BYU football... Anae, Doman, or Heaps?

Between sessions of heavy depression drinking (Dr. Pepper), I have come to two fuzzy realizations;

1. Jake Heaps or B. Doman is at fault for the Texas loss... exact verdict is still out on exactly who; BUT IT'S NOT ANAE.

2. The distance between a team with a good running game in the MWC, and a good running game in a BCS conference may be the greatest distance of any other team performance criteria.

Jake Heaps... heaven help us?

In two games Jake has thrown 3 interceptions and 2 TD's... bad right? Oh, by the way he is averaging just 5.49 Yards Per Attempt... that my friends is a dump and dink offense. 

So is it Heaps or Doman? 

Doman is inexperienced, and may have bitten off more than he can chew. All that talk of of a "keep the defense guessing" , and an "under center play action" style offense... well, right now it just looks like an unorganized version of an anti-Robert Anae offense. You know, the coordinator that was predictable, boring, and too conservative.... the same guy that won 56 games in six years with a 72% winning percentage. You know, the guy Bronco Forced out.

I'm not saying that I want Anae back, or even that Doman wont be a great coordinator. I'm just saying that Doman may want to try souping up a slow but incredibly productive offense instead of throwing it away and starting over as a first year coordinator. 

Anae's offense didn't need a new engine, it just needed a good tune up, and a few after market parts.

Hey Doman, you still got that Anae playbook laying around... don't throw out the engine with the old oil.

WANTED: A BYU running game.

Harvy Unga is the greatest running back BYU has ever had. 

It appears that he will never play another snap of football at the next level.

Does that paint a picture for you about where BYU's run game is without him?

Well how about this;

in the two games this year, the BYU offense is averaging 67 yards rushing a game. That's good enough for 113th in the country. That's bad, but it's not all Di Luigi and the boys' fault. a lot of it goes back to that abysmal 5.49 yards Jake Heaps is blowing open the defense with.  

In the 2nd half of the Texas game a few simple adjustments were made by "Macky-B" and the longhorns.

One was that they saw that the big scary WR's whom BYU had proclaimed to be some of the most athletic ever, were not even getting targeted! So Mack sucked in the D, and put a spaced out version of 8 in the box on almost every down in the third and fourth quarters. 

Mack Brown's 1st lesson on how to beat a dump and dink offense; put eight in the box, pressure the QB all day, and trust your DB's.

Success came in the second half for the longhorns. BYU's lack of being able to spread the field (or lack of even attempting to do so) crippled the run game, and put in stone the way to beat BYU. Good thing too, Utah needed a good game plan for Saturday.

Monday morning Head Coach:

So then what?! What are the adjustments BYU needs to make to resurrect a lifeless offense that appears to have weapons to attack defenses not being used? 

Put a little Anae back in the offense.

Sure, it's predictable. But if moving the ball and scoring touchdowns is predictable, then line it up and hand the defense your playbook.

Speed up the offense.

If your goal is to keep a defense guessing, a restriction that must be lived by is a rapid fire offense. Even the most unpredictable offense can be scouted for pre-snap tells if given enough time.

if the Cougars increase the tempo, they will increase the number of offensive plays. If they increase the number of plays, they will have a few more plays to take chances with... lengthening the field!

The defense... play up to the LB's levels.

BYU's D has been good thus far in the season. But if a "best" has to be named with in the defense, it's the linebackers. And the "worst"... I'd say the D-line. If the D-line can get a better push and alter the run game better, the speed that is present at linebacker WILL get to the QB this season. If not, the LB core will have to stay at home more to stop the run.

The season has not been named... yet.

BYU won a close one... without it's offense reaching anywhere near it's potential. And BYU has lost a close one... without it's offense reaching it's potential. If BYU's offense reaches it's potential, and can start stretching the field, BYU will win out the remainder of the season. If they continue to sputter, they will lose to Utah, UCF, TCU, and Hawaii.

The distance between an 11-1 regular season or a 7-5 regular season... comes down to changing one number; 5.49 yards per pass attempt. 

BYU’s Bronco sneaks in a caffeinated coke!

After the Cougars dropped 4 of their first 5 last season (the loss to Utah St. being the exclamation point!), Bronco pulled the rug on D-coordinator Jaimie Hill, put the defense on his own shoulders, and “phoenixed” an all but lifeless program to a 7-6 team that was firing on all cylinders, foaming at the mouth for the 2011 season.

To that I say, well done.

But Bronco was not finished.

...not at all.

After the bowl game win, he put the entire coaching staff on warning, went on a long vacation, came back and put “The Domanator” to work as the new OC.

Again, good move.

So, improved? YES! It looked like 2011 was at least going to be the season of “new” (independence, new OC, and new hopes)!

Then came the caffeine.

By reaching across the country, grabbing Joey Dupaix, and making him the new head of recruiting; Bronco might as well of had a Mt. Dew vending machine installed in the coaching offices!

Dupaix brought talent to Navy (another program that has difficult “standards” to overcome) from Texas that had no business being in a non-BCS conference program!

