BYU-Oregon State Post-Bowl Media Reaction

I just thought I would post a couple links I enjoyed.



HERE is a great in-game recap blog (though definitely biased): http://cfn.scout.com/2/931586.html

"Clearly, the Beavers had no interest in playing another game of football in the year 2009... the same team who nearly took down Oregon at Autzen Stadium does not go to Las Vegas and get obliterated by a Mountain West team, even one as talented as the men from Provo."



And HERE is a collection of various writers' thoughts, some worthwhile, many worthless: http://cfn.scout.com/2/931587.html

"This was the best that BYU played all season long, and it was the worst that Oregon State played this year. Mix the two and you get this disaster. I’m not taking anything away from BYU and it fantastic performance... but this game has to be shown to every team who has to play a bowl game that’s out of the major spotlight to show the difference between a team that wants to play and a team that doesn’t. BYU is good, but it’s not 44-20 good. It took two to make this a brutal bowl game, and while the Cougars showed up and had a great gameplan... Oregon State appeared to have lost interest in playing in this game from the moment the Rose Bowl dreams were dashed in a loss at Oregon three weeks ago... let’s not go overboard. Remember, this is the same BYU team that struggled to get past New Mexico and San Diego State, got destroyed at home by Florida State, and wasn’t nearly the defensive rock it was in Vegas. Meanwhile, Oregon State was much, much better than this throughout the season and simply came up with a stinker at the wrong time." -Pete Fiutak



"The Cougars haven’t played in a BCS game over the past five seasons. They haven’t played in the Holiday Bowl, where they used to thrill the nation (seemingly) every year. They haven’t played in a really good bowl such as the Cotton Bowl (BYU appeared in the event in the 1990s). Nope. This BYU program has made a habit out of playing a pre-Christmas bowl game in humble Sam Boyd Stadium. While the Big Ten and SEC arrange vastly superior bowl contracts, the second-place team in the Mountain West has been left with meager crumbs. The fact that BYU was enthusiastic about this game and utterly prepared to perform is a tribute – and a massive one at that – to every coach and player who donned the Cougars’ immensely attractive old-school uniforms, which should become a permanent fixture in the shadows of the Wasatch Mountains." -Matt Zemek



"This wasn't a middle-of-the-road Pac-10 team that got spanked by BYU; this was Oregon State. This was the same team that was within 17 minutes of going to the Rose Bowl as conference champions and has nearly a quarter of the All-Pac-10 first team on the roster. The Beavers certainly didn't look like it against BYU. The Mountain West went 6-1 last year in the regular season against the Pac-10. Couple that fact with the woodshed beating BYU just put on Oregon State, it’s time to start making even more of a push to give the league an automatic bid to the BCS, because it certainly deserves it." - Barrett Sallee

Let's be honest about Oregon St. They lost FIVE games this year. They weren't world beaters. They lost three games in conference. This wasn't BYU taking down an elite college football that was unmotivated - like Utah did with Alabama last year. (Although if you show up unmotivated you deserve to get your @$$ kicked).



Futiak claims BYU struggled against lesser teams. Oregon St did too. They needed a late FG to beat a mediocre UNLV team that BYU absolutely destroyed. The teams were pretty evenly matched and this was reflected in their close rankings and close final stats.



This was an Oregon St team that was about as good and as talented as BYU. But, this was an Oregon St team that got out-physicaled, out-played and out-coached by BYU. This was an Oregon St team that was unable to make adjustments against BYU. This was an Oregon St team that BYU had prepared for long and hard.



They ran into a BYU team that was prepared and ready to play. They made plays and took full advantage of their opportunities. BYU scored 21 points off OSU turnovers. Turnovers that they forced. BYU yielded zero points of their turnovers. They played stout defense and effective offense.

"Clearly, the Beavers had no interest in playing another game of football in the year 2009... the same team who nearly took down Oregon at Autzen Stadium does not go to Las Vegas and get obliterated by a Mountain West team, even one as talented as the men from Provo."

Same predictable drivel about how it wasn't really a good win for BYU because OSU didn't really want to be there. They said the same thing when Utah beat Alabama last year, they say it every time. What they forget is that the Las Vegas bowl wasn't BYU's goal either, they wanted so much more out of this season and easily could have been forgiven for not getting excited about another trip to the same place. But despite that they came to play. If as a coach you can't get your players up for a game just because they would rather be somewhere else then you are not a good coach. If as a player you don't come to play hard every game then you are not a good player.

Yawwwn!!!!! Even after stomping a good Oregon St. team - BYU is dismissed & excuses are made. Same old drivel!!!! Go Cougs!!!!

I would be totally embarrassed to be beaten in an important game by a much worse team than me and then blame that loss on either being unprepared or unmotivated. That would simply show that I was just a wannabee. I'd much rather get beaten by a better team and then say that that other team was better than me.

Here is how coach Riley feels about the game



http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindbeaversbeat/2010/01/with_byu_nightmare_behind_him.html

http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindbeaversbeat/2010/01/riley_unplugged_on_the_byu_los.html



Riley on the bowl loss: “It’s a horrible feeling. I really have had a hard time putting my arms around that game. I had kind of been bragging about the fact we had competed every game (taking it down to the fourth quarter) and we certainly weren’t in that one in the fourth quarter. … it kind of sticks in your craw, and unfortunately from where I sit, because it’s the last game of the year, it kind of clouds other parts of the season that I think were outstanding. ..I have a hard time with it... I’m having a hard time with (OSU’s) last game. I hate it for the seniors. I hate it for a lot of reasons. We always played our best football toward the end and that was far from it. .. I don’t want to be clouded by that last game, but frankly I’m having a hard time with it. I think about it. I’ve had a few where it was the first thing you thought about when you woke up every day for six months and I hope it doesn’t last that long... There’s no signs yet (that the pangs will stop). … I’ve got no great theories on it. I look back at how we prepared and what we did. I thought we practiced well and the routine was good.’’

Mars wrote:
http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindbeaversbeat/2010/01/riley_unplugged_on_the_byu_los.html



Riley on the bowl loss: “It’s a horrible feeling. I really have had a hard time putting my arms around that game. I had kind of been bragging about the fact we had competed every game (taking it down to the fourth quarter) and we certainly weren’t in that one in the fourth quarter. … it kind of sticks in your craw, and unfortunately from where I sit, because it’s the last game of the year, it kind of clouds other parts of the season that I think were outstanding. ..I have a hard time with it... I’m having a hard time with (OSU’s) last game. I hate it for the seniors. I hate it for a lot of reasons. We always played our best football toward the end and that was far from it. .. I don’t want to be clouded by that last game, but frankly I’m having a hard time with it. I think about it. I’ve had a few where it was the first thing you thought about when you woke up every day for six months and I hope it doesn’t last that long... There’s no signs yet (that the pangs will stop). … I’ve got no great theories on it. I look back at how we prepared and what we did. I thought we practiced well and the routine was good.’’

I think he might be having "a hard time with it".