So after yet another game of grappling defeat out the hands of winning, where do we go from here?
Yes, the coaches is right, we need better players and better depth. But I have to question the current offensive coaches ability to determine what “better” means, and worse, how to use that talent.
Kalani always talks about being like Edwards, well, then act like Edwards. Stop talking so much about the players and how good they are before the season begins. Edwards favorite quote is “We will have to wait and see”, Use it often Kalani,
ARod and Funk has too go. They have proven this year they are not a the level we need at coaching. For three years, our offensive line has gotten worse (all under funk). ARod play calling is to not lose games instead to win games.
I will leave the rest of the Offensive coaches to stay or go on the new OC.
I read somewhere that we need to keep the “Pedal to the metal” on offense.
#3 is referring to:
A) Funk Offensive line has gotten worse each year.
B) Is about Arod play calling is not to lose games instead of calling plays to win games.
“Playing to win” means giving it your all to make things happen including taking risks.
“Playing not to lose” is about making sure that you don’t fail irrespective of whether you move ahead or not.
#5 is about playing to win which means once you get a lead, you don’t take the pedal off the metal until the game is over.
Well, my response was there is nothing to indicate Arod took the pedal off the metal. He was throwing on first down. Running plays were pretty much the same. I’d say he was doing what he was doing in the 1st half. Which is my opinion that we simply don’t adjust to what the other team adjusted to. During halftime, their coaches figured out how to make adjustments to shut down our offense. We made no adjustments to their adjustments. But, we played our offense as hard as could be as was in the 1st half. Understand?
Our defense also didn’t make adjustments to their adjustments on offense. But, we played just has hard as in the 1st half. So, should Hill be fired too?
I understand the frustrations people have with a 5-7 record. Losing two winnable games. Yet, Thawk and others said we would have anywhere from a 5-7 to a 3-9 season.
Then you are the only one that believes that. EVERY sports writer that covered the game saw that ARod changed how he was calling plays in the second half before more conservative and trying to protect the lead which is exactly “playing not to lose”.
ARod is not a good play caller and he has now proven it at two schools. We are 119th in country in total offense. That should say all you need to know why ARod should be gone.
As for the defense, I give them a buy this year, they are implementing a new scheme and mindset. Hill holds his kids accountable (ask the starting Safety who is now third string). I also think the fact that most of the defensive line was out with injury that hurt.
I am not sure what needs to be done. According to ESPN BYU was only favored in two games before the season started. So by that measure 5-7 exceeded the expectations of the so called experts from ESPN. I thought 5-7 or 6-6 was the ceiling for this team.
My problem with the team was not the final record. My problem is that their performance in several games was embarrassing. The TCU game was a disaster. BYU wasn’t competitive in
that game from opening kickoff. West Virginia and Iowa State were the same type of disasters. They started the season with a dud against Sam Houston on offense and the offense never really performed up to par in spite of having a lot of experienced players at every position. Not sure if a lack of big 12 talent or poor coaching was the culprit in some of those games, or a combination of both. I am still looking for that recruiting bump BYU was supposed to get from being in the Big 12.
You just answered your own question: To not show up in 3 games, signals to recruits, “don’t bother coming”, why would you want to play for coaches who are satisfied with not showing up. I asked earlier in the season, “What does it take to be dead last in rushing”? You have to be blatantly poor at coaching to be dead last. In the Big 12, not having a running game equates to one dimensional play, anyone can defend that garbage.
It was telling when they interviewed Mike Gundy going into the 4th qtr:, "Coach, your thoughts?, Gundy, “I like where we are at”. That was when they were still behind 2 scores. He knew BYU would find a way to lose. Me: Knowing that Retzliff could not make a throw and that OSU had figured out the running game, the writing was on the wall…and to not go for it on 4th and one yard said it all to me.
Every Sportswriter from the Deseret News, KSL sports that covers the team to begin with. Then there are the ESPN dudes just shaking their heads at how bad ARod play calling in the second half was.
People (we know who I am talking about) thinks that we don’t have the talent to play in the BIG12 and that injuries caused us to lose games.
Yes, that was a minor factor in the loses. But for every Epps (injured) we had a Roberts to step in, for Every Roberts, we had Lassiter to step in for every Lassiter we Kenu Hill.
There was no injury on the O-line until recently, that was caused by bad coach putting players in the wrong position (Etienne is an example starting at tackle instead of guard).
