Observations on BYU's Last Seven Freshman All-Americans

Braden Hansen, the freshman who started every game at left guard for the Cougars this past season, was selected as a Freshman All-American by the Football Writers Association. This is the seventh year in a row that BYU has had a Freshman All-American named, dating back to 2003. Here is the press release from BYU:

PROVO, Utah (Jan. 7, 2009) – BYU freshman offensive lineman Braden Hansen was named a Freshman All-America Thursday by the Football Writers Association of America.

A Sandy, Utah, native, Hansen started every game at left guard as one of four new starters on BYU’s offensive line in 2009. The 6-foot-6, 300-pound redshirt freshman was a key contributor in helping BYU achieve an 11-2 record, including a 3-1 mark against nationally ranked opponents.

Hansen and Wyoming safety Shamiel Gary represent the Mountain West Conference on the 28-man team. The FWAA and Aon Insurance announced their ninth annual Freshman All-America Team Thursday during the association's annual awards breakfast.

BYU has had a newcomer earn Freshman All-America accolades each of the past seven seasons. Hansen joins a list of consecutive honorees that include offensive lineman Matt Reynolds (2008), running back Harvey Unga (2007), defensive end Jan Jorgensen (2006), offensive lineman Dallas Reynolds (2005), wide receiver Austin Collie (2004) and tight end Daniel Coats (2003).

That is an impressive seven year run. I thought it would be interesting to take a closer look at each of these players—how highly recruited they were, how productive they were in their sophomore, junior, and senior seasons, and if they have had any success in the NFL.


Daniel Coats (2003)
Recruiting: Class of 2002, 3 stars on Scout, ranked #42 WR, offers to Colorado and NC State
BYU: Always a solid blocker, though receiving stats never surpassed 2003
2003—30/378, 4TD
2004—13/160, 0TD
2005—21/189, 3TD
2006—22/239, 2TD
NFL: Free agent pick up, with Cincinnati Bengals, 3rd year in NFL, started 11 games, 16/150 yds

Austin Collie (2004)
Recruiting: Class of 2004, 3 stars on Scout, ranked #48 WR, offers to Stanford, Arizona State, Wash State
BYU: Increasingly productive at BYU, left after junior year as all-time leading receiver in yards (3,258) and receptions (215)
2004—53/771, 8 TD
2007—56/946, 7TD
2008—106/1538, 15 TD; Led NCAA in yards
NFL: 4th round draft pick of Indianapolis Colts, 60/676 yds, 7 TD; led all rookies in catches and TDs

Dallas Reynolds (2005)
Recruiting: Class of 2003, 3 stars on Scout, ranked #78 OL, offers to Colorado, Tennessee, Stanford
BYU: Started all 51 games while at BYU, first Team MWC
NFL: Free agent with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2009, practice squad for most of year

Jan Jorgensen (2006)
Recruiting: Class of 2005, 1 star on Scout (unrated), not ranked LB
BYU: Started 51 consecutive games, 30 sacks in BYU career, career MWC leader, 3 time first team MWC, most productive sophomore season (14 sacks)
NFL: Will enter 2010 draft, projected as a free agent

Harvey Unga (2007)
Recruiting: Class of 2005, 2 stars on Scout, not ranked RB, offer from Utah
BYU: Started all three years and had 1,000+ yards each season; only a junior and already BYU career leader in rushing yards, third in all-purpose yards; 2009 first team MWC
2007—244/1,227 rushing 13 TD, 44/655 receiving 4 TD
2008—240/1,153 rushing 11 TD, 42/309 receiving 4 TD
2009—208/1,087 rushing 11 TD, 16/121 receiving 1 TD
NFL: Deciding whether to enter 2010 draft, projection uncertain

Matt Reynolds (2008)
Recruiting: Class of 2005, 4 stars on Scout, #8 ranked OL, offers from UCLA, Cal, Arizona, Arizona State
BYU: first team MWC sophomore season (2009)
NFL: Likely to participate in 2012 draft (or sooner), highly projected

Braden Hansen (2009)
Recruiting: Class of 2006, 2 stars on Scout, not ranked OL, offer from Stanford
BYU: TBD
NFL: TBD

A few interesting observations:

1. Overall a great group of players—we were lucky to have four of them together on the team this season. We actually had five of them last season (2008).

2. BYU owes a debt of large proportions to Mrs. Reynolds, showing tangibly that Bronco’s decision to retain Lance Reynolds on his staff has paid off multiple times over.

3. None of these players were true freshmen. Even those that didn’t go on missions (Coats, Jorgensen, Unga) still waited at least a year or two before starting as a redshirt freshman. Makes you wonder who on this year’s practice squad might be next year’s FAA.

4. All of them went on to have very productive four year (or three for Collie and possibly Unga) careers for the Cougars. They have also proven very durable with none of them ever missing any significant amount of time due to injury.

5. The first three, and only three to already have had a shot at the NFL, have made it with Collie and Coats as solid contributors this season.

6. There is one from every class 2002-2006. Three of them (Jorgensen, Unga, Matt Reynolds) come from the class of 2005. Hansen, this year’s winner is from the class of 2006. This again shows the lag that BYU experiences in recruiting (see article on the topic here: http://www.byucougs.com/2009/12/recruiting-lag-look-at-contributions-by.html), as other schools are already graduating players from the class of 2006.

7. Interesting that three of them are on the offensive line, given that BYU doesn’t usually like to start freshmen there, allowing them time to learn the system. But then again, that also means that for a freshman to start on the line, they must be very good.

In 2009, besides Hansen and Riley Stephenson (punter), I can’t think of any other freshmen that started, and only Brett Thompson, Craig Bills, and a couple of backup O linemen seemed to get any meaningful reps.

Given the historical precedent of the past seven years, the classes of 2007, 2008, and 2009 likely still hold players who will be named FAA. Next year, with a number of key openings and many talented newcomers, could be a year that offers more opportunities for freshman than in several years. Among those most likely to get playing time and make themselves candidates for FAA status are whoever starts as QB (Heaps or Lark) if it isn’t Nelson, an RB if Harvey leaves for the NFL (either Malosi Teo or Josh Quezada), a TE (Devin Mahina, Austin Holt, or Mike Muehlmann), Ross Apo or Marcus Matthews at the WR spot (both will likely be in the rotation), a LB (Kyle Van Noy and Zac Stout will both have shots to play given that there will be three openings), and on the DL with all three slots open (Bronson Kaufusi and Kona Schwenke would be the leading candidates, although I am unaware of their mission plans). There may be more freshmen playing next year than in a long time. BYU will need these players to step up next season, so here is my toast to the freshmen of 2010… may one of you be the next FAA!

What other observations do you have to add about the 7 FAAs, next year's freshmen or this year's freshmen?

A Rebuttal of Vegas Bowl Excuses

I have nothing but nice things to say about Oregon State—the university, the athletic department, the players and the fans. But, this is not the place where I am going to say them. Rather, this is a rebuttal to all of the OSU and PAC-10 apologists out there making excuses for why OSU lost the Vegas Bowl to BYU. I understand that many of the people making these excuses are not exclusively or even primarily the OSU fans themselves, so I address this to the apologists collectively.

These are the primary excuses that I have heard from TV talking heads, sports writers, bloggers, and just plain old fans leaving comments wherever they can:

1. The wind determined the outcome of the game. Are you kidding? The wind was clearly a factor in the game that both teams had to deal with, but…

A) Each team played 2 quarters into the wind. BYU won the coin toss and elected to receive, so OSU selected which end of the field they wanted—if the quarters that they had to drive into the wind (2nd and 3rd) were to their disadvantage in any way, it was also their choice. However, in exact contrast the disadvantage would seem to be going into the wind in the first (getting a quick start) and fourth quarters (in case of needing a field goal or late score).

B) In addition, a team with a strong running game (a la Oregon State) would seemingly have the advantage in 40mph winds, as the ESPN announcers opined early in the contest.

C) And, as far as kicking goes (per ESPN’s continuous replay of the 6 yard OSU punts), BYU punted 3 times into the wind and kicked off 4 times into the wind, while OSU only punted 2 times into the wind and never kicked off into the wind—the result is that OSU had great field position off of each of those kicks, seemingly winning the straight-up field position battle (turnovers not included).

On the surface, wind would seem to be a neutral factor, but if the apologists want to push the issue, then it appears that if anything, the wind factor was, if not neutral, then an advantage to the Beavers.

2. OSU was not motivated to play.  Granted, there is disappointment in losing to your rival in the last game of the season. But this excuse deserves another multi-shot take down.

