Some thoughts about the football program

We are focusing too much on the QB position.
Our receivers are average at best.
Our O line - for whatever the reasons - is very inconsistent
Our D is inconsistent - way ups and way downs.
We have a senior 26 year old QB who is about to compile a record of 6 and 6 or 7 and 5 or 8 and 4.
We have a backup QB who probably is a better passer than Hill who was 8 and 4 last year. A QB who has only had a cameo appearance in the 2016 season so far.
We are headed for the FIFTH CONSECUTIVE season of 8 wins (yes one year there was 9 wins with a bowl game) and 6 of the past 7 years.
There is a MULTIPLICITY of reasons and blaming for a winning mediocrity of a football program, not just one or a few. We are 3/4 of the way up the mountain but we have been 3/4 of the way for 7 years. Maybe wanting to be 9/10 or 10/10 of the way is just not going to happen.
There is a LOT of things that Sitake and crew will have to fix and shore up if the FB program is to break out and up from being merely an above average D1 FB team / program. A lot! Can it be done? Possibly. But I would not bet on it.
Based on the past 7 years, I think we better get used to the idea that 3/4 of the way up the mountain provides a nice view and we will have that view for awhile longer.

Like I said in a previous post, BYU is the same team they are every year…

I would love to see that change in a way that makes them better than average…

I have little confidence or hope that those changes will ever happen.

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It would take a P5 invite to get the upgrade we are talking about

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I think we have a better chance to convince the American Conference to expand to 14 or 16 and then get recognized as a P6 conference.
PAC 12: never gonna happen; too many Mormon haters and lefty schools
Little 12: ship just sailed and we were not on it.
Big10: They don’t need to expand
SEC: HAHAHAHAHA
ACC: HAHAHAHAHA wrong geography

But the American conference likes us. We have played a bunch of their teams in really competitive and fun games. The geography would work–ESPECIALLY if BSU joined us to make the league 14, or, better yet, they add AFA and CSU as well to make it 16. Many–including Holmoe–have hinted at future expansion to 16 team “super conferences.”

I have gotten used to being able to watch every game during the independence era. If we could keep that going and still be part of the American conference, I’d be all for it. My guess is that we would get less tv coverage as a member of a conference. But, maybe it’s worth the sacrifice. You have to give something to get something.

Glenn:
Do you live outside of Utah? I have posted many times in the past how much I, as an alumni outside of Utah, appreciate being able to watch all the games. My thinking is that the American Conference would allow BYUTV to televise any games not otherwise on TV…

Per Wrubell: Detmer told me yesterday that he and the offensive coaches established statistical run-game goals, but no such goals in the pass game.

You can read between the lines but what that says to me is that Hill’s passing is so poor that they just roll their eyes and say, we’ll pass here and there just to keep defenses honest

Wrubell: Detmer goes on to say, “With Tanner Mangum and no Wlliams/Canada, BYU was going to sling it around. With Hill/Williams/Canada, Ty Detmer knew he had a run identity.”

In 2015, BYU had 32 pass plays of 30+ yards; only 11 teams had more.
In 2016, BYU has five pass plays of 30+ yards; only one team has fewer.

BYU’s identity is that of a running team; on season, BYU has 48 chunk rush plays of 10+ yards (69th FBS), 16 pass plays of 20+ yds (120th).

With Hill starting this season, BYU’s top-five 3rd-down converters have accounted for 29 rushing conversions, to 23 receiving conversions.

With Mangum starting last season, BYU’s top-five 3rd-down converters accounted for 36 receiving conversions, to only 9 rushing conversions.

Funny, I was going to comment on this before I ran into it on Twitter with Wrubell…Hill is far and away better at converting 3 downs so long as they are 5 yards and under. Even the biggest critic of Hill has to acknowledge that Hill has been a 3rd down converting machine on 3rd and shorts.

So a team cannot be a good running team with a better passer at QB, if they have Williams / Canada. Seems counter intuitive to me and counter to 48 years of watching college and NFL. Hmmmmm.

that is not what I got out of the tweets. Detmer simply said that with Hill, they would be a running team. That is all. I’m with you, Tanner would have opened up the middle and made Williams even better, in turn, Williams would have made Tanner a better passer.

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California, Napa Valley. I’ve got kids in Farmington and Grand Junction so I’m back there (Provo) every two or three months. I enjoy the TV coverage when I can’t be in Provo for sporting events.

Will Hill build a lead vs SUU so Tanner finally gets some meaningful minutes? If Hill puts together 10 minute drives, there might not be enough possessions to get Tanner some work. Let’s just hope SUU doesn’t put up a fight the way they did vs Utah or Tanner will be sitting on his helmet at the end of the bench all game long.