So What are your take aways from the Liberty Game?

Football
1

For starters:

Last year and from the start of their football career, Liberty has been an FCS team.

This is the first year, and as an Independent, they are now among the G5 Independent Ranks.

We were favored to win Toledo by 17 points but instead struggled to come out with a 7 point win at Provo.

Toledo proved to be a better team than we expected. We proved to be not as good of a team as we thought we were following the Boise State and Utah State games.

At Liberty, there is no shortage of money. Their Church-owned University is prepared to spend whatever it takes to get the best coaches they can hire. They may soon pass us up as the better team with their church commitment to their team.

Having said that,

When BYU plays tough teams as am underdog, BYU plays tough, looks tough and is tough.
( Tennessee, USC, Boise State, Utah State) etc.

When BYU plays “Give me Games” we play down, we look down, and we are down, ( Toledo. USF).

To barely survive a first-year independent team, fresh out of
the FCS ranks, and survive that game at home, is nothing to shout about.

If history is true about BYU, And we beat teams like ranked Oklahoma in the Dallas Cowboy’s new Stadium, and when we dominate Texas 3 times in a row, at home and away, and when we beat UCLA at home 59-0, and when we beat USC, Tennessee, And Wisconsin, and when we beat Notre Dame in Provo, and, and, and, and the list goes on, there is pride that resonates around the entire USA…

When we lose to Utah and Washington, ranked so far ahead of us that we are not even on the same first two pages of rankings, yes, it is a disappointment but there is no shame. In fact, win or lose, there is still pride that they were on our schedule.

When we beat up on teams like Weber State, Idaho State, or any team ranked 100 or worse among the 130 A1 teams, where is the pride? There is none. It’s like a 6th grader beating up on a 2nd grader. There can be no pride,

On the other hand, when that 6th grader, (BYU) picks a fight with the second-grader, (UMASS), and the sixth-grader loses to that 2nd grader. Who gets the cheers, Who gets booed.

Which game will be remembered the longest. our win against Utah State. or our loss to UMASS?

In Summary, looking at the progress in the SOS of last year, this year and next year, we are on the right path with improvements each season. I commend our AD for this.

On the other hand, I would suggest not programming G5 teams that are expected to be ranked below 65.

Play nine P5 teams that are expected to be ranked in the 50’e or worse. (The lower ranking for the P5 team, the better.

Play no FCS teams.

Schedule like this and there will be many P5 wins to be proud of and no loss that will bring shame or ridicule.

2

We should be 7-2 right now. We aren’t ready for the weaker teams. That’s coaching and preparation. The defense remains a problem. However, some of the playcalls were head scratching.

3

If I had bet on the games this year, taking into account the spread, I would have been wrong on every game this year. After opener I didn’t think we would cover against Tennessee. I thought we would beat spread against Utah and Washington. I did not think we would cover against USC. Then i thought for sure we would cover at Toledo and USF. After that I did not think we would cover against BSU and USU. Then I thought we would cover against Liberty.
This team cannot be predicted. Under Bronco we won the games we were supposed to win and were respectable in the games we were expected to lose.
I am not convinced Kalani deserves an extension.

4

Well, I think he will get the extension based on it’s not easy to find a head coach for BYU.
As far as whether we win big or not, that is overrated. Even during the 1984 National Champion run we won close games with teams we should have beat handily. It can happen to anyone. During other glory seasons we lost to bad teams we should have beat and barely won against easy teams. The key is even during lack luster performances, the good teams will pull out wins. Sitake is going nowhere with wins over USC, Boise, Tennessee and USU. But, we better win out.

5

This is his 3rd year coaching as HC and has one more year on his contract. I don’t see an extension anytime soon but more likely will sometime next year. As Hopper said, it is hard to find a right guy to replace a HC at BYU. If Bronco M. was still coaching at BYU, he would have fired this current DC Tuitti (sp?) sometime in mid season 2017. Yes it was a head scratcher to all those games we played this year - well, since 2017. Losing to Toledo & SFU and too close for comfort against Liberty U. We will be fine the next two games (I hope so) and this BYU FB Program will be tested agasint at sdsu.Rocky Long does not like to lose.

6

Haha and don’t forget Rocky Long has a special kind of hate in his heart for BYU. He will treat that game–especially at home–like the NC game, and will have his guys fired up and wanting blood.

7

Ron,
While you are bringing up some very good points, I would like to remind people that not all the G5 schools are bad. Toledo is an example, they play every team tough, they have beaten some P5 schools.

Just because the odds maker think BYU should beat them, that is not always an accurate assessment of how good or bad a team really is. As an example in the NFL by all odds makers, SF 49ers should have beaten the Seahawks. But guess what? They did not… Why? because it is a game and anyone can beat anyone at any given time.

I believe the main problem right now is as follows:

  1. the schedule is out of balance (which is difficult to fix because of Independence). there are way to many top teir teams front loaded on the schedule which causes injuries for our players (currently there are 11 redshirt or true freshman starting)
  2. We do not have the talent to maintain the schedule. I believe Bronco Mendenhall did us a dis-service by not recruiting “Star” athletes. IMHO, Bronco had it out for star players (which he is now doing in Virginia) and promoted “walk-on’s” over Talent. After a while it got around the high schools that if you had talent and wanted to go to BYU, your chances of playing is reduced because of Bronco mindset (all pure conjecture on my part).
  3. We do not have all the coaching pieces together. I think we have a good group of Offenses coaches that I can actually see some progress with, but the defense is lacking and it comes from the DC.

