Archive for December, 2011

h1

Armed Forces Bowl Preview – BYU vs Tulsa

December 30, 2011

The Cougars are heading to Dallas to take on the Tulsa Golden Hurricane in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl. This is the first meeting between the teams since BYU lost in a shootout to to Tulsa in 2007.

What we know about Tulsa (8-4, 7-1 C-USA)

Tulsa is perhaps a better team than their record implies. They do have four losses, but each loss came to a team that was ranked in the top ten at the time: #1 Oklahoma, #8 Oklahoma State, #4 Boise State, and #8 Houston. When those are your four losses, you have to be proud of being 8-4. Aside from that, Tulsa’s 7-1 conference record was good for second in the conference, but that one loss came to Houston, who represented the West division in the title game against SMU (and somehow lost). Tulsa boasts a top-25 offense, rolling up 250 passing yards, 205 rushing yards, and 34 points per game, while their defense only gives up 28 points per game.

What we know about BYU (9-3)

Tulsa should be a great measuring stick for the Cougars, who haven’t faced an opponent of this quality since losing to TCU in October. The WAC-heavy November schedule was favorable to BYU, and the Cougars showed a lot of improvement through the course of those games, capping things off with a convincing 41-20 rout of Hawaii at Aloha Stadium. The Cougars have a top-50 offense, with 245 passing yards, 166 rushing yards, and 31 points per game. The defense has been very stingy, giving up only 20 points per game, good for 23rd in the nation.

Keys to the game

Riley Nelson. A good test for the Cougars is also a good test for Riley Nelson. Jake Heaps’ withdrawal from BYU ensured that Tulsa would know which quarterback they would face (though Nelson’s starting role was never in question). Riley’s ability to create on the run and improvise when plays break down is something you can’t prepare for. He’s coming off a record passing game at Hawaii, and I think Riley will have a big day on the ground and through the air.

Receivers. This should be a great game for BYU’s receivers. Look for Hoffman to make at least one miracle one-handed catch. He and Apo should have a big day today, with Falslev, DiLuigi, and others making important contributions.

Defense. The Cougar D will follow Bronco’s typical pattern and try to force Tulsa to be one-dimensional, taking away the run. It will be an interesting test, the Cougar defense against a tough Tulsa run game. BYU’s linebacker group is one of the toughest in the nation, featuring Kyle Van Noy, Brandon Ogletree, and Uona Kaveinga as leading playmakers.

Prediction

This will be a good game. I think the lower the score stays, the more the game will favor the Cougars. BYU should be able to get it done today. I’m picking BYU 31, Tulsa 21.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

h1

BYU 41, Hawaii 20

December 14, 2011

Led by the just recently healthy Riley Nelson, the Cougars ran away with this game in the islands, and came awfully close to my prediction of 49-20. Here’s the skinny on what went down.

Running away with it.

Riley Nelson. I’ve been waiting for this all season long: BYU finally had a quarterback with a breakout performance that included multiple touchdown passes (3), zero (0) interceptions, and more than three hundred (363) yards passing. But it wasn’t Jake Heaps. Riley Nelson was 25/37 in what became his career high game for passing yards.

Receivers. Cody Hoffman had a HUGE day, reeling in 7 passes for 123 receiving yards and a touchdown. Falslev and Mathews added 80 yards each, and Ross Apo caught two more TD passes in an effort that was very representative of the strength of this unit. These guys ran good routes, fought to get open, and broke routes to make plays when necessary. It was really a great day for BYU WR’s. Memorable moment: Hoffman’s one-handed TD reception.

Defense. The Cougar defense did a good job of clamping down after giving up a 79 yard TD pass in the second quarter. That left the Cougars trailing at halftime. In the end though, the defense had good stats for the day. They held the Warrior offense nearly 30 yards below their season average (308) in passing, and held them around 70 yards below their rushing average (95). Joe Sampson recovered an Uona Kaveinga forced fumble for a touchdown, which ended up being the winning score, and the true turning point in the game.

What we know about Hawaii (6-7, 3-4 WAC)

This loss officially disqualified Hawaii from the playoffs, and since then, their coach chose to retire rather than return for another season. With so many better jobs available this off-season, it will likely be difficult for the Warriors to bring in anyone of note.

What we know about BYU (9-3, 5-0 WAC)

Sure, I know BYU isn’t in the WAC, but they did dominate WAC play this year going unbeaten! On a more serious note, BYU is heading into the bowl season with the opportunity to win a tenth game. They will be playing against Tulsa (8-4, 7-1 C-USA) in the Armed Forces Bowl on December 30th. The Cougars have plenty of momentum going into the bowl game, which should be a very good matchup. It will also be a good chance for revenge on Tulsa, who beat the Cougars in their last meeting (in 2007).

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

h1

Week 14 Preview – BYU @ Hawaii

December 2, 2011

The Cougars are headed to the islands to play the Warriors of Hawaii. This will be the regular season finale for the Cougars, and honestly, who doesn’t want to go to Hawaii in December? Here’s a look at what to expect in what should be an exciting matchup.

