The Brigham Young Cougars are starting to have an identity
now after seven games. Unfortunately, it may not be the identity BYU
fans want. Looking back on my pregame questions, the Cougars only answered the call
on one or two of them. But, there were still some valuable lessons learned from
this game that hopefully can be applied to Notre Dame next week.
The Editor appreciates all feedback. He can be reached via email at bluecougarfootball@gmail.com
1. Who will be under
center for BYU? Not just to start the game but to finish it.
Riley Nelson went all the way on Saturday for the Cougars. Every
time he ran the ball or took a sack, fans held their breath, but he popped up every time.
While Bronco said his quarterbacks would run the ball less
after Taysom Hill and Nelson’s injuries, Nelson still ran the ball nine times,
as well as taking four sacks.
In the fourth quarter, Nelson converted a third down by running the ball. He took a good hit at the end of that play. The run gave BYU 1st and Goal at the 10-yard line. Nelson did have two bad throws immediately following. For the rest of the game, Nelson was 2 of 5 with 2 interceptions. The only passes he completed were shovel passes. The second interception was a terribly wild throw. While Nelson didn’t leave the game, maybe he was shaken up to the point that he should have.
In the fourth quarter, Nelson converted a third down by running the ball. He took a good hit at the end of that play. The run gave BYU 1st and Goal at the 10-yard line. Nelson did have two bad throws immediately following. For the rest of the game, Nelson was 2 of 5 with 2 interceptions. The only passes he completed were shovel passes. The second interception was a terribly wild throw. While Nelson didn’t leave the game, maybe he was shaken up to the point that he should have.
2. How good is Oregon
State?
The initial BCS rankings came out this weekend and the
computers think the Beavers are better than Oregon, LSU and South Carolina. I
think they are a good team who should be in the top-25 of the polls, and will
likely end between 11 and 20 at the end of the season.
While I am still not sold on the Beavers being a top ten
team and competing for a spot in the National Championship, they were better
than I thought they would be and made me shut my mouth in a few of my pregame
predictions. While their rankings in offensive and defensive statistics don’t
add up to being a top-10 team, they are winning games. Backup quarterback Cody
Vaz stepped up big and led the Beavers to victory. And lastly, they could very
well win their next three games, being 8-0 when they head to Palo Alto to face
Stanford. Even if Oregon State loses to Stanford and Oregon, they could still
find their way into the Rose Bowl if the Ducks end up in the National
Championship game.
I tip my hat off to you, Mike Riley. Your Beavers were
better than I thought. I hope you enjoyed your In-and-Out burger in Orem after
the game.
3. Can BYU keep their
No. 1 ranking in run defense, and improve on its ranking in scoring defense?
With 118 yards rushing, 99 in the second half, Oregon State Alabama Rutgers (60.83).
Thanks to BYU’s 81 rushing yards, the Cougars are still ahead of Oregon State
BYU is now seventh in scoring defense allowing 13.6 points per game. Alabama Rutgers .
As consolation, BYU dethroned Oregon State Oregon State Florida State
4. How much impact will
the blackout have?
I thought the blackout looked good from inside the stadium.
The uniforms looked intimidating, the black towels on the seats added a nice
touch, the end zones and midfield added to the affect and the fans responded by
being very loud. I think the blackout added to the feel of the game for the
fans and the players, and helped BYU stay with the Beavers for a little longer
than many thought possible. The athletic department should look into
doing more promotional games like that in the future when top ranked teams come
to town.
5. Will BYU pull off the
upset?
I had hope, and I thought going into the second half that
they would, but they fell just short. It would have been really interesting to see how the game played out if a few plays had gone a different way. Some were fluke plays (Kyle Van Noy’s batted pass being caught for a touchdown), and some were execution errors by BYU (Riley Nelson overthrowing an open JD Falslev behind the defense, two pass interference penalties). Had a couple of plays gone the other way, would we be celebrating a huge win
for the team? Instead, the Cougars are 4-3 and head to South Bend to take on
the No. 5 ranked Fighting Irish. It was close, but close doesn't cut it. BYU
played solid for 53 minutes. But against a top ranked team, you need all 60.
The Editor appreciates all feedback. He can be reached via email at bluecougarfootball@gmail.com
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