A) The coaches and players themselves have discredited this by saying both before and after the game that they were ready for this and there would not be a motivational letdown.

B) OSU started out strong and on fire getting big stops on both of BYU’s first two possessions and scoring a quick touchdown on offense. Motivation was clearly not a factor in the first 10 minutes of the game. So, what, did they become unmotivated after a couple of possessions and change their minds?

C) BYU was playing in the Vegas Bowl for the fifth time in a row. The Cougars also met with disappointment this season at more than one point and were looking forward to playing in a BCS game and ended up in the same location again. The Cougars should be clearly tired of the same old song and dance and yet were able to overcome that just fine.

D) BYU was ranked in the top 15, and higher than Oregon State in every poll. Any team that claims to not be motivated to play and try to beat a top 15, higher ranked team—for the glory, perception enhancement, program advancement, bragging rights, recruiting advantages, ranking ramifications, etc. that come with beating a highly ranked team—is either trying to create a distraction, or there are deeper issues within the program.

3. BYU is older and more mature and its players were men against boys on the field and much less distracted off the field (among the temptations and vices of Vegas). This excuse is getting old.

A) The actual age advantage that BYU has on average is about 1.1 years—19.7 years old for the national average vs. 20.8 years old for BYU (see http://www.byucougs.com/2009/09/numbers-inside-missionary-advantage.html).  Yes, all other things being equal an additional year of age is an advantage. But all other things are not equal. OSU has four returned LDS missionaries in their team, yet none of them start. If it was such an advantage, why don’t they start? There are another 4-5 LDS players on their team that have not served missions for whatever reason. If it were a significant advantage, why aren’t the coaches pushing those players to leave for two years?

B) Due to the same religious and cultural influences that cause Cougar players to leave on missions, the BYU football team did not practice on Sunday, in what is usually a key two-day-prior to the game practice. Did anyone ever make that out as an excuse for the Cougs? No.

C) Many of the players are married. You could argue that BYU players were actually more distracted having wife and (in some cases) kids along on the road trip and staying in the team hotel for the first time of the year.

D) Any “distractions” that the OSU players may have felt (this argument coming from fans/apologists, not from the players or coaches themselves), could have been mitigated by personal discipline and team rules. All of the same “distractions” would have existed for the BYU players as well.

4. OSU played their worst game of the year. Maybe they did. I haven’t seen many of their other games this season. But in any case, you have to believe that the team on the other side of the line of scrimmage had something to do with that. Especially when you see that BYU was able to contain the running game (hard to just have a “bad game” with the PAC 10's best running back), run down Beavers from behind (nothing to do with a bad game), and break up pass after pass (OSU receivers would have made those catches if the defense weren’t there).

5. BYU played “dirty”. I can only think of two plays that would lead to this conclusion (maybe there are others?). One was when Harvey Unga slapped the helmet of the defender who continued to engage him after crossing the goal line and scoring a touchdown. I agree that he should not have done this and wish that he hadn’t, but it wasn’t much of a slap and I probably would hesitate to call it dirty. In any case, I challenge anyone to claim that this changed the outcome of the game. The second was when Scott Johnson hit the OSU receiver on the BYU sideline breaking up a pass. It appeared that Johnson “launched” himself and hit the receiver in a “helmet to helmet” infraction. Upon watching the replay at home (I was in attendance at the game), it appears that Johnson missed the helmet and hit the shoulder of the receiver in a great defensive play (albeit jarring hit). In this case Johnson was flagged—15 yards automatic first down—an even better outcome than had the receiver caught the ball. Dirty or not, how does that hurt the Beavers?

A) BYU was physical. Maybe more physical than the Beavers are used to. This is football. Deal with it. UCLA said the same thing when the Cougars beat them up in Pasadena.

B) To their credit, Oregon State was also very physical. Max Hall said afterward that he has not been so beat up since that same UCLA game in 2007. There were a couple of late hits on Max Hall, which I would argue are not just physical but do border on dirty when done intentionally (throwing the QB to the ground several seconds after the whistle?). There was also the apparent “helmet to helmet” decleating after a pass that nearly knocked him out of the game. I did not hear BYU fans calling OSU players dirty or making excuses.

6. Refs handed the game to BYU. There were lots of calls going both ways (11 on OSU, 9 on BYU). On my way out of the stadium, I heard the BYU fans commenting/questioning/complaining quite a bit about the officiating. So, I was actually surprised to find the OSU/Pac 10 fans complaining about the officiating on fan boards and article commentaries. Whatever gripes the OSU fans have (of which I am not aware), there are equal gripes on the other side. From a BYU fan perspective, there would be the curious time elapse at the end of the first half, the aforementioned helmet-to-helmet on Scott Johnson, the also mentioned no-call hit on Max Hall, the Unga fumble that was apparently caused by the ground… etc. The fact that both teams were unhappy, means that there was equal if not great officiating. My personal take is that the refs made the calls as they saw them and did a reasonable job. And, in an apologists world, even if there were a couple of calls that they think should have gone the other way, that doesn’t make up for a 30 point deficit going into the 4th quarter.

7. MWC teams can get up for PAC 10 games like it was the Super Bowl, because they don’t have to get ready week in and week out for big games. This one almost makes me laugh. Of BYU’s 13 games this season, 5 were effectively played against teams that were ranked—Oklahoma, TCU, Utah, Oregon State, and FSU (just outside the polls at #26). There was the Utah State game, where USU gets up for BYU as a rivalry game. Air Force (7-5) was still playing for a conference title and offered the #1 pass defense in the country. In conference, BYU played Wyoming in Laramie, New Mexico in Albuquerque, and San Diego State in California. While not striking fear into the hearts of opponents, all of those teams get up for BYU as much as any game on their schedule (as BYU is essentially considered a rival by all of them) and play among their best games of the year. If anything, BYU knows better than Oregon State what it means to have to prepare for games week in and week out. How many teams in the PAC 10 see Oregon State as their rival?

So why did Oregon State lose then? Take your pick…
• They were outcoached
• They were outplayed
• BYU was more physical
• BYU was faster
• BYU had better QB play
• BYU had the better defense
• BYU was better able to handle adversity (turnovers, etc)
• BYU had better mental fortitude to drive into the wind
• BYU’s receivers and tight ends were able to get open almost at will
• BYU’s linebackers had a bigger impact
• BYU had the better secondary
• BYU’s power running game trumped OSU’s
• The Cougars had a better game plan
• The top 15 Cougars were clearly the better team

Additional Thoughts from the Vegas Bowl

A few additional thoughts on the game with Oregon State in the Vegas Bowl:

• Manase Tonga actually looked quicker than ever picking up a couple of big gains and outrunning would-be tacklers on a couple of plays for perhaps the first time of the season.

• BYU defense also looked fast (just as it did against Oklahoma). The Cougs were actually running down OSU’s speedsters from behind on a number of plays.

• Scott Johnson’s big hit in the fourth quarter on the BYU sideline brought out a yellow salute from the refs. It was an incredible play, but also a hard one for the officials not to flag, given how it looked to them. From Sam Boyd, I was both happy with the play and accepting of the penalty as it seemed legitimate. After watching the replay, however, it is apparent that there was no “helmet to helmet” contact and Johnson made contact with the receiver’s shoulder. Despite this, however, I do not fault the referees as they could not have seen this without the added benefit of camera angles available only to television viewers.

• Unga’s fumble at the end of the game seemed to be caused by the ground. Fans in the stands were sure that it was going to be overturned and the ball returned to the Cougars. The television replays however, show a much muddier picture as it would have been hard to tell either way. Without undisputed video evidence, the referees upheld the call on the field.

• At the end of the first half, with the wind at their backs, McKay Jacobsen seemingly got out of bounds with 2-3 seconds remaining, yet the clock ticked off and the half was over and there would be no field goal attempt. The only plausible explanation is that he was marked down for forward progress (but did the whistle blow?). However, unfortunately for OSU, it ended up being rather irrelevant to the outcome.

• The wind was impressive and made this one of the colder games that I have ever attended, despite temperatures only in the 30’s. The stadium lights were swaying back and forth 5-6 feet. Escaped post-game confetti was swirling in the North end zone.

• The field size flag roll-out prior to the game was able to feature 40-50 foot high wind blown billows, creating one of the more stunning flag displays I have ever witnessed. Those responsible to hold it at the edges were being whipped and dragged like rodeo cowboys.