What we know about Hawaii (6-6, 3-4 WAC)

Well, this certainly isn’t the 10-win team that the Warriors fielded in 2010. They still have some fight though, especially at home, where they are 4-2 this season. The Warriors offense features a prolific passing attack, which ranks 10th in the country, averaging 311 yards per game. Their 101.9 rushing yards is only good enough for a ranking of 110th. Pretty much, you can think of this team like a beefed up New Mexico State. They are likely to put up more of a fight than the Aggies, but a look at common opponents pretty much tells the tale. The Warriors lost a close game to Utah State (BYU won). They beat Idaho 16-14 (BYU won 42-7). They beat New Mexico State 45-34 (BYU won 42-7). Finally, they lost a close game to San Jose State (BYU won 29-16).

What we know about BYU (8-3)

With this game, BYU has the opportunity to finish out the season a perfect 5-0 against WAC teams – that’s good enough for a share of the WAC championship right? All kidding aside, BYU has shown that they are more than capable of handling the WAC this year. The Cougars will be looking to close the regular season with a strong showing against the Warriors, and again in the Armed Forces Bowl, which would enable them to complete a 10 win season.

Keys to the game

Jake Heaps. It has been said that Riley Nelson is well enough to play, and is cleared to play. In fact, it’s been said that the decision about whether or not to play will be left up to him. I don’t think there is any way that Riley Nelson doesn’t start this game. However, I do believe that Jake filled in admirably last week, and especially showed some new escapability skills that he probably picked up in his weeks watching Riley from the sidelines. I will be excited to see Jake have the opportunity to come in late in this game (especially if it means the Cougars are already resting on a comfortable lead).

Receivers. I still don’t think we’ve had a “stellar” game from this crew this season. Hoffman has shined more than most, and Apo, Falslev, and DiLuigi have had some great moments, but I would really love to just see someone go out there and have a monster game against Hawaii – whether it’s Nelson or Heaps at QB. The Warriors typically give up 235 passing yards – and the Cougars are above average competition for the Warriors.

Defense. The Cougar defense has faced quite a few pass-dominant teams lately, and I have been impressed at what they have been able to do to stop them. Bronco usually focuses on taking away the run, and forcing teams to be one-dimensional, relying on the pass. In the games against teams that typically rely on the pass, the Cougar defense has shown that it can take away the pass when needed. I think recent experiences will help against the Warriors, but they are likely to still put up some points, even if the game gets lopsided in the Cougars’ favor.

Prediction

The Warriors are tough, especially when playing at home – I hear that Honolulu flight is a real bugger – but I think the Cougars will beat both the jet-lag and the Warriors this weekend. BYU 49, Hawaii 20

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

h1

BYU 42, New Mexico State 7

December 2, 2011

Senior day was a big hit, as the Cougars rolled over the Aggies of New Mexico State. The game was close early one, with the Cougars leading just 7-0 after the first quarter, but the game was well out of reach by the end of the third, as the lead had been extended to 35-7. Riley Nelson was watching from the sidelines as he continued to recover from a chest/lung injury, but Heaps was more than enough for the Aggies. Here’s a review of what were the keys to the Cougar victory.

Jake Heaps. Jake had a better game than his last start, completing 58% of his passes, going 21/36 for 238 yards, 4 TDs and one INT. Heaps completed just 44% of his passes against Utah State, the lowest in a series of declining percentages that started with a high of just 63% in his first start this season, at Ole Miss. The 58% mark represents his second highest completion percentage (when starting) this season. The 4 TD’s is a season high, and brought his total to 9. The best thing I saw from Heaps was this play (go to the 1:36 mark), in which he escaped pressure in the pocket and still managed to catch JD Falslev on the run down-field for the touchdown. It was a thing of beauty, seeing that Heaps may have learned a thing or two by watching Riley play.

Receivers. Apo was the man tonight, with 5 receptions for 66 yards and two touchdowns. Falslev and Jacobson each had three grabs for 42 and 41 yards, respectively – and JD had the previously mentioned touchdown. Three catches by McKay was a welcome change.

Defense. The Cougar defense really stepped up this week. NMSU actually has a top-25 passing attack, typically averaging around 275 yards through the air. The Cougars limited the Aggies to just 159 passing yards. NMSU rushing totals were also down from 123 (average) to just 90 against the Cougar defense.

What we know about New Mexico State (4-7, 2-3 WAC)

New Mexico State has come a long way this season, but they still have more to do before they can even compete well in the WAC. They have two games left, and need to win both to become bowl eligible. First up next week is Louisiana Tech, followed by Utah State.

What we know about BYU (8-3)

BYU is on its way to the Armed Forces bowl. In two weeks though, they have a trip to Hawaii, and the Cougars will hope to pick up their ninth win of the season down in the islands, as a win there and in their bowl game would do a lot to provide momentum (as well as a 10 win season) for the Cougars as they head into their second year of independence.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

%d bloggers like this: