ESPN has BYU losing all 10 of our P5 games going forward the rest of the season. PLEASE!
I will go to Vegas and slap down 1 million on that bet.
Before the season, I look at Home games vs. away games.
BYU’s away games are: @Arkansas 31-24 BYU (Massey rankings) …we’ll see what Hill has Dialed up for QB Jefferson. @Kansas 31-28 BYU…Another very mobile QB, Daniels.
@ TCU 35-27 BYU…This is not the same team that was national runner’s up.
@ Tx 37-17 BYU… Sark has his guys playing well. @WV 31-26 BYU… Long road trip, @OSU 28-20 BYU…BYU has a running game by now.
I want to believe that we learn from the Ark game and get a win at Kansas and WV.
Home games:
Cinn 28-23 BYU…No way this game is that low in scoring, just sayin.
TT 31-28 BYU…TT finds ways to lose games it’s favored in.
Iowa St. 26-21…really, BYU only gets 21? Baloney.
OK 34-21…What’s with this 21 thing?
BYU get the win vs. TT and Iowa St. goes Bowling.
That’s a whole lotta road games (6) vs. 4 home games. Why are we ranked dead last in the Big 12?
What about Houston? I’d put BYU ahead of Houston, WV, I St. TTU.
Go Cougs
Just based on BYU played against Sam Houston and SUU, I would have to agree with ESPN on paper.
I think the jury is still out on the defense in their minds, but the defense has played well for the first two games.
Defense is ranked:
Total Defense ranked 26th
Rushing defense ranked 10th
Passing yards allowed ranked 62nd
3rd down conversion ranked 44th
Red Zone defense ranked 19th
All of these are well above where we were last year.
First off I like the defensive scheme. Hill doesn’t have the horses to implement the full scope of what he wants to do. 2-3 years from now he will probably have his guys in place.
The offense on the other hand is a wild card. I don’t think the play calling will hold up against better Big12 or SEC competition. ARod is simply not consistent enough. I don’t like our OL blocking schemes and if BYU can’t run the ball we are in trouble. Using the TE correctly is an issue. Too much TE and/or not enough TE has always been an issue. If UNLV can have Robbins at 1000 yds rushing BYU should be no worse. They way the OL is blocking now would probably put the guy at 500 yards rushing for the year.
Perhaps Robbins isn’t 100% healthy. Something is up with him. Slow to the holes in my opinion. See how LJ does against Arkansas. The OL is a problem as Matich pointed out Monday. They quit too soon on plays. If that gets fixed then we will see better play. Does anyone know if Epps is going to play or is he holding out?
There is a question mark on Epps because he had a minor injury/issue in practice either today or yesterday.
Game time decision.
As for RB’s Kalani said they are not hitting the holes hard enough, but Matich brings up a point when the guy’s up front is not maintaining or pushing the defensive players back to maintain the holes.
I for one am not buying Funk’s excuses for Ettiene. In one little article he used both the “he’s playing with new guys” and “he’s had three different line coaches in 3 years” excuses. So far he simply doesn’t block anyone. Even in a zone scheme, it’s “see guy in your path and block guy in your path,” whether it’s at the LOS, 2nd level, or even in the secondary. So far it’s been “see guy in your path, but don’t block the guy.” My second beef if that even the announcers are pointing out that our OLmen are letting their guy repeatedly “cross their face,” which is 99% guaranteed to wreck a running play. It happens over and over and over. THawk I k ow YOU know this, but some readers may not. That is something drilled into every OLman by any competent coach from youth football on: “DON’T LET HIM CROSS YOUR FACE!!!.” If a DLman can cross the OLman’s face—literally—the OLman is beat case scenario out of the play or worst case scenario going to get a holding call because he’s lost leverage and is chasing. So either our linemen don’t know that (impossible), are simply not good enough (possible), or in a scheme they don’t understand due to confusing coaching (most likely of the 3). Arkansas will be a great test and I hope to see vast improvement, but am skeptical after seeing our line taken apart by lower level competition two weeks in a row.
talked to several players on the team. We should of “looked good” in our early games, we didn’t
they also said that our Oline is not getting any push on running plays. Not throwing weight around. and that is to inferior teams. If Sec and Big 12 teams push BYU around, doesn’t matter, game over