• Much was made of OSU's two 6 yard punts on Sports Center.  What the TV and the 30 second spot didn't point out is that both of those punts (and the second in particular) were shanked hard to the right.  The cameras in profile view made it look like the wind blew the ball back, but visible from my seats at the north end of the east stands was that the ball came on a beeline directly toward me and likely would not have been more than 10-15 yards had the wind not been blowing.  Perhaps the wind was a factor in causing the punter to adjust his usual routine and shank the kick?  Maybe.

• In watching the game again, I noticed a great display of senior leadership from Dennis Pitta, that I imagine most viewers (live and TV) missed. On BYU’s first touchdown drive, near the goal line, one of BYU’s offensive linemen was jawing and pushing with an OSU player after the play. Pitta rushed in, grabbed the BYU player , got up in his grill (no doubt yelling at him for risking a penalty in such a critical situation) and then pushed him away. The player didn’t do it again, and BYU avoided a penalty that might have changed the outcome of the game.

• While always good for viewership to play on ESPN, the commentary was seemingly uninspired.  Not a complaint, but rather an observation.  The Sports Leader sent an A team to Vegas--Mark May, Rece Davis, Lou Holtz--to cover one of the the best games before New Year's.  I am sure that there are a number of opinions on this one, but I felt like they were a bit short on new material (didn't do their homework?), and missed some key observations.  In the second half, with BYU dominating, it seemed that they spent most of their time talking about why and how OSU players were better than they were showing, defending them in the face of a poor performance.  All of this is professional, and I would hope that they would do the same for any team on the losing end of a bowl game; however, it seemed that they could have been more forthcoming in their credit of BYU's role in OSU's disappointing performance.  Not that it wasn't mentioned, but seemed a side note.

What We Learned in the Las Vegas Bowl Against Oregon State

What a game the Cougars put together. They came out with the A game that was seen against Oklahoma, Tulane, and Wyoming earlier this year—an A game that would keep the Cougars in contention with any team in the country. There are a number of interesting things to note coming out of the game. First we will recap what we were watching for (original outlook from last week in italics) then list a few other items of note in a follow up post.

What to Watch For on the Field:
• Max at his best. When Max is having fun and relaxed he is at his best and nearly unstoppable. When he feels pressure and weight of expectations, he tends to play tight, force things, and generally play at a lower level. Watch for him to come out playing loose as he got the monkey off his back by beating Utah and solidified his place as a successful Cougar QB. The rest now is bonus.

Max played a nearly flawless game. He was loose and it showed. He took some of the hardest hits of the season and stepped up to the line for the next play. There was one decleating hit on him in particular that would have taken most other QBs out of the game. He said after the game that he was more beat up after this game than any other game since his first—at UCLAin 2007. What a way to go out.

• Watch for the BYU seniors to have big games. There are several seniors (Hall, Unga, Pitta, Andrew George and Jan Jorgensen) on the team with aspirations to make an NFL squad next year. This will be the first time they have appeared on ESPN (a true national audience) since the Tulane game and it is their chance to impress. [Unga is only a junior].

All of these seniors, and Manase Tonga, had great games and likely improved their national standing. Hall was already discussed above. Unga (71 yds rushing, 15 yds receiving, TD) repeatedly carried defenders with him and several times picked up an extra 4-5 yards after the first hit. Tonga was particularly impressive (5 carries for 42 yards, 2 catches for 19 yards, 2 TDs) in what was easily his best game of the season, as he was effective not only as a lead blocker but with the ball as well. George (4 catches, 46 yds) and Pitta (5 catches, 45 yds, TD) consistently made clutch catches, impressing not only fans but also the ESPN talking heads. Jorgensen had a complete game, anchoring an effective defensive front, getting a key third down bat-down, and even had a 6 yard carry at the end of the game. Watch for all of these players to work hard going into this spring’s NFL draft. I believe that Pitta, Tonga, and Unga have the best shot at being drafted, with Hall, George, and Jorgensen likely getting a shot through free agency.

• Stop the run and limit the pass. The BYU defense has been decent at stopping the run this season. They will have their hands full with Jaquizz Rogers—a speedy, shifty, short but powerful back. There is a chance that they are able contain him. But, can they contain the run and limit the pass at the same time? This season, when focusing on the run, they Cougs have tended to give up on the pass completely. BYU will need big games from its ends and blitzing linebackers to keep Canfield on the run (an accurate passer, but slow of foot).

The BYU defensive game plan was nearly perfect. Not completely unexpectedly, the Cougars were able to contain the running game, holding OSU to 88 yards, but more impressively, they held the passing game in check as well—not through pressure as much as solid down-field coverage. I don’t recall a game where more BYU defenders were able to break up or knock down a pass.

• Will OSU get pressure on Hall? OSU’s defense is not known for its front line, and has been inconsistent with the pass rush. BYU’s offensive line should be able to keep them at bay. If they don’t, it will mean trouble for the Cougs.

The O line was able to give Hall just enough time. He was hit at the end of several plays, but never lost his rhythm.

• McKay Jacobsen has declared himself 100% for the first time perhaps all season. Watch for him to have a breakout game. The receiving corps has not had a significant impact this season, and the focus of the defense will likely be on the tight ends, leaving McKay open to make a difference.

Apparently, OSU didn’t get the memo about covering the BYU tight ends, and both Pitta and George had big games. Jacobsen was relatively quiet (2 catches, 27 yards). As far as him contributing, the large lead mitigated the number of passing downs, and thus his performance. I imagine that there is no one complaining there.

• BYU’s secondary. James Rogers, is the leading receiver for OSU and will be several steps faster than any of BYU’s DB’s. If the front seven is unable to force Canfield to throw off balance or hurried, no doubt the Beavers will be gunning for the long ball, just as Utah did. The only difference is that Sean Canfield is much more accurate and seasoned than Jordan Wynn and where Wynn consistently overthrew his open receivers downfield, Canfield will hit them. Bradley, Logan, Rich, and Johnson will need to be up to the challenge.

Challenge resoundingly met. If I had a game ball to give away, I would give it to the secondary. They played their best game of the year. Perhaps I overestimated Canfield’s accuracy, but in any case, BYU’s last line of defense was incredible bringing big hits, breakups, and sure tackles. Good news for Cougar fans is that 3 of these 4 will be back again next season (Johnson is a senior).

• Limit turnovers. OSU is known for holding on to the ball. BYU has been spotty, but improved over the course of the season. It will be important for BYU to limit the turnovers. A minus one might be overcomeable, but should they have a minus 2 or more it will be difficult to win.

The reverse of this was also applicable for OSU as they ended up with the minus one in turnovers and were never able to fully overcome that deficit. Despite 5 turnovers overall, 3 for OSU (two fumbles and a pick) and 2 for BYU (two fumbles), while the game was still in question OSU had two critical turnovers, while both of BYU’s (Unga fumble near the red zone and Tonga on an onside kick) came after the game had already been decided and essentially only kept the score from becoming ridiculous.

I think the BYU offense will be successful with both the run and the pass. Max will play as relaxed as he has in several games executing the passing game flawlessly. This will open the door for Unga to have a good game as well. The BYU defense will have its hands full in both the running and passing game. It might very well come down to possessions and turnovers. I predict a high scoring affair with BYU winning in the end. BYU 38 OSU 31.

I saw BYU having success on offense, but I didn’t see BYU’s defense having the success they did to limit OSU.  It could have easily been worse than the 44-20 final score.

What to Watch for Against Oregon State in the Las Vegas Bowl

With three weeks since the last game, the storylines of this game have been covered multiple times each by the local Oregon, Utah, and Vegas media. The national media have picked up on the highlights. The commentating crew (an A team from ESPN) will likely mention each of these again as well during the course of the game. But here is a brief summary of the storylines:

