW START??!!
I was very annoyed with the comment an announcer in another game made about BYU getting off to a slow start. Tulane went 3 and out and BYU went down and scored. Then Tulane went 3 and out and BYU went down and scored.
It’s football. You don’t get TDs EVERY time no matter who you play. Sometimes teams just make good plays or good play calls.
The fact of the matter is that the game was never in doubt and BYU controlled it from start to finish.
Couple of things I just have to comment on.
First, BYU did not start slowly. Texas started slowly. FSU started slowly. BYU scored on every possession in this game but one, and that was in the third quarter. Remember, BYU had the ball only four times in the entire first half. And scored 20 points. FSU had it eight times and had 7. Texas had it 9 times and scored 13. That only looked like a slow start; in reality, it was just fine (although it did include the only two 3rd-down failures in the game [Nelson's kneel-down does not count]).
Second, of all the teams getting unusual and heady hype, BYU was the only one to play well this week. Oklahoma State we shouldn’t even mention; I suspect the Big 12 is considering a ban on playing any team with “Cougar” as the mascot. Michigan State lost to the Chippewas. There were a dozen teams playing “trap” games this week, and BYU was one of very, very few to be able to use its backup quarterback for significant minutes.
Third, the MWC did not distinguish itself this week, with the exception of BYU and perhaps TCU, although Virginia is a terrible program. Utah was abysmal – that game should have been condemned on humanitarian grounds – Colorado State would have lost to Weber State if Ron McBride were not the Wildcats’ coach, Air Force lost to Minnesota, of all teams, UNLV coughed it up late against Oregon State, New Mexico was drilled by a team I can’t even remember, and SDSU struggled to beat SUU.
But that said, to contend that BYU is having a special year when it really can’t compete on the big stage is a little puzzling. This is pretty much the same team BYU fielded last year, minus its best running back and four offensive linemen. And yet, BYU takes Oklahoma’s best shot in a game that OU has had circled for MONTHS, and beats them. Tulane, admittedly, doesn’t tell you a lot, but anytime you allow 3 points, rack up 500+ yards of offense and never punt even once, you’ve had a decent football game. Florida State would have given a lot to have done as well in their game with Jacksonville State. Heck, Texas would have been much happier, and they were playing WYOMING.
Arguably, BYU’s best-ever recruiting class is NEXT year’s, not this year’s or the year before’s. It could be argued – and I am making the argument – that this is BYU’s weakest team for the next five years. To say that BYU couldn’t compete with Michigan day in and day out is downright indefensible. Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, even USC, these are teams whose most significant wins are against each other. OSU is a poster-child team for beating up on bad conference teams, taking a gaudy ranking into a bowl game, and getting blasted. This is a team that had to intercept a 2-point conversion pass to beat NAVY last week. Michigan was 3-9 last year and lost to 3-9 TOLEDO. All across the nation, in every conference, BCS teams, supposedly stronger and better BCS teams, are being beaten up physically and on the scoreboard by “lesser” squads. Bob Davie may evince surprise at how no-name teams are physically battering BCS teams, but nobody that watches football with any degree of objectivity joins him.
And spare me the “you can just see how much better and faster these teams are” cant. BYU, for all the hand-wringing about lack of speed, etc., hasn’t been uncompetitive in non-conference games even in the last five or six years. Yes, we have lost. No, we’ve not been crushed. For every loss at Boston College on a missed field goal, I’ll hit back with an eight-touchdown blowout of UCLA. Arizona last year was a bad game, and especially troubling because it was such an outlier. The last time BYU was beaten by more than 7 points by a non-conference team – before that – was Boston College in the first game of 2005, 4 seasons before. Those teams may look better than we do, but it’s funny – they rarely look better when they’re playing US. It’s like the beauty queen at the corner grocery store – take off all the makeup and give her a cold, and she’s not winning any prizes. She only looks good when the conditions are totally in her favor.
You can toot about how BYU only has these sorts of OU-style victories every 10 years or so, but let me ask, how often do we even have a CHANCE to have games like this? The 2006 team was very, very good, but only got to play a totally overmatched Oregon in the bowl game. The 1996 team was one of the nation’s best, but got Kansas State on New Year’s Day. Only if the stars align does BYU ever get a chance to play a top team, and the results, when they have, are not bad. Yep, USC smoked BYU in 2003, but the 2004 game was close. Miami hasn’t scheduled BYU in 20 years. OU won’t be lining up to do it again, and OU has now been beaten 3 times in five seasons by MWC teams.
I still contend that the top 3 in the MWC are the equal of any top 3 in any conference but (presumably) the SEC. Certainly OU and OSU in the Big 12 can’t be presented as champions, and the way Texas played yesterday at Wyoming… The Big Ten does not have three teams the equal of BYU, Utah, and TCU. The Pac 10 doesn’t either. And the ACC and Big East are not even worth discussion. Day in, day out, BYU could and would compete in and win those conferences.
