Riley Nelson's PER against TCU

Many wanted to wait until TCU to make up their minds as to whether the were comfortable with him as the starter the rest of the year and the incumbent next season. They were waiting to see what he would do against a "fast defense" that would effectively spy him, stop him running and force him to throw. In my mind, even though he didn't have a world-beating performance last night, he put it away any QB controversy against TCU.



Riley's PER last night was 111. Quite sub-standard, but it was better than any PER Heaps put up this season with the exception of a 116 PER performance by Heaps against Ole Miss.



Nelson also ran for 84 yards (3.7 ypc) against the team everyone was waiting to see stop him.



BYU was 8-15 on third downs last night against the best defense we'll see this year. In our first four games BYU was 21-54 against teams with losing records.



Was Nelson awesome? Not even close. Did he make bone-headed decisions? Yes. Did our offense exceed expectations? Yes. Did our offense do better against TCU than we did in any of the previous three years against TCU? Yes. Would we have even been in the game with Heaps on the field? I don't think we would have had a chance.



Hopefully the TCU game puts any remnants of a QB debate/controversy to bed.

Okay, so what do you do about the turnovers??? Moving the ball is great until you turn it over 4 times.



Should he run laps, have locks of his hair removed, make his girlfriend cheat on him with Lark??? I'm not sure there is a way to coach it out of him, just like they won't tell him to stop seeking contact when he runs the ball.

crh55 wrote:
Okay, so what do you do about the turnovers??? Moving the ball is great until you turn it over 4 times.



Should he run laps, have locks of his hair removed, make his girlfriend cheat on him with Lark??? I'm not sure there is a way to coach it out of him, just like they won't tell him to stop seeking contact when he runs the ball.

The way I do it is make it funny. Edit the game film of the BAD decisions, add an Air Supply soundtrack, and let the whole team watch it. Get them to laugh at it, and they'll get the point.

True, Heaps would have been another Utah-like blow-out. BC our Fatty Oline are average at best. They are slow and lack intensity and discipline. TCU routinely rushed 4 guys and pressured Riley all night.

Starting the rest of this year was never in doubt after RN's last few games. Jake had his shot. He needs rehab.

Just like in Hoops--live by the three and die by the three. We want RN to make plays. Teammates want him to make plays. The "roman colliseum" fans want him to be a Gladiator warrior also. Well, live by the Riley and Die by the Riley. He was able run better than I thought and played exactly like I thought he would relative to turnovers and INT's.

TCU has better speed, albeit a younger team, and they have more intensity.

I dont know what next year brings. depends on if Riley can take the next step (to his credit he di so over last year). He has to learn to get rid of the ball when he can and cut his/the teams losses. Either his cut down of TO's or the other Riley pulling his head out, and we very likely win this game.

Good post, DM. BYU had chances. And if we eliminate just the boneheaded mistakes (not the ones forced by TCU) we had real chance.



Unfortunately we can't eliminate them, so Riley must learn from them.

SpiffCoug wrote:
Good post, DM. BYU had chances. And if we eliminate just the boneheaded mistakes (not the ones forced by TCU) we had real chance.



Unfortunately we can't eliminate them, so Riley must learn from them.

And contrary to my RN vim and vinegar, he has shown he can take his game to the next level. now I hope and think he can take it to the next level and learn from his mistakes.



Although I will say I have finally figured out why he is so focused on his hair (did you see him take off his helmet and fix his hair after his helmet got yanked and turned? :-) ) and abs: he is one ugly dude under that helmet--scary, almost, if he wasnt 5'10" and a buck-eighty. But the dude is nails! He took a licking again and I'm glad "the hit" never happened. AND LOVED him lowering his shoulder on the DB down the sideline--thats a smarter time to take a hit.

SpiffCoug wrote:
Good post, DM. BYU had chances. And if we eliminate just the boneheaded mistakes (not the ones forced by TCU) we had real chance.



Unfortunately we can't eliminate them, so Riley must learn from them.

Hopefully he can learn and improve. He should be pretty smart, isn't he going to med school?



But i'm afraid its a "take the bad with the good" situation and he will keep making plays, but keep making costly mistakes in big games.