Game Storyline Recap

• Bronco vs. his alma mater. When BYU last played Oregon State, in 1986, Bronco was a linebacker for OSU as they defeated BYU in Provo 10-7.
• Cousin connection. Havey Unga has two Unga cousins (twins Kevin and Devin) that play for the Beavers—both are linebackers and primarily see the field on special teams.
• LDS connection.  There are 8 LDS players on the Beavers squad according to DL Sioeli Nau.  Four of them are RMs (the two Unga brothers, Nau, and linebacker Walker Vave).
• Shawn Doman, BYU linebacker, is from Oregon and was first recruited by Oregon State and coach Mike Riley.
• The story of two good senior quarterbacks—Max Hall and Sean Canfield
• Mental Preparation. OSU’s will need to be able to get up for the game after missing out on a Rose Bowl bid and PAC-10 championship by 4 points against their rival Oregon in the last game of the season.
• Ranked teams. First time the Vegas Bowl has paired two ranked teams, #14 BYU (14th BCS, 15th AP, 14th USA Today) and #18 Oregon State (18th BCS, 16th AP, 20th USA Today). BYU is the highest ranked team ever to appear in the game.
• The point spread. OSU is a 2.5 point favorite, despite being lower ranked.
• Mountain West vs. the PAC 10. BYU is 2-2 in the Vegas Bowl vs. the Pac 10. They are 5-3 in the last three seasons. The Cougs went 2-1 last season (beating UCLA and Washington, losing to Arizona). They were 2-1 in 2007 (beating UCLA and Arizona, and losing at UCLA). They were 1-1 in 2006 losing to Arizona and beating Oregon). With TCU and Boise paired together in a cowardly move by the BCS, this game will be the highest profile matchup of AQ BCS vs. non-AQ BCS. The eyes of America will be watching.
• Hall’s last game as a Cougar, going out as winningest quarterback in BYU history.  Also looking to put his Utah post game comments behind him.
• Dennis Pitta, a consensus All-American, was snubbed by the Mackey Award—how will he respond?  He needs just two catches to pass Louisville's Ibn Green (1996-99) for most career receptions by a tight end in NCAA history.
• The Rodgers brothers, James (Jr) and Jacquizz (So), at 5 foot 7 and 5 foot 6, this talented brother duo lead in receiving and rushing, respectively, for OSU. One of the storylines has been the influence of their father, who is currently in a prison near Houston Texas.  They have been able to overcome tremendous odds to succeed as they have and should be acknowledged for their triumph both on and off the field. 

What to Watch For on the Field:

• Max at his best. When Max is having fun and relaxed he is at his best and nearly unstoppable. When he feels pressure and weight of expectations, he tends to play tight, force things, and generally play at a lower level. Watch for him to come out playing loose as he got the monkey off his back by beating Utah and solidified his place as a successful Cougar QB. The rest now is bonus.
• Watch for the BYU seniors to have big games. There are several seniors (Hall, Unga, Pitta, Manase Tonga, Andrew George and Jan Jorgensen) on the team with aspirations to make an NFL squad next year. This will be the first time they have appeared on ESPN (a true national audience) since the Tulane game and it is their chance to impress. [Unga is actually a junior, but is likely to declare himself eligible for the draft after the season and forego his senior year.]
• Stop the run and limit the pass. The BYU defense has been decent at stopping the run this season. They will have their hands full with Jacquizz Rodgers—a speedy, shifty, short but powerful back. There is a chance that they are able contain him. But, can they contain the run and limit the pass at the same time? This season, when focusing on the run, they Cougs have tended to give up on the pass completely. BYU will need big games from its ends and blitzing linebackers to keep Canfield on the run (an accurate passer, but slow of foot).
• Will OSU get pressure on Hall? OSU’s defense is not known for its front line, and has been inconsistent with the pass rush. BYU’s offensive line should be able to keep them at bay. If they don’t, it will mean trouble for the Cougs.
• McKay Jacobsen has declared himself 100% for the first time perhaps all season. Watch for him to have a breakout game. The receiving corps has not had a significant impact this season, and the focus of the defense will likely be on the tight ends, leaving McKay open to make a difference.
• BYU’s secondary. James Rodgers, is the leading receiver for OSU and will be several steps faster than any of BYU’s DB’s. If the front seven are unable to force Canfield to throw off balance or hurried, no doubt the Beavers will be gunning for the long ball, just as Utah did. The only difference is that Sean Canfield is much more accurate and seasoned than Jordan Wynn and where Wynn consistently overthrew his open receivers downfield, Canfield will hit them. Bradley, Logan, Rich, and Johnson will need to be up to the challenge.
• Limit turnovers. OSU is known for holding on to the ball. BYU has been spotty, but improved over the course of the season. It will be important for BYU to limit the turnovers. A minus one might be overcomeable, but should they have a minus 2 or more it will be difficult to win.

I am at the airport now on my way to Las Vegas. I’m looking forward to a good game. I think the BYU offense will be successful with both the run and the pass. I believe that Max will play as relaxed as he has in several games executing the passing game flawlessly. This will open the door for Unga to have a good game as well. The BYU defense, however, will have its hands full with both OSU's running and passing game. It might very well come down to number of possessions and turnovers. I predict a high scoring affair with BYU winning in the end. BYU 38 OSU 31.

Leave your thoughts and predictions below…

What We Learned in the Utah Game

With now almost a week to move past the post-game storm, there is a bit more bandwidth to take a closer look at the game itself and how the team played along the dimensions that we were watching. I have left the pre-game assessment from last week in italics and responded below it…

• Passion. The Cougars had it last week against Air Force for seemingly the first time. The Utes seem to have it in all the big games. The team that has more of it will likely be ahead at halftime.

The Cougars were ahead at half time and then quickly fell behind as they appeared complacent and intent on running out the clock with a 20-6 lead going into the fourth quarter. A “prevent” offense is a sure intensity and passion killer, and on cue, the team lost its passion and its lead at the same time.

• Turnovers. This game has been decided by 7 points or less for of the last 11 games. Essentially decided on the last play of the game in 2005, 2006, and 2007. Every possession matters. The team that has more turnovers, will likely be playing catch up in the final minutes.

One turnover was perhaps the difference in this game. And the team that committed it, was indeed playing catch up at the end. And once again the game was decided on the last play.

• Touchdowns or field goals. It seems that in games with Utah where BYU has been favored, the Cougars have dominated the stat box, but only come away with field goals at the end of several long drives, leaving it open for the Utes to make one fourth quarter drive to take the lead. They will need touchdowns in order to maintain control of this at the end.

The tables were finally turned, as it was Utah that had 4 FGs and only 1 TD in regulation, while the Cougs had 2 of each. Ironically, in overtime, this question, FG or TD, would actually determine the winner of the game, and it was the Cougs that once again were able to pull out a touchdown when it was needed. Big props need to be given to the defense for holding the Utes to field goals on so often on short fields.

 • Relax, Max. When Max is relaxed and having fun, he plays well. Sometimes, when he feels the pressure and forced to come from behind, he forces things and drives tend to end quickly in three and outs or sooner with a turnover.

Max did not look relaxed at all (which is perhaps what we saw come out after the game), and had one of his worst games of the season. However, the silver lining is that while several drives did end in three-and-outs, at least they didn’t end in interception, as he was conscientiously tucking the ball and being careful not to force it. What fans complained of as over-caution, may have actually kept the ball from being turned over.

• Run the ball. The Cougs have a history of successfully running the ball in the Utah game. It is almost as if Utah has given that up in favor of defending the pass, daring our offensive coordinator to go to the run more than is in the game plan. If the Utes do that again, Anae will need to have the courage to take what they are giving. Unga will be relied upon heavily to keep the ball moving. Success in this area will be key.

Harvey Unga was the unheralded MVP of the game (116 yds, 1 TD, 5.0 yds/carry), as he essentially carried the game on his shoulders while Max was a bit off. Interestingly, Kariya and DiLuigi were not given any carries in this game.

• Pressure Jordan Wynn. With the Cougar defense, it has been all or nothing as far as pressuring the quarterback. When they have opted to apply pressure, in general opposing quarterbacks have shown cracks and the defense has had success (although a glaring exception is the FSU game). In any case, it is in the best interest of the defensive psyche (and fans for that matter), to make proactive mistakes of aggression, rather than passively sit back and give up essentially the same yardage and big plays by being too conservative. It will be essential to keep the freshman on edge.

Pressure from the front seven was inconsistent, but when pressure was applied, he was rattled. When he had time (except on the long throws), he was able to find the open receiver. On the flip side, the defense did a good job of stopping the run and holding Utah to under 100 yards as a team (although Eddie Wide broke some big ones in the fourth quarter and ended with 116 yards).

Both teams are 9-2. Both teams have shown flashes of brilliance and incompetence at various times throughout the season. This game will be decided by the small things—turnovers, penalties, big third and fourth down conversions, a missed tackle here, a dropped pass there. With all of that in mind, I will refrain from predicting the pace of the game, but only the outcome. BYU 30 Utah 26.

This game was a microcosm of the season for both seasons. The cougars going hot and cold. The Utes starting out poorly and then coming on strong at the end. In the end it was the small things—unsportsmanlike penalties, a fourth down conversion, the lone turnover—that decided the game.