Only the very very top remains ahead of us, those teams that are in the national championship hunt every season: USC, Texas, Florida, OU (on the basis of consistency, only). We are the equals of any team in the next tier. And I think we will not only remain so, but be threatening the very top in the forseeable future.
I really don’t give a darn if we’re good enough to hang with USC, Florida or Texas at this point. That’s a bridge we’ll cross when we get to it. For now, the team has to look at themselves and find out what areas need improvement. The most glaring one of course is the kicking game. Bronco admitted before the season that it was a major concern and we now see why. Our first 2 games were in indoor facilities and both Payne and Stephenson struggled to get their kickoffs going. Stephenson is probably our best chance on getting decent kickoffs unless we find someone else. Hopefully this problem will get corrected. I’d hate for this team to lose a close game because of bad field position on kickoffs.
First, mizzoucoug, you are preaching to the proverbial choir. I want a change in the BCS setup as much as anyone. My comments are based on the setup as it is now. I just get sick of BYU fans who have no concept of reality in regards to the national football scene.
Second, I really think the stars are aligning for the Cougs to play in the national championship game. If we can get past FSU, then I think the biggest challenge will be TCU because they are fast and can throw the ball.
Third, I am glad that there is a site to come to to read some good comments about Cougar football from people that have a somewhat of a clue.
Fourth, all of you who want to get all fired up over my view of the Cougs, please settle down. It’s called a disagreement. I am fully invested. GO COUGS.
As a former player who was also at the game, the start wasn’t as slow as it was flat. I haven’t seen the numbers but I’m pretty sure there weren’t more than 8 thousand people at the game (90% being BYU fans). And in such a large venue like the Super Dome, which is very similar to Qualcom, with so few people, a fast and electric start is difficult for even the best of the best.
Crowd isn’t everything, as we saw, but how a place feels is awfully linked to how the game starts.
Bottom line, if you can’t see that the difference in athleticism between the best MWC teams and the best in the country is razor thin, you haven’t been paying attention.
First note, Tulane is young at key positions, and undersized at key positions but they are not slow. They are fast. They recruit speed guys and have a lot of them. Look at their current and recent rosters. They routinely have a top tier athlete or two who gets drafted in the first or second round. Their RBs, WRs, and DBs are regularly very fast and skilled. They looked slower than they actually are because they are regularly out of position and got tired of getting hit.
Second note, OU is not a bad football team and may be a very good football team. They had some athletes that were better than ours but not many. We have our share of physical specimens. If you doubt me, ask some former Cougars who played in the NFL or went to NFL camps if they saw tons of athletes that were way better than anyone at BYU.
Finally, you seem to have purchased a bill of goods sold to you by the bad guys. It seems to me that you are nothing but a shill and sycophant for those who think there is no way Houston can compete with OSU, or BYU can’t compete in the Big XXII. Go and take a look at BYU’s record against the Big XXII since its inception. If you like, go all the way back to 1974 and the beginning of the modern era of college football at BYU. You will find that BYU’s athletes compare favorably with that conference. Stop buying into the hype and stop denigrating the athleticism of our players.
This is probably the most heat I’ve felt from a “disagreement” on DSB. This site is still awesome!
I’m not sure why ppl say they are concerned about our RBs. Am I the only one that was amazed at the depth we have that position? They look awesome to me, and I don’t care if it is against Tulane. When our third string can run tough, I’m happy. Of course, much of our running success can be attributed to excellent blocking, and I am grateful that Tonga is back! Max made completions to 12 different receivers!! That is what everyone was complaining about last year. Furthermore, he has improved his eye control to decoy defenders. Max is a legitimate contender for heisman this year. I’m loving how good our team looks.
I don’t want to see any more O-lineman get injured this year. They got to survive so we can maintain the brick wall. I hope our injured players can recover wholly and quickly.
I really believe that our 5 interception debacle against Utah last year was a fluke. That will never happen again. We will beat FSU in our own house! No way we are gonna let the Free Shoe Felons beat us. Those guys are fast, but I’m sick of hearing how slow our D is. That just isn’t true. We’ve lost weight with our linebackers and they are quick. The Noles are not gonna be able to score off of kick returns like they could against Miami. They will have to earn every point.
Above all else, I want a Utah spanking this year. We haven’t been able to get full revenge against the Utards in a long time. I’m hoping this is the year we give them the beating they deserve!
Go COUGS!!!