He can recruit. And that my friend is something Bronco needed.

On more than one occasion, I have been told by players/player’s families/fans/staff that Bronco is not a “closer” when it comes to recruiting. He is a coach that coaches. That’s it. He doesn’t swim the media (obvious line of the article), or sell the program to kids not already fully invested. Once they have bought into his program, Bronco pushes the blue kool-aid better than anyone.

But again, he is not a great recruiter… even pronouncing him as a good recruiter is a stretch.

That’s why Dupaix is such a great hire. He is a young and full of salesman like energy that when matched with fellow up and coming master recruiter, Doman, will bring in some impressive talent.

Dupaix has the vision and the energy, and sounds like he is all hopped up on Mt. Dew when it comes to recruiting,

“There is always a learning curve when you go to another place. There are some things that I need to learn, but as far as going out and recruiting to BYU, I couldn't be more ecstatic about it. I'm just fired up about it."

Here’s to the season of “NEW”!

P.S. Here is a link to one of the best Highlight reels for Manoa Pikola, a big time LineBaker BYU just signed.

*Dignan is also a Jazzbot writer for www.utahjazz360.com.

Will BYU be the underdog on Nov. 27th?

What a difference a few weeks make. 
As the final moments of a nightmare day for Kyle Whittingham burned away under the shadows of "Touchdown Jesus"-- BYU was celebrating a 49-10 blowout at an away game against Colorado State, and feeling like they have arrived... just two weeks before the Holy War.

Again, what a difference a few weeks make.
K-Whitt looked like Charlie Brown after Lucy pulled the ball away just as he was going to kick it! Jordan Wynn yelling, "Block Head" at him was the only thing missing from this being another depressing missed kick on another random holiday Peanuts story. Good grief! 
On the other side of the Blue-Red spectrum, Bronco Mendenhall seemed to be channeling the great "Mickie" from the Rocky movies as his kid, Jake Heaps, made Colorado St. look like a side of beef! Jake pounded the hell out of CSU by throwing 4 TD's, 242 yds, on a 15 for 20 outing! Bronco polished up the look by running a defense that had 2 interceptions and a fumble returned for 6!  When the ground game sent the Rams to the mat with the knock out punch of 284 yards on the ground, Bronco decided to bring it home with his best Mickie impersonation in a BYU beanie! You're a bum CSU!

When Utah put on their cute little pink dress Saturday, you could only guess they were looking for someone to call daddy.  Notre Dame politely took on that roll.  Thanks Notre Dame, our Utes had been dropped off in Chicago and had gotten lost.  It sure was nice of you to take them to South Bend, buy them dinner, give them a glass of warm milk, and send them to bed early.
Unfortunately Jake's dress got a little dirty on the outing. Forget that, it about got torn off! He was hurried, blitzed, and he or his team never found the end zone... not in his useless 194 yds passing with an interception, or the ground game's prissy pink dress dance for 71 yards!  Notre Dame played a football game... Utah was trying out for Dancing with the Stars.
So the question must be asked:

Who is going to have the edge in the Holy War?


The underdog BYU team that has made RADICAL progress and is no where near it's ceiling...."Yo Adrian!!"

OR

The prettiest princess (Wynn) and his recently voted off Dancing With The Stars cast lead by a depressed Charlie Brown.

That's a toughie!

Dignan also writes as a “Jazzbot” on utahjazz360.com & can be reached by e-mail at dignan.sportscave@gmail.com.

BYU: The Monday after... next week, play the young guys.

Well I'm in recovery mode. It was a tough weekend to be a cougar fan. It was a tough weekend to be a cougar fan named Dignan. It was a tough weekend to be a cougar fan named Dignan who had a yard sale right up till kick-off on Saturday. It was a tough weekend to be a cougar fan named Dignan who had a yard sale right up till kick-off and then over-ate after the game causing a bloated feeling to sail right through Sunday and into an over eaters anonymous style Monday.

Let me start with the one thing that could of saved the whole weekend: The BYU vs. Air Force game, or as I have come to call it; the unexpected kick in the junk.

I could go down the line of almost every "Y" helmet that saw the field and show the incompetence.

Except Andrew Rich. He was the ONLY Coug that showed up to play.

Lets start with the 2,000 lb. Gorilla in the room, the dual QB spot.

Riley: He is a gamer. He is a hard headed guy that can get the tough yards. He is a motivator to the rest of the team. He runs the option really well. he runs a quick offense. He's a great QB.

He's not the starter.

I am the biggest Riley honk. I love hard headed guys that are just natural leaders. Riley is one of those. But again he is not your starter. The reason isn't because Jake Heaps is that much better right now (he will be eventually), it's not because Jake gives you a much better chance to win right now (he will eventually). No, it's not that Riley isn't a good QB. I'll tell you what it is.

It's because this is an EXTREMELY young BYU team with a lot of talent and hardly any experience. I have tried to avoid this next sentence for a long time but I can't gage it any more... here it comes...

