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BYU 29, San Jose State 16

October 10, 2011

I predicted this game would end at 34-10 in favor of the Cougars. One more score in favor of BYU and one less in favor of San Jose State and I’d have been pretty close. A safety will blow the spread every time anyway. The 29 points scored is a season high for the Cougars, while the 16 allowed are the fewest given up by the defense since the first game against Ole Miss, when the Cougars gave up just 13.

Here’s a look back at our keys to the game:

Doman. I think that Coach Doman is maturing as a play-caller. It helps that for this game he planned to play Nelson, who plays the QB position much like Doman did. The easier competition doesn’t hurt either, but I was happy with the play calls, and felt that the team was more than a match for the Spartans D. The Cougars were nearly balanced as well, gaining 219 passing yards and 224 rushing yards. Another note: the team was driving well on their last possession, reaching the San Jose State 25 yard line, but ended the game by taking a knee twice.

Nelson (or Heaps). Riley continued his success from the Utah State game through the first half against San Jose State. At one point, Riley had 4 consecutive completions, and 3 of those four were touchdown passes. He topped out at a QB rating of 334 in the first half. Nelson did fumble the ball on the SJSU 3 yard line after driving for 51 yards. The next play was a safety, as SJSU hiked the ball out of the back of the endzone. Riley also threw two interceptions during the game. In the end, the Cougars did not punt, and were forced to attempt (and make) field goals on only 2 of 5 scoring drives. With Nelson at the helm, the offense continued to make gains. Probably the play of the night for Nelson was the play immediately following a Kyle Van Noy interception, when Riley threw a 40 yard touchdown pass to a McKay Jacobson, who caught the ball without having to break stride. It was the best pass of the season by either quarterback.

Receivers. The tight ends continue to get more and more involved in the game – and this time Richard Wilson led all receivers with 3 receptions for 66 yards and a touchdown. McKay Jacobson had 2 receptions for 63 yards (and the aforementioned TD), and Ross Apo added another 41 yards on 3 receptions. This game marks two in a row that tight ends have a TD reception after having gone 17 games in a row without scoring. The more the TEs get involved, the better off this offense will be.

The Rush Attack. For the second game in a row, the Cougars have gained more than 200 yards rushing. They were led by a surprising figure, Mike Alisa, who carried 16 times for 91 yards! Nelson and Quezada each had 9 carries, for 65 and 47 yards, respectively. DiLuigi had a diminished role in this game, recording only one reception and 5 carries.

Special Teams. Justin Sorensen was perfect in the kicking game today, going 2/2 on field goals of 42 and 45 yards, as well as hitting all three PATs. Nothing special happened on our kick returns, but Hoffman averaged 24.3 yards on three returns.

Bronco D. I really thought the defense would come up with a fumble, which they did not, but they did come up with two interceptions. Kyle Van Noy and Travis Uale each made a pick, and Van Noy ran his back 31 yards before being stopped. That set up the Nelson to Jacobson 40 yard TD play. The defense was stingy on the ground, only allowing 70 yards rushing on 26 attempts (that’s 2.7 yards per attempt). The Spartans were never penalized in the game, but the Cougars kept a couple of SJSU drives alive with penalties. All in all, it was a good-not-great day for the defense.

What we know about San Jose State (2-4, 1-1 WAC)

San Jose State came into this game on a two game win-streak, after dropping their first three games in a row. The Spartans will continue on with their conference (WAC) schedule next weekend, as they will face Hawaii at home. Last year they lost 41-7 at Hawaii. Bowl eligibility is not expected at this point, but on the bright side, the Spartans already have won twice as many games as last year.

What we know about BYU (4-2)

BYU fans probably hoped this game would be a little more lopsided in favor of the Cougars. In fact, if just one or two more plays had swung in their favor, the scoreboard would have read quite differently. In the end, it was a good win for a team that needs something to build on. There is still room for improvement in each aspect of the game. The Cougars will test their skills next week against Oregon State, who has been off to a rough start at 1-4.

