Why We Lost

A lot of blame to go around for this one, but this is how I see it (in no particular order):



1. Fatigue: Hard on players and coaches to go through two emotional wins, a heartbreaking loss, and play in four time zones in four weeks.



2. Hype: after the game last week, you start to believe your own press clippings, etc. Playing in front of one of the largest crowds in football on TV's biggest stage can also be overwhelming.



3. Fundamentals/Execution: Absolutely need to be bringing players down on first contact and filling correct rushing lanes. O-line needs to pick up blitzes and shouldn't be giving up sacks because of a simple D-line twist.



4. Effort: Just didn't seem like we really wanted it today.



5. Officials: they didn't help us today, but at this point, it's just adding to the pile.



Bonus: Fair-weather fans. You don't want to be a fan of a team that loses, then jump off the bandwagon. BYU doesn't want or need you. You want to "distance" yourselves from the program? do us all a favor and distance yourself straight outta here -- and hopefully the door hits you on the way out. Yes, the loss was downright embarrassing today, but I'd rather be an embarrassed BYU fan than a fan of any other team; my blood runs blue!

Who is saying they don't want to be a fan? People are pissed and disgusted (and rightfully so) but I don't see anyone saying, "I'm no longer a BYU fan." Even the most pessimistic of us can take losses. But not THIS DEBACLE.



Trying to be all nice and cheery after this kind of debacle doesn't make you a better fan or a real fan. It just means you're in denial. Or content to live in a world of delusional bliss.



If you want to be happy for happiness sake, fine. But don't jump on those of us who are looking at things realistically, as painful as it may be.

The schedule was brutal and we don't have the horses (players & coaches) to manage that schedule. One of the huge downsides of independence is there is no knowledge of teams built up. Each season there are a lot of new teams on the schedule. The staff can't go off of what they did last season against the same team. Of the four teams we played, only Boise was a familiar face.



We do have a young QB. But the game plan today did not set him up to succeed. Needed more short passes early to build TM's confidence. Instead, it seemed we kept trying to go deep. And, everything was to the edges.



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Our freshman QB and the offense being built around him fell back to earth. It was only a matter of time. Give good coaches two or three weeks to study and scheme and that will happen.

Gunk wrote:
The schedule was brutal and we don't have the horses (players & coaches) to manage that schedule. One of the huge downsides of independence is there is no knowledge of teams built up. Each season there are a lot of new teams on the schedule. The staff can't go off of what they did last season against the same team. Of the four teams we played, only Boise was a familiar face.



We do have a young QB. But the game plan today did not set him up to succeed. Needed more short passes early to build TM's confidence. Instead, it seemed we kept trying to go deep. And, everything was to the edges.



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Well, knowledge of the opponent is good unless it's Utah or TCU. Bronco plays those teams like it's the first time. :whistle:

Credit Michigan's coach, he had a great game plan. No turnovers. Used misdirection against us effectively. Played to his strengths. Had us off balanced with his play calling. Never let up.

I'll take the hit. I didn't wear the same shirt at Hawk's that I wore for the Nebraska game. Sorry guys. I'll do better for the next road game.

I have to blame this one on the coaches. Yes, they were tired, yes we played 4 games in 4 weeks in 4 different time zones. There are a lot of excuses but the bottom line is, BYU looked completely unprepared for what Michigan was doing. I was watching the replays on BYU's passing plays and there were no short or crossing routes in the patterns. Our Freshman QB was taking serious heat from the pass rush and the play calling was not helping him out at all. Where was Adam Hine? The only guy who seemed to pick up yards on runs and he disappeared, stopped seeing him on the field and when he was, they were throwing the ball. And last of all the defense. 31 points in the first half, all off of long drives down the field. Guys were completely out of position through the entire half. Credit Bronco for "fixing" things for the second half (or did Michigan just call off the dogs). All coaching. This one is embarrassing and is all on the coaches IMO.

Amazing how many don't understand what it means to distant yourself from something. In no way does it mean to leave completely behind or in this case no longer be a fan. Could it be I needed to distant myself for my own good? How does this make me a or anyone else a "fair weather fan" or a "bandwagon fan"?

One problem is there are those on this board who feel they have to be the be all end all of BYU fandom and if someone doesn't agree with them or doesn't "bleed blue" like they think they should then there labeled. Give it a break already Its people like this that are pushing people off this site.

3 years ago there were a lot more people who came to this website, during games there were SO many more people posting. Now there's a small group of maybe 20.

The prediction game, a few years ago I won it and there where triple the amount of people playing back then. It would seem those who think they are the "real true fan" are possible pushing people away.

And as for me being a bandwagon fan, I'm not Mormon why the hell would I choose to be a bandwagon fan to a team and school like BYU? Get over it I'm as big a fan as anyone! And games like today kill me and yes IT SUCKS when they lose like that!

frdbtr wrote:
I have to blame this one on the coaches. Yes, they were tired, yes we played 4 games in 4 weeks in 4 different time zones. There are a lot of excuses but the bottom line is, BYU looked completely unprepared for what Michigan was doing. I was watching the replays on BYU's passing plays and there were no short or crossing routes in the patterns. Our Freshman QB was taking serious heat from the pass rush and the play calling was not helping him out at all. Where was Adam Hine? The only guy who seemed to pick up yards on runs and he disappeared, stopped seeing him on the field and when he was, they were throwing the ball. And last of all the defense. 31 points in the first half, all off of long drives down the field. Guys were completely out of position through the entire half. Credit Bronco for "fixing" things for the second half (or did Michigan just call off the dogs). All coaching. This one is embarrassing and is all on the coaches IMO.

