The MWC Week 4 Review
As we are moving more and more towards in-conference games things are starting to become a little more clear in the Mountain West. We are now 4 games into the season and good or bad, it is becoming harder for teams to hide who they really are. So without further ado, let’s take a look at this weekend’s action.
Air Force 26 (3-1, 2-0) – San Diego State 14
It appeared to be another beautiful day in Colorado Springs (my favorite road game by far as a player) and the Falcons took it to the Aztecs in a surprisingly lop-sided game. If you watched the game then you know that the score does not indicate how dominate AFA was over SDSU. The Falcon defense was flying around (no pun intended) and really taking it to Lindley and Co. The SDSU offense never got off the ground. Dietz, the AFA QB who played in place of an injured Jefferson, proved that he may be the next Carney which would be a great thing for Air Force down the road. Don’t expect him to take the reins from Jefferson just yet though. The downside of the Falcons this week was their inability to finish drives in the end zone.
#20 BYU 42 (3-1, 1-0) – Colorado State 23
It appeared as though this week was our Offenses turn to take the week off. I guess they figured since the D didn’t show up last week, they deserved a little break. They moved the ball well enough, but not like they have against far superior defenses. We finished with 132 rushing yards which is very average for a BYU v CSU game. In the last 5 years we usually just run it down their throat and then kill ‘em with the play action passes.
What I liked about the game? Coach Anae’s play goal at the goal line with Max rolling out on a naked boot play and just walking in. I also like the fact that although Max threw 2 picks, they finally were not his fault and he wasn’t making stupid throws. The safety made a great play on the on that was thrown low and outside. And on the second pick Harvey settled instead of running the out.
What I didn’t like about the game? We came our so fired up and high on emotion (see Oklahoma and Tulane) and then we really tapered off midway 2nd quarter (see FSU). We need to sustain our emotion throughout the entire game.
Colorado State 23 (3-1, 0-1) - #20 BYU 42
The Rams were going for their first 4-0 start in like 20 years, but someone forgot to alert the press that the game was being played in LES! What was good for the Rams was that their offense, unfortunately, moved the ball with ease for a lot of the game. BYU went back to being physical and the ball just kind of kept popping into our hands. CSU definitely looked like an improved team which will probably spark some more debate as to where they should be ranked.
New Mexico 17 (0-4, 0-1)- New Mexico State 20
The legacy of the Lobos continues to head south in what seems to be an unstoppable course charted for disappointment. New Mexico had the lead until a TD with 39 seconds left sealed their fate of starting 0-4 on the season. The New Mexico offenses seemed to roll at times and Porterie had one of his better games, throwing for 206 yards. But with the absence of Rocky Long, the Lobos seem to be a lost cause.
San Diego State 14 (1-3, 0-1) - Air Force 26
San Diego State is struggling and it really does not look good for Aztecs this year. Getting pushed around all day by an undersized, under-talented AFA squad further proved that the Aztecs will be waiting at least one more season until they get back in the mix of things int he MWC. Good news for them is that they still get to play New Mexico and Wyoming this season.
What really surprised me about this game is the fact that a Rocky Long defense could not stop the Falcons. Historically Rocky and Bronco stifle the Falcon attack with ease. You know there are problems in San Diego when Rocky Long has no answers against the Falcons.
#15 TCU 14 (3-0, 0-0) – Clemson 10
TCU did what BYU and Utah could not last week. They beat a very good BCS school. Not only that, they did it in Death Valley (where I served my mission) in a pretty tough stadium to play in and Clemson is no slouch of a football team. What is most impressive about TCU this year is the same as every year…they have a stifling defense that stopped 2 Clemson drives inside the 20.
The highlight of the week for me was Gary Patterson (who I hate 99% of the time) responding to talk of TCU being a BCS buster…”I am not drinking that Kool-Aid.” I have to admire him for keeping his team on point and not letting the media detract them from winning games. They want to stay under the radar and just win week in and week out.
UNLV 27 (2-2, 0-1) – Wyoming 30
Unbelievable. Just when I thought that UNLV was not becoming the cellar-dweller of old they go out and lose to Wyoming. What has to be killing the confidence in Vegas right now is that the loss in Laramie was UNLV’s 20th consecutive road loss! That is a long time without winning on the road.
This game was a shootout between two less than impressive teams and it was turnovers that lost it for the Rebels down the stretch.
Utah 30 (3-1, 0-0) – Louisville 14
This Louisville squad is not the Louisville squad of the last few years, but Utah took care of a BCS school and did it early. After stalling on their first possession the Utes scored quickly on their second drive. Then on the first play for Louisville Misi forced a fumble and 18 seconds later Utah was back on the board! They ran away early and let Louisville score two late TDs in the 3rd and 4th quarters.
Cain improved slightly, but he is still a very inaccurate passer which really makes him one dimensional and that is something that BYU can stop.
