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 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 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…

O Line Getting Thin

[Originally Posted on August 17, 2009 at www.philsteele.com/Blogs/Individual_Team_blogs/BYU_Blog.html]

Only eight fall practices are in the books and already the offensive line is getting thin. Going into fall camp without four starters from last year, revamping the offensive line was one of the primary concerns. Now it is THE primary concern. With 19 days remaining until this group faces an Oklahoma defensive line that will put several players on your TV screens on Sundays, here is where the team stands:


• Matt Reynolds (So), LT—The lone returning starter broke his hand and had to have it surgically repaired. He is now the proud owner of a pin and a metal plate inside that hand, and is expected out for 2-3 weeks. Given the level of expectations placed on him, look for him to find a way to play in the opener, but will be held out of practices until then and may not be at 100%.

• Jason Speredon (Jr), LG—The other protector of Max Hall’s backside is out for the season with a torn rotator cuff in his shoulder requiring surgery and 3-5 months of rehab.

• Jesse Taufi (Jr), LG—Expected to add depth in the two deep at right guard, Taufi has not yet been cleared academically to join the team. There is a possibility that he is able to join once school starts, but that may not be much consolation going into the Oklahoma game.

In the mean time, the offensive line is playing with 5 freshmen and 3 sophomores on the two deep and is as follows (first team, second team):

LT: Braden Hansen (Fr), Terrence Alletto (Fr)
LG: Marco Thorson (So), Ryan Freeman (So)
C: RJ Willing (Sr), Houston Reynolds (Fr)
RG: Terrence Brown (So), Tui Crichton (Fr)
RT: Nick Alletto (Jr), Fono Vakalahi (Fr)