My Final Post

For years I have been begging/ranting/complaining about how BYU has misused James Lark. I've been saying it's a failure in coaching and not fair for years. Literally years. Last night when it was announced that Taysom Hill would now be the back up I was not surprised at all. However, I did briefly have a flashback of what might have been.



2009, James Lark comes home from his mission and attends the Las Vegas Bowl. Riley is the entrenched starter and Jake Heaps is the heir apparent. He works especially hard and gets ready for spring camp. He was promised a fair shot at the starting position. After nearly a month of equal reps and opportunities, it becomes apparent that Lark is not ready to compete with Nelson and Heaps. However, he did noticeably improve during spring and Doman is optimistic about where he could go.





In 2010 Heaps and Nelson battle between injuries and losing games, each taking a turn to lead the two-headless monster. Lark is patient and quite. He keeps believing that Loyalty and hard will pay off. Eventually he knows he will get a shot. The season ends and Heaps looks like the entrenched starter. He beat a bunch of terrible teams and people were drinking the Kool-Aid. Despite this Lark outworked every QB on the roster in the off season.



In 2011 Heaps leads the time straight down the crapper. Lark has been preparing and after the Dismal performance of the Texas game, Lark gets a few more snaps in practice. It's clear that Lark has the better arm and body. While Nelson has been forming a secret combination of players, Lark has quietly been the football player that BYU always says they want. When Heaps is doing his best to give the game away to Utah State, Doman sends the call to bring in Lark. The magic isn't there and Lark fails to win the Utah State game. The crowd goes crazy chanting for Nelson (a proven failure already) and the coaching staff is given heat. However, they stick with the best move for the program and start Lark the next few games. Lark crushes the the next three schools as people say "anyone could have beaten these teams". And it's true. They could have.



Despite the special teams errors against TCU Lark limits the offensive mistakes and leads the team to their best victory in years. They go on to a dominate victory in their bowl game and are ranked heading into 2012.



In 2012 Lark is the undisputed starter. Riley uses his leadership and is the special teams captain while giving up the back up spot to Taysom Hill. Lark doesn't play perfectly in the first couple of games but leads the team to easy victories. Lark plays one of his poorest games of his career but manages to avoid mistakes and BYU defeats Utah for the first time in 3 years by 7 points. Taysom Hill comes into the game and runs wildcat several times a half. The offense is hard to prepare with a solid dopback passer.



BYU enters the Boise State game ranked 20 and Boise State is ranked 25. Lark connects with APO and Hoffman several times for big touchdown passes against a sub-part secondary. The Defense crushes Boise's offense and BYU wins big. Taysom adds two running touchdowns.



BYU is ranked 17 after their victory and continue on what looks to be a special season behind a dominating Defense and a senior QB with arm and a passion for BYU.





It didn't happen and it won't happen now. I always believe that Lark would get his chance. He placed his loyalty and trust in the coaching staff of BYU and they let him down. He was the sacrificial lamb for the program over and over. In the stories the good guys get a chance to shine, but not this time. If I were Lark I would have left the program a number of times. Despite many people close to him urging him to do so (he could have started at Utah for several years now), he chose to stay at BYU. As Harmon said in his article the other week Lark is the type of guy that every team wants and needs. I'm saddened for him, I know he could have been a good QB had the coaching staff not screwed him over again and again. I know he's still proud to BYU and likely wouldn't be happy wearing any other uniform, even in a starting position.



So this is my final post about James Lark. The coaching staff has already screwed this up. Lark and Riley are a sunk cost at this point. Their time has come and gone. It's time for Taysom Hill to lead this team. He's not ready as a passer or as someone that can read the defense, but the burden of the success of the program falls on his shoulders now.

I feel bad for Lark and expect he gets a standing ovation on senior night much like Jason Beck did.



I'm always impressed with the quality qb's who are willing to come to BYU knowing that there's a good chance they won't play but they want to be a Cougar. We have Taysom Hill now and Tanner Mangum in the pipeline yet we will continue to get quality qb's committing that know they can start elsewhere, hope they have a shot to start here, but are willing to be the team player and know we need a backup.



It's unfortuanate for Lark. I'll always remember him for hurdling the supply table/cart on the sideline after he was forced out of bounds last year on a qb keeper. That was awesome.

Hind sight is always 20/20.



At the time of Heaps-gate the team wants to put on the field the person they think will give them the best shot to win. Can't really argue at the time that person was Riley.



But, the big mistake was loading up on so many QBs. Don't forget we also had Munns. So there was Munns, Lark, Riley, and Heaps. All legit QBs that if given the chance probably could have made a go at it and been better than Heaps.



Lark probably should have been given more of a chance. Bronco's man-crush on Riley probably tainted things a bit.



Only thing we hope is the coaches don't make the same mistake twice. No more than 3 QBs at a time: Starter, backup, future starter.