Wyoming 30 (2-2, 1-0) – UNLV 27
The best news of the day for the Pokes is that true freshman QB Carta-Samuels may be the best thing that has happened to them since the week before they got beat 58-8 by the Cougars in 2006. The kid was almost perfect on the day and led the Pokes on two key TD drives late in the game to secure the victory in front of the home town crowd. Out of the cellar and into the middle of the pack for the Pokes.
Week 4 Rankings
1. TCU
2. BYU
3. Air Force
4. Utah
5. Wyoming
6. Colorado State
7. UNLV
8. SDSU
9. New Mexico
-Markell Staffieri
I hope both thd Defence and Offence show up friday night agianst Utah State. I think they will suprise. I think they will come to play ball. last years game at Utah State they dominated in the 2nd half, and they just might start where they left off. BYU is or can be a better team they just all need to play on the same day same field, and for 60 min. I’m a bit upset by the polls, but not real suprised.
I don’t think that drop would have happened if FSU won this weekend.
Staff,
It’s a compliment that you hate Gary Patterson, right? Is there a particular reason why he gets your goat?
I respect the guy for sticking with a TCU program when he has a ton of other offers from BCS teams. I also like his defensive emphasis.
Ki
Ok Staff, you say that the thing you didn’t like for BYU was that the team was riding too much of an emotional high so it couldn’t be sustained.
It seems to me that emotion is a constant problem for the Cougs. If there was one thing that got me fired up about the game at OU, it was that everyone was emotional, including (and most importantly) Bronco. Because of what you said Staff, last year BYU seemed to subscribe to a philosophy that went something like this: “Each game is just a game. It’s just another day of business to take care of. No one game is any more emotional than any other.” But I think that just isn’t true, and I think Bronco realized it. I heard him say at the beginning of this season that he promised the team he would have more fun this year and have more emotion. Last year BYU played like robots, and the Utes played like emotional savages. They didn’t let their emotions get the best of them, but they didn’t deny them either. The Utes seemed to really use their emotions by channeling them into the game and gaining an advantage. They were good.
So what do the Cougs need to do here? Have less emotion? I don’t think that is the right idea. Ever since that first game against OU when I was so excited about Bronco showing emotion (which I hadn’t seen since Beck threw the game winner to Harline in SLC in ‘06) he has returned to being a poker player/general authority rather than an athletic coach. Anyone else know what I mean? I’m not dissing or criticizing, I’m just wondering what is really going on here because the problems seem to be mental/psychological, not physical or technical.
Peace.
I fear the TCU – BYU game. I’m from Alabama, I love the SEC, and am proud to be a part of the experience it brings. One thing that makes the SEC so strong, is the amount of teams we have, that have strong defenses. Defense wins games, I’m a firm believer in that. That being said, TCU’s defense is strong. I know it is always, but they look even more powerful this year, and that scares the living heck out of me. I really want BYU to take the Conference championship, and get a good bowl game, but they’re going to have to take down TCU if they want to do all of that, and right now I just don’t know if they can…
I really think the UNLV/Wyoming game was a fluke. BYU needs to be very prepared when they play UNLV on the road. I think Wyoming is more like the #7 or #8 team in the league.
Guys, it is physical. Cougs are just okay this year. We are not a top 20 team. It is nice to see them back in the MWC where they belong. Hopefully we can build some momentum heading into TCU and hope that Max has a great game. If he doesn’t, we get blown out again. If the Cougs can pull off a MWC Championship it will be an awesome achievement for them.
I was frustrated with the two interceptions but once I realized they really weren’t Max’s fault I felt a lot better about them. Hopefully Harvey won’t make the mistake of not making his cut again and McKay will be more aggressive in coming back to the ball when necessary. He really let that safety beat him out.
That leaves all the three and outs in the middle of the game and those were worrisome. I just hate to see us sputter on the launch pad. But Max and co. did put together some nice drives when they were needed and the defense also got stops when needed.
This game could have been a lot closer, especially remembering what happened last year and knowing that Colorado State is improving. While there were some negatives I think we need to remember to give credit where credit is due. Logan got picked on but also made some super plays and he’s a reliable tackler. The offense stalled at times but also did some great things.
I just hope we see improvement week to week as the season goes on. If we do, then this can be a great year. I’m glad we’ve got some games cut our teeth on before that big TCU showdown Oct 24. Can’t think of a better game for homecoming!
Ryan F,
I didn’t say the problem was that we were too high emotionally that we could not sustain it. I said we came out with emotion and could not sustain it. I think there is a big difference…but like you are saying, what I want to see week in and week out is the emotional high from OU and Tulane that went from beginning to end.
Bronco is very emotional, the fans just don’t see it as much as the players. I have even been talking to players and coaches this year and they re-assure me that this is the case.
rmearski,
I don’t know what you mean by “it’s all physical?” Are you saying that we are not talented enough? Not hitting hard enough?