This is a re-building year.

Ouch! It hurts to say that, but that is the truth. If your a Ute fan, or a realist you may have been tooting that horn for a while now. But the real tell is when a Honk Homer BYU fanatic like myself admits it.

That is why you play Jake.

Give him the reps, let him make his blunders, let him get knocked around and feel the sting of a few more loses. Let Riley settle into his role as well; the 10-12 reps in the red zone like Tebow when he was a freshman. Let him embrace it as a unique talent "wildcat" role on a BYU team that lets him score a lot of points and run/pass some short RED ZONE plays.

Let Heaps be The Man at QB. Let him get comfortable with the timing of the O-line. Let him get his timing down with the receivers/TEs. Let him Lead.

OK, now the defense... or the weak fence.

Watching that line of scrimmage battle reminded me of a pee-wee game I played in (the extent of my distinguished career as a lineman). We showed up to our first scrimmage and looked across the line at a scrawny Woods Cross D-line and got really excited. We were a bunch of "X" O-liners that loved to hit and we could sense that we out weighed them by at least 20-30lbs. a head. It was gonna be a mess!

It didn't happen that way.

The first play I snapped the ball and by the time I looked back up, I had a light weight nose guard swim moving me on his way to sacking the QB. That's how most of the day went.

That is what happen to the Coug D-line. The were getting cut, frustrated, pushed, and slapped around ALL DAY LONG. I really don't have an answer for them. It was just sad. They gave up.

Oh, and by the way, you can't win a game with that many turnovers. You just can't.

And last but not least. AF can play. I mean they can play. That D was well coached and played tight all day. The stayed at home and kept everything in front of them... wait a minute, isn't that the mantra of Bronco!?! We got beat by guys who play our style of D. We got beat by guys who played what ever style of offense they wanted to. Every time they lined up there was a feeling that they were going to get at least 4 yards. The QB knew it. The fullback knew it. The O-line knew it. the ENTIRE DEFENSE knew it! The guy selling cotton candy in at the top of the stands knew it!

This is a young BYU team. This is a BYU team that needs to hit each other and run gassers all week this week. This is a BYU team that needs to find some toughness on D and a lone leader on O.

If they can't figure that out, it will be a 7 win season.

If they can it will be 9.

Oh yea, and my fantasy team lost.

BYU vs. U-DUB: A tale of 3 QB's and 3 inches.

As I stood cheering in the final minutes at Lavell Edwards Stadium of the BYU versus Washington game, I looked at a defeated Jake Locker and a familiar line from a familiar tune came to my mind...

"You can't always get what you want."  

(Rolling Stones)

Jake Locker had high hopes of putting on a Quarterback clinic for two "less than" him QB's.  After all, this is the top preseason Heisman candidate, and a unanimous #1 pick in the NFL draft.  With 4.3 speed and a cannon of an arm, it was easy to see why... before BYU put the breaks on him, and made him look average.  Finishing the game with one TD pass, and no running TD's... Like I said, average.

A few guys in Blue on the other hand, did not look average!

The double headed monster of Jake Heaps and Riley Nelson combined for 262 passing yards with Riley pulling out the better performance on 2 touchdown passes , and a "go for two", two point conversion run in.

Let me start with Heaps...

This guy WILL BE as good as advertised.  His accuracy and throwing speed were really sharp.  The zip on the ball was almost too much for the WR corps!  He could have taken a little off and still would of been fine. With a good O-line Heaps will develop a pick-a-part offense that will punish even the best Corners!  That being said, he's not there yet.  He hurried a few throws, and as before mentioned, had a bit too much on a few touch passes. The guy could start today anywhere, save 4 or 5 spots, in the country... But he isn't MY starter.

Riley Nelson...

Was definitely the most effective QB on the field Saturday night.  Let me start with his big "?", his arm.  Uh, It's fine.  And by fine I mean good.  Not great, but good.  He has a great touch pass, and is accurate.  Period.  He misses out on the laser that Heaps has, and his throwing motion is long, similar to Tim Tebows throwing motion.  He starts his throwing motion clear down at his waist.
Now on to his running/scrambling ability... can be a game changer!  I read a great article that said if Nelson was 3 inches taller he would be getting similar accolades as Locker.  Could be.  What I was really impressed with wasn't that he had 45 really good scrabbling yards, but that he didn't have more.  A fear we had with him was that he would get happy feet and take off out of the pocket too much... not so.  He showed more than a few times that he has confidence in his arm.  He stayed in the pocket and got of clean passes or scrambled out and settled himself to get off a good pass.  Really impressive!

Some other BYU guys that will be fun to watch this year...

LINEBACKERS!!!  Whoa! This is a fast, athletic group that hits hard and has been given the keys to the blitzing vehicle!  Jordan Pendleton is a head hunter!  He was game planned for by Washington, and was still in on a HUGE amount of tackles.  His lateral speed makes him a real threat as a TE cover guy as well.