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Week 6 Preview: San Jose State @ BYU

October 5, 2011

After a difficult opening schedule, the Cougars ought to be looking forward to facing a “less than elite” WAC team this week. But what should have been a ho-hum game has a certain degree of intrigue for Cougar fans and players alike, because of what happened against Utah State last week.

What we know about San Jose State (2-3, 1-1 WAC)San Jose State

San Jose State went 1-11 last season, 0-8 in the WAC. Let me repeat. 0-8 in THE WAC. Their lone win came in a close game against Southern Utah. On thing is certain regarding this team, they are getting better. After losing the first two games of the season to Pac 12 Stanford and UCLA, the Spartans improved in game three by being competitive with Nevada. The game still resulted in a loss, but the Spartans rebounded with wins against New Mexico State and Colorado State. They’ve already doubled their win total from last year, and they will be bringing their A-game for what appears to be a weakened BYU team.

What we know about BYU (3-2)

I don’t think anyone was feeling very good about the Cougars around halftime of the Utah State game, but those feelings were driven away when Riley Nelson engineered four drives late in the second half, two of which ended in touchdown passes. The last of those gave the Cougars the lead and the win with only 11 seconds remaining. This team is a hard-hitting, grind-it-out team. It is unknown who the starting quarterback will be next week, but the signs seem to be pointing to Riley Nelson. After a rough September, the Cougars will be happy to take on a less daunting October schedule, starting with SJSU.

Keys to the game

Doman. He stayed up in the box for the second game in a row, and it was also the second consecutive win for the team. I’m guessing that Doman will remain in the box for the rest of the season. From the box, he was able to read his quarterback enough to know that a change was needed, and made the call to put Riley in. Hopefully we can see the playbook open up against the Spartans.

Nelson (or Heaps). Riley entered the last game in the third quarter to relieve Jake Heaps. This was at a time when Jake had led the team to only 3 total points from the previous five drives. Riley came in and led the Cougars on four potential scoring drives. One resulted in a fumble (DiLuigi), one a missed FG, and two were for touchdown passes. Not all of his passes were pretty, but they were caught, and Riley proved that you can run up the middle in a two minute drill. It was amazing to watch, especially the final 96 yard game-winning drive. It will be interesting to see who starts, and how short of a leash they have. If either QB struggles, expect to see the other quickly.

Receivers. In the last game, eight different players recorded catches, and were led by Cody Hoffman, with 4 receptions for 68 yards and 1 TD from Nelson. I would love to see even more TE work, and some deep passes to the WRs. Hoffman and Apo should have an easier time of getting open, as this is the weakest defense they’ve seen so far.

The Rush Attack. Each of BYU’s three RBs had at least 40 yards in the game, and with Nelson, BYU rushed for 200 total yards in the game. SJSU opponents are averaging 186 rushing yards per game, so this should be a great team for the Cougar rushers to pile up the yards. At least one of them ought to rush for more than 100 yards this game.

Special Teams. Justin Sorensen missed what could have been a crucial field goal in game against Utah State – he went 2/3 overall. The miss was a 29 yarder. I know the guy’s got leg, but these short ones ought to be money in the bank. Cody Hoffman returned a kickoff for a touchdown against UCF, and if he gets a couple of opportunities for returns in this game, watch out, there just may be some fireworks.

Bronco D. By biggest complaint with the defense from last week? The 80 yard touchdown run they gave up on Utah State’s first play of the game. The San Jose State offense is simply overmatched here. The Spartans average 205 yards passing and 146 yards rushing. The BYU defense will, as usual, take away that running game, and force the Spartans to beat them through the air, and that will likely not get them very far. Prediction: The Cougar defense will cause 2 fumbles, get an interception, and injure at least one Spartan (clean hit).

Prediction

San Jose State is a team that’s improving, (and I hope BYU is too), but they are not on level to compete with BYU. The Cougars will run away with this game (first time this season!), and the final score will be 34-10. That would mean the highest offensive output, and the fewest points allowed in the whole season.