In any case I have to completely disagree with you that BYU is not a top 20 team. They should be somewhere between 15-20. They are not a top 10 team and two years in a row have been vaulted up there too fast. If you have been watching a lot of other college football you can’t honestly say that we are not top 20.
BYU and TCU are just about dead even in my book. TCU is getting the edge because they show up to play with great emotion every game. We still have some let downs.
Yeah Staff, I agree that there is a big difference between having so much emotion it can’t be sustained, and having a good amount of emotion and just not sustaining it. So you’re saying BYU had a nice high level of emotion, but just tapered off, right? Why do you think it was that way? My guess is that, first of all, the Cougs got out to an early lead and it seemed like the game was basically over at the start of the 2nd quarter. Another thing, based on what I heard Bronco and Jan say on KSL after the game, is that once we had a 21-0 lead, the entire strategy of the game changed. Bronco mentioned that they were ok giving Ligget several 12-yard-ish receptions, as long has he didn’t beat anyone long. They were ok managing the game with less risk like that because it wasn’t a close game. Jan also say the “style” of D they were playing wasn’t designed to get a huge pass rush. I can’t remember how he phrased it exactly, but it goes along with what Bronco said that the D was not trying to pile up stats and get a shut out, just protect the lead to get the win. Strategically, that sounds great. But it seems like a great drawback to that is a letdown in mental focus or emotion or whatever. With a less risky strategy comes less urgency to execute.
Ryan F,
The comments made by Coach Mendenhall and Jan are spot on. When you jump out to a 21-0 lead against an offense like CSU that tries to base itself off of the Run/Play Action game the strategies change drastically and now they have to chuck it deep to try and stay in the game.
You almost go into a prevent mode, but I still saw a little bit of a let down, and like you are saying, just because the strategy changes doesn’t mean that the execution should change.
What I mean is that our guys, top to bottom, are not as good as the top twenty teams in the nation. What we do have, which I love, is a strong “team” culture, smart players, amazing amount of hustle and a potent offensive scheme.
I actually think our guys are very tough, which is great to see. But they lack playmakers on both sides of the ball. Our cornerbacks are horrid and our safeties are average at best. I mean I love seeing madman Rich torpedo guys as much as the next, but that doesn’t translate to being a good strong safety.
On offense, Unga is really good, but he will be an NFL fullback. In other words, he’s not a big play threat. We don’t have one at the RB spot. Our receivers are good, possession receivers. But that’s all. I mean every time Pitta catches the ball he sits down. Dude, run!
Our lineman are decent but they are slow also. For me that is the ONLY place where serving a mission helps out. But they are all fat, married old men.
Maybe BYU will end up in the top 20, I certainly hope so. But they will do it on some gritty performaces and clutch plays, not by physical dominance or athletic superiority. They will do it, and by “it” I mean beating TCU and Utah, by playing their best ball, they have a very slight margin for error. Why? Because they are not that talented. But that doesn’t mean they can’t do it. GO COUGS!
rmearski just elevated his game to “scan” level. From now on his posts only get a cursory scan to see what negativity he is bringing to the situation. I came to this board because I wanted to associate with BYU fans…espeically those who knew the game or were trying to learn the game. I can hear guys like rmearski in the stadium and that is enough for me.
About football, Staff, Gooch, Criddle, I’ve noticed that Hall and JJ are having trouble connecting on certain short passes. What is the difficulty here? Are the two of them just struggling to get on the same page or is it more dire? I like JJ in space and would like to see him do his thing more but if he can’t catch those throws or Hall can’t hit him on those throws, I get worried.
Another thing about JJ, I really like him when we run out of the I formation, especially in a jumbo package. What makes him so effective on those plays?
Oh, man, rmearski, you are such a pessimist. Cornerbacks are horrid? Did you know that Logan’s two interceptions and seven pass breakups have him tied for the lead in the nation in that category? Sure, they’re picking on him because of his size. But he’s far from “horrid” and he did a better job getting his head around towards the end of the game. He’s only played in four D1 games for heavens sakes. His upside is huge!
No big play guys? How about McKay Jacobsen and Oneal Chambers? McKay had multiple offers from Texas schools. Give the guy a chance to shake off the mission legs. And Harvey gained over 100 yards on a sore hamstring. Sheesh. Griping that Pitta sits down after the catches is silly. He’s right there in a tight seam where he’s going to get blasted if he takes a step. Sure, he could have run once or twice, but those are third down plays where the yardage foremost.
That hurts Casey Adams. I am NOT those guys in the stadium critisizing players and coaches, and hidsighting. I loathe them as well. My comment was in response to Ryan F asking what was the problem? He hinted that he did not think it was physical. I think it is. Sorry if you find that “negative.” I think it is positive because I can accept the Cougs for who they are and still cheer them on when they are not in the top 10.