The same article that said if Riley was 3 inches taller he would be a Jake Locker comparable, also said that if you gave those same inches to Brian Logan he would be getting NFL paychecks next year... I'll add that he probably wouldn't be a Coug either. "Big tiny" as we affectionately call him, had a huge TD save late in the game, and several other pass break-ups. He is the smallest guy on the team, but hits as hard as anyone... I'll give him the Pound for Pound award... or perhaps it should be the Inch for Inch.

Game ball goes to...
 Riley Stephenson! The punter! He put the Huskies in bad field position pretty much the whole night.  I'll take a sharp shooter like that any day of the week.

So BYU starts the season 1-0 and looks to take it to 2 versus Air Force next Saturday... by the way, Bronco has yet to lose to Air Force as the BYU head coach. No Big Deal.

Utes That Have A NFL Future

I always enjoy watching college football and one of my favorite parts is trying to figure out what players have a future in the NFL. Last night there were a lot of good players on the field and we have already heard about Pitt and their prospects for the NFL but no one has mentioned the prospects on the Utes.

There were 2 players in my opinion that proved last night they have the talent to play on the next level.... Now as I say that it is important to point out that these players have to continue to consistent play at a high level to get there. Here are they are:

DeVonte Christopher #10, WR-

He played lights out against Pitt, posting: 8 catches for 155 yards and 1 TD. He played a complete game catching quick slants across the middle for 5 to 10 yards and also showing his big play ability with a 61 yard touchdown catch. Now I know it was only one game but let me make case before you start shaking your head.

First of all he has the ideal size for NFL receiver at 6'1" and 200 lbs. He showed flashes of his speed with every catch he had! Maybe the most telling thing from the Pitt game that makes me believe he has a future in the NFL is the play he made when Jordan Wynn under threw him on a long ball. The ball was throw at least 10 yards behind Christopher and required him to stop running and make a play on the ball. He timed his jump and out played the defender for the ball! That is what you call a PLAYMAKER! Someone that can go out and make something happen out of nothing. Oh and by the way he is only a sophomore!


Brandon Burton #27, CB-

If you watched this game on TV you would have seen number 27 breaking up a pass every defensive series. He absolutely shut down Jon Baldwin! If you look at the stats they will be miss leading on Baldwin. He had 4 catches for 71 yards and 1 TD.... but one of those catches was a 44 yard catch that occurred do to a break down in communication between the cornerback and the safety. Take that 1 lucky play away and he would have ended with 3 catches for 27 yards! Baldwin is consider one of the top 5 wide-outs in college football! With that being said now here is my case for why he will play in the NFL.

The Utes defense revolves around the CBs play man to man coverage. That means that each cornerback is left on an "island" meaning they are responsible for not allowing their man to get open... and if he does there is no help there to bail them out. Also it should be noted that this is a talent that has all but been abandoned in the NFL do to the difficulty of it... the NFL runs more zone coverage schemes to provide support to the cornerbacks. That being said Burton first reason for being a top NFL prospect is because he showed he has elite man to man coverage ability in this game. The second reason he his rare combination of size and speed... he is 6' and 185 lbs... and he has speed that scouts dream of with a 4.35 sec 40 yard dash!

Now those were they 2 players that I could not take my eyes off of in the Pitt game but I will continue to give you my opinion on this throughout the season. There are more prospects on the Utes roster but you will have to check back to see who they are another time!

THE UTES MUST LOVE SARAH PALIN

Two Epiphanies came to light after last nights exciting Ute game;

1- They are good. I mean really good!(this coming from a BYU fan)

2- The entire Ute football team are registered republicans and on the official Sarah Palin fan club.

Sarah Palin has stretched her pretty face and influence across the united states, stretching from Alaska clear across to D.C.. She took a dinosaur in McCain as close to the Presidential seat as he ever could be. She's a "Maverick".
Maverick? Where the Heck did she get that phrase? It's so weird. But this word is the link between Utah football and Palin. Intrigued? Good.

Definition of Maverick:
1. An unbranded range animal, especially a calf that has become separated from its mother, traditionally considered the property of the first person who brands it.

2. One that refuses to abide by the dictates of or resists adherence to a group; a dissenter.


Being independent in thought and action or exhibiting such independence: maverick politicians; a maverick decision.

An unbranded range animal... does that sound anything like the way the Utes played last night. A young wild stallion or a bull that hasn't been branded yet? Yea, that sounds about right.

Like I said, the Utes are really good. A lot better than what I was expecting. But man did they look wild. They looked like a group of wild horses. Big & strong but WILD horses.  Did I mention the looked wild? Well just in case you missed that, THEY LOOKED WILD!

 

- The blitzing D... Loose and wild... I loved it!

- The turnovers... Too jacked up to control the ball... Disappointing.

- The Run stop... Consistent, powerful, and GAME CHANGING!

- The MUSS (I hate saying that word, let alone typing it) has solidified itself as a true "12th man". Really loud, and wild. Good work MUSS!

