Texas Game Notes
The offense looked much better in the first half than in their season opener. However, the offensive line failed to generate a push in the second half and the Cougars never got the running game going. I believe the biggest issue on offense thus far is the pace. Through two games the offense has been so sloooooooow. SPEED IT UP DOMAN! The slow pace not only has led to costly penalties (including a very costly delay of game penalty in 4th quarter right after the Cougars fell behind 17-16), but also makes it virtually impossible to gain any momentum offensively. With one notable exception - a stretch of about 12 minutes from the end of the 1st quarter and most of the 2nd quarter against Texas when the Cougars clicked offensively and even ran some no huddle - the team is slow to get to the line and get the play off. Several times against Texas, you could see Jake Heaps clapping his to get the snap in time. I'm not certain if it is the play calling and that plays are getting in slow to Heaps, but the tempo absolutely must pick up if the Cougars and Heaps are going to be able to find any rhythm. It seems as though after Heaps threw the interception late in the 2nd quarter Doman took a step back and said, "hey, we have the lead, let's slow it down and just try not to blow it." It seems as though the reigns are on Heaps like they seemed to be for the first 6 or 7 games last year. If Heaps is truly destined to be one of the great Cougar quarterbacks, then let him loose! The offense needs to operate with a sense of urgency and purpose. It is not drastically different from what I expected early in the season, but it seems like there is some much more potential. OVERALL GRADE: B-
Utah Preview
One of the most closely contested and best rivalries in all of College Football resumes Saturday in Provo, Utah. It will be the ninth BYU vs. Utah game I've attended (past games 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2009) - all of which have been in Provo. The games I've attended have been split 4-4. Which is very indicative of the rivarly over the past 20 or so years. I love the statistics surrounding this game. I hope to be able to post some additional statistical trends later this week which demonstrate how close this has been over the past couple decades and what may be keys to victory this week.
OH, So close ... SINCE 1990:
BYU 10 wins UTAH 11 wins
BYU Total Points Scored: 532
Utah Total Points Scored: 530
BYU Average Score: 25.33
Utah Average Score: 25.24
Overall Average Margin of Victory: 10.1 points
Average Margin of Victory over 15 games (removing outliers 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 2004, 2008): 4.4 points
Average Margin of Victory in 10 games played in Provo: 8.3
Games Decided by Less Than 10 Points: 15
Games Decided by 7 Points or Less: 14
Games Decided by 3 Points or Less: 9
Games with Lead Changes in Last 3 Minutes: 9
Overtime Games: 2 (both in Provo)
1 comment:
You are letting the coaching staff too easy, namely Brandon Doman. The difference in the Texas game was coaching. Mack Brown came out in the second half with a different game plan. His quarterback was not getting the job done, so he went with two new QB's, showing different looks, and was able to move the ball.
BYU made poor adjustments. The offense showed signs of life in the first half but sputtered in the second half. It seemed they went away from Heaps and tried to get the running game going. Di Luigi 2.8 yards per attempt (and that is good considering how many times he bounced it outside for fewer yards) and Quezada 1.4 ypa.
The lack of the running game shows in the red zone, where it seemed BYU had good drives but had to settle for 3 points instead of 7.
Looking at the box score, how often did Doman call a run on 1st down? How often was Di Luigi the outcome of the play, either run, pass, or incomplete?
Any 3rd and long draw makes me use Crowton's name in vain, and i was hoping those days were behind us. The weight needs to be put on Doman's shoulders, I understand he is a rookie OC, but it is time to Rise Up.
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