Robb, I like those comments. I only appear like a pessimist because I do not post everything I love about the Cougars.
I don’t agree that Logan is that good, but horrid was probably a stretch. He would not start at any other top 20 school, but horrid is too far. His upside being huge? is he going to grow? Good thought about him only having 4 D1 games. That’s a good point. You didn’t mention Bradley, but he too is not that good. I do like our corners better than the last few years though, but teams can onsistently throw the ball on us.
Good point on McKay Jacobsen. I forgot about that. Mission rust is huge. He did have big play capabilities his freshman year. He jsut hasn’t looked that good for me this year. Perhaps too harsh.
Oneil Chambers? He just looks to lack “football speed.” Maybe I am off.
Harvey is awesome. No question. Not big play awesome, but sustaina drive late in the game to seal a victory awesome.
Pitta? I am fully aware that in the seam he makes big catches between two sometimes three guys. It just seams like he sits down wayyy too much. What happened to that swing pass they would throw to Harline. Is Pitta less illusive in the open field?
Again, good thoughts Robb.
What are some things you all would recommend that the fans look for to see whether there is improvement or not?
Pitta didn’t sit down on 4th down against OU. He also has a habit of sitting down right at the first down marker, not fumbling the ball and making grabs in traffic.
With Hall, Pitta, George, Jacobsen, Harvey, Tonga I think our offense is definitely of top 20 caliber. Defensively, we may not be top 20, but it is arguable. If TCU makes it to the top 10 by the time we play them and we beat them, this will have been the first BYU team to beat two top 10 teams in the same season.
I believe that there is a pretty big drop off between the top 3 or so teams, then the top 10, then the next 10. Clearly, Florida, Alabama and Texas have distanced themselves from the “rest of the pack.” After that, cases can be made and resumes examined. I do think that it’s a bit early to tell and so our game against TCU will be a good marker of where we stand.
If you want a team that is overrated, let’s look at Boise St.
I’m not saying that we are top 10. I actually think that the polls have us about right at the 15-20 range. I don’t think that we will beat TCU.
And, wow, the “fat, married old men” dig at the line. I realize that we haven’t had many linemen make it to the next level. But, I remember just walking by the weight room circa 1990, looking at the racks and racks of poundage these guys put up. That would give me the motivation to go do my 185 reps. I give our young O-line huge props this year and they have to be the most overachieving unit on the field. I would not want to be in the room when you make that comment.
Why is it that fans are so quick to turn on their teams? Had we beat FSU everyone would be talking about how good we are. Sure, the last few games have left a few things to be desidered, but we still have a good football team. Correction, a top 20 football team. A conference champioship is not a reach for this program, it is something that is expected year in and year out because it’s BYU. That’s just what we do, dominate our conference. We lose one year to TCU and Utah and all of a sudden we can’t compete with them? And when did Utah st. dominate in the second half last year? Are people just repeating what they hear in the media, because as I remember it the score was 35-0 at the beginning of the 4th and the aggies score 2 garbage time TD’s when the game’s outcome was no longer in question.
I agree that we jumped into the top 10 too quickly and I think that is largely to blame for the bad perception people have of the team now. BYU cannot control that. So I think it’s important to just focus on what the team can do and that is win the rest the games on the schedule. It won’t be a walk in the park, but I think our team has a great chance to do it.
BYU, top to bottom, has as much talent as many of the top 20 teams.
Is it really all that surprising to see a team go up 21-0, making it look easy, and then come out flat the next quarter?
I’m personally not concerned about this team yet. I think they’re good. And I think they have the potential to be very good.
Man, I must be overstating Pitta. I don’t know why I was thinkin he goes down too much. I will keep an eye out.
Top twenty offense? That’s a difficult one for me to argue right now. I just feel so uncertain with Hall back there in close games. Actually, it is not close games. I like him in a last drive situation. It is when we get down by a touchdown or two.
Fat, married old men is statement of pure fact!! Our guys are humongous, but I would like to see them tone it down a little. Maybe that is a product of steroids. But the best o-line guys seem to be a little trimmer than our porkers.
I still think we can end up in the top 10-15 by the end of the year. But, like I said before, it is going to take playing out of their minds – which I will be cheering for them to accomplish.
If we could beat Oklahoma on the road then we can definitely beat TCU at home this year. It’s just going to come down to whether we want it more than they do. And I think we’d see a much different game if we were to get another crack at Florida State.
Robb,
I agree with you that we would see a different game against FSU if we got another chance…but the fact is that you only get 1 chance at a team each season. If we play like we did against OU we would beat FSU and TCU…problem is we didn’t show up against FSU.
We are really good when we choose to play that. The TCU game will be all emotion.
I WANT TO REVISIT RMEARSKI’S COMMENTS:
I did not disagree with the comments that much.