One thing Riley needs to be given credit for is his determination. BYU had more fight late into this game than I ever remember in the last several games against TCU. It seems like Max Hall was the previous king of moxy and swagger, and even he always folded (and produced a lot of turnovers) against a TCU defense. Lest anyone argue that this TCU defense is weaker than the ones Max faced, I believe in his pregame presser Bronco stated that this TCU defense appeared as good as past ones. Riley deserves credit for being undeterred and continuing to fight to the end. Yeah, he made mistakes but he didn't mail it in. Finance deserved credit for recognizing what we should have recognized years ago, TCU has been vulnerable to running between the tackles for years. DiLuigi even had some really good inside runs last night.



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Apparently Doman autocorrects to finance. Doman deserves credit for recognizing TCU's weakness against the inside running game.



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You are flat out crazy if you think this defense is anywhere near the defense that TCU has fielded the last 3 years.



Max Hall would have eaten these guys alive.



2010: Best passing defense in College football in total yards, yards per game, tied for 4th in TD's allowed, tied for 12th in INT's. Lowest point per game total allowed in nation at 11.4 per game, lowest yards per game allowed at 215 per game in nation, 3rd least amount in rushing yards allowed etc etc



2009: 2nd in rushing yds allowed, 3rd in passing yards allowed, 6th in points allowed per game at 12, least amount of yards allowed in all of college football, tied for 6th in INT, etc etc



2008: 2nd in nation in points allowed @ 10.8, 2nd in nation at yards per game allowed @ 215, Top 10 in passing yards, number one is rushing yards allowed with a SCARY 584 yards on the season! Tied for 6th-ish in INT's, etc etc etc.





Though 9 weeks this year: Somewhere around 50th or 60th in total passing yards allowed, somewhere around 25th in rushing yards allowed, somewhere around 25th in total yards allowed per game @ 344 per game, somewhere around 30th in points per game allowed.



Max Hall would have skinned this years' TCU defense alive, and then cooked them for breakfast.

Nobody questions RN's determination and tenacity. I think he's a great guy and would be an all american at a D2 school. I don't see him getting much better and I don't see him winning against many decent D1 schools.



Sno, I disagree that this game should put any quarterback controversy to bed. No one should be arguing Heaps over RN, or RN over Heaps. They both suck!!! We are desperately still in need of a quarterback and nothing on the field this year has changed that. I don't know if Lark or someone else would be any better but with RN, what you see is what you get, and it ain't gitten any better!



Go Cougars!



L Hatton

Louisville, KY

BlueIsBetter wrote:
You are flat out crazy if you think this defense is anywhere near the defense that TCU has fielded the last 3 years.



Max Hall would have eaten these guys alive.



2010: Best passing defense in College football in total yards, yards per game, tied for 4th in TD's allowed, tied for 12th in INT's. Lowest point per game total allowed in nation at 11.4 per game, lowest yards per game allowed at 215 per game in nation, 3rd least amount in rushing yards allowed etc etc



2009: 2nd in rushing yds allowed, 3rd in passing yards allowed, 6th in points allowed per game at 12, least amount of yards allowed in all of college football, tied for 6th in INT, etc etc



2008: 2nd in nation in points allowed @ 10.8, 2nd in nation at yards per game allowed @ 215, Top 10 in passing yards, number one is rushing yards allowed with a SCARY 584 yards on the season! Tied for 6th-ish in INT's, etc etc etc.





Though 9 weeks this year: Somewhere around 50th or 60th in total passing yards allowed, somewhere around 25th in rushing yards allowed, somewhere around 25th in total yards allowed per game @ 344 per game, somewhere around 30th in points per game allowed.



Max Hall would have skinned this years' TCU defense alive, and then cooked them for breakfast.

Who cares about Max Hall right now?



Ever since the USU game, your mantra has been "Just wait for TCU! Just wait for TCU!!" Now TCU has come and gone, and now you're marginalizing TCU because it didn't work out the way you thought it would.



I don't think anyone on here has said this TCU defense is as good as it's ever been, but I do remember you telling us that this TCU defense would be the test.

But this was a far better test and Riley didn't pass.but he showed moxy. If he can't step it up again, then it is what it is. I wouldn't say he sucks. He needs to play smarter and I think he has shown improvement there. Is his arm worse than BDoman's? I don't think so. Bdoman couldn't make all the throws either. But he was smart, tough, a gamer, and he had Staley. ;-)



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With Heaps it was always showing "poise".

Now its Riley always showing "moxy" and "toughness" and "heart".



All of those things are good, but neither of them are showing me that they are good enough to play Quarterback at BYU.