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Week 5 Preview – Utah State @ BYU

September 26, 2011

BYU was able to rebound after their home loss to Utah, overcoming the Knights of UCF last week 24-17. They won through superb special teams play, great defense, and just enough offense to get the job done. But the game was a step in the right direction! It felt much like the SDSU game last year, when we rebounded after the loss at Utah State, and won a close, scrappy game. This week, the Cougars are looking to avenge last year’s loss to the Aggies, and continue on the path of improvement. Comparing this team to the team that played up in Logan last year would be a mistake, as so many significant changes have taken place. Utah State got up early in the game last year, leading 24-3 at halftime. That won’t be the case this year.

What we know about Utah State (1-2, 0-0 WAC)

Utah State ended the season 4-8 last year, with wins over BYU, New Mexico State, San Jose State, and FCS Idaho State. Which of those doesn’t belong? Yeah. Not hard to miss. Lately though, this Utah State team has been in games they had no business being in, and they have lost games they had no business losing. Last season they lost at Oklahoma 31-24. They opened this season in a heartbreaking loss to Auburn (yes, that Auburn) 42-38. Last week though, they lost in overtime against Colorado State. Their lone win came in week two against Weber State, who they thumped 54-17. The Aggies have the 5th best rushing average in the nation, with 316 yards per game (high of 440 against Weber St.), and they are 14th overall in points scored, at 42 per game. This team is a dangerous one, and they already have an offense that’s clicking. On the flip-side, their defense is only ranked 97th, giving up an average of 31 points per game. Players to watch: freshman QB Chuckie Keeton, and junior RB’s Robert Turbin and Kerwynn Williams. The success of these players will determine the success of the Aggies.

What we know about BYU (2-2)

A win last week helped, but BYU is still eager to ease some of the pain associated with the Utah game, and hopefully give ESPN’s national audience some better memories of BYU’s offense. BYU also comes into this game looking to avenge their 31-16 loss at Utah State last season. It had been ten years since the Aggies previous win in the series, and you have to go back another ten years to find the one before that. The Cougars have more than enough motivation to put the hurt on their “little brother” this Friday night in Provo.

Keys to the game

Doman. As much as he may not like it, I think Doman may be back up in the box again this week, and I think that’s where he belongs. While his sideline presence is missed, I think his ability to see the whole field is invaluable.

Heaps. Utah State has the weakest defense that BYU has seen this year. This should be a great game for Jake to break out of his accuracy slump (which has been aided by dropped passes), which last week was well below 50%.

The Rush Attack. BYU’s rushing crew had a good game last week against UCF, with Kariya, DiLuigi, and Quezada each contributing effectively. Again, lining up against the Utah State defense should be a welcome treat for these guys, after having faced the likes of Ole Miss and Texas already this season.

Special Teams. Cougar special teams had an amazing game last week. Hoffman’s kickoff return for a TD, a muffed punt recovery, a handful of touchbacks, and a great punting average all combined to make the night truly “special” for this unit. You can’t really improve on that, but I do hope that last week inspired some confidence in this group and that they will be able to sustain the high level of play that they exhibited against UCF.

Bronco D. The defense really had a great game against UCF, who came in averaging more than 200 yards per game on the ground, and were held to just 81 yards. The defense will again be focused on stopping the run, and in this case, the run is everything to Utah State. As they average more than 300 rushing yards per game, take that away, and they’re left with the nation’s 104th best passing attack to beat BYU. Knowing this, the Aggies will have come up with some sort of passing attack, likely aimed at weaknesses in BYU’s secondary. I think the D may give up a big play or two, but will keep Utah State with fewer than 100 rushing yards.

Prediction

This game provides another Friday night on ESPN – with no other college football games on – so they eyes of the nation will be upon the Cougars once again. The home crowd, the special teams, defense, and yes, even the BYU offense will prove too much for the Aggies, and BYU will win in dominating fashion: 38-13.

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Rivalry Week Preview: Utah @ BYU

September 11, 2011

It is certainly strange to be writing about the BYU-Utah rivalry game in September, but Pac 12 non-conference game regulations forced the move of the game from its usual November slot. BYU does play at Oregon State on October 15th, but that game was scheduled before the new rule was in effect. So here we are in week three. Both teams are coming off of heartbreaking losses in week 2, with BYU falling short at Texas, and Utah couldn’t quite get it done at USC. Both teams will be looking to regroup with a big win over their rival this weekend.