- K-Witt calling all the icing timeouts... over the top and slightly regretful... I loved it! Kyle is a jerk on the field, and that is why he is one of my favorite coaches! He pulls out all the stops and develops this image of his opposition holding his family hostage or something. Man the hatred that that guy can conjure during a game while still keeping his head (most of the time) is really impressive.

 

Somewhere in Alaska there is a Maverick smiling. Her influence has settled onto this group of incredible athletes in SLC. The question is can this group of wild Maverick athletes be branded by K-Witt and ride off into the Sunset this year to MWC championship, or will there gun slinging attitude catch up with them in turnovers, penalties, and arrogance leading them to be turned over to the PAC 12 after being shackled by BYU and/or TCU.
 
Only time will tell buck-a-roo.

TOP 10 SPORTS HEADLINES YOU MIGHT SEE IN 2010-11

10. KOBE GETS HIS "BELL" RUNG... AGAIN. RAJA GETS 1 GAME SUSPENSION.

9. THE HEAT AREN'T SO HOT... LOSE 5TH STRAIGHT.

8. JAKE HEAPS ON TARGET ALL DAY SATURDAY, PUTS BYU ON TARGET FOR MWC CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLE.

7. WESLEY MATHEWS SPEAKS OUT AGAINST RIDING THE PINE IN PORTLAND.

6. JAZZ FANS TO CHICAGO: "HATE TO SAY I TOLD YOU SO, BUT...". CARLOS MISSES 15TH GAME THIS YEAR DUE TO INJURY.

5. COACH "A." RIDES THE HIGH SCORING AGGIES TO FIRST BOWL GAME IN 13 YEARS!

 WESLEY MATHEWS SPEAKS OUT AGAINST RIDING THE PINE IN PORTLAND.

4. GORDON HAYWARD'S PLAY LOOKS MORE AND MORE LIKE RAJA BELL JR.!

3. JAZZ FANS APOLOGIZE TO HAYWARD THROUGH JERSEY SALES.

2. UTES UPSET TCU! WYNN CAN'T STOP WINNING!!

1. "BIG AL" IS BIG TIME IN UTAH. EXCITED ABOUT UP-COMING ALL STAR APPEARANCE.

BYU/Utah/Utah St. 2010 Football predictions

Oh boy! It was a little cooler this morning when I got in my car... Fall is slowly approaching... College football is about to rear it's beautiful head again! To gear up and get the rivalry arguments a-flowin', here are my (a BYU fan) predictions!

UTAH STATE:

Can I start by saying I love Coach A! He is a all football, all business, all the time. K, now that that's out of the way, lets get this going.

Utah St. received a huge blow in the unexpected loss of Robert Turbin RB and will loss 2 games this year they would of one with him. That is how big a deal he was to this team. Ouch. He is a legit back that could of played on a lot of D1 teams.

That said, his replacement is the fastest guy on the team! Mike Smith RB. He is a JC guy that was HEAVILY recruited by the PAC-10 before needing to go the JC route. He is a true burner and could be a pretty good replacement for Turbin.
Season Take:
@ Oklahoma...........L 13-35
Vs. Idaho St. ..........W 28-14
Vs. Fresno St. ........W 24-17
@ San Diego St. .....L 21-35
Vs. BYU.................L 17-28
@ Louisiana Tech...W 21-17
Vs. Hawaii..............W 35-21
@ Nevada...............L 28-24
Vs. New Mex. St....W 24-21
@ San Jose.............W 24-14
Vs. Idaho................W 28-27
@ Boise St. ............L 42-28

7-5 reg season and go bowling!

UTAH:

This is a good offense. They will score, and score a lot. O-line looks good. Wynn will be great! The running back situation is loaded! Like I said, they will score!

The D has some questions... but Wit recruits speed, and coaches it up! That being said, the D will be fine.
The Notre Dame game could go either way. I think the AF game will be great! It to could go either way.
Vs. PITT................L 24-27
Vs. UNLV.............W 28-7
@ New Mexico.....W 35-0
Vs. San Jose St......W 28-14
@ Iowa St.............W 24-14
@ Wyoming..........W 21-14
Vs. Colorado St....W 24-7
@ Air Force..........L 28-21
Vs. TCU................L 28-17
@ Notre Dame......W 21-17
@ San Diego St.....W 35-24
Vs. BYU............... TBD!!!!

BYU:

Whoa... This is a young team BURSTING with talent.... but this is a young team. Oh yea, and breaking news: THIS IS A YOUNG TEAM!

I think this BYU D is gonna be pretty good. We actually have some experienced, pretty good corners (I know they are short, but they are experienced and can cover). BYU D typically revolves around how good the secondary is because the D-line and Line backers are usually on the level. But guess what, THIS TEAM IS YOUNG!
Jordan P. (LB) will be a star! He is a SUPER athlete that loves to hit. look for him to make some huge plays. It will be interesting to see how the 3 downed lineman will do as well, losing Jan J....
Vs. Washington......W 21-17
@ Air Force...........W 28-14
@ FSU...................L 21-24
Vs. Nevada............W 35-14
@ Utah St..............W 28-17
Vs. San Diego St....W 35-21
@ TCU..................L 35-28
Vs. Wyoming.........W 42-17
Vs. UNLV.............W 35-14
@ Colorado St.......W 35-14
Vs. New Mexico....W 49-17
@ UTAH............... TBD!!!!