KYCoug wrote:
Nobody questions RN's determination and tenacity. I think he's a great guy and would be an all american at a D2 school. I don't see him getting much better and I don't see him winning against many decent D1 schools.



Sno, I disagree that this game should put any quarterback controversy to bed. No one should be arguing Heaps over RN, or RN over Heaps. They both suck!!! We are desperately still in need of a quarterback and nothing on the field this year has changed that. I don't know if Lark or someone else would be any better but with RN, what you see is what you get, and it ain't gitten any better!



Go Cougars!



L Hatton

Louisville, KY

I agree that the QB competition should be open still. Nelson has been good, not good enough to nail down a spot. He played very well against TCU but let a lot to be desired. BUT, I don't think he has reached his ceiling. If he's learning from his mistakes, he could become a very good QB. No one thought he would be better this year and no one thinks he'll get any better. I think he has potential (uh-oh, there's that word again) to become one of the top QBs at BYU for a season next year. Unfortunately, all we can do is wait and see.

Can anybody post Max Hall's and John Beck's PER's against TCU the last 6 years?

2010-Jake Heaps 14-30, 91 yds, 0 TD, 2 INT, Rating 58.81

2009-Max Hall 18-28, 162 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT, Rating 117.53 (Riley 2-5, 26 yds, Rating 83.68)

2008-Max Hall 22-42, 274 yds, 0 TD, 2 INT, Rating 97.66

2007-Max Hall 26-44, 305 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT, Rating 120.27 (Win!)

2006-John Beck 23-37, 321 yds, 3 TD, 0 INT, Rating 161.79 (Win over #15 TCU, too bad Bronco can't win big games, though...)

2005-John Beck 30-51, 517 yds, 5 TD, 2 INT, Rating 168.49 (Overtime loss)

Schmoe wrote:
2010-Jake Heaps 14-30, 91 yds, 0 TD, 2 INT, Rating 58.81

2009-Max Hall 18-28, 162 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT, Rating 117.53 (Riley 2-5, 26 yds, Rating 83.68)

2008-Max Hall 22-42, 274 yds, 0 TD, 2 INT, Rating 97.66

2007-Max Hall 26-44, 305 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT, Rating 120.27 (Win!)

2006-John Beck 23-37, 321 yds, 3 TD, 0 INT, Rating 161.79 (Win over #15 TCU, too bad Bronco can't win big games, though...)

2005-John Beck 30-51, 517 yds, 5 TD, 2 INT, Rating 168.49 (Overtime loss)

John Beck owned TCU. Incredible PERs. HE also dominated BSU in 05.

declocoug wrote:

2010-Jake Heaps 14-30, 91 yds, 0 TD, 2 INT, Rating 58.81

2009-Max Hall 18-28, 162 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT, Rating 117.53 (Riley 2-5, 26 yds, Rating 83.68)

2008-Max Hall 22-42, 274 yds, 0 TD, 2 INT, Rating 97.66

2007-Max Hall 26-44, 305 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT, Rating 120.27 (Win!)

2006-John Beck 23-37, 321 yds, 3 TD, 0 INT, Rating 161.79 (Win over #15 TCU, too bad Bronco can't win big games, though...)

2005-John Beck 30-51, 517 yds, 5 TD, 2 INT, Rating 168.49 (Overtime loss)

John Beck owned TCU. Incredible PERs. HE also dominated BSU in 05.

Beck was a GREAT qb, I think we forget sometimes just how much fun the Beck-Harline-Brown years were.

Schmoe wrote:

Schmoe wrote:
2010-Jake Heaps 14-30, 91 yds, 0 TD, 2 INT, Rating 58.81

2009-Max Hall 18-28, 162 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT, Rating 117.53 (Riley 2-5, 26 yds, Rating 83.68)

2008-Max Hall 22-42, 274 yds, 0 TD, 2 INT, Rating 97.66

2007-Max Hall 26-44, 305 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT, Rating 120.27 (Win!)

2006-John Beck 23-37, 321 yds, 3 TD, 0 INT, Rating 161.79 (Win over #15 TCU, too bad Bronco can't win big games, though...)

2005-John Beck 30-51, 517 yds, 5 TD, 2 INT, Rating 168.49 (Overtime loss)

John Beck owned TCU. Incredible PERs. HE also dominated BSU in 05.

Beck was a GREAT qb, I think we forget sometimes just how much fun the Beck-Harline-Brown years were.

Especially because they came on the heels of the crowton years. What a contrast.