1. Harvey is not a big play RB but an NFL full back…this is pretty spot on. He is a power back and is not going to run away from anyone, especially with a bum-hammy. But he will get us the big play on 3rd and 4th and short.
2. Receivers are not great. Jacobson IS a big play guy, everyone else really is a possession receiver, but we are a possession offense anyway. We don’t focus on the big play but rather consisteny, sustained, long drives.
3. Pitta sits down. Pitta doesn’t have a lot of YAC yards, but that is mostly because he is getting killed when he catches the ball. He is BIG TIME though and will catch anything within arms length. He catches the ball in traffic, but he will run when there is open space.
4. OL are fat married old men. This is true. Most of our OL are fresh off the mission and had to put on weight so fast that it was not good weight. The ideal line is built more like FSU’s where they are lean and fast and strong (IE: NFL linemen)
So all in all I think that rmearsk may have come across over the top but there was a lot of validity in what he said.
I was at the game, and had a couple of observations I was curious your thoughts on:
1 – Brian Logan. The guy has a lot of speed, and a lot of skill. Unfortunately, his technique seems to need a lot of work. His PI’s were so blatantly obvious, there was no room for question. He has his hands all over the WR’s he’s trying to cover, and to me, it seems like he can use his overall speed, keep his hands at his side, and try to make a better play on the ball. CSU were attacking him over and over the 2nd and 3rd quarters. Thoughts?
2 – QB Pressure. It seems like we’re just not getting any pressure on the QB’s ever since the OU game. Is this purposeful, or are we just playing better O-Line’s? My worry is that the more time we’re trying to cover WR’s, the less chance we have at success. Shouldn’t we throw our cards on the table a little more often and bring the heat?
3 – Unga. Harvey was absolutely the man Saturday. He carried this team, put us on his back, and marched us down the field over and over. We are so much more of a dynamic offense when he’s healthy.
4 – Lastly, deep ball. I haven’t noticed a lot of attempts at the deep ball this year. Though I’d agree it’s not a high accuracy play, doesn’t it make better sense to stretch out these defenses, and late playmakers like McKay and O’Neil try to get the ball? I was watching CSU’s defense really close the second half and they were really sneaking up and playing closer to the line of scrimmage. I think a good deep ball would’ve been just what the doctor ordered to give Max a bit more time.
Those were my thoughts at the game. That first quarter was a thing of beauty, though. Can’t wait til’ Friday for the next one. I’m looking for a better and more consistent effort from the offense. I also think we really need to bring the heat on USU’s QB….
I think Harvey’s NFL future will depend on the team that picks him up. The one thing about Harvey is that he’s not fastest or biggest RB I’ve seen but he just has a knack for knowing how to attack a defense and how to utilize the physical tools he has to full potential.
With regards to our receivers. I like the guys we have. We were kind of spoiled with Collie and he’s just an irreplaceable guy. But with guys like Jacobsen, Chambers, Hafoka and Ashworth, our WR corps is about as good as any year BYU has had when their offense was explosive.
My unproven theory on Pitta this year is that I think that the knee injury he suffered last year has affected his psyche to a certain degree. He’s still a reliable big play TE, but he doesn’t seem as gutsy and acrobatic as he was last season. I could spend all day watching his TD catch at Ft Collins last year when his helmet came flying off after getting sandwiched and still made the catch. I guess it’s still early in the season though.
The fat, old and married comment about our O-line though amusing is a stereotypical jab at best. I’d say about half of our current O-line is married at the moment and the average age and weight is that not that far apart from what you’d see in other schools.
I forgot about Pitta’s knee.
Markell, you served your mission in Death Valley! What was the tracting like, probably not too many responses except for Saturdays…
A few comments BYU’s D (Jamie Hill) needs to thow in some blitzs, I would like to see alot of pressure on the OB, ie; the OU game. I’m just a fan and always want the exciting game, but if the OB is pressured, that just increases the opputunity for turnovers. I’d also like to see a strong run game against Utah State. I would also throw deep more to keep the D honest, 2 runs to every pass. Get a big lead and let Riley play.
Since the late 90’s BYU has had a fair share of emotional letdowns, the yewts for one, how do you not get up for that every year, and FSU, i’m still rubbing my head. If I had one complaint about Bronco I would have to say he lets his teams come out flat.
I do think Bronco is a great coach.
Go COUGS
I don’t see how anyone can argue that BYU is not a top 20 team. So we lost a crappy game against a Free Shoes Felons team that looked like they were on drugs to stop us. That sux, but there are not many top 20 teams outside of the top 10 that don’t have a loss right now. If you compare BYU to the rest of the 20-10 positions, BYU is actually under-rated. We have some amazing athletes on our team, and our O-line that shut out OU’s O-line did not look like a bunch of fat boys.
