Harmon Article

THIS is the article that explains it best. Harmon is a homer but tells it like it is without turning it into a bitch session.



http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865562606/BYU-offense-must-be-as-clean-as-its-defense.html?pg=3" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Eh...Harmon completely ignores the elephant in the room: BYU has no identity on offense.



I also think Harmon puts too much on Riley's shoulders. Harmon should start pointing fingers at Doman and then aim them at Riley. Not implicate Riley, briefly mention coaching and go back to Riley.



This is bigger than Riley. It's coaching, all the way up to Bronco.



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Yep, every time BYU loses, it was becuase of coaching. Every time BYU wins, our opponent was worse than we thought.

Gunk wrote:
Eh...Harmon completely ignores the elephant in the room: BYU has no identity on offense.



I also think Harmon puts too much on Riley's shoulders. Harmon should start pointing fingers at Doman and then aim them at Riley. Not implicate Riley, briefly mention coaching and go back to Riley.



This is bigger than Riley. It's coaching, all the way up to Bronco.



[ Post made via Mobile Device ] http://cougarcorner.com/images/mobile.png" alt="" loading="lazy" style="max-width:100%">

I guarantee if we score a TD instead of fumbling a snap for a TD, we win the game and nobody whines for three days about "offensive identity" or indicts the entire coaching staff.

I realize it is just one game, but you cannot ignore the trend:



Bronco started off great against both Utah and TCU going 3-2 against Utah and 2-2 against TCU. If we are .500 against those quality opponents of equal talent, then there really isn't an issue. The problem is that since then we are 0-5 in the last five games against Utah and TCU, and some of those were not even close.



That trend should be alarming. I have given five things, maybe six we need to do in another thread, and none of them have to do with getting rid of Bronco. He is a fantastic defensive coach, and I believe the right man for the program.



But it doesn't help to put our heads in the sand about the way things are trending against quality opponents.

Cougarfan87 wrote:
I realize it is just one game, but you cannot ignore the trend:



Bronco started off great against both Utah and TCU going 3-2 against Utah and 2-2 against TCU. If we are .500 against those quality opponents of equal talent, then there really isn't an issue. The problem is that since then we are 0-5 in the last five games against Utah and TCU, and some of those were not even close.



That trend should be alarming. I have given five things, maybe six we need to do in another thread, and none of them have to do with getting rid of Bronco. He is a fantastic defensive coach, and I believe the right man for the program.



But it doesn't help to put our heads in the sand about the way things are trending against quality opponents.

I read your suggestions. I don't think I am putting my head in the sand. I, honestly, don't know what the answers are since it seems that utah plays their best game of the year against us every year and consequently we play our worst against them. I think it is mental more than physical. How do you fix a mental problem?

frdbtr wrote:

I realize it is just one game, but you cannot ignore the trend:



Bronco started off great against both Utah and TCU going 3-2 against Utah and 2-2 against TCU. If we are .500 against those quality opponents of equal talent, then there really isn't an issue. The problem is that since then we are 0-5 in the last five games against Utah and TCU, and some of those were not even close.



That trend should be alarming. I have given five things, maybe six we need to do in another thread, and none of them have to do with getting rid of Bronco. He is a fantastic defensive coach, and I believe the right man for the program.



But it doesn't help to put our heads in the sand about the way things are trending against quality opponents.

I read your suggestions. I don't think I am putting my head in the sand. I, honestly, don't know what the answers are since it seems that utah plays their best game of the year against us every year and consequently we play our worst against them. I think it is mental more than physical. How do you fix a mental problem?

I agree that it is a mental problem. I think you start with immediate accountability throughout the year. Don't just talk about execution. Demand it and correct it on the spot when you don't get it during a football game. When the OLine false starts, you pull that player and have a frank discussion about it. When he does it twice, you bench him for a series. When he does it again, you sit him the rest of the game. Many of the mental mistakes were the Oline's fault. It has underperformed for years, and it is time to hold someone accountable for that underperformance (the OL coach).



The center who snapped the ball early, and gave up the touchdown, he should be on the bench for the rest of the next series. Although I will add that someone needs to teach Alisa how to properly recover a fumble--you don't jump on the ball. You fall next to the ball and pull the ball towards your body with your arms. Also, the ball security is terrible. No one runs with the ball high and tight. Alisa constantly breaks his fall with the same arm he is carrying the ball with. These are all mental mistakes but show there is a lack of attention right now on the little things that determine the outcomes of games.

redneckjedi wrote:

Eh...Harmon completely ignores the elephant in the room: BYU has no identity on offense.



I also think Harmon puts too much on Riley's shoulders. Harmon should start pointing fingers at Doman and then aim them at Riley. Not implicate Riley, briefly mention coaching and go back to Riley.



This is bigger than Riley. It's coaching, all the way up to Bronco.



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I guarantee if we score a TD instead of fumbling a snap for a TD, we win the game and nobody whines for three days about "offensive identity" or indicts the entire coaching staff.

Wrong. Had we walked away with a win against Utah there would have been pats on the back and sighs of relief followed by analysis, which would have revealed weaknesses. We still would have ran the same option play over and over and over and we still would have gotten no yards out of it and we still would have complained about Doman's play calling as a result.



Have you not been around? Even after the WSU wins we talked about Riley taking too many chances and there was a whole thread about how not to be deceived by the wins as signs pointed towards trouble. Don't you remember all the talk about our inability to get TDs in the Blue Zone? Geez...



Losing to Utah just provides a forum and more tuned-in audience.



Our offense is plane-jane.

This is not on Riley nearly as much as it is on the O Line and the coaches preparing them: Weber, Doman and Mendenhall, in that order.

Riley didn't have a good game, but he was what I expected him to be. The OL was not.



A TON of that has to do with indecision at center. Much like the QB in 2010, we had two guys in a top leadership role on offense (next to the QB, nobody's more important than the ctr) competing all through fall camp and the coaches just couldn't decide who to go with. I FULLY believe that the lack of consistency of personnel in Spring and Fall is the major reason why the OL stinks this year. Part of that is due to injuries. Part of that is due to bad mismanagement of those injuries by not establishing the starting 5 a few days into camp and going with it from there. Decisive decision making in the face of imperfect information is really tough (personally, I'm terrible at it), but it would have made all the difference this year, I think. Reynolds or Tushaus--either could have done it. But because both were allowed to try to do it way to long, we end up with nobody doing it well. That cost us gelling on the OL and being able to work with them as a unit rather than as individuals. Also cost us in the center getting experience in barking out blocking schemes and in working on silent counts.

Indecision by Weber, facilitated by Doman, and not checked by Bronco is a major reason for our frustration. The REALLY frustrating part is, you think that all of them would have learned from the inane 2010 QB experience. THIS is what bugs me the most.