A few other observations:

• BYU only completed four passes to wide receivers in this game.  That has to be the lowest total of the season, and perhaps in several years.
• The defense made a strong showing when it counted in a big game (after failing against FSU and TCU). 
• From the east stands, it appeared that the early hit on Jordan Wynn, may have been a late hit, but upon watching the game again, it looks like it was a clean hit.  And to his credit, he was able to come back and play through it.
• It is easy to question the play calling and coaching decisions in any game, and I don't want to get into that habit, but two scenarios in particular seemed to stand out to me... 1) the punt from the Utah 35 yard line in the second quarter on 4th and 5.   They could have tried a 52 yard field goal (probably the same odds as not getting a touchback) or gone for it (better odds).  In any case, it was a hard decision to understand in a close rivalry game when all parties know that every possession and every point is going to be needed at the end.  2) The clock management at the end.  Given the fourth quarter play, I felt the team had a much better shot at getting into field goal range and winning in regulation, than pulling it out in overtime.  Had BYU used a timeout with 1:10 left, they would have had plenty of time to try to pick up 40 yards and hit a field goal. Instead they took the ball with 0:29 and not much of chance to do anything.

What to Watch for in the Utah Game

It’s rivalry week. It doesn’t matter who is favored. Home team “advantage” has proved to be mythical. Fans of both teams will be seated alongside each other throughout the stadium like a tossed salad. There are bound to be things said and done both on and off the field that will be regretted on Sunday morning. It will be anyone’s game and this is what fans and players look forward to all year.

A few items to watch for as the game unfolds:

• Passion. The Cougars had it last week against Air Force for seemingly the first time. The Utes seem to have it in all the big games. The team that has more of it will likely be ahead at halftime.

• Turnovers. This game has been decided by 7 points or less for of the last 11 games. Essentially decided on the last play of the game in 2005, 2006, and 2007. Every possession matters. The team that has more turnovers, will likely be playing catch up in the final minutes.

• Touchdowns or field goals. It seems that in games with Utah where BYU has been favored, the Cougars have dominated the stat box, but only come away with field goals at the end of several long drives, leaving it open for the Utes to make one fourth quarter drive to take the lead. They will need touchdowns in order to maintain control of this at the end.

• Relax, Max. When Max is relaxed and having fun, he plays well. Sometimes, when he feels the pressure and forced to come from behind, he forces things and drives tend to end quickly in three and outs or sooner with a turnover.

• Run the ball. The Cougs have a history of successfully running the ball in the Utah game. It is almost as if Utah has given that up in favor of defending the pass, daring our offensive coordinator to go to the run more than is in the game plan. If the Utes do that again, Anae will need to have the courage to take what they are giving. Unga will be relied upon heavily to keep the ball moving. Success in this area will be key.

• Pressure Jordan Wynn. With the Cougar defense, it has been all or nothing as far as pressuring the quarterback. When they have opted to apply pressure, in general opposing quarterbacks have shown cracks and the defense has had success (although a glaring exception is the FSU game). In any case, it is in the best interest of the defensive psyche (and fans for that matter), to make proactive mistakes of aggression, rather than passively sit back and give up essentially the same yardage and big plays by being too conservative. It will be essential to keep the freshman on edge.

Both teams are 9-2. Both teams have shown flashes of brilliance and incompetence at various times throughout the season. This game will be decided by the small things—turnovers, penalties, big third and fourth down conversions, a missed tackle here, a dropped pass there. With all of that in mind, I will refrain from predicting the pace of the game, but only the outcome.

BYU 30  Utah 26

What We Learned in the Air Force Game

Saturday was perhaps the most solid performance of the season for the Cougs. They played an inspired game against a quality opponent in an Air Force team that had taken two ranked teams into overtime and lost to another by only three points. They boasted the number one pass defense in the country. None of that mattered as BYU dominated from the opening drive. Last week I wrote:

“Hall and his fellow seniors know they only have two games left and will make the most of this one, having fun, playing relaxed, and showing a good first half… BYU 34, Air Force 24.”

They did exactly that, playing with more emotion and fire than in any game since Oklahoma. BYU’s seniors, recognizing the fleeting nature of their remaining opportunities to play the game, made it a point this week to focus on emotion (for the first time in the Bronco Mendenhall era?) and wanted to play fired up. It showed, as they looked almost unstoppable at times. It also showed that “execution” combined with emotion is a potent combination. Here’s to hoping they can duplicate that recipe two more times this season (and against TCU in the next).

What we learned…

• Will BYU’s offensive line be able to open up running lanes on the smaller Falcon D line? Yes, but…. In a rare change-up, the offense came out on the opening drive passing all the way down the field and continued to primarily pass on the second as well. The running game was almost an afterthought. When they did go to the run, it was effective, but the run game was much more limited than in previous years against AFA.

• Will Unga be able to go? Unga played and looked good. He primarily took his reps in the first half and then was “managed,” as Bronco put it, appropriately in the second half. He had a number of pounding tackle breaking runs and even several rare open field bursts into the secondary, but it was on a 4 yard push into the pile that he passed Curtis Brown to become the all-time rushing leader.

• Can the Cougar front 7 continue to contain the run? Yes. Convincingly. It wasn’t until late in the game, when the outcome was no longer in question that AFA was able to string together a drive or two on the ground.

• How much will the team miss Terrance Hooks in the middle? The team seemed to miss Hooks more from a camaraderie standpoint than from a contribution standpoint. Several players were sporting “47” in Sharpie art on the bicep. Doman and Hunter both played well filling in, with Doman doing more of what he has already done this season and Hunter getting more opportunities for the first time.

• Will Dennis Pitta get the big game that he needs to solidify his status as Mackey finalist? Definitely. I predicted that he would need 7 catches, 85+ yards, and a TD, to guarantee a finalist spot. He surpassed that across the board with 9 catches for 111 yards and 2 TDs in what was easily his best performance of the season so far. The finalists were announced this morning and they are Pitta, Hernandez and Dickinson.

• What impact will the weather have? Surprisingly little. Despite the wind, forecasted snow, and low temperatures, the weather didn’t seem to have much impact on the game.

• Can the team come out of this game without any significant health losses going into the rivalry game with Utah? Mission accomplished. There were a few guys that had to be attended to during the course of the game, but nothing serious enough to carry over into next week (at least as far as the team is talking about).

• Will the records finally fall? Many did. Hall is now second to Ty Detmer in just about every quarterback category and leads him in number of wins. Unga leads in rushing and can still get scoring and all-purpose yards before the season ends. Pitta closed in on Collie’s reception mark (needs 2 more to tie) and third in receiving yards (where he will likely finish).

In the books…
o 1 victory for Hall to break a tie with Ty Detmer for all time wins
o 20 yards for Harvey Unga to become the all time leading rusher in program history (67 rushing)
o 203 yards needed by Max Hall to become second all time in total offense (371 total)
o 359 yards needed by Hall to become second all time in passing yards (377 passing)

Almost achieved…
o 105 yards for Unga to move into third in all-purpose yards (only 79)
o 11 catches for Pitta to tie Collie for all time most receptions (9)
o 165 yards needed by Pitta to pass Margin Hooks as the third leading receiver all time (111)

What to Watch for Against Air Force

At 7-4, Air Force will become only the third team BYU has faced this season that currently has a winning record (TCU at 10-0 and Oklahoma at 6-4 are the others; Wyoming and Florida State are 5-5). This very well may be the second or third most difficult game of the year. The Academy held TCU to 20 points and only lost by 3 (20-17). They took Utah to overtime before losing (23-16). They also went into overtime with a good Navy team (8-3) before giving up another close one. The Cadets mean business and they are desperate to break through into the top tier of the MWC. They will come not only with talent, but with motivation. Despite having Air Force’s number for the last several years, it is going to take everything the Cougars have to pull this one out. Saturday will be a good one.

What to watch for…

• Will BYU’s offensive line be able to open up running lanes on the smaller Falcon D line? The first two series should be an indicator of how this game will go. The running game from BYU will be essential to winning this game. The size could become more of a factor as the game wears on and Air Force’s lighter line begins to tire.

• Will Unga be able to go? And, if not, will Kariya and DiLuigi be up to the task of filling in for him. Last week, without Unga in the game, the running game suffered. That won’t cut it this week.

• Can the Cougar front 7 continue to contain the run? For most of the season, the specialty of the defense has been limiting opponents running games. That will be key this week, as Air Force is fourth in the country in rushing offense (and 118th in passing).

• How much will the team miss Terrance Hooks in the middle? Will Shawn Doman be able to hold it down solo? Will Shane Hunter be able to spell him sufficiently to be effective? Defending the wishbone option will require all players to know their assignments, and a lack of experience could cost the Cougars.