Yea I know I may of wussed out on the UTAH/BYU game, but that's just because you can't really call this game until it gets closer and to see what each team is playing for. Right now I think I would give it to UTAH in a close one, but I'm gonna hold off for now...
Let's get this thing going!

Bronco after day 1

Traveling 50 sofs, redshirt frosh, and true frosh! That's a young team!

2010 Utes football: Game 1 preview versus Pitt

J-Wynn

Greg Romeus

The Utes opened up Fall Practices yesterday for the 2010 football season! My Utah football season prediction: 9-3.

It's getting closer to the season opener against Pitt... Tough game. Here is a quick view of what to look for.

"The Stash" and the rest of the Utes are looking to start the season with a win against a top 25 team in Pitt... THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN. Pitt is returning 12 starters from a 10-3 team last year. That 12 includes Dion Lewis(RB), 2009 Big East offensive player of the year, and  Greg Romeus(DE), 2009 Co Defensive Big East player of the year.Dion Lewis could completely destroy a young, inexperienced Utah Line Backing core, and a wicked fast but also inexperienced secondary. The key to Utah putting the breaks on the super elusive back is the D-Line. That is the strength of Utah's Defense. With a lot of depth and experience, I expect the Ute D-line to out perform all other MWC teams.

LOOK OUT FOR: Jonathan Baldwin(WR) is the dark horse for the 2010 Big East offensive player of the year. He is a next level receiver that will look to show off a few veteran dance moves to an unproven Ute secondary.

Big, Strong, and fast... Greg Romeus(DE) will anchor a very solid Pitt D. He is the typical profile All Conference D-End. He has a lot of experience, and will be looking to bring down the mighty Stash!

FOR THE UTES TO WIN: J- Win must have a MWC player of the year type performance and the Ute secondary has to stop Baldwin.

I predict the Utes to lose this one at home close... 24-27.

Should BYU Fans Start To Worry?

Yesterday I was listen to the radio much of the day and was able to hear a lot of the Mountain West Conference Media day. There was one aspect of an interview with Bronco Mendenhall that stood out to me. He was asked by Jan Jorgensen what is the plan for selecting a starting QB for this upcoming season and also when would he attempt to make that call. Bronco replied that he normally likes to have a starter picked prior to summer camps even starting but that will not be the case this year. He went on to say that this year they have 4 QBs that are competing for the starting job and that each of them will get reps when fall camp starts. The last thing he said that was interesting was that he is ok with having 2 QBs play in week 1 and if there is not a clear starter he will continue to play 2 QBs until someone plays well enough to take claim. He refuses to have a deadline to making this decision.

Now is the time to start worrying! There have not been many teams that have been successful with a 2 QBs system. The main argument that goes against a 2 QBs system is that it does not allow for the offense to get in a rhythm because you are always changing the most important position on the field. In addition to that each QB is playing in fear of making a mistake that will get him pulled from the game.

In a conversation I had with a current college player that plays WRs (he asked me not to use his name in this post) he added an interesting point that I had not considered. He told me that he has gone through a very similar QBs battle, like what BYU is going through right now. He told me from his point of view that the biggest concern is not anything that I have just stated but rather that you have 1 right handed QB (Jake Heaps) and 1 left handed QB (Riley Nelson). INTERESTING POINT! He said for most of his life he has played with a right handed QB and that was what felt natural and was the easiest to do. He also said that playing with a left handed QB requires him to concentrate a lot hard on just making the catch. The reason for the he had to concentrate more is because instead of the ball going from right to left like it does with a right hand QB, it is now going left to right which is opposite of what he is used to. Also the balls spirals in the opposite directions.

Now to me as a fan I am thinking that surely cannot be that big of deal right!? Consider if you were the WR on the receiving end of those passes. I think it would be fair to say that you would need to have a lot of practice in order to get comfortable with the QB. No? That should alarm BYU fans even more in my opinion.

Just picture it from the players point of view if you were a WR and you just barely started the game with a right handed QB (Jake Heaps). You play two offensive position and do not score any points but you did improve on your second possession. Now your third offensive positions comes up and you are going on the field with a left handed QB (Riley Nelson). Forget chemistry and getting a rhythm, now you have to get use to the ball coming out at a different angle when thrown. And you have to get used to making the adjustments to the throw when it is fading the opposite direction to what you have just barely gotten use to with the other QB (Jake Heaps). Before my conversation with this player I would have said big deal the players are talented and they can make the adjustments but now I having heard his opinion I would be very concerned.

