Both the Brigham Young Cougars (8-3) and the Hawaii Warriors (6-6) have seen their seasons fail to measure up to preseason expectations. That doesn’t mean they don't have some good reasons to play well in their regular season finale.
Hawaii was supposed to have a clear path to the WAC championship with Boise State now out of the conference. Quarterback Bryant Moniz was back for his senior year after a phenomenal junior campaign. Now the Warriors face a must win situation in the season’s final game to qualify for a bowl. A win also avoids a second losing season in the last three years.
BYU had visions of a historical first season as an independent that would also go down as a classic with several players claiming a place in Cougar lore. Now, they face a must win situation to finish the year with double digit wins and a national ranking.
The Cougars will face a broken and battered Hawaii team. Moniz was injured in a loss to Nevada the same day BYU quarterback Riley Nelson was hurt against Idaho. Senior Shane Austin and sophomore David Graves have split the reps the last two games (one win, one loss) with Graves getting the bulk of the throws.
Moniz was the Warriors’ second leading rusher. However, Graves has proven to be just as capable of a runner as Moniz. He has rushed for 90 yards in the last two games combined. Freshman Joey Iosefa is the team’s leading rusher with over 500 yards on the year.
The receiving corps was depleted following 2010, however, Hawaii has seen three receiving threats emerge: Royce Pollard (66 rec., 963 yards, 8 TD), Billy Ray Stutzmann (71 rec., 860 yards, 4 TD), and Jeremiah Ostrowski (58 rec., 614 yards, 4 TD). The BYU secondary will have its hands full. Look for Bronco Mendenhall to continue running the nickel package that has been successful in recent weeks.
The Warriorrs defense has been terrible. They are allowing over 28 points per game. Only three times have the Warriors held opponents below 20 points, and those were FCS school UC Davis and scoring challenged teams Colorado (19.8 points per game) and Idaho (21.8 points per game). Bad defense or not, BYU can't take anything for granted. It was a 6-5 Hawaii team that beat BYU 59-28 in 1990.
BYU quarterback Riley Nelson has been cleared to play and has been taking the starters reps in practice. His recovery from fractured ribs and a partially collapsed lung has been remarkably fast. His return could provide the team an emotional high that sparks the team to play its best game of the year.
Hawaii will play its best game. Expect them to play with a lot of emotion, and if BYU isn't ready to counter the Warriors emotion, this game could get out of hand.
The key to the game for BYU is to be mentally and emotionally prepared. BYU is the better team with better players. However, that will be meaningless if BYU doesn't come ready to play in every way.
Things to watch for:
Last: BYU won 35-32 (2002)
Streak: BYU won 1
TIME: 5:30 PM (Mountain Time)
TV: ESPN2, ESPN3.com
RADIO: KSL 1160 AM, 102.7 FM, http://www.ksl.com/
The Editor appreciates all feedback. He can be reached via email at bluecougarfootball@gmail.com
Hawaii was supposed to have a clear path to the WAC championship with Boise State now out of the conference. Quarterback Bryant Moniz was back for his senior year after a phenomenal junior campaign. Now the Warriors face a must win situation in the season’s final game to qualify for a bowl. A win also avoids a second losing season in the last three years.
BYU had visions of a historical first season as an independent that would also go down as a classic with several players claiming a place in Cougar lore. Now, they face a must win situation to finish the year with double digit wins and a national ranking.
The Cougars will face a broken and battered Hawaii team. Moniz was injured in a loss to Nevada the same day BYU quarterback Riley Nelson was hurt against Idaho. Senior Shane Austin and sophomore David Graves have split the reps the last two games (one win, one loss) with Graves getting the bulk of the throws.
Moniz was the Warriors’ second leading rusher. However, Graves has proven to be just as capable of a runner as Moniz. He has rushed for 90 yards in the last two games combined. Freshman Joey Iosefa is the team’s leading rusher with over 500 yards on the year.
The receiving corps was depleted following 2010, however, Hawaii has seen three receiving threats emerge: Royce Pollard (66 rec., 963 yards, 8 TD), Billy Ray Stutzmann (71 rec., 860 yards, 4 TD), and Jeremiah Ostrowski (58 rec., 614 yards, 4 TD). The BYU secondary will have its hands full. Look for Bronco Mendenhall to continue running the nickel package that has been successful in recent weeks.
The Warriorrs defense has been terrible. They are allowing over 28 points per game. Only three times have the Warriors held opponents below 20 points, and those were FCS school UC Davis and scoring challenged teams Colorado (19.8 points per game) and Idaho (21.8 points per game). Bad defense or not, BYU can't take anything for granted. It was a 6-5 Hawaii team that beat BYU 59-28 in 1990.
BYU quarterback Riley Nelson has been cleared to play and has been taking the starters reps in practice. His recovery from fractured ribs and a partially collapsed lung has been remarkably fast. His return could provide the team an emotional high that sparks the team to play its best game of the year.
Hawaii will play its best game. Expect them to play with a lot of emotion, and if BYU isn't ready to counter the Warriors emotion, this game could get out of hand.
The key to the game for BYU is to be mentally and emotionally prepared. BYU is the better team with better players. However, that will be meaningless if BYU doesn't come ready to play in every way.
Things to watch for:
- Riley's Return. Questions abound regarding Riley Nelson's playing status. Will Nelson's return be an emotional lift that carries BYU? Is he really ready, or will he struggle to be effective? If he does struggle, how long does offensive coordinator Brandon Doman wait to replace him? If ineffective will Nelson come forward and admit that he isn't ready to play and sit himself, or will his grit and toughness turn into a hindrance for the team?
- BYU Pass Defense. The BYU pass defense was suspect the first seven games of the season. Since then, the Cougar pass D has vastly improved shutting down teams like TCU and pass happy New Mexico State. Hawaii presents another test. Effective pass defense without compromising defense against the run will be important to limiting points and coming away victorious.
- The Doman vs. Rolovich Rematch. The last time these two teams played in Hawaii (2001) the starting quarterbacks were Brandon Doman and Nick Rolovich. Once again they will star opposite each other as both former quarterbacks are now the offensive coordinators for BYU and Hawaii, respectively. Rolovich had a better game than Doman. Can Doman outdo him this time?
- Record Tracker. It is almost a given that Cody Hoffman, with 778 yards, will pass O'Neill Chambers (809 yards) to move into second on the BYU charts for most kickoff return yards in a single season. Breaking the record, however, isn't out of the question. He only needs 88 yards to do so, and "the Hoff" has surpassed that figure four times this season.
Last: BYU won 35-32 (2002)
Streak: BYU won 1
TIME: 5:30 PM (Mountain Time)
TV: ESPN2, ESPN3.com
RADIO: KSL 1160 AM, 102.7 FM, http://www.ksl.com/
The Editor appreciates all feedback. He can be reached via email at bluecougarfootball@gmail.com
BYU doesn't have much to play for other than preparing for the bowl. It'd be nice to get another win, but I think all that matters is if BYU avoids serious injuries in the Hawaii game.
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