Gunk wrote:
Hind sight is always 20/20.



At the time of Heaps-gate the team wants to put on the field the person they think will give them the best shot to win. Can't really argue at the time that person was Riley.



But, the big mistake was loading up on so many QBs. Don't forget we also had Munns. So there was Munns, Lark, Riley, and Heaps. All legit QBs that if given the chance probably could have made a go at it and been better than Heaps.



Lark probably should have been given more of a chance. Bronco's man-crush on Riley probably tainted things a bit.



Only thing we hope is the coaches don't make the same mistake twice. No more than 3 QBs at a time: Starter, backup, future starter.

I agree with this, other than the part about Munns, I truly don't think he'd ever have been a good QB.

As much as I want Hill, I agree with the OP. and Hawk is right. Munns is too too slow for our Oline so bad.



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fifthqb, I hope that isn't your final post on CC. I enjoy reading your stuff.



If there has been a QB injustice over the last 2-3 years, it's been against Lark. The guy should have been given a shot by now.

BroncoBot wrote:
fifthqb, I hope that isn't your final post on CC. I enjoy reading your stuff.



If there has been a QB injustice over the last 2-3 years, it's been against Lark. The guy should have been given a shot by now.

I was surprised they named Hill the backup and didn't go with Lark yesterday. He's been in the offense so long that in a close game like yesterday I thought he'd give us the best shot. I don't get to see him practice though and unfortuanately his time has past now and playing him at this point would now get criticism as we would be playing him over the what's best for the program because he's a senior. It really is too bad as he was never really given a meaningful snap.

I wasn't surprised to see Hill come in for Riley, but I think I would like to see Lark start the next game with Hill coming in on certain packages.



This season is not lost and so there is no reason to just hand it over to Hill. Hill is the guy for next year, but let Lark play now. He has showed fairly well, although I would like to see him go deep more. Lark has a good arm, is mature, and is probably more mobile than Riley right now.

If I remember correctly Lark actually has a good arm and some wheels. Can he be any slower than Riley? Accuracy any worse? Why not? I'd hate to ruin Hill if things go bad for him too.

BroncoBot wrote:
fifthqb, I hope that isn't your final post on CC.

It was just my last post about James. I'll still stay around on the boards. I don't post much during the offseason but I'm usually here during the season each year. Enjoy CC.

hawkwing wrote:

Hind sight is always 20/20.



At the time of Heaps-gate the team wants to put on the field the person they think will give them the best shot to win. Can't really argue at the time that person was Riley.



But, the big mistake was loading up on so many QBs. Don't forget we also had Munns. So there was Munns, Lark, Riley, and Heaps. All legit QBs that if given the chance probably could have made a go at it and been better than Heaps.



Lark probably should have been given more of a chance. Bronco's man-crush on Riley probably tainted things a bit.



Only thing we hope is the coaches don't make the same mistake twice. No more than 3 QBs at a time: Starter, backup, future starter.

I agree with this, other than the part about Munns, I truly don't think he'd ever have been a good QB.

IIRC He was lights out his Sophomore and Junior years of High school, but not since...

Riley has been the worst thing to ever happen to BYU. I wish he never transferred from Utah state. The pressure of Heaps never let BYU truly have a QB evaluation. Sure lark may not have been on par the first year back but he couldn't have done any worse they the riley/heaps combo. I honestly don't think would have lost to TCU, Texas, or had a blow out against Utah last year or lose to Utah and Boise this year. I to feel bad that he didn't get the start yesterday despite his time spent with the team. However, let's be real, he's not going to be the future of the team like Hill. With the schedule we have next year, if we don't build up Hill now we're going to be complaining all next season too. You only have two...maybe three defenses that' really going to give Hill any problems...problems he needs to face in-order to develop.

Isola wrote:
I wasn't surprised to see Hill come in for Riley, but I think I would like to see Lark start the next game with Hill coming in on certain packages.



This season is not lost and so there is no reason to just hand it over to Hill. Hill is the guy for next year, but let Lark play now. He has showed fairly well, although I would like to see him go deep more. Lark has a good arm, is mature, and is probably more mobile than Riley right now.

However according to Ben Criddle,Nelson had no physical reps the week of the Utah game and very few this past week. So that left the reps in practice for Lark and Hill and according to Criddle, Hill outplayed Lark in those practices. Thus showing Doman and Bronco that the future is now.

pjspack wrote:

I wasn't surprised to see Hill come in for Riley, but I think I would like to see Lark start the next game with Hill coming in on certain packages.



This season is not lost and so there is no reason to just hand it over to Hill. Hill is the guy for next year, but let Lark play now. He has showed fairly well, although I would like to see him go deep more. Lark has a good arm, is mature, and is probably more mobile than Riley right now.