On the offensive side of the ball, it was all bad coaching, PERIOD!
On the defensive side of the ball, yea there was injuries but for the most part the backup’s played well. It was not until the 4 of the starting 5 front seven went down to injury at the same time. Our defense fell apart.
Naw, it was about the coaching on the defense. Not the injuries. Fire Hill and the rest! Look, you can’t yell “coaches fault” when there were injuries “QUARTERBACK!” And completely do a 180 degree turn with the defense. Nice try though. Oh, the hypocrisy.
You honestly can’t see the difference between how the defense played vs the offensive players? And you say you know football. LOL
I told you that the Defense is given a buy this year for the simple reason Jay Hill has only had one year to implement his plan and scheme.
What he has done is bench players for not competing hard on every play. He has held his players accountable for what happened on the field. Some got demoted to 2nd string.
Can you say the same for the Offense? Etienne whiffed on play after play after play in the first four games and yet, he still started at tackle. finally, he was benched and Kiem came in and they moved him to his natural position of Guard where he began to do better.
The offense on It is coaching, pure and simple.
Are you sure Slovis is hurt? Coaches said so, but I also what coach spin is.
They had him available against OSU and chose not to use him in the 2nd half.
Sorry you don’t understand football well enough to see what the rest of us sees.
Is Slovis really hurt? What kind of comment is that? Yes, he is hurt. That tells the story with your analysis.
No, no one gets a pass if others get a pass. Our receivers and backs were hurt most of the year. They were not even 70% most of the time. Robbins was right only in the last two games. Other RBs were injured as well.
Again, Arod needs to improve with play calling and making adjustments when other teams adjust their defenses. But, who are you going to bring in that wants to be here and get better with the pay? Someone who will stick around a few years. Not one or two and dones?
Saw it with my own eyes, BYU was stomping OK and OSU into the ground with the talent we have. Granted, we were really hamstrung on what our rookie QB can do but with some creative calls, BYU SHOULD OF won both games, and changed the entire year’s tragectory.
Poor coaching got us into this mess
Laughable: BYU had 2 interceptions on Defense. One in the 1st half, that lead to a TD, one in the 2nd half that lead to a 3 and OUT.
BYU had 14 first downs in the entire game, 12 in the 1st half and 2 in the second, the rest were all 3 and OUTS. BYU’s defense kept BYU in the game. All we had to do was either get one score (a field goal would of been enough) or get a few 1st downs. Our inept OC managed to whiff on all points.
Per Sitake: Slovis was ready to play if we called on him. He could of played in the OK game.
there I fell for it, I answered your BS. Hawk would be so proud of me.
Okay, so what creative calls would you have wanted from Arod in the 2nd half against OKS? Seems like we have several in here that don’t like the trick creative plays. When done, people yell when it works and complain when it doesn’t work. What’s a coach to do? Damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t. You guys crack me up.
What should be done? Do what other teams do to us. Make adjustments at halftime if necessary. Not the first series of the 2nd half. But make adjustments on both sides of the ball.
Okay, Matich talked about on SportNation that since OSU stuff the block in the second half, ARod should have started calling short passes in the open areas.
He could have put in a wildcat where Retzlaff tosses over to Slovis who hits the bomb to the streaking WR.
As a famous person once put it “That’s part of the job”. Second, most fans understand the concept and will not complain about trying something new (like the fake over the top to Batty).
The fact that it was very apparent that ARod made no adjustments during the second half to counter the adjustments made by OSU should speak volumes.
As for the defense, even Matich said the BYU defense played great until they got wore down in the second half because BYU offense was constantly turning the ball over and/or doing 3 and out.
Assuming there were open areas. In fact, there were short passes called. 5 of the 7 1st downs in the 2nd half were passes in open areas.
Slovis? That’s if he could have thrown long. Maybe he wasn’t ready enough. No, we should have changed up the run plays to adjust to their adjustments. Look, the fact was Ratzlaff wasn’t quite ready for prime time. He made some great throws but his completion percentage was horrible. So was Slovis. I’m hoping for a real improvement with Ratz by next year. However, he’s going to have some stiff competition.
The most important thing Matich said was there has to be real competition for every position. Make them work harder between now and the first game next year. Gain strength and weight!
Making a change this year as OC would make becoming a better team next year much harder. I say have Pope come in and help make calls and adjustments during the game because football coaches do a poor job as a whole.