The sooner Bronco names a starting QB the better it will be for the Cougars. BYU has the talent to be very good this year but if they use a 2 QB system I think will be lucky to make it to a bowl game this season.

Interesting Recruiting Battle for Harvey Langi

Harvey Langi is a Senior RB from Bingham High School. He is currently ranked as the 10th RB in the country by scout.com. Both BYU and Utah have offered him a full ride scholarship already and looks to be a battle to see who will land the talented running back. Salt Lake Tribune Jay Drew interviewed Langi following the Utes announcement about joining the Pac-10.

In the interview Langi said that he was leaning towards BYU prior to the announcement but that "Utah going to the Pac-10 just blows my mind. That’s crazy. That’s unreal. That makes the decision for me even harder, because it puts Utah higher up, no question. Now they are up there with the big boys I’ve been visiting, schools like USC, UCLA, Stanford and Washington,” and followed that up with "don’t get me wrong -- I still have a lot of respect for BYU.”

In the article Harvey also says that if he were to go to college outside of Utah it would either be to Stanford or UCLA. Hopefully the Utes moving to the Pac-10 will keep him in Utah. He reminds me of Stanley Havili of USC. Havili was the 16th ranked running back by scout.com back in 2006 when he was a Senior at Cottonwood High School in Utah. Rather than stay in state he pick USC and has been a 4 year starter at fullback.

Havili had prospect report that looked a lot like Langi does now. Big back the lacked break away speed but has excellent vision. During his time at USC he has never rushed for more than 138 yards and has had 324 yards receiving in a season. Had he played a BYU he would have made Harvey Unga a career backup!

To his defense Havili is considered the top FB prospect for the NFL Draft this coming season... but even the most talented FBs are not normally drafted until the 4th round of the draft. Havili could have had a ton of highlight to show for college had he remained in state but opted for a larger college. USC website says that Havili was a FB in high school but yet he still managed a 1000 yards rushing and 1000 yards receiving in one season. If Iangi goes outside of Utah he will become a FB and will have college career similar to Havili.

MWC Expansion to 12... stop standing around and do it!

With the exudes of Utah still stinging our (the rest of the MWC) tear filled eyes, it's time to pick ourselves up of the dirt, brush off off or knees, blow are noses, and go find another girl(s) to invite to our dance!

I'm talking about taking the league to the next step by bringing in 3 more teams and getting ourselves a conference championship! No more tom foolery with 9 teams. Add three and let's rock and roll!

What are the worries? I'm not sure you could rally call them that, but here they are.

Splitting the T.V. money three more times.... so!

with nine schools we get 1.5 mil for each team from the Mt. network.... with 12 (if it's split equally) we get 1.13... oh yea, it's a bad idea to go from a crappy money deal that nobody watches to a crappy money deal that probably has BCS bowl busting capabilities just about every year!

Tough choice on that one... (in the words of a wanna be rocker from the suburbs of Chicago, Wayne) "NOT"!

Conference scheduling.

Wait what? Are we really saying this is a problem! This is not that big of a deal. for the next five years it will take some getting out of some scheduled games and apologizing for it. Not a big deal. Every conference that has had a change (Big ten, Big 12, PAC 10, WAC, MWC) will have to do it anyway!

Finally does this make it harder for a MWC team to go undefeated?

Seriously? Have we all been drinking the BCS kool aid again! first off, If you have a one lose BYU team( lose from Boise) and a no lose TCU team playing in a conference championship... no matter what, the winner is going to a BCS game! Second, when a non-BCS school goes to a BCS game it gets kicked in the junk anyways financially, so lets at least give ourselves that last hooray as fans with a championship!

Finally who do you add?

This is slightly debatable, but a few make sense and a few don't.

first: Houston- Conference USA darling in one of the biggest T.V. markets in the nation! All of Houston may not be watching the U. of Houston Football, but that fan base will grow with a better conference just like TCU's did and does!

second: Fresno- A tough California team with a mud in your eye reputation that will play anyone, anytime, anywhere. Not a huge T.V. Market, but it's still California! A competitive team almost year in and year out in the WAC.

And finally: Nevada- Another competitive football team that competes year in and year out in the WAC. This also solidifies the state of Nevada as a MWC football state and gives the UNLV/Nevada rivalry a better stage and a better recruiting spot in Nevada.

These three teams take you to 12, which allows you to split into two 6 team divisions:

"Mountain" division:

BYU

Boise

Colorado St.

Air Force

Wyoming

New Mexico

"South" Division:

TCU

Houston

Fresno

San Diego St.

Nevada

UNLV

You give the Conference championship game to UNLV with the contingency they drastically improve the stadium.

This is such a no brainer for me, but I'm just some jerk BYU fan that wants a better football conference! Craig Thompson, if your listening, do the right thing! C.T.R. on this one and pull the trigger on the invites!

Good luck Utes!

Go Cougs!

Dignan... OUT!

Utah to the PAC 10... all good things. Up and down and around.

