Very Early Prediction for the 2015 w/l Record

Pessimistically, I say 2-10

(L). Sept 5 – @ Nebraska
(L). Sept 12 – BOISE STATE
(L). Sept 19 – @ UCLA
(L). Sept 26 – @ Michigan
(W). Oct 2 – UCONN
(L). Oct 10 – EAST CAROLINA
(L). Oct 17 – CINCINNATI
(W). Oct 24 – WAGNER COLLEGE
(L). Nov 7 – @ San Jose State
(L). Nov 14 – Missouri (Arrowhead Stadium)
(L). Nov 21 – FRESNO STATE
(L). Nov 28 – @ Utah State

Of course, BYU may win a few more: Michigan, Fresno State and Utah State. So optimistically 5-7. Add wins against East Carolina, San Jose State, and UCLA and BYU is an impossible 8-4.

I think there are more wins in 2015. With a healthy Taysom and Jamaal, offense will be tough to stop. I like your worst case predictions, but I think BYU beats Boise, Michigan, the 2 AAC teams at home, and then win out, with possible exception Mizzou. 2015 - 10-3, ranked, Heisman finalist, Doak Walker toJamaal, win on New Years Day. Tanner Mangum plays enough to show we are set with elite QB for next few years. Bronco to Vanderbilt, Navy’s Ken Niumatalolo to BYU.

It depends…
Who will be the DC?
A) because if Howell is it, then I can see that many loses.
B) if Bronco is DC then I could see us winning a couple more.

Who will be the OC?
Anae has a proven track record that he can not beat good teams on a regular basis.

Staying healthy through that September will be critical. Depth will be the key.

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I completely agree Aaron.

Speaking of coaches, I wonder if Bronco will be back. Sure are a lot of rumors swirling around. If a change isn’t made next week, then I don’t think one will be made this year. I can’t imagine Howell will remain as DC, but nuttier things have happened.

I’m usually a blue-goggled fan who never has an expectation of a loss, but the past three seasons have jaded my fandom. Still, I have a hard time believing that BYU will begin 0-4. By August, my pessimistic 2-10 prediction will probably change to 12-0.

Forever ago I watched it happen to Utah State. The Aggies played, I think, Nebraska and BYU and Utah and suffered a few injuries. Their lack of depth was exposed and the season was over.

Considering this well be the toughest football schedule ever I will give it a shot.
Nebraska (win) new coach, losing Abdulla and Bell
Boise State (win) new QB, losing Ajayi and at home
UCLA (Loss)
Michigan (toss up) new coach
UCONN (win)
East Carolina (win)
Cinn (Win)
WC (win)
SJ State (win)
Missouri (loss)
Fresno State (win)
Utah State (win)

Best case scenario…The first 4 games set the stage and if we go 2-2, I could see us end up at 9-3 if Hill stays healthy.
Most likely, 7-5.

I think Nebraska can be beaten with a healthy Taysom and Jamaal. The Defense should be better too. The question will be who will come up ready to replace our WR’s.

You mention Mangum. I hope this year that Anae will see to it that he gets plenty of reps and consideration for preparation if Hill gets hurt so we don’t have to wait 4 games for Mangum to figure out how to play at this level. We need backups ready to play!

Michigan: win
Boise: win
UCLA: win
Nebraska: win
Actually, I don’t see why we can’t win them all.

All of our WR’s except Leslie will back next year…

So I am not sure if that is going to be a problem. However Mahina (TE) will be graduated and not sure who will step up to fill those shoes.

On the Oline there is rumors going that Kearsley wants to transfer… with Wesley graduating along with five other seniors… that may be a weakness as well.

I am allocating all of my BYU football worry time to Nick Howell and the defense. I love our offense. The injuries cannot be overstated, and even then we had a really good offense. In addition to perhaps our best athlete ever (Hill) and best RB ever (Jamal), Nick Kurtz was a Juco All American and set to start at WR this year until he broke his foot in practice. He will take Leslie’s spot and has a very high ceiling. I also think Terren Houk was hurt on and off, and he’s a little small for TE, but he came on late in the year, and I could see him taking the flex TE reps. I don’t mind losing Kearsley. My guess is that in class and off the field he struggled to fit in at BYU, and on the field he never lived up to the hype. On the OLine, I have faith in 2J. He is a great coach and recruiter. Yes we lose guys, but we had 2 freshman starters (Tejan and Lapuaho) with All American talent, and several other underclassmen who got lots of snaps. And remember that 2J will own the Cali Juco pipeline.