What we know about Utah (1-1, 0-1 Pac 12)

After starting the season with a 27-10 win over Montana State, Utah fell to USC last week 23-14…no, make that 17-14…actually, no, let’s go ahead and call it 23-14. What’s that all about? A last second Utah field goal attempt was blocked by USC and returned for a touchdown. The referees took away the touchdown based on the new celebration penalty in effect this year, but it was re-awarded after the fact by the Pac 12. So there you go. Anyway…back to Utah. They had their game-tying field goal blocked, and probably have some more empathy for what BYU fans went through when Utah blocked a BYU field goal attempt to end the rivalry game last year. It is still too early in the season to say exactly how good everyone is. Jordan Wynn appears to be struggling to pass efficiently, and the Utes have only averaged 169 passing yards through two games. The rushing attack has averaged 136 yards per game, but only had 80 against USC. How good are the Utes? Much better than Montana State, and good enough to beat USC, even though they came up short.

What we know about BYU (1-1)

It’s possible that we know more about BYU than Utah. BYU beat Ole Miss on the road in week 1, and lost to Texas on the road in week 2. Both games were decided by one point, and featured good to great BYU defense and poor to fair BYU offense. Heaps and Doman are still working out the kinks in the new offense, and while things looked great in the first half of the Texas game (with three scoring drives, including a 97 yard touchdown drive), the BYU offense didn’t have an answer for Texas’ halftime adjustments. So, how good are the Cougars? Somewhere in between Ole Miss and Texas. The Cougar defense is solid, which means the success or failure of the offense will likely determine the outcome of this week’s game.

Keys to the game

Doman. It’s amazing how short of a leash fans will put you on. After just two games, some fans are frustrated enough by the conservative, Anae-like play-calling that they are even suggesting he ought to be replaced. If Ole Miss hadn’t been a win, these fans may have reacted similarly after game one. Doman’s calls have been very conservative – most notably on Saturday was a 3rd and 9 call for a draw play. It was only his second game as offensive coordinator, so of course he needs time to settle in, but you can’t win games by playing not to lose. Doman is going to have to be willing to open up the playbook and give the players a chance to make plays in order to get a win this Saturday.

Heaps. Jake was looking quite timid in the Texas game, especially after the Longhorns got flagged for a roughing the passer penalty. From that point on it seemed that if Jake saw any sort of pressure coming, he automatically threw to his check-down receiver, regardless of whether or not the pressure actually came. This tendency made it easy for the Texas defense to predict what Heaps was going to do, especially late in the game, which cut down on the yards after catch. Short throws and few extra yards do not translate to first downs. Heaps will have to learn to stand in the pocket and take a few hits every now and then, and in exchange he will have more down-field completions.

The Rush Attack. BYU only rushed for 43 yards against Texas. It wasn’t for lack of trying. The Cougars averaged fewer than two yards per carry. The lack of a run game translated to no one buying the play-action, and created extra pressure on Jake Heaps, which he seemed unable/unwilling to deal with. Regardless of Heaps’ reaction, the Cougars have got to find a way to run the ball effectively. We have talented enough runningbacks to get the job done. The whole offense, from coordinator to third-string linemen, needs to step up and play at a higher level.

Special Teams. Last year’s rivalry game came down to a blocked field goal. With the exception of 2004 and 2008, the BYU-Utah games have recently been decided by only a few points, and that means one big play can easily make or break this game. BYU has had some exciting kickoff and punt returns this year, and they have players capable of making touchdowns on those returns. Sorenson was 3/3 with his field goals against Texas, each of them coming around the 30 yard line. Hopefully this is a sign that his short to mid range game is growing more consistent, because the Cougars may rely on him to try and win this game if Heaps and co aren’t able to find the endzone. Hopefully the Cougars have worked on their field goal formation since the last Utah game.