• Will Dennis Pitta get the big game that he needs to solidify his status as Mackey finalist? He has historically had a big game against the Falcons, but opponents are much more aware of him this season. With 7 catches, 85+ yards, and a TD, Pitta would likely be in.

• What impact will the weather have? Friday night has a 20% chance of rain. On Saturday there is a 30% chance of snow. Highs are forecast to be 44 degrees. The team has been doing some practicing outdoors this week, ostensibly in preparation for Saturday’s conditions. A wet field might favor a passing game, but a cold precipitation would swing in favor of a running game. In any case, should rain/snow arrive before or during the game, expect the field to be sloppy.

• Can the team come out of this game without any significant health losses going into the rivalry game with Utah? Last year, Air Force’s chop blocks and low hits took a toll on Dennis Pitta specifically, as he was only a limping shell of himself in the Utah game (and played anyway) and was worse than a non-factor as he probably hurt the team by playing.

• Will more records fall? Last week, Hall moved into second in touchdowns, Pitta second in receptions.  By the numbers this week…

o 1 victory for Hall to break a tie with Ty Detmer for all time wins
o 11 catches for Pitta to tie Austin Collie for all time most receptions
o 20 yards for Harvey Unga to become the all time leading rusher in program history
o 105 yards for Unga to move into third in all-purpose yards
o 165 yards needed by Pitta to pass Margin Hooks as the third leading receiver all time (Collie, Drage)
o 203 yards needed by Max Hall to become second all time in total offense
o 359 yards needed by Hall to become second all time in passing yards

How do I see this playing out? BYU got a wake-up call last week against New Mexico and will put in some extra effort this week in preparation and game planning. The Falcons will have the Cougars attention and there will not be any problem with losing focus. Hall and his fellow seniors know they only have two games left and will make the most of this one, having fun, playing relaxed, and showing a good first half. The defense will play well enough to give the Cougars a small lead at half-time. The second half will likely have AFA gaining some momentum out of the gate to make it look like a game, only to begin to tire going into the 4th quarter and BYU pulling out a two score win. BYU 34, Air Force 24.

Leave your own predictions in the comments below...

What We Learned Against New Mexico

Yes, I did. I opted for Football Bingo last week. I am not sure that it was entirely in line with the more analytical and objective approach that this site has been trying to develop, but it seemed like a nice distraction at the time. Unless there is public outcry (doubtful), then I will resume the regular game preview and assessment with Air Force coming to Provo this weekend. But first, a few things that we learned in the New Mexico game and a check of the Bingo Card:

What we learned:
• On any given Saturday, anyone can win a game

• BYU was lucky to come out with a win

• Where was the running game? Even with Unga out, the Cougs should have been able to move the ball.

• A rather sloppy performance. Dropped balls, critical penalties at the wrong times, poor throws, missed blocking assignments. It would appear that despite players maintaining that they don’t overlook an opponent, this was a case of doing just that. Hopefully, it also will provide a little extra motivation to prepare going into these last two games

• Even with that performance on Saturday, the team moved up 4 spots in the rankings (from 22 to 18) and by winning out the season will finish in the top 15, and possibly even top 10 depending on the bowl opponent, which would still be a significant accomplishment for the program.

• Bowl Game talk—it looks like the Vegas Bowl is back on the table after all. And there is a possibility that the bowl will take the winner of the BYU/Utah game next week. However, should BYU win its way into that game, fans and players shouldn’t be too disappointed. And should they still end up in San Diego, it is hard to not be ok with that as well (as long as they beat the Utes).

Football Bingo—filled in squares in Bold on the previous post. Overall a pretty quiet bingo game for the Cougs (as was mentioned by a UNM fan in the comments to the last post).

This Week's Assault on the Record Books

The fact that Max Hall is only one win away from tying Ty Detmer for the most wins as a starting quarterback in BYU history (with 29) has been well-publicized elsewhere. What has not been mentioned much is that Unga is likely to become the all-time leading rusher this week. Pitta is also making a move. As fans, it should be viewed as both a tribute to these players themselves as well as to the coaching staff. It should also be viewed as an outcome beyond what was thought possible just a couple of years ago. Remember 2004 and the missed field goals against New Mexico (and Boise) that ensured a third straight losing season? What would you have thought if someone told you that the next starting quarterback would get more wins than any other in BYU history? That the current running back (Curtis Brown) would eventually become the all-time leader in rushing yards and that the one after that would break his record? These are good times indeed, and yet with prospects for an even brighter future, it has been easy for fans to get distracted by the glare. Here’s a small effort toward appreciating the present.

Here is the latest on Max, Harvey, and Dennis’ assault on the BYU career records:

Against TCU and Wyoming—
• Hall passed John Beck (79) for third in touchdowns with 82
• Unga passed Jamal Lewis for second all time rushing with 3,151
• Pitta moved into fifth in total receiving yards with 2,620, passing Phil Odle (65-67)

Likely to Happen Against New Mexico
• 71 yards--Unga should become the all-time leading rusher, passing Curtis Brown
• 2 TDs--Hall will move into second place with Jim McMahon in passing TDs
• 15 yards, 4 catches--Pitta will move into fourth and second in receiving yards and receptions, respectively, overtaking Matt Bellini in both categories (2,635 yards on 204 catches)

What We Learned in the Wyoming Game

Wow. I didn’t see that one coming, but if that is how it’s going to be, then I hope I’m off every week. The first half of that game was perhaps the best and most complete football BYU has played since the UCLA game last year and was a fine reward for fans. It even looked like the players themselves were having a good time. And once again, the team, with a near flawless game, has done a good job of raising expectations for the next three games to a level that may be hard to meet. As we witnessed in the aftermath of the FSU and TCU games, it can be dangerous to set such high expectations for fans (although fortunately it appears as if the players themselves have been more grounded), but at the same time, it will ensure that BYU football is the topic of conversation in meetinghouse hallways on Sunday mornings across America once again.

What we learned:

• Which team will show up? This was answered quickly and decisively, and as mentioned, perhaps beyond anyone’s expectations.

• Will BYU finally resolve to disrupt an opponent’s quarterback? Yes they did. And it worked like a charm. ACS was on the run nearly every play ensuring insufficient time to throw downfield and limiting his accuracy. Let’s hope this continues for a few more games…

• How much will the return of McKay Jacobsen impact the game? As expected. Jacobsen returned and promptly made one of the first big plays of the game, then broke out his 80 yard TD reception outrunning the defender for the final 20-30 yards. BYU really needs another one or two fast/impact wide receivers.

• Can the secondary (or the defense as a whole for that matter) limit the big plays? YES! Other than one scoreless drive at the end of the first half, Wyoming didn’t really have any plays.

• Will the team succeed on its first drive of the second half? Yes and Yes. After losing the coin toss and taking the ball on the opening kickoff, the Cougars to set the tone early and never slowed down. In opening the second half, the defense held and then the offense promptly scored again. It was Wyoming, but Bronco must be reconsidering his preference to defer.

• Will the running game be more than adequate? This was the Max Hall show, but the running game was a big part of making that happen. Harvey Unga had several nice 7, 8, and 9 yard runs. Riley Nelson also showed some ability to pick up yards, practically running the same play all the way down the field at 10 yards a pop.

• Will we finally see a non-offensive touchdown? Not this time, but there has to be something left to next time.

• Weather. Beautiful. Other than the coats worn by the few fans in the stands, it could have been Palo Alto.

A few other thoughts:

• I wrote last week that Wyoming was probably the fourth or fifth best team in the conference. But after Saturday’s game, I sure hope not.

• Wyoming did not look very good, but played Utah tight last week. What does that say about the Utes’ chances against TCU on Game Day on Saturday?

• What was up with the call of 12 men on the field? Thanks to the magic of DVR, those of us following along at home were able to do our own version of the ‘review’ and came up with a different conclusion. Does anyone have any more info on that? (Wrubell on call-in show, etc?)

• Back in the BCS at #22. It is nice to be able to appreciate the little things again.

• It was good to see the second and third teamers get some game time in the third and fourth quarters. There hasn’t been as much of that this season as was expected.

• Kudos to the offensive line, which had a great game in pass protection and opening up running lanes.

• Another shout out to the defense--across the board a job well done.  They looked good while turning in lopsided efforts in the turnover (2) and sack (3) departments.  Jan Jorgensen was named conference defensive POW for his 1.5 sacks (the first mulit-sack game he has had going back at least to last season).