Just my opinion, but that is how I see it.

8

“Could of, should of, would of” is nothing more than a weak attempt to cover the obvious, we could be 2-7 right now if we did not have a decent kicking game.

9

I’m with you on predictability…makes me crazy. Don’t be a one timer. Any bets on the SDSU game? Rocky Long is on record that if he had any say, SDSU would NEVER be playing BYU again.

I hear Wilson we back and will tune up against ISU. Now for anyone interested is the ISU game line…… its upwards of 40 points.

10

Nope! We should be 7 - 2. We won 2 of the first 4 games. We were a head in the next 2 and should have won. We beat BSU and USU. 7-2.
Oh, I’m sorry! I should fill up your half full glass of milk for you more often :slight_smile:

11

We should then win by 14 to 17 points. We will play lots of 3rd string players to allow others to get over their injuries. Play to the level of the opponent this year. Why would this game be different?

12

We went ahead in the 4th Qtr. on some spectacular effort of our Offense, only to have our defense allow both Tennessee or USC to score to tie the game up and send it into OT. If it was not for the FG’s made by Oldroyd we would have lost those games because of our lousy defensive play.

That is factual, Yes we barely won 2 of the 4 games, but in reality, we could have been 0-4, if it was not for little luck.

That is a fact Scott, and even the coaches know they were lucky to get out with a 2-2 split. then you add again the total collapse of the defense in the Toledo and UCF games “we could of” been 0-6 to start the year.

Again “Should of”, “could of”, “would of” does not equate to reality… The fact is we were lucky to win the USC and Tennessee games.

13

I think Rocky has softened his views about BYU not totally, but softer.
In his media comments he says:

““I don’t mind playing BYU. I wish they weren’t on the schedule. I think that them leaving the league was the wrong thing to do and they went independent, and the only way they develop a schedule is the Mountain West Conference scheduling them,” said Long.”

Tom Holmoe made the comment that there has been some “Thawing out” of the hard feeling towards BYU for leaving the conference. So I am not sure if it is as bad as some think.

14

Not sure if I like this or not… Wilson is good, but man he is made some real bone head decisions, I like what Romney is doing (like any true BYU fan, always root for the backup :open_mouth:

15

In regard to the thread topic. I will say what I always say. A win is a win is a win. It would have been nice to coast to victory as forecast nut the record is still 5-4 regardless of a 7 point win or covering the 17 point spread. It was obvious Liberty played about as well as they could play and they were mistake free and their coaches made good decisions with the possible exception of the call for the onside kick that ended up not hurting them because BYU threw an interception.

BYU lost a sure score to start the 2nd half with the lost fumble inside the Liberty 20 yard line. That could have been the beginning of a blowout win but it completely changed the momentum. BYU started the half picking up big yardage running the ball and then Finua fumbled after about a 20 yard run. Also there was the stupid trick play after the Liberty onside kick that resulted in an interception instead of a drive for a score with a short field. There was also the stupid fake field goal play that made things more interesting than they should have been. If they had lined up and run the ball they may have picked up the first down. At least they would have been no worse off and the coaches wouldn’t have looked like idiots. The other option was just attempt the field goal. The distance was well within Oldroyd’s range and if he makes it the game is over. The other call on the last BYU drive was the one where they lined up in their short yardage formation on a 2nd and nine and got one yard. That was a another head scratcher of a play call. Sitake said he thought they could pop the play for a big gain. Why not just run Katoa or do a play action pass.

Liberty playing error free and the two turnovers that potentially cost BYU some points and some of the play calling were what made an easy win a bit of a nailbiter.

ISU and U. Mass should not be competitive games. If they are it will be because BYU was asleep at the wheel again. I see no way either of those games are losses and anything less than 30 + point wins with subs playing nearly all the 2nd half will be entirely on BYU because both of those teams are very bad.

San DIego St. will be a challenge but they have almost no offense. They lost to Utah St. and only scored 17 points and they lost to Nevada and only scored 13. Neither Utah St. nor Nevada are very good defensively. BYU should win but could lose and I expect it to be a very close hard fought game. BYU won’t blow them out because they play very good defense.

1 Like
16

I thought we were going to see 4th string QB of Joe Critchlow. Yes, I heard Zac Wilson may start.
We are favor by 40? Nah, won’t happened, we will play not to lose in the 4th qtr again.

17

Maybe you are right but I was “keen” to pick up on the Colo. news paper that made a point that BYU “cost” each and every MW team 1.4 million dollars because of the BSU upset.

There is a real jealousy with MWC teams and BYU and I would put that squarely on Craig Thompson’s shoulders.

18

You don’t understand the concept of Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda at all. It means that you didn’t do what you coulda, shoulda, woulda. But, BYU Dida beat Tennessee, USC, Boise, Utah St. and Liberty. They coulda, shoulda and woulda beat Toledo and USF had they played better defense and stopped scoring on offense to try and run out the clock. Your idea of Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda is a double negative and therefore false.
Back to Tennessee and USC. How many touchdowns did we give up in both games? Our defense did okay. Our offense stopped trying to score and started trying to play not to lose.

19

I agree with you one the head scratcher plays. Especially the 2nd nine with the defense playing offense. That’s a not ready for prime time decisions.

20

The spread may be 40 for ISU, but I doubt BYU will win by 20. Remember Portland State a few years ago. If Wilson plays he will take at least a quarter to warm up. Then he has a tendency to throw Pick-sixes. Romney is in a rhythm. But Wilson will play at least the first half unless he gets behind of ISU.