Ball Control. Interceptions and Fumbles have been a big part of BYU and Utah’s games of late.  Momentum is huge, and capitalizing on mistakes is crucial to maintaining it.  I think we will see a few turnovers in this emotion-filled game, and the team that wins the turnover battle will likely win the game.

Bronco D. BYU’s defense has been stellar, and they literally won the Ole Miss game. But a defense can’t make up for a lack of offense, and can’t win every game for you. Bronco will have his players ready, and they will shut down the Utah run game, and force the Utes to beat the Cougars on Jordan Wynn’s arm. Wynn will hopefully become well acquainted with BYU’s linebackers in this game, and that should lead to mistakes the defense can capitalize on.

Prediction

The Holy War is almost always close, and these two teams seem to have struggling offenses. I think this will be a close, defensive battle – and I think the Cougars will get the best of the Utes in Provo this Saturday. BYU will win 21-17.

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Bronco’s Best Season

December 24, 2010

Bronco Mendenhall took over the BYU football program in 2005, after having worked as the defensive coordinator during the 2003 and 2004 seasons.  Since taking over the program, he has a 56-21 record (.727), including three 11 win seasons, and a ten win season. Four seasons of 10+ wins in a row had never been done at BYU, and Bronco’s current win percentage is higher than Lavell’s.  Bronco also owns a 4-2 record in bowl games. When you consider that BYU is 11-17-1 all-time – Bronco already owning more than a third of those wins is impressive.

We all understand, I think, and we appreciate the amazing coach we have right now. Four years under Gary Crowton left fans wanting something, ANYthing else out there. So the defensive coordinator is called up to be the head coach.  Honestly, at the time, I didn’t hardly know anything about him. He had a good football name: Bronco.

2005

He took over a program that had won 5, 4 and 5 games in its last three seasons. This, in a program that was not used to losing seasons, and prior to the “Crowton era”, BYU had not had a losing season since 1973. In Bronco’s first season, 2005, his team finished 6-6, breaking the sub .500 streak set by Crowton.

2006

I believe this was as close as the Cougars have come to perfection since 1984.  They did lose two games (only one in 1996), but they lost by razor-thin margins. The Cougars started out with a three point, last second loss to Arizona (FG with 0:01 remaining). They beat Tulsa, and then dropped a 2OT decision to Boston College on the road – a game where Quarterback John Beck was injured, but played through to the end.  The Cougars then reeled off nine straight wins, including a perfect 8-0 in Mountain West play, and the “Harline is still open” game over Utah (one of those MWC games).  They were pitted against Oregon, where Gary Crowton was then the offensive coordinator, and they drubbed Oregon 38-8.  Bronco Mendenhall stated that the early setbacks provided motivation for the team to perform the way they did the rest of the season.  Bronco Mendenhall was awarded MWC Coach of the Year honors after bringing this team to an 11-2 record.

2007

Bronco had a new quarterback in Max Hall, and a new RB named Harvey Unga.  These unknown factors left some question as to what sort of success we might see in 2007, and a 1-2 start again left fans wondering if maybe 2006 was just a fluke.  But, like 2006, BYU reeled off nine straight wins, including all 8 in conference, and the “4th and 18″ win over Utah.  The bowl matchup that year was interesting, as we were pitted against UCLA, which was one of the two teams to beat us earlier in the season (the other was Tulsa).  BYU ended up beating UCLA by blocking their last second field goal attempt (it was Eathyn Manumaleuna that got his hand on the ball), 17-16. For the second year in a row, Bronco led his team to an 11-2 finish.

2008

The season began with the highest of expectations. So many returning starters. This year was the first that Bronco’s club didn’t start out 1-2.  They began the season a perfect 6-0, including wins over Washington (28-27) and UCLA (59-0) of the Pac 10. Ninth ranked BYU was then blasted by TCU 32-7, and also took a blowout loss to Utah to end the regular season.  Seemingly uninspired, they lost to Arizona in their bowl game, 31-21, and dropping to 10-3 on the season.

