M
MithrandirI posted on another board that TCU wasn't "31 points faster/more athletic than BYU" (and proceeded to pin the blowout on coaching). I'm not so sure of this, anymore.
After watching TCU make a pretty quick Utah squad look positively sluggish, I think they are indeed 31 points faster/more athletic than BYU right now. Patterson has done a masterful job of getting his hands on raw, but exceptional athletes and turning them into football players. He's also done a fabulous job of putting his players in positions where they can excell. Where some coaches see a big RB with ordinary speed, Patterson sees an ultra-quick, all-american rush DE. Where some coaches see an undersized CB, Patterson sees a game breaking scatback capable of taking it the distance every time he touches the ball.
In order to become competetive with TCU, and even Utah again, Bronco and company are going to have to emulate (to some degree) what Patterson is doing. This means taking chances on a certain number of raw athletes every year...guys that flew under the radar for any myriad of reasons, but posess that one commodity that BYU so lacks. It also means being willing to shuffle players into positions where they can be exceptional (for instance, Bills and Rich need to be a OLB's, and Aguirre and Logan need to be safeties...just as it was obvious to many that So'oto needed to be a DE).
There is alot of speed and athleticism sitting on the bench. BYU can't afford to do this any longer. Coaches need to put together nickle packages for guys like Buckner and Aguirre and quit trying to cover up speedy wideouts with lumbering MLB's. They needed to get Garret Nicholsen touches at tailback when they saw him languishing at corner (he could have been that 5-10, 180 pound scatback with sub 4.5 speed that BYU never seems to have), and while we lacked a legitimate speed/change of pace back.
BYU simply must field better/faster athletes if they want to have any chance to compete against the best teams even in our own conference. To say nothing of the upper eschelon of the BSC.
What's my point? I guess in a sense it still comes down to coaching (because they're ultimately responsible for recruiting), but I'm no longer convinced that even with a perfect scheme, and a perfect game from our players that we could have beaten TCU. I don't blame Bronco for the blowout, and actually think he's done a great job with the talent he has in the stable. I've re-watched every game this season, and it's become apparent that even teams like UNLV and New Mexico have more team speed than we do (if I'm being honest, Utah State even looked faster than we did). I think when we get our newer, faster guys plugged in, Bronco will look like a genius. If Bronco can pull in a few more speed players (if USU can do it...!) to compliment the blue-chippers we already have in the pipe, I forsee perfect seasons in the not so distant future.
After watching TCU make a pretty quick Utah squad look positively sluggish, I think they are indeed 31 points faster/more athletic than BYU right now. Patterson has done a masterful job of getting his hands on raw, but exceptional athletes and turning them into football players. He's also done a fabulous job of putting his players in positions where they can excell. Where some coaches see a big RB with ordinary speed, Patterson sees an ultra-quick, all-american rush DE. Where some coaches see an undersized CB, Patterson sees a game breaking scatback capable of taking it the distance every time he touches the ball.
In order to become competetive with TCU, and even Utah again, Bronco and company are going to have to emulate (to some degree) what Patterson is doing. This means taking chances on a certain number of raw athletes every year...guys that flew under the radar for any myriad of reasons, but posess that one commodity that BYU so lacks. It also means being willing to shuffle players into positions where they can be exceptional (for instance, Bills and Rich need to be a OLB's, and Aguirre and Logan need to be safeties...just as it was obvious to many that So'oto needed to be a DE).
There is alot of speed and athleticism sitting on the bench. BYU can't afford to do this any longer. Coaches need to put together nickle packages for guys like Buckner and Aguirre and quit trying to cover up speedy wideouts with lumbering MLB's. They needed to get Garret Nicholsen touches at tailback when they saw him languishing at corner (he could have been that 5-10, 180 pound scatback with sub 4.5 speed that BYU never seems to have), and while we lacked a legitimate speed/change of pace back.
BYU simply must field better/faster athletes if they want to have any chance to compete against the best teams even in our own conference. To say nothing of the upper eschelon of the BSC.
What's my point? I guess in a sense it still comes down to coaching (because they're ultimately responsible for recruiting), but I'm no longer convinced that even with a perfect scheme, and a perfect game from our players that we could have beaten TCU. I don't blame Bronco for the blowout, and actually think he's done a great job with the talent he has in the stable. I've re-watched every game this season, and it's become apparent that even teams like UNLV and New Mexico have more team speed than we do (if I'm being honest, Utah State even looked faster than we did). I think when we get our newer, faster guys plugged in, Bronco will look like a genius. If Bronco can pull in a few more speed players (if USU can do it...!) to compliment the blue-chippers we already have in the pipe, I forsee perfect seasons in the not so distant future.