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Yzzazz...on his own. I do think BYU will win the game tomorrow, I just don't think Taysom will do it--that is to say he won't run crazy routes or make a bunch of long TD strikes, or both. Taysom will need to rely on the rest of the team, particularly the defense.
I think the BYU offense may look a bit sluggish by comparison. They may win the game in more pedestrian fashion than people expect, but I expect it will be by design as the game plays out. Consequently, the game could go something like BYU 27 UH 7, and that would be a WELL-PLAYED GAME, but a game most fans would be disappointed with.
Brian Logan predicted 60-14 BYU win on AFR--that's the kind of output everyone hopes to see. Here is why it will not happen, IMHO.
1. Last year's defense and special teams struggled in Houston, this year's squads will likely do better.
This isn't a stretch of the imagination. The defense, amazingly enough, is actually better in the post Van Noy era, and it wouldn't take much for them to improve over last year. Special teams is still a question mark, but one simple point of physics will play in their favor: altitude. The increased hang time on punts and kicks should allow coverage teams to do a better job than they did last year. That may be true coming the other way, but we don't really care, we just don't want big returns to improve field position for Houston.
Now if you are willing to go along with that first point, then the next shouldn't be too hard to take in.
2. Taysom won't take many long passes. Taysom took risks and passed aggressively against UH last year. In large part, however, because he had to. UH scores, BYU must answer. That was the story. Having to move the ball down field quickly and engineer drive after drive left few options.
But if our defense and special teams don't dig the offense in a hole, then Taysom can take what the UH defense (and ever other defense) will necessarily give him--the short pass. The short passing and up-the-middle running plays will allow BYU to be very patient.
3. Anae will correspondingly call a conservative game. The worst thing BYU could do would be to lose to Houston right now. 10 weeks down the road, no one will care about the margin of victory over Houston. The W will be all that matters. For all the talk of how much better a team BYU was than Houston, last year's game was razor close. Given the chance to keep a lid on the game, all coaches will take it. I think if BYU finds UH is struggling on offense (because our defense is legit!) and if BYU gets a couple of touchdowns ahead, then the Anae and Howell will call conservative and let BYU run out the clock as quick as possible. In the end, it will be a wise decision, but a controversial one in the minds of some fans.
That's how I see the game playing out. Taysom won't go crazy simply because he won't have to. While I would love to see the Brian Logan prophecy fulfilled, I think it is asking too much for BYU to expect that kind of performance against a team that returns most of its starters and nearly had BYU's number last year. A boring defensive win will suit me just fine!
I think the BYU offense may look a bit sluggish by comparison. They may win the game in more pedestrian fashion than people expect, but I expect it will be by design as the game plays out. Consequently, the game could go something like BYU 27 UH 7, and that would be a WELL-PLAYED GAME, but a game most fans would be disappointed with.
Brian Logan predicted 60-14 BYU win on AFR--that's the kind of output everyone hopes to see. Here is why it will not happen, IMHO.
1. Last year's defense and special teams struggled in Houston, this year's squads will likely do better.
This isn't a stretch of the imagination. The defense, amazingly enough, is actually better in the post Van Noy era, and it wouldn't take much for them to improve over last year. Special teams is still a question mark, but one simple point of physics will play in their favor: altitude. The increased hang time on punts and kicks should allow coverage teams to do a better job than they did last year. That may be true coming the other way, but we don't really care, we just don't want big returns to improve field position for Houston.
Now if you are willing to go along with that first point, then the next shouldn't be too hard to take in.
2. Taysom won't take many long passes. Taysom took risks and passed aggressively against UH last year. In large part, however, because he had to. UH scores, BYU must answer. That was the story. Having to move the ball down field quickly and engineer drive after drive left few options.
But if our defense and special teams don't dig the offense in a hole, then Taysom can take what the UH defense (and ever other defense) will necessarily give him--the short pass. The short passing and up-the-middle running plays will allow BYU to be very patient.
3. Anae will correspondingly call a conservative game. The worst thing BYU could do would be to lose to Houston right now. 10 weeks down the road, no one will care about the margin of victory over Houston. The W will be all that matters. For all the talk of how much better a team BYU was than Houston, last year's game was razor close. Given the chance to keep a lid on the game, all coaches will take it. I think if BYU finds UH is struggling on offense (because our defense is legit!) and if BYU gets a couple of touchdowns ahead, then the Anae and Howell will call conservative and let BYU run out the clock as quick as possible. In the end, it will be a wise decision, but a controversial one in the minds of some fans.
That's how I see the game playing out. Taysom won't go crazy simply because he won't have to. While I would love to see the Brian Logan prophecy fulfilled, I think it is asking too much for BYU to expect that kind of performance against a team that returns most of its starters and nearly had BYU's number last year. A boring defensive win will suit me just fine!