RMearski:
I understand the point of the “rare upset” and “on any given day”. But, let’s just look at the 2008 final BCS rankings of last year (which incorporate season-long performance, computer rankings, strength of schedule, etc):
SEC: 2,4,15,25 (4 teams)
Big12: 1,3,7,13,21 (5 teams)
Big10: 8,10,18,23 (4 teams)
Big East: 12,20 (2 teams)
ACC: 14,19,24 (3 teams)
Pac10: 5,17
MWC: 6,11,16 (3 teams)
WAC: 9 (1 team)
Mid-American: 22 (1 team)
So, the top 3 teams in our league are seen and recognized nationally more than Big East, ACC and Pac10 and arguably on par with the Big 10. Additionally, if MWC repeats last year’s success against BCS schools we will earn our way into the BCS in 2012. So, your opinion that BYU or the MWC is not respected on the national level will be changed in 2 years when the MWC champion gets an automatic BCS bid.
Additionally, if OU wins the Big 12, it will add strength to the argument that BYU could do the same.
On to FSU, wow this is a scary game. Hope someone in LES will be screaming for me!!!
Ki
Casey Adams, I have never said that the top MWC teams cannot compete with any other teams in the country. I would not go as far as to say that the difference in athleticism is “razor thin.” But being able to compete in one game is not the same as playing a whole season in a BCS conference.
I respectfully disagree that the talent at BYU (top to bottom) is on par with the big dogs. And that goes to the heart of my comments, that we have to realize who we are. Yeah, we have a few guys each year that can play in the league. But our strength is in maturity, discipline, and team play, not in athleticism. Our speedsters are possession receivers in the NFL, our running backs are fullbacks in the NFL.
I will sum up my point like this: I love BYU and I think that we have some really good teams from time to time, but usually (this year is somewhat of an exception b/c of OU, FUS, TCU and UU appear decent early in the year) we will not have the opportunity to prove that we deserve a consistent shot at a national title because our league is SOOOO bad.
I will also admit that I am being hard on the Cougs, a position I would never take with non-BYU fans. My motive was to put perspective into a fan base that since 2001 (when I started at BYU and became a fan) has been very quick to VASTLY OVERRATE the team’s talent.
LET’S BEAT THE NOLES.
I’ll do your cheering for you, kiyoshige. Just bought plane tix from NYC to sit with my brother in the student section. Can’t wait!
kiyoshige: I like those stats, and there is no question the MWC is starting to get some respect.
I am jealous that you get to be at the game.
oh, just saw that you weren’t going to be at the game and Kyle M is, I am jealous of him.
RMearski,
I now understand the genesis of your comments. You haven’t been a fan long enough to realize how small the margin is between BYU and the BCS AQ gliteratti. Given that you have only been a fan since 2001, you have spent about 1/2 of your time as a Cougar fan during our worst era since the 70s. Since that is the case, it is clear to me why you don’t think we have the talent to compete. Even during those years we had talent but not on the same level as our current group or the teams from 1980-1998. We have been on the same talent level as the top leagues for a long time but your perspective is understandable. Stick around a little and you’ll see what I mean.
Good comments and good discussion.
Perhaps.
I too began school at BYU in the fall of 2001. My older brother had to endure all the years of Crowton as head coach while I was away on my mission and such. He is even more pessimistic than RMearski, who is in fact, not that pessimistic. I’d agree with his realistic assessment of how the MWC overall has been consistently different than other power conferences. But the important point I think, is that it seems to be changing, particularly at the top of our conference.
I can see why people my age have doubts about our team. I have doubts. I can see in TV and sportswriter coverage that the BYU program has a lot of respect because of the decades leading up to where we are now. Put 10 win seasons the last 3 seasons means something. Since I started paying attention to college football, BYU has been so so on non-conference games. Just last season our team was exploding with excitement at beating a mediocre Washington by 1 point.
I too want to temper my excitement because this Mendenhall thing has just started, so to speak. As BYU and other MWC teams keep winning key games though, I’ll start tooting my horn at the BCS and how my BYU team can challenge any team in the country.
I have heard so many of the posters on numerous occasions talk about how the coaches should go to the soccer team and ask if there is anyone who can kick.
Great Idea. Technically they did.
My nephew and a colleague of his who both played soccer in Texas both tried out for the team in spring open tryouts. He tells me that he kicked 55 yarders consistently. His friend kicked 60 yarders but not as consistently. He claimed of all the players who were trying out, he was the most consistent. The coach later told him that ‘they don’t like soccer players on the football team’ and that is the reason they did not let him play. Our kicking game had options. They apparently just weren’t willing to pursue them.
I asked him why he didn’t just tell the coach to then ‘teach me, if you don’t like my style’. He said he should have. The kid still goes to BYU. Quinn or Mark, if you still have any influence with the team, this is still an option that is obviously better than what we are presently using. If you need more contact info, email me.
Jared,
I like your story but I have to doubt it. No offense intended.
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