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Well now I guess it all comes down to the defense again. Offensively no problems providing we don’t get bit my the injury bug again. I can’t imagine the defense being worse than last year. Pressure the QB and the defensive backfield looks much better-give the qb 8 seconds to throw the ball and anybody can throw on you. Bottom line-should have as good as record as last year and hopefully a couple of wins more!

I agree that the D can be no worse, and that no pass rush didn’t help things. Our blitzes seemed to be mistimed all year, and our DEs gave us nothing until they finally moved Kaufusi back to the line (still scratching my head why that took all year). My ray of hope is that we had 3 former 4 star freshmen OLBs who all got a lot of PT this year, and all showed the athleticism to become great pass rushers. Takitaki and Warner both looked great and crazy athletic, and Troy Hinds was also a top national recruit until he went on his mission and we all forgot about him. He came home and played a lot of special teams this year.

Look for the defense to get better next year and you are right about talent at the linebacker positions. Hopefully the defensive line gets better and the secondary isn’t put under so much pressure. Povey saw a lot of time last year and I’m not really sure whether it was because of too few bodies or a little nepotism :smile: but imo he was usually over matched. I look for good things to happen, but throw in a little realism and understand it’s a tough schedule. kudos to Boise State as I didn’t think it was going to be a good year for them, but their qb stepped up big, especially with everyone doubting him! CONGRATS and GO DUCKS:)

haha thanks for the Duck shout out! My law partner is a big Duck fan and over the years he has converted me to root for them, as he also finds himself now rooting for BYU! PoVey? Either it’s nepotism or all our other guys must have looked really, really, really bad in practice. Tough kid and a very good tackler, but I agree–completely overmatched in pass D. I was happy for BSU and for Hedrick. I’ve posted before, but he grew up in our neighborhood, played ball with and against my son (all sports), and the two are very close friends to this day. My son even went with Grant to BSU, enrolled in school and spent a summer working out with BSU teammates with (pipe dream) hopes of making the team (wound up playing at a D3 school). Grant’s mom coached my oldest daughter in softball, and I coached football and baseball against Grant’s dad. They are a FIRST RATE family, Grant is an outstanding, nice kid, and it was great to see our local boy make good on the big Fiesta Bowl stage!!! And a BYU Fiesta Bowl win is only good for the great BYU-BSU rivalry that the two schools are both obviously trying to establish.

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tlarimer, You can’t serious about loving BYU offense. It is the worst offense in the country. The worst offensive coordinator in the country. The worst offensive of any team in Utah and that tells your how bad I think they are.

?? I’m confused. Didn’t about 80 D1 offenses finish behind us? And I’m guessing the 30 ahead of us didn’t lose their Heisman candidate QB and best tailback ever and replace them with a former walk on and a guy who didn’t play football until college. Anae did great with what he had.

Confused…Utah State lost three quarterbacks and had to end up playing with their 4th one, yet their offensive was much superior to ours. Better blocking and better pass routes. I watch a lot of college football and BYU is way to sterile and predictable. Run up the middle and then try to throw long and deep over some ones head. That about some it up. Anae will cost Bronco his job.

I can actually agree with both of the previous points:

a. BYU did have a top 50 offense in 2014. The injury to Hill forced BYU to change it’s offensive attack and it took a few games to iron out the kinks. However,

b. BYU’s (Anae’s offense) is very predictable, particularly with Hill running the offense and Anae calling the plays. Hill’s athleticism helped to offset the predictability.

BTW, Anae will not cost Bronco his job. If Bronco hasn’t lost it by now, he never will. But the chatter of two weeks ago did give me hope.

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I have a plan to get into the Big 12 and we can work this plan in such a way, that the Big 12 can not refuse us admittance.
.
Check this schedule out. We can have a perfect season going 12-0 And even win the bowl game. I can make it happen.

Throw out the existing 2015 teams on our schedule. Replace them with the following:

BYU @

  1. Cerritos College, Cerritos, California
  2. Pepperdine College
  3. Weber State
  4. Warren College
  5. Idaho State
  6. Savanna State

BYU vs. Away

  1. Idaho
  2. East Los Angeles Community College
  3. Dixi College, Utah
  4. San Jacinto College, Menifee, Ca.
  5. New Mexico State
  6. Wyoming

Bowl Game
BYU vs. #5 team of the Big Sky Conference. in Bozeman, Montana.

With a 12-0 season and a winning bowl record, the Big 12 would not be able to refuse us. I can make it happen.