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| Micah Simon makes a one-handed catch in the Spring game (Source: USA Latest News). |
The BYU Cougars concluded their Spring football practices last weekend. That means it is time to revisit and answer Blue Cougar Football's five burning questions.
1. What will we learn about Jeff Grimes' offense?
In many ways it is like most other offenses in college football. BYU will be able to throw the ball and run the ball well. Which form of attack the team uses will depend more on that week's opponent, and what BYU can better exploit with the players it has.
The one element that makes Grimes' offense unique is movement. Shifts, motion, etc. will be more abundant than Cougar fans are accustomed to seeing. Grimes has explained that the purpose of that is to keep the defense on its heels.
2. How will Ilaisa Tuiaki replace Fred Warner?
Moving Zayne Anderson from safety to linebacker is the answer, for now. Anderson brings the speed and athleticism that Warner possessed. He also has pass coverage skills. Size is the biggest deficiency Anderson has for playing linebacker. Time will tell how much weight he can add to help him shed offensive linemen and go head-to-head with ball carriers.
3. What is the state of the quarterback position?
The mobility of Beau Hoge and Zach Wilson grabbed headlines, but Joe Critchlow really set himself apart with his play in the Spring game. Tanner Mangum looks to be on schedule to be 100 percent healthy and able to compete in the fall. These four have definitely given the coaches a lot to think about, and are going to make each day of fall camp exciting.
4. Will special emphasis be given to special teams?
Not a lot of mention was made of special teams. As far as the kicking game goes, the coaches seem content to wait for Skyler Southam to come compete for the placekicking duties. In the returns department, the coaches may have struck gold with Dayan Ghanwoloku retuning kickoffs. He broke off an 85-yard return in the Spring game. As this site detailed yesterday, that could be a sign of great things to come.
5. Will there be a hangover from 4-9?
There were absolutely no signs of a hangover, which is very encouraging. The mix of new blood with the coaching changes, and new faces through position changes really gives the feeling that this a different team and whatever happened last year has no bearing on what is possible in 2018.
The Editor appreciates all feedback. He can be reached via email at bluecougarfootball@gmail.com
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