2009

This season came along with an exciting opportunity.  #20 BYU was scheduled to play #3 Oklahoma to start the season. They played in “The House that Jerry Built” the new Dallas Cowboys stadium. They were up against Heisman winner Sam Bradford, and the rest of the Sooners – runners up in the national championship game from the previous season.  BYU went down there and beat the Sooners 14-13. While Sam Bradford was injured in the game, and Oklahoma went on to just an 8-5 record, this is still one of the greatest wins in BYU history. BYU was ranked 7th when, later in the season, they were demolished by Florida State, and later received a similar thumping from TCU. BYU ended the regular season 10-2, including the “Hall to George in OT” win over Utah, and drubbed Oregon State 44-20 in the Las Vegas Bowl to end the year at 11-2.

2010

2010 began again, as an unknown. BYU had lost Hall and Pitta to graduation, Unga to the honor code, and many other great offensive and defensive starters from the previous year. They had Jake Heaps – scout.com’s #1 quarterback prospect as a new quarterback, and Riley Nelson, who previously had been Max hall’s backup. BYU attempted to implement a two quarterback rotation with Nelson and Heaps. This arrangement worked initially, as the Cougars began the season with a win over Washington and the highly-touted Jake Locker.  That success was short-lived, however, as BYU followed that up with four consecutive losses, including a 31-16 loss to Utah State.  During that string, Riley Nelson was injured, and Heaps took over as sole starting QB. After the Utah State loss, Bronco Mendenhall made the tough decision to fire defensive coordinator Jaime Hill, and to resume the dual responsibility of head coach and defensive coordinator.

As of that moment, BYU was a different team.  They went 5-2 the rest of the season, with a quality win over San Diego State, and losses at ranked TCU and Utah (the Block). The Cougars made it back to 6-6, after having started 1-4.  They went to the New Mexico Bowl against also 6-6 Utep, and beat them handily, 52-24, ending the season 7-6.

Bronco felt midway through the season that he had lost the heart and soul of his team, and by resuming his defensive coordinator duties, he brought himself closer to the players again, and captured what they had lost. The Cougars were ranked worse than 100th in many defensive and offensive stats at the end of the Utah State game.  The defense was able to turn around so dramatically, that they are currently in the top 25 in total defense. Jake Heaps also came alive during this stretch. In his first 7 games, he had one TD pass, and 6 INTs, while in his final 6 games, he rose to 14 TDs to only 3 INTs.

Bronco’s Best Season

So, which of all of these was Bronco’s best season? Arguments could be made for any of them.  2005 had a non-losing record a return to a bowl game. 2006 and 2007 were perfect MWC years with 11-2 records overall. 2008 had a 6-0 start. In 2009 BYU beat #3 Oklahoma, went 11-2, and had a huge Bowl win over Oregon St.

For me though, none of these great years will compare with this one. The year that BYU went just 7-6. Sure, Bronco allowed a two quarterback system to start the year, and we can never know just how much negative impact that had. But when Bronco realized what had happened within his program, that he had “lost” it, he made tough decisions.  He fired a coordinator in the middle of a season, and assumed the responsibilities himself. He took heat for the decision, yes, but even fans had begun to question his leadership as we posted losses to WAC teams in consecutive weeks. He recognized the flaw in his program, and he corrected the course.  How many teams start 1-4 and turn around to make it to a bowl game? Most throw in the towel and call it a “rebuilding year”.  Sure, this was a rebuilding year for the Cougars, but we didn’t have to suffer through an 1-11 (or similar) campaign and have changes made during the off-season. The turnaround is remarkable, and the difference in emotion and execution by the players has been amazing.

This season is Bronco’s greatest one to date, and the future of the program has never looked better. He has assembled an amazing team – with last year’s recruiting class ranked 22nd in the country, and 2009′s class was ranked 40th (both by Scout.com). This off-season has already brought even more tough decisions, as it was revealed this week that his offensive staff is under review, and only time will tell who stays and who goes. One thing is for sure, the ones that stay will be ones that share Bronco’s fire and vision for his team. I, for one, have come to trust that vision, and I’m excited about the future of BYU football under Bronco Mendenhall.

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