OK so UTAH has left the Mountain West Conference to join the PAC 12. Jawsome. (street sharks catch phrase) This coming from a HUGE BYU fan. I think it is a purely positive thing for the state of Utah's sports, University of Utah, BYU, and even Utah St.!
Now that's not to say I'm not jealous, because I am. For crying in the morning I am! But as long as the rivalry stays in tact and BYU doesn't give up the football program I'll be fine. And so will everyone else. Here's why.
Utah Utes- This should be obvious. They are in. They are at the party that everyone wants to be at. Everyone. If any BYU fan says they wouldn't want BYU in, slap em. And tell them it's a sin to lie.
BYU- Once everyone gets over the jealousy thing (It may take a while... then we'll have to get over it again in a few years when the Utes are actually PLAYING in the PAC 10) we will realize this is a better situation than we are in right now. You see not only has the Conference added a legitimate powerhouse in Boise State, but now we have a built in PAC 10 foe in the Utes! That is huge. In a situation like BYU is in it is always great to have a guarantee PAC 10 game. It also opens the door a little bit for us to play other PAC 10 teams. The recruiting advantage is real. UTAH WILL GET ATHLETES THAT ARE CONSIDERED BETTER THAN WHAT THEY ARE GETTING NOW. But the uniqueness of BYU's recruiting style allows us to wiggle around other teams interests and just target those "chosen few"(pun intended). Just trust me Y fans, this stings now but it's a good thing even for us.
Utah St.- Boise is gone! With a coach finally that can create a winning feeling in Logan, Utah St. has everything but an invitation to become a cream of the crop in the WAC. Do it coach A. ! Consider me a Utah St. fan (I have been since he got there).
The state of Utah's sports- Are you kidding! This is a permanent and drastic improvement to what the state of Utah can do with it's sports teams. It creates an atmosphere of elitism and belongings that Utah/SLC has always wanted and never could achieve. It puts us on a level just outside of Denver, Nashville, Kansas City, and Portland.
It's still a LONG shot, but this gets us one step closer to a NFL or MLB team... I know I know, we have a LOT more steps to go but a step is a step.

So feel the flow. It's all good things. Harness the good BYU fans. Harness the good.

The PAC-10 was in Utah talking to the Utes

If you Follow us on twitter You might already know that...

Sources confirmed (multiple tweets including @ScottyGKFAN from 1320 Kfan) that the decision makers from the PAC 10 were in Utah Sunday to have a sit down with the decision makers on the hill at the U of U. The university of Utah has been everything from a lock to a rumor to a long shot over the past few weeks in joining the future PAC-(insert number here). This news definitely strengthens the idea that Utah is indeed on the radar of the PAC-10. It also means that even after coming here, neither side has made an announcement or even an "unintentional" leak of an offer. That is because the PAC 10 is doing to Utah what the MWC did to Boise, keeping them on the line but checking to see if they can get something better first. Like Kansas?

This is HUGE news for the locals around SLC and Provo(for jealousy reasons), but in the national picture I've got news for you... It's at or near the bottom of interest level in the College Football conference dance. When Texas A&M is teetering between the SEC, the big ten(long shot), the future big 12, or the numberless for now PAC-__, the Utes are still the third or forth girl on the PAC 10's dance card. But be patient Ute fans. With rumors coming from a few reliable sources saying that Texas and all of it's followers, and A&M's romance with the SEC is all about to come to a head this next week, the Utes just might get to go to the ball! So let the really good looking people into the club ahead of you, wait out side and try not to look desperate, and the bouncer (Larry Scott) might just "find" your name on the guest list.

But what about the MWC????

More to come.

*update: David locke and multiple others now reporting it's likely that Texas will stay put in the new BIG 10(previously the BIG 12) This is REALLY good news for UTAH!

Kansas, Missouri, and Kansas State to MWC?

The Star Telegram a Texas newspaper is reporting that with the changes that are coming to the Big 12 and the Pac-10 that 3 teams will be left out. Those 3 teams are Kansas, Missouri, and Kansas State. In the article it states that these school being left out would "potentially join the MWC".

In my opinion this would do wonders for the MWC. Just this past week we added Boise State, which will help the boost the football programs of every school. If they added these 3 schools it would put the MWC at 13 teams. That is one more team than the SEC! It should be noted that these are 3 school with good athletic programs. Kansas and Kansas State will help change the landscape of the MWC mens basketball programs. Last year Kansas State showed just how good they have become in recent years and Kansas is a top 25 program year in and year out. Missouri has a better football program than basketball but they would provide a lift in both categories.

Here is a little video from ESPN that helps to make since of all of the moves that are potentially going to take place:

Boise to MWC!!!!! OFFICIAL!!!

ESPN SAID SO... THAT'S WHY!!!

Welcome to the MWC!!

OFFICIAL: Colorado to the Pac 10

Let the shake up begin!

SPORTING NEWS and ESPN have reported the Buffs are moving!
More to come.

Mountain West Not Expanding

Meeting was held today and the Mtn West has decided to be patient and not expand. The article was posted on ESPN today with this video.