• Max Hall was unreal. Only two incomplete passes (20 of 22)—one of which he threw away to avoid a sack and the other was dropped by Pitta. Only one game in BYU history has seen a quarterback with a higher completion percentage—Steve Sarkisian was 91.2% on 31 of 34 against Fresno State in 1995, which is an NCAA record (for more than 30 attempts). There may not be a game next season that we don’t think back with fondness for the days of Max Hall. Oh, and it appears he figured out how to ‘fix’ that interception thing he had going on…

What to Watch for Against Wyoming

Given what happened in the TCU game, it could be argued that this has been a great time for a bye week or that it was terrible timing. But in either case, being focused back on the field this week will be great not only for the team, but also for the fans. Let’s be honest, even though last week was likely the most productive week many of us have had since early August, two weeks in a row of such productivity and people would begin to expect that kind of performance week in and week out… what do they think this is—the SEC?

On to the game. Wyoming is coming off of a confidence building performance against Utah. It is still hard to tell just how good Utah is, but in any case, Wyoming managed to lead for three quarters, so they can’t be far behind. They have been improving nearly every week and we all remember their first half against Texas. Their freshman quarterback, Austyn Carta-Samuels, is mobile and has been a spark for the offense and now has a number of games under his belt (becoming the starter in game 4). Their defense is very similar to the 3-3-4 that BYU runs and has been efficient. With a couple of days extra for BYU to prepare, the bye week may have been pretty good timing in any case.

A few things to watch for:

• Which team will show up? Will it be a team on a mission, ready to take out an opponent early, and vindicate its futility of two weeks ago? Or will it be a team that has been put in its place, and is now scrapping with its peers for the conference leftovers? The half time score may tell us all we need to know.

• Will BYU finally resolve to disrupt an opponent’s quarterback? It seems the last few games, BYU’s defensive philosophy has been to dare an opponent’s average to below-average quarterback to play like an All-American, and has decided that it is only a fair dare if they give him at least seven seconds to prove it. And we know how that has turned out. Pressure good. No pressure, bad. Another lack of pressure first two quarters and Wyoming will be very much in this game at the half.

• How much will the return of McKay Jacobsen impact the game? Jacobsen would have been a great asset in the TCU game, and hopefully will be able to contribute fully on Saturday and help stretch a field that has seemed increasingly crowded in his absence.

• Can the secondary (or the defense as a whole for that matter) limit the big plays? In the TCU game, it was really only 3-4 big plays that determined the outcome of the game. But it was 3-4 plays. Can the defense keep that to one or less?

• Will the team succeed on its first drive of the second half? There has been a disturbing trend this season to squander offensive opportunities to open the second half. Coming out of the locker room with a score, will either put a dominating game out of reach quickly, or will help take control of a close game taking some pressure off of our defense and placing it on their offense—either way, has a clear impact on the direction of the game. Failing to score in that situation achieves just the opposite for the other team.

• Will the running game be more than adequate? In both of the last two games, the running game as been OK. Adequate. Serviceable. A nice distraction from the passing game. But it has not been reliable or able to make a big play when it was needed. Three or so yards per run is not going to do it. Harvey, JJ, Bryan, and Manase need a big game. Let’s hope they bring it.

• Will we finally see a non-offensive touchdown? It has been way too long. When was the last one—Tulane? I miss David Nixon.

• Weather. You can’t mention Laramie in November without discussing the weather. You can’t play a football game in Laramie in November without being impacted by the weather. Perhaps it will be the wind, or some sleeper snow, but at the minimum there will be the cold. Good luck Cougs.

Wyoming is playing good football right now. They are probably the fourth or fifth best team in the conference right now (battling for those honors with Air Force and San Diego State). BYU has a game on its hands, but should be the better team. I think BYU comes out focused and plays a good first half, but finds itself only up by a small margin (3-10 points) at the half, due to inspired play by Wyoming as opposed to poor play by BYU. The blue and white come out in the second half and take that opening drive the distance. Finally. Then pull away. The cold weather and some wind impacts the passing game and the Cougars run the ball out in the fourth quarter, while Wyoming gets some points it should not have been given. Final score: BYU 37 Wyoming 24.

What else are you watching for? How do you see the game playing out? Reactions? Leave your thoughts and predictions in the comments below…

What We Learned in the UNLV Game

After perhaps the most complete game of the year against perhaps the worst team played against so far, it is time to assess where improvement was made. Last week I wrote:

“UNLV will come out swinging in the first half, play a good game, but will be outmatched by BYU’s talent. The Cougar offense will cut down on the turnovers (but likely still have at least one) and get into the end zone more than last week as they pull away in the second half. BYU ends up winning big and Sanford is out of a job before Monday. BYU 52, UNLV 13.”

I was essentially short a kickoff return TD for each team and only premature on the formality of Sanford’s resignation/dismissal, but otherwise, was pretty close in what I thought at the time was a rather gutsy call. Here is the outcome of the things to watch for:

• A Clean Game—BYU played its cleanest game of the year. Zero turnovers. Eight of eleven on third downs. Relatively few penalties. Not only was it clean, but the level of play was maintained for all four quarters, as the team scored a touchdown in all four for the first time this season.

• Health and Concussions—There were no serious injuries, although Scott Johnson left the game with a sprained ankle, and Manase Tonga suffered a knee injury. Both players status remains in question for the game with San Diego St. The absence of five players on special teams primarily due to injury was a likely contributor to the UNLV kickoff TD.

• More than Cover the Spread—Check. The spread was 16.5. The MOV was 38.

• Rushing and Total Offense—The box score victory was also secured as the offense and defense seemed to be clicking on all cylinders. Harvey Unga (20 carries, 149 yds, 3 TD) continued to improve and had his best game of the season, including a 52 yard TD, the longest Cougar rushing TD since 2006. Overall the team had 611 yards of total offense (320 passing, 291 rushing), well above the 500 or so total needed to solidify the win on paper.

• Filling in for McKay Jacobsen—Due to the lopsided nature of the game and the success of the running game, the receivers were never really tested. That said, Hafoka and Ashworth were relatively quiet with 1 and 2 catches each. It was Brett Thompson that stood out with 52 yards on only 2 catches, with a 46 yarder on a beautiful cut into a wide open post.

• Dennis Pitta Encore—Pitta had a solid, if unspectacular game with 2 catches for 60 yards and one touchdown (Andrew George also had a great game from the TE spot going for 61 yards on 3 catches). Pitta continues to lead all tight ends nationally in receptions (28) and yards (399); he is third in touchdowns (4).

• Mike Sanford’s Final Game—UNLV never appeared to give up (and so Sanford will likely coach again this weekend against Utah), but they did not deliver the job-saving performance that was needed. After five years, it is apparent that Sanford has not been able to turn the program around and no doubt the UNLV athletic director is already compiling a short list of replacement targets.

A couple of other notes from this game:

• In the second half, Max Hall threw a pass to Andrew George on the left side of the field that was overthrown and uncatchable. I realized as I watched that and thought about how long it had been since that had happened, how rare it was to see him overthrow someone, and that it has become easy to take his accuracy for granted.

• It was good to see Hall finally break his streak of interceptions.

• The rankings appear on the surface to not have given the Cougars any love, but in reality they gained a significant number of votes in each of the polls.

• O'Neil Chambers' 97 yard kickoff return was a long time in waiting, and as he has guaranteed a TD return, almost made good on his promise.

• The kicking game was much improved over the beginning of the season, as several kickoffs went into the endzone, and all of the PATs and the long field goal sailed through the uprights without any drama. Surprisingly, it was the punting in this game that was below par.

• The defense came through with a big game (aside from giving up the 75 yard TD pass), and managed three game changing interceptions—Pendleton’s in particular was an incredibly athletic and on-the-ball move to make the catch and stay in bounds.

• Manase Tonga, prior to getting injured looked better than he has all season, a positive sign that he is working hard and regaining his playing shape. He actually had a nice run in the second half where he outran several linebackers, something I didn’t think I would see him do this season.

Records within Reach vs. Florida State

Several players on this year’s team are quickly moving up the program’s all-time records charts. In particular Max Hall, Dennis Pitta, and Harvey Unga were already in the top 10 in several career categories as the season began, and now, with two games under their belts, have begun their statistical assault on the players that have gone before. I will provide a regular (although likely not weekly) update on the status of each, where they stand and what type of performance would be needed in that week’s game to move them up a notch. (The original assessment of each of player, as well as national award nominations, was posed on August 12, 2009 and can be found at the following link: http://www.byucougs.com/2009/08/records-should-fall.html)


Summary of Records within Reach vs. Florida State:
• Max Hall could reach #4 in total offense (needs 238 yards)
• Max Hall could reach #4 in TD passes (1 to tie, 2 for sole possession)
• Dennis Pitta could reach #9 in receiving yards (14 yards for #9, 158 yards for #8)
• Dennis Pitta could reach #2 in tight end receiving yards (158 yards)
• Dennis Pitta could reach #5 in receptions (8 catches)
• Harvey Unga could reach #6 in rushing yards (107 for #6, 122 for #5)
• Harvey Unga could reach #9 in all-purpose yards (60 yards)
• Harvey Unga could reach #3 in TDs (needs 3)

Max Hall
• #4 Passing Yards (began season #7, needs 1,093 to become #3)—With 329 and 309 passing yards in weeks 1 and 2 respectively, Hall moved into 4th place all time, passing Kevin Feterik, John Walsh, and Robbie Bosco. He needs 1,093 yards to pass Jim McMahon for #3 all-time.

