Will Special Teams Miscues Cost BYU A Loss To Tulsa?

Revoting is enabled. Vote now - change later if you change your mind. Be sure to comment. This Poll can also serve as the repository of our various scouting reports on Tulsa.



Time to move on from all of the unmentionable distractions of this season and focus on our Bowl Game Opponent.

I am predicting that Riley Nelson will lift all boats including Special Teams even if he has to resume his role as Gunner on the punting team and start holding snaps for the kicker. Everyone should be healthy by game week. BYU will move the ball well which should take some presure off punting. Now if we can just make those field goals.



Well - come to think of it - I am going back to add an option for O and D Winning inspite of mediocre Special Teams Play. I am going to go with that.

Even The Mighty Riley cannot overcome horrible Special Teams play in a close game.

I sort of don't get this poll and thread.

But, I wonder if Bronco will really let RN go out there for punting. Its a cool upside, but huge downside if he gets hurt with messing around with this.

I guess it all depends if RN "has learned" and can avoid punishing hits.



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The Bibster Tulsa Scouting Report:



On paper - looking at the entire season and SOS -



Offense - Even



Tulsa appears to have a slightly better passing offense (45th vs 40th) and a much better rushing offense (24th vs 51st) on paper. Looking at statistics excluding the pre-Riley games - BYU has an offense that is at least as good. Closely matched. Both quite balanced on passing and rushing. Tulsa played 4 Top 10 teams and still amassed those numbers. But defense was not a strength of Okie State and Houston and even Boise State was a little off on defense. Okie had a good defense and was able to keep the Tulsa offense in check. But other than those four opponents (all 4 of their losses) - Tulsa played a schedule about like the BYU schedule if you exclude Texas, TCU, Utah, and Ole MIss (our 3 losses and closest win). In fact, their four losses were tougher than our toughest four games - but the rest of the way, ours may have been slightly tougher. USU = SMU, we both played UCF, and maybe OSU gets an edge over some C-USA team. Splitting cupcakes with hairs in the frosting - I guess.



Defense - BYU Edge



On paper, the edge looks very clear. Rushing (BYU 20th Vs Tulsa 36th). Passing (BYU 29th Vs Tulsa 117th). But, as explained above, Tulsa played 4 top 10 teams and each of those had fire power. Three of them had extreme fire power. That skewed the numbers. But, then, BYU had that Utah melt-down that was uncharacteristic and the Special Teams melt-down vs TCU that gave those two opponents momentum and confidence boosts while demoralizing our defense. But even having lost Jordan Pendleton, the BYU defense closed out very strong at the end which may have been due partially to scheme changes adding an extra DB in many situations.



Special Teams - Tulsa Edge



BYU Special Teams play is spotty and streaky. Great at times. Really bad at other times. I have no idea how Tulsa has been. Anybody have any data?



Coaching - Tulsa Slight Edge - Experience, I suppose. But IDK for sure. Anyone know. BYU did seem to come together late.



Intangibles - Tulsa due to location of the game. BYU partially offsets it due to fan support overall. BYU has momentum. Tulsa may have lost confidence vs Houston. Both have something to prove. Series edge 2-1 BYU iirc.



Riley Factor - BYU Big Edge

dmcougar wrote:
Even The Mighty Riley cannot overcome horrible Special Teams play in a close game.

I sort of don't get this poll and thread.

But, I wonder if Bronco will really let RN go out there for punting. Its a cool upside, but huge downside if he gets hurt with messing around with this.

I guess it all depends if RN "has learned" and can avoid punishing hits.



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I cannot imagine that he will risk Riley on Special Teams. That was TIC on my post. That is why I said "Come to think of it" and went back and added another option - that I selected - Oand D overcome mediocre Special Teams Play.



The main point of this poll is that ignoring special teams - these teams should be pretty even. Our ST play has been a problem at times and an asset at other times. IDK what we will get vs Tulsa.