It's coaching 90% of the time, for better or worse.



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If anyone ever argues that it isn't coaching, all they have to do is look at Michigan. They've been terrible the last few years. Hired a brilliant coach and they're winning.



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Coaching is a huge part of any win and any loss. BYU beat Nebraska because they had been coached to play tough and had that practiced and well designed hail mary play in their pocket. Today BYU was out coached, the players were also out played. Simple as that.

I agree this loss is more on the coaches than anyone else, but players have to play. From the first play our guys played timid and reactive. A lot of that is from the coaching, but players at this level have got to be able to motivate themselves and keep from getting star struck on the big stage.



I think another big reason we lost is fatigue; not because we played four tough games back to back, but simply due to traveling the day before the game, changing two tone zones and then having to be ready for a kickoff at 10am your time. We arrived in Detroit about the same time the team did on Friday, 3:30 pm or do, and we couldn't fall asleep until around 2 am.



I'll blame this loss 55% coaching, 20% on poorly planned travel/ early game time/double time zone change, and 25% players.

a1247 wrote:
Amazing how many don't understand what it means to distant yourself from something. In no way does it mean to leave completely behind or in this case no longer be a fan. Could it be I needed to distant myself for my own good? How does this make me a or anyone else a "fair weather fan" or a "bandwagon fan"?

One problem is there are those on this board who feel they have to be the be all end all of BYU fandom and if someone doesn't agree with them or doesn't "bleed blue" like they think they should then there labeled. Give it a break already Its people like this that are pushing people off this site.

3 years ago there were a lot more people who came to this website, during games there were SO many more people posting. Now there's a small group of maybe 20.

The prediction game, a few years ago I won it and there where triple the amount of people playing back then. It would seem those who think they are the "real true fan" are possible pushing people away.

And as for me being a bandwagon fan, I'm not Mormon why the hell would I choose to be a bandwagon fan to a team and school like BYU? Get over it I'm as big a fan as anyone! And games like today kill me and yes IT SUCKS when they lose like that!

You make some good points. We are all fans at a different level. Maybe there are fans that are at a 100% level. Good for them. But that doesn't mean that those who are not so high a level aren't fans. I sometimes try to promote BYU and this sight to people. It wouldn't be good for them to be criticized when first coming around. Ya, the big loss hurts a lot but I'll keep coming back. I hope the team does.

Gunk wrote:
If anyone ever argues that it isn't coaching, all they have to do is look at Michigan. They've been terrible the last few years. Hired a brilliant coach and they're winning.

NFL teams are QB-centric. If you want to compete year-in-year-out, you need that elite QB. College, by virtue of the rapid personnel turnover, is head coach centric. If you want to compete year-in-year-out, you need that elite head coach.



I'm still not sold that Harbaugh takes them to anything better than 9-4 or 8-5 this year, but hats off to what he's done in the first third of the season.

SpiffCoug wrote:
I'll take the hit. I didn't wear the same shirt at Hawk's that I wore for the Nebraska game. Sorry guys. I'll do better for the next road game.

Hawk - I officially request that you put Spiff in "time-out". Thank you. ;)

You guys can explain and point fingers. I really can't find fault because I am dumbfounded. What I cannot understand is, why could we not make 1 field goal. Not 1 in an entire game. I cannot understand that. I believe in our coaching staff. The UofM drubbing was painful.

Ddawg wrote:
You guys can explain and point fingers. I really can't find fault because I am dumbfounded. What I cannot understand is, why could we not make 1 field goal. Not 1 in an entire game. I cannot understand that. I believe in our coaching staff. The UofM drubbing was painful.

We didn't even cross the 50, except when we got the ball back on the fake punt. It was an exercise in futility. Towards the end of the 3rd quarter I didn't even have hope that we would score. I was hoping to break 100 yards and maybe, just maybe, get past the 50 yard line on our own merits. But alas, it was not to be.

Brayden Green wrote:

You guys can explain and point fingers. I really can't find fault because I am dumbfounded. What I cannot understand is, why could we not make 1 field goal. Not 1 in an entire game. I cannot understand that. I believe in our coaching staff. The UofM drubbing was painful.

We didn't even cross the 50, except when we got the ball back on the fake punt. It was an exercise in futility. Towards the end of the 3rd quarter I didn't even have hope that we would score. I was hoping to break 100 yards and maybe, just maybe, get past the 50 yard line on our own merits. But alas, it was not to be.

^^^ This. ^^^



Our best drive ended on the Michigan 43.

I don't care how many miles we traveled. I don't care how many injuries there are. I don't care how many tough teams on a row we played. To not be able to even cross the 50 is a failure of monumental proportions.



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