I don’t understand why BYU goes flat, but I do think we will take both TCU and Utah this year. I disagree with everyone talking up TCU’s D right now. It is not as good as it was last year. Last year’s TCU D would have destroyed Clemson and shut out Virginia. Believe it or not, our D when it plays with full energy and concentration is better. Yes, I’m talking about the D that beat OU and pummeled Tulane. It’s just a matter of getting our mojo back. I hope we do it against USU.
USU is actually much improved over last year. However, we are playing in LES! Expect Harvey to have a break out day again, and expect our other RBs to get some good carries. Also, McKay Jacobsen will get open more this game and Chambers will score his first TD.
GO COUGS!!!
Markell you came close this week but no way Wyoming jumps over CSU. I know you’re biased, but CSU is proving to be solid on offense. When will AFA get any love in the polls. This is the third year they have been good. Hopefully a win against Navy will put them on the map. Anyway, this is my rankings:
Week 4 Rankings
1. TCU
2. BYU
3. Air Force
4. Utah
5. Colorado State
6. UNLV
7. SDSU
8. Wyoming
9. New Mexico
After the OU game I thought we had a great defense. I thought the Florida State game might have been a fluke, but after watching CSU do whatever they wanted, I am very worried. Spin it all you want, but a good defense should not be satisfied to give up the yards that BYU’s defense was giving up regardless if they are up 50. I did not see the final stats but I think CSU lead in most of the categories. Without the lucky 21 we got in the first quarter this game is totally different.
Frankly, the defense needs to shut out Utah State. I’ve heard that Bronco says he wants the defense to hold the opponents to 23 points. Baloney!!! The goal should be a shut out EVERY game.
RE:Brian Logan. I wish he were 6 inches taller. He himself said he is 5′6″ even though they list him at 5′9″. Anyone with a brain will go at him with a taller receiver. Maybe OU had no film of him, because if they did they would have been throwing at him too. Do we have anyone else??? The jury is still out on Bradley, partly because teams can throw at Logan all day.
Seems like the defense forgot how to blitz. I remember this great play BYU had against OU – they ran it over and over and knocked the Heisman winner out of the game. Jaime Hill where are you? Are you mad because no one is saying your name correctly? Dude – fire up the defense!!!
The offense is good but lacks consistency. Let’s get the ball to the TE on some quick slants. That is a nearly unstoppable play and when they do come up to stop it there are a multitude of other things that open up.
I am worried that we are going to play some lesser opponents and unless the bar is raised, when TCU rolls into town, it will be Florida State all over again. TCU is beatable, but only if there is ALOT of hard work done between now and then. My seats are first row behind the visitors bench and there is nothing worse than seeing/hearing the visiting team pop off and nothing better than having them sit quietly and listen to 65,000 fans rise and shout.
Alright, so I must drink blue Kool-aid and eat blue Jell-O, but despite our extremely disappointing loss to FSU (I’m still upset about it), I am a pretty satisfied BYU fan. My goals each year are simple and ranked in the following way:
1. Beat Utah
2. Win the conference crown
3. Win our bowl game
I don’t expect us to win a national championship every year or even every decade, but given that their 119 teams, on average BYU is one of the elite year in and year out. I was born the year Lavell was made the head coach and, with the exception of my mission and the first 4-5 years of my life, I have watched, listened, or followed every game. BYU has its ups and downs, every team does (USC vs Washington anyone?), but we are living in a golden period for BYU football, with the exception of our rivalry with Utah (I’m with Staff, I have an extremely hard time ever wanting Utah to succeed), but Utah is a good team (ouch that hurt to say). Here are some stats to back up my argument of why I’m rather pleased with the current program and why BYU is not and has not been a mediocre team under Bronco:
Bronco Mendenhall’s record as a coach:
2005
Win/loss: 6/6
Tied for 2nd in MWC (behind a good team: TCU)
Utah game: loss in overtime
Bowl games: close loss
Final rank: unranked
2006
Win/loss: 11/2
1st in MWC
Utah game: win
Bowl game: win
Final rank: 16
2007
Win/loss: 11/2
1st in MWC
Utah game: win
Bowl game: win
Final rank: 14
2008
Win/loss: 10/3
3rd in MWC (behind two good teams: TCU and Utah)
Utah game: loss
Bowl game: loss
Final rank: 25
2009 so far
Win/loss: 3/1
OVERALL:
Win/loss: 41/14
2 outright conference championships and always a contender for the title
Against Utah: 2/2 (including against an obviously BCS-caliber team)
Ranked (including currently) in the Top 25 four out of five years
Additionally:
