I would have to agree, BYU struggled with injuries so much through the year according to the coaches.
But then again, read my other post below
Tom,
I would agree with you on most of your posts, except with regards to the Offense. As I recall they only had one “Bad” game (BSU) and one that looked like they were walking in mud and still won (Georgia Southern) and lastly one game where it was clearly apparent that the other team was simply better (Baylor).
The real issue in my mind is our Defense, I understand the bend but don’t break defense, it has been around BYU since the days of Ken Schmidt (his famous words). But the drop eight defense is a lazy man way of defending. It allows our defense to be on the field for long periods of time and our offense to sit and watch and cool down.
Kalani and Tuikai can say all they want that they had “injuries”, but if you remember at the beginning of the season both coaches said and I quote “we have the most depth on the defense that we have had since I started coaching at BYU”.
Here is a list of all the defensive players who actually played in the UAB game:
players who has either Started in the past or has a lot of game time experience
Max Tooley
Ben Bywater
Tyler Batty
Caden Haws
Pepe Tanuvasa
Ammon Hannemann
D’Angelo Mandell
Matthew Criddle
Atunaisa Mahe
Earl Tuioti-Mariner
Uriah Leiataua
Shamon Willis
Gabe Summers
Malik Moore
Jackson Kaufusi
Players who first game experience was this year:
Drew Jensen
Chris Jackson
John Nelson
Jacob Palu
Kaleb Hayes
Fisher Jackson
Jacob Boren
As you can see, there are a majority of players who played in that game that has either started in prior years or has lots of playing experience.
So much for the excuse for claiming injuries as the reason for their poor performance.
I’m all for BYU. Are you?
Excuses (injuries or whatever) are for “also ran” teams. If Sitaki wants to be an annual “also ran” team and the administration and fans allow it - SO BE IT!
I disagree…
That is the best you can do “Disagree”?
What part of the statement was wrong?
Of the 20 defensive players that played in the bowl game, 15 of those players had at least 2 years of on the field experience, of which 4 of them actually were starters at some point in the past 3 years.
Then add on to that Tyler Batty, Caden Haws,Pepe Tanuvasa, Atunaisa Mahe, Earl Tuioti-Mariner Were all the starting and rotating Defensive lineman for THIS YEAR!
Mandell and Kaufusi was starters either last year or the year before.
That smacks directly against Kalani “Injured” players theory.
You still live in this “Thawk” imaginary world that the athletic abilities are the same from 1st string to bench warmers. That all they need is more experience. Welcome to the real world because Sitaki is 100% right.
I don’t have social media, and this board is the only place I’ve ever posted comments on the internet so I don’t really know what a troll is. However, I do know that I’m a realist, and I know what I saw this season. See Floyd’s post just above this one–he said it a bit more articulately than I did.
Floyd:
Well put. In my defense, I did put TRUE EXCELLENCE in all caps when referring to the BYU offense this year. This team would have been better, more competitive, and INFINITELY MORE FUN TO WATCH with an attacking defense like Bronco had. Bronco played a 3 man front but brought pressure from EVERYWHERE. So we give up a few big plays? Who cares? Our offense this year could have literally outgunned every single opponent we played, but spent waaaaaay too much time watching from the sidelines.
I refer all of you to the national championship just completed by Georgia and Alabama. I watched the entire game and purposefully kept track of the defensive alignments to see how many times either team only rushed 3 guys. Care to guess? Zero! Nada! Every play on defense saw 4-6 rushers. They play to make the other team get rid of the ball quickly. That is how you win games. Tui and Sitake are not better coaches than the Georgia or Alabama staffs. They haven’t figured out a new way to play defense that works. It is a new way but it just doesn’t work and that is why no one else does it. It is laughable!
If Hopper is correct (we know he isn’t) the inexperienced players on BYU’s defense would be better off having less time to cover receivers and backs out of the backfield …… with a pass rush being employed! They would also be better off without 2 times the number of plays being run on them in the “bend and don’t break” fiasco … vs a pressure defense. Nothing makes sense about BYU’s brain trust on defense except that they don’t know what they are doing!!
So tell me Scott since you think you know so much about talent level…
We have 11 starting players on the defense (Starters)
We have 11 players who are rotated in on a regular basis during the game (game experience)
Of the 20 players that played in the UAB game
15 of them were either Starters OR the first “rotation” of players into the game. These are the players that beat Utah and played in the UAB Bowl game.
Starters:
D-Line:
Tyler Batty,
Atunaisa Mahe,
Earl Tuioti-Mariner
Uriah Leiataua
Backers:
Pepe Tanuvasa,
Max Tooley
CB’s
Malik Moore
D’Angelo Mandell
First Rotation Players:
Ben Bywater
Caden Haws
Jackson Kaufusi
Ammon Hannemann
Gabe Summers
Matthew Criddle
Shamon Willis
So to be even more clear:
8 out of the 11 starters that beat Utah played in the Bowl game.
7 of the 11 rotation players played in both the Utah and Bowl games.
That’s an opinion that I’m sure others will agree with. But, those two teams have defensive backs that are superior to most of our backs. They are able to play one on one and rush 4-6 every down. Not so with BYU. Hopefully we continue to get more skilled backs and can do more of it. As I’ve mentioned before we played 4-6 rushers in the first 3 games before injuries.
true
BYU put pressure on Utah when it was evident that the Baylor QB could not make a big play. We were creative in that win. The remainder of the season I waited in vain for pressure to come, ESPECIALLY ON THIRD DOWNS, my desires in vain. Tuiaki HAS NO HEART. he is a liability to BYU. We are so easy to plan for. Tom is correct, We had the ability to score in BUCKETS but when the other team has the ball for 70% of the game, that is merely a wish. Boring football to the point, I recorded the UAB game, never bothered to watch it. NOT WORTH MY TIME,
Sitake will get the message when we are not filling up the stadium and doners slam shut their wallets.
Bronco was famous for developing the 3-3-5 defense at New Mexico that has been widely used since, including famously successfully during his run at BYU. It’s ok to have 3 down linemen as long as you bring 4-6 every down.
Hawk you had me laughing out loud thinking about Kalani and Tui in a room saying, “Hey, our DBs are not good and can’t cover man. HEY! I HAVE AN IDEA! Let’s make them cover for more time!”
This statement is not just for you, Tom. but to every poster who engages the hopper. You all have my upmost respect. I will refer to Hopper when he says something intelligent but can’t engage. carry on.
drop back 8 is the Devil.
I like your work Floyd!
1 Like
Sitake has said all year the strength of the defense is the DB’s. If you can’t rush 4 you should be a junior college program.
We were 10-3 against 7 power 5s. JC? Really?
tlarimer: . . . So we give up a few big plays? . . .
Agree Tom. We gave up many big plays with their cowardly 3-8 D. The bowl game defense was pathetically inept. The calls from my family in the south laughing at the Cougars was really hard to take, even though I tried to keep up a stiff upper lip.
1 Like