Accept according to Ben Criddle,Nelson had no physical reps the week of the Utah game and very few this past week. So that left the reps in practice for Lark and Hill and according to Criddle, Hill outplayed Lark in those practices. Thus showing Doman and Bronco that the future is now.

If this is the case, then that is an even further indictment of Doman and Bronco. If you can't practice, you shouldn't play either.

Gunk wrote:
Hind sight is always 20/20.



At the time of Heaps-gate the team wants to put on the field the person they think will give them the best shot to win. Can't really argue at the time that person was Riley.



But, the big mistake was loading up on so many QBs. Don't forget we also had Munns. So there was Munns, Lark, Riley, and Heaps. All legit QBs that if given the chance probably could have made a go at it and been better than Heaps.



Lark probably should have been given more of a chance. Bronco's man-crush on Riley probably tainted things a bit.



Only thing we hope is the coaches don't make the same mistake twice. No more than 3 QBs at a time: Starter, backup, future starter.

I believe Lavelle used to carry a bunch of QB's. IIRC Young was seventh in the depth chart his soph year.



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There must be a reason that Taysom has had all the street credit from the announcers since his first touchdown against WSU. He has the special intangables athletically and that includes his arm strenght. I think most can tell he will be very special as a runner from last night if you were watching his footwork and explosion. Riley needs to be third on the depth chart as he has marginall running ability and a very limited arm.

I was calling for a look-see at Lark in 2010 and taking a lot of crap for proposing anything other than investing in the future - Heaps - even if it meant losses.



Now we just do not know if there is any magic in James Lark. The seaon is not over. With the name 5th QB, I always get tempted to assume you are Tom Young, 5th string QB entering fall camp your sophomore year - MVP in a very close BYU loss in our bowl game. His first start, iirc. After 4th string transferred, and Walsh, Clement, and Hancock all got injured.



Look it up fans. It ain't over till its over, and Riley is not going to be healthy every week. Opportunities will come. Players need to be ready.



Not to jinx anything, but Clement, a physical specimen who transferred from Texas, only lasted a snap or a few, before getting injured diving on the ball to recover a fumbled snap. Maybe Lark will still become the Ryan Hancock that saved that season but had to let Tom Young finish it. And maybe the little QB that is too good to keep off the field that backs up Apo at WR is Tom Young.



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Cougarbib wrote:
I was calling for a look-see at Lark in 2010 and taking a lot of crap for proposing anything other than investing in the future - Heaps - even if it meant losses.



Now we just do not know if there is any magic in James Lark. The seaon is not over. With the name 5th QB, I always get tempted to assume you are Tom Young, 5th string QB entering fall camp your sophomore year - MVP in a very close BYU loss in our bowl game. His first start, iirc. After 4th string transferred, and Walsh, Clement, and Hancock all got injured.



Look it up fans. It ain't over till its over, and Riley is not going to be healthy every week. Opportunities will come. Players need to be ready.



Not to jinx anything, but Clement, a physical specimen who transferred from Texas, only lasted a snap or a few, before getting injured diving on the ball to recover a fumbled snap. Maybe Lark will still become the Ryan Hancock that saved that season but had to let Tom Young finish it. And maybe the little QB that is too good to keep off the field that backs up Apo at WR is Tom Young.



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And then he lost us the Fresno State game for us the next year by completing two of his first three passes... to the Bulldogs... for Touchdows...

ABYUFAN wrote:

I was calling for a look-see at Lark in 2010 and taking a lot of crap for proposing anything other than investing in the future - Heaps - even if it meant losses.



Now we just do not know if there is any magic in James Lark. The seaon is not over. With the name 5th QB, I always get tempted to assume you are Tom Young, 5th string QB entering fall camp your sophomore year - MVP in a very close BYU loss in our bowl game. His first start, iirc. After 4th string transferred, and Walsh, Clement, and Hancock all got injured.



Look it up fans. It ain't over till its over, and Riley is not going to be healthy every week. Opportunities will come. Players need to be ready.



Not to jinx anything, but Clement, a physical specimen who transferred from Texas, only lasted a snap or a few, before getting injured diving on the ball to recover a fumbled snap. Maybe Lark will still become the Ryan Hancock that saved that season but had to let Tom Young finish it. And maybe the little QB that is too good to keep off the field that backs up Apo at WR is Tom Young.



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And then he lost us the Fresno State game for us the next year by completing two of his first three passes... to the Bulldogs... for Touchdows...

Yes - my point being - he got his shot as a soph buried what looked like hopelessly on the depth chart. That earned him more PT as a junior. Got his shot. Fired it. Flashed when nobody had film on him. Faded later. Like Mike Young before him, he got his shot but did not emerge from the shadow of older brother - Steve.



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Cougest wrote:
Riley has been the worst thing to ever happen to BYU. I wish he never transferred from Utah state.

nope. Not even close. Try again.