1. Defeated the #3 team in the country on the biggest stage imaginable (outside of a NC game).
2. Have not lost a conference home game in 3 years and have only lost one home game at all in that time.
3. Produced some of the strongest recruiting classes in school history.
4. Coached the following BYU record holders (remember to put this in the perspective of the Greats that have gone before):
- Two of the top five BYU passers: John Beck and Max Hall
- Two of the top five BYU rushers: Curtis Brown and Harvey Unga
- Two of the top five BYU receivers: Dennis Pitta and Austin Collie (also #1 in the nation for 2008)
- Two of the top five BYU offensive players: John Beck and Max Hall
- Two of the top five BYU career yard leaders: Curtis Brown and Austin Collie)
- Two of the top five BYU touchdown to interception ratio leaders: John Beck and Max Hall (yes, Hall is in the top five behind only Ty Detmer (65 interceptions!), Jim McMahon, and John Beck)
- The second highest BYU career scoring leader: Mitch Payne
- Every year BYU players on most, if not all, of the major college football watchlists
- Bronco Mendenhall has the highest win percentage of any football coach in BYU history
Special thanks to http://www.cougarstats.com/
Trey,
Once again I can see where you would put CSU higher in the rankings…but I think even you have to admit that there is no grounds imaginable for ranking SDSU above Wyoming. Look at the records. SDSU is 1-3 with their only win coming against SUU who is a small step down from Weber, who Wyoming beat. Then Wyoming beat a good UNLV team (not great, but good). On top of that Wyoming also played the legitimate #2 team in the land REALLY tough for a little more than 2 quarters of football. The only team SDSU played semi-tough was a mediocre UCLA team.
Come on man. I will let you rank CSU #5 but you have to admit that SDSU over Wyoming at #7 is just ludicrous.
The only argument you may muster is that the bottom of the barrel is pretty deep.
Dan,
The defense did not forget how to blitz. We didn’t need to blitz. I know you don’t want to hear that but let me give you an example…
I am currently coaching at my alma mater and last friday we were winning 35-0 at half. Our head coach put in a reverse pass that week in practice. At half time he told the receiver to warm up his arm because we were going to run it…WINNING 35-0 are you kidding?! Despite my best efforts to convince the rest of the Offensive coaches to save that play for when we needed it, my please fell on deaf ears and we ran the play…a wobbling duck of a pass for no completion in a meaningless game.
Why show your hand when you don’t have to?
I agree with what is said that you should not allow a mediocre team to move the ball all over on you, but the blitzes for the OU game were very unique and you don’t want to give teams the opportunity to game plan for things you perceive as their weakness. Otherwise they can make the changes to stop you.
Our coaches saw things in the OU protection that helped them develop the blitz packages they used. Let’s keep our secret weapons secret until we need them.
I agree with Oceanographer, it is a great time to be a Cougar fan. I couldn’t be more pleased with Bronco and the boys. They play their heart out every week and they are prepared. I don’t think there is a science to playing “flat”. It happens sometimes. Teams implement routines and mantras to create consistency in the energy of the team during the game, but sometimes you have it and sometimes you don’t. Its like a pitcher having good stuff some days and nothing the next. He doesn’t change his routine, he wants to have good stuff, but sometimes its not there.
The great teams (like pitchers) win when they don’t have their best stuff. While the Cougs are not great on the national level, and likely never will be, they are putting a quality team on the field every year, that is not raping people, that is scoring points, and hitting people in the mouth on defense. Couldn’t be happier.
You fans that think BYU should be national champs each year need to get a clue.
That last coment by Markell is exactly what I am talking about when I say that fans are clueless with regard to coaching decisions and players performances. We don’t know why oaches do what they do, but they generally have a good reason (except for Purdue’s coach calling timeout in the ND game this week — hell-o!). Another example, besides unknown injuries, is setting plays up in the first half to exploit in the second half. But even after saying that, we are fans, we buy tickets, we buy merchandise, we cheer our heads off, so we can say what we want.
rmearski,
But I disagree with you that the Cougs are just “ok” this year. “Ok” teams don’t beat teams like Oklahoma. The point of my post was that BYU has been MORE than “ok” over the last four years, including this year.
RM, let me reiterate that I appreciate the realism/skepticism you bring – it helps bring me back to the ground as I bleed so much Cougar blue it at times is a strain on my family relationships. I’m not one to think we should vie for the national championship every year. I do think we should beat a BCS school each year. And just the fact that you are a Scout leader lends instant cred.
Love the goals, Ocean. Last year we went 0-3 on them. I wouldn’t mind 2-1 this year. I think we beat Utah. I think TCU wins the conference. But then we should win a bowl game, maybe back here in Texas if TCU goes BCS…
Oceanographer, I guess for me, the rating “ok” means outside the top twenty. I guess that shows that I think the Cougs have top 10-15 potential every year. For me 1-10 would be a great year. 10-20 a “good” year and 20-30 an “ok” year. ANything below 30 a bad year. INherent in those ranking would be a MWC championship because the only way to land high in the polls at the end of the year for a non-bcs team is to be your conference champ.
Oklahoma was the perfect storm. A beautiful perfect storm. I would have hated to see what they would have done to us after half time adjustments with Bradford in the game. With Bradford still in the game, Max isn’t yelling “we are going to win” going into the lockers at halftime. It was a great win, but the FSU game was much more descriptive of this team than the OU game.