• #5 Total Offense (began season #6, needs 238 yards to become #4)—Passed Robbie Bosco to move into 5th place all time. With 238 yards, will pass Steve Young for 4th place all-time.

• #6 Touchdown Passes (began season #6, needs 1 TD pass to become #4)—After throwing for 4 touchdowns already this season, Hall needs just 1 to tie with John Walsh and Robbie Bosco, and 2 to move into sole possession of 4th place.

Dennis Pitta
• #10 Receiving Yards (began season #11, needs 14 yards to become #9)—With 137 receiving yards so far, Pitta has passed Mike Chronister (1976-78) to reach #10. With another 14 yards, he will pass Glen Kozlowski for #9. Chris Smith is #8, 158 yards ahead.

• #3 Tight End Receiving Yards (began season #3, needs 158 to reach #2)—With another 158 yards, he will pass Chris Smith for #2 all-time in BYU’s storied tight end tradition.

• #6 Receptions (began season #8, needs 8 catches to move into #5)—Pitta passed Eric Drage and Reno Mahe during the Oklahoma game. With 8 more receptions, he will pass Gordon Hudson for #5.

Harvey Unga
• #7 Rushing Yards (began season #8, needs 107 yards to become #6 and 122 to become #5)—Despite not playing in game one and only getting three carries for 17 yards in game two (due to a hamstring injury), Unga passed John Ogden (1964-66) for 7th place all-time. He is expected to be full speed this week and with 107 yards he passes Pete Van Valkenberg (1970-72) for #6, and with 122 passes Luke Staley for #5.

• #10 All Purpose Yards (began season #10, needs 60 yards to become #9)—Will pass Reno Mahe with 60 yards, to become #9.

• #7 Scoring (began season #7, needs 24 points to reach #6)—Still needs 24 points to catch Curtis Brown at #6.

• #4 Touchdowns (began season #4, needs 3 to reach #3)—With 3 touchdowns, will catch Lakei Heimuli for #3 all-time.

What We Learned in the Tulane Game

Prior to the Tulane game, I wrote that weekly improvement was going to be the key to a successful season this year for the Cougars (something we didn’t see last year), and then essentially offered a checklist of areas of improvement to watch for in that game. And, if improvement from game one to game two is any indication, it looks like it may indeed turn out to be a special season. What follows is a checklist review of the areas specified prior to the game and how the team performed relative to each.

1. One Game at a Time Mentality—Check. The team was ready for this game and appeared focused on the task at hand, rather than looking ahead to FSU. 
2. Running Game Improvement—Check. After only gaining a net of 28 yards on the ground last week against OU, the team rolled out 206 yards this week. While Harvey Unga did play sparingly in the first quarter (3 carries for 17 yards), the improvement in the running game was primarily at the hands (or legs) or JJ DiLuigi and Brian Kariya. DiLuigi had 71 yards on 12 carries (5.9 yd/car) and Kariya had 63 yards on 12 carries (5.3 yd/car). For DiLuigi, this was a coming out party of sorts, and fans have been hoping to see this kind of a performance from him since his arrival in Provo two years ago. For Kariya, it was a validation of his performance last week. In both cases, it assures coaches and fans that the running back position should be deep enough to last the season. 
3. O Line Protection—Check. No sacks were given up. Hall had plenty of time. The running lanes were huge. Great game by the O Line. With Braden Hansen going down with a knee early in the game, however, depth could become an issue. 
4. Ball Distribution—Check. Hall put the ball into 12 receivers hands (as opposed to 7 last week), and five of those were outside receivers (only two last week). A full 50% of his passes were caught by the receivers accounting for 60% of the yardage (only 32% last week).
5. Punt Return Improvement—TBD. There were no punt returns in the game.  
6. Quarterback Pressure—Check. The Cougar D recorded two sacks on Tulane’s first drive setting a tone that would last for the entire game.
7. Points—Check. They needed to hold Tulane to two touchdowns or less to maintain defensive respect nationally and came through with flying colors.
8. Field Goals—Unsatisfactory. This is really an issue of placekicking in general… PAT’s, FG’s and kickoffs. Although Payne did hit his first field goal in five tries, he missed a subsequent point after. He also kicked another kickoff out of bounds. After replacing Payne, Stephenson did the same thing. The good news is they had got a lot of practice at both PAT’s and kickoffs.
9. Penalties—Check. Only 5 penalties for 47 yards. None of them were critical. And, considering the number of new players that were able to enter the game late, they played a very clean game.
10. Turnovers—Check. Hall threw one pick, but the defense was able to take two of its own, along with two fumbles. The turnover margin is now +1 for the season (+0.5/game), and much closer to the team’s 2006 high water mark set at an average of +1.08/game. Turnovers were key to the final score of this one, as each of Tulane’s turnovers led to BYU scores. 

It appears that the coaches and players must be reading this column, as they checked off 8 of the 10 items listed, leaving punt returns for another game, and failing to improve only in the kicking game.

Records Should Fall

[Originally Posted on August 12, 2009 at www.philsteele.com/Blogs/Individual_Team_blogs/BYU_Blog.html]

Last week, I looked at the historical success of the BYU program over key periods. I noted that one of the obvious pieces missing over the last three seasons for BYU (as opposed to the previously successful periods) was individual awards and recognition. This might be the year to get back on track.


Several players have been nominated to preseason watch lists:

• Max Hall: Walter Camp Award (player of the year), Davey O’Brien Award (quarterbacks), Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (senior quarterback)
• Dennis Pitta: John Mackey Award (tight ends), Fred Biletnikoff Award (receivers)
• Jan Jorgensen: Ted Hendricks Award (defensive ends)

Hall, Pitta, Jorgensen, as well as Harvey Unga are also on tap to crash the BYU career stat leader boards. By the end of the season, look for Max Hall to be second in passing yards, second in total offense, and second in TDs thrown. Pitta should be first in receptions and either first or second in receiving yards. Unga should be first in rushing yards, first or second in touchdowns, top three in all-purpose yards, and second or third in scoring. If these players can manage to avoid injury, keep up the career-setting pace, and win some big games, there just might be some post-season hardware coming to Provo at the end of the season.

Max Hall, Sr
• Passing Yards: currently ranked #7 with 7,805; needs 3,217 yards to pass John Beck for second (Ty Detmer is first with 15,031)
• Total Offense: currently ranked #6 with 7,934; needs 3,126 yards to pass John Beck for second
• TD Passes: currently ranked #6 with 61; needs 24 to pass Jim McMahon (84) for second, would need 61 to pass Ty Detmer (121) for first

Dennis Pitta, Sr
• Receiving Yards: currently ranked #8 with 2,072; needs 1,184 to pass Austin Collie(3,255) for first, needs 994 to pass Eric Drage (3,065) for second, and needs 770 to pass Margin Hooks (2,841) for third
• Receptions: currently ranked #8 with 159; needs 57 catches to pass Austin Collie (215) for first, 46 to pass Matt Bellini (204) for second, and 31 to pass Margin Hooks (189) for third

Harvey Unga, Jr
• Rushing Yards: currently ranked #8 with 2,368; needs 854 to pass Curtis Brown (3,221) for first
• All Purpose Yards: currently ranked #10 with 3,335; needs 1,662 to pass Curtis Brown (4,996) for first, needs 1,315 to pass Austin Collie (4,649) for second, and needs 1,033 to pass Jamal Willis (4,367) for third
• Scoring: currently #7 with 200 points; needs 134 to pass Owen Pochman (333) for first, needs 113 to pass Matt Payne (312) for second, needs 91 to pass Luke Staley (290) for third
• Touchdowns: currently #4 with 33 touchdowns; needs 16 to pass Luke Staley (48) for first, needs 8 to pass Jamal Willis (40) for second, needs 4 to pass Curtis Brown (36) for third