I am extremely excited to see how we develop week to week leading up to TCU and Utah. I have to admit, I am glad we are not the favorites. It seems like we play better as the underdog in big games.
All right Staff,
I’ll give you Wyoming this week, but even you have to admit that we couldn’t tell if Wyoming had an offense until last weekend. The 2 quarters that they held Texas was purely defense, with the D scoring on a blocked punt. So for me the jury is still out on the Pokes. The win against UNLV was an upset, and I actually believe UNLV is a decent team. We better not take them lightly this year. So we’ll keep WY over SDSU.
rmearski,
Ok, I understand where you are coming from now and agree with you. Personally, though, I have to say that I don’t think that beating OK was because of “a perfect storm.” There were no flukes in that game. Both teams played hard. Both teams had balls go their way. BYU was simply better prepared and mentally focused in every way. Even if Bradford had stayed in and made adjustments, the same could be said for BYU. Again, no flukes and no luck involved in that game. It wasn’t luck that knocked Bradford out of the game, it was Colby Clawson.
We lost to FSU not because we aren’t that good but because, in this case, it =was= “a perfect storm” for FSU. Everything went their way on top of the fact that we did not come as prepared and mentally focused as we could and should have been. That combination killed us. If you think that I’m splitting hairs then imagine what would have happened to OK if it really would have been a perfect storm for BYU. I see a big difference in those two games.
A couple of examples to illustrate my point:
I remember very clearly that the year that BYU beat Miami and Ty won the Heisman. It was also the year that we were ranked #4, had blown out two previous opponents, but then got blown out by Oregon. However, we then went on to win out (we beat Utah 45-22 – ah the days!) until Ty actually got the Heisman and we lost to Hawaii and Texas A&M. We still ended the season ranked 22. In 1985 we lost to UTEP! It was the ONLY game that UTEP won that year yet BYU still ended the season as conference champ, 11-3, and ranked 16 in the country. So, with that in mind I completely disagree that the FSU game is more indicative of the team than the OK game. I’m a realist too, which means I also recognize that even good teams (like BYU) have bad games or win games imperfectly and that small plays can have snowball effects. If Chambers doesn’t fumble on our opening drive and BYU scores a touchdown instead the outcome of the FSU game would likely have been very different.
All of this being said, if BYU goes flat the rest of the season or, heaven forbid, loses to USU then I will willingly eat humble pie.
Kiyoshige,
The failure to meet my first goal last year is really the only reason I was down about last season. It was a good, and typical, BYU season otherwise.
rmearski,
Nobody here said that we needed or expected BYU to be national champs every year. We just think that when somebody claims that we are not top 20, they might be needing some enlightenment in the clue department. Look at the rest of the top 20 up to the top 10. Nobody here is saying that we think BYU is consistently better than Texas, USC, or Florida. We are saying that we believe we are consistently on par with the likes of Nebraska, Cincinnati, Clemson, Oklahoma State, Kansas, VA Tech, Houston, TCU, Boise St., and hey even FSU. The FSU game was a fluke. That happens to all top 20 teams, excluding the 1 or 2 who go undefeated.
When you say we are not top 20 caliber, you are placing us in a position of mediocrity that just is not acceptable. Not with our record the last four years. Bronco has developed a top 20 program at BYU. There is more required for the next level, but we are not too far from it, else we would not have upset Oklahoma (the number 2 team last year). So yes, us fans take offense to somebody spouting off that we are not top 20 caliber. Don’t sell BYU short just because the BCS does!
“I still think we can end up in the top 10-15 by the end of the year. But, like I said before, it is going to take playing out of their minds – which I will be cheering for them to accomplish.”
Trey, what in that statement do you misconstrue for saying we are not top 20 caliber?
If we lose two more games, we will not be in the top twenty at the end of the year.
To be honest, I’m still a bit confused about our team, and I don’t think that you can say that EITHER OU or FSU is how our team should play week in and week out. It’s probably a combination of both.
Against OU Max had to execute a game winning drive AND our d had to stop a top 10 team from getting 30 yards and into field goal position. FSU – Chambers doesn’t fumble – I’m not sure we win a shootout with FSU because they still laid 1/2 par on us.
Maybe the TCU game can break the tie….
rmearski,
I guess this comment threw me off:
“What I mean is that our guys, top to bottom, are not as good as the top twenty teams in the nation.”
You don’t go from not being as good “top to bottom” as other top twenty teams to ending the year in the top 10-15.
I guess you must have meant that in the game against FSU, our guys, top to bottom, are not as good as…
I see that we are on the same page though, as I also believe we can and most likely will finish in the top 10-15 by the end of the year. And I also agree that it will require much work, luck, determination, and passion to get there. I just was confused by your earlier statements.
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