The real problem no one is talking about

I'm not sure why people are saying that the offensive line is talented. Just because you are a returning starter and you sucked last year, that doesn't make you talented. I would have been happier if we didn't return anyone not named Tejan to starter on the line.



I have seen no evidence of them being talented. They are getting beat at the point of attack week after week, play after play. Even against Portland State. The quarterbacks have almost zero time to drop back and find someone. And that is generally with a straight rush.



The few times that we do have time to throw, it is generally a straight rush (the expected normal) or they have dropped into some sort of protect/zone scheme, and aren't sending additional men.



5 - 6 blockers should be able to handle 4 men rushing for more than 1 or 2 seconds. There is no excuse for the way they are getting beat.

Thought you'd be talking about pass defense. We must be on track for giving up the highest completion percentage ever.

I like the talent level, but I've said since Spring that these guys are a year away. Austin Hoyt gets unfairly lumped in with the other under-performers -- he's played pretty dang well to date.

Funny, I figured you would be the one saying we need Bronco's D back and Anae's O. Oh wait...who am I talking to? TIC! We have several areas that need improvement. To pinpoint a single player, group of players (ie. Secondary, O-Line, etc) or coach is foolish. We just plain stink and will struggle to make a bowl game at the rate we are going.



Go Cougs!!!

J. Child

Ammon, ID

Luckily we play 8 terrible teams this year.

BoiseBYU wrote:

Thought you'd be talking about pass defense. We must be on track for giving up the highest completion percentage ever.

And I just saw the stats in the twitter feed:



BYU is allowing 82.4% completions vs FBS teams, worst in the nation.

Mars wrote:

Luckily we play 8 terrible teams this year.

We are a terrible team this year. We will be lucky to make a bowl game without HUGE improvement.

Coaching is a factor in the O-line struggles. Mike Empey was a tight ends coach under Crowton and wasn't retained when Bronco took over. He had been out of college football coaching since 2005 before coming back last year. His inexperience has trickled down to the linemen, I think, in their struggles with blocking technique. Inexperienced coaching can make it harder to develop athletes properly.

Interesting post from CougarBoard -

"My sincere recommendation-may strike a nerve

As I have mentioned before, my first game was at Cougar Stadium the first part of September 1977 when BYU hosted Kansas State. Coach Edwards was our stake athletic director at the time. I went to high school with Kyle Whittingham, Craig Garrick, Devin Durrant, Brad Wilcox, Kurt Kragthorpe, Steve Perry, etc. Massively talented PHS graduating class in 1978 (not mine). I bleed blue. I played hoops in the MC after hours with some of the Anderson brothers when Ladell coached. I love BYU. It's my alma mater. I have drunk the kool aid for so many years my teeth are stained blue. I give financially. My kids have gone and one still attends BYU. One of mine was fortunate enough to play a team sport at BYU and rep the "Y." I say all this to set up my next part.



A good dose of serving others would help quite a few of you. I find this past weekend that the group of BYU fans I was with in Florida serving Irma victims cared about the game, but cared more about individuals than the game. The inordinate ratio of not serving others to spending time arguing whether the offensive scheme should be altered or a coach fired would be massive. If you find that you are frustrated as a fan, spend more time with your wife or children or grandchildren if you're so lucky.



I have been around some of these coaches and administrators. They want to win more than you... But, just like in a family where there are often things you don't see as a casual observer, there are many things going on behind the scenes at BYU football. I am ashamed at some of the absolute ridicule and hate thrown down by anonymous members of this board. To think that the vast majority of you haven't coached a down of real football or managed a program with boosters and budgets. To have the HC and the missionary program and the recruiting challenges. It's one thing to be a fan. But, temper your oftime asinine comments. Kalani is a wonderful coach and a better man. He is tasked with building a program. Rome wasn't build in a day, nor will the BYU football team's issue be solved in a season or two. Recruiting takes time. Enjoy BYU sports. And as they improve, "do something more than dream of your mansions on high. Doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure. A blessing of duty and love." I promise you you'll feel better.



Mic dropped. Elvis now leaves the building."



http://www.cougarboard.com/board/message.html?id=18463399

I'd say the biggest problem no one is talking about is three fold...





1. BYU doesn't have an offense that can score points.

2. BYU doesn't have a defense that can stop opposing teams from scoring points.

3. BYU's special teams are poor to awful.

hawkwing wrote:

I'd say the biggest problem no one is talking about is three fold...





1. BYU doesn't have an offense that can score points.

2. BYU doesn't have a defense that can stop opposing teams from scoring points.

3. BYU's special teams are poor to awful.

Other than that Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?

The main problem is that we got the coaches we were willing to pay for. Experience matters.

Mars wrote:

The main problem is that we got the coaches we were willing to pay for. Experience matters.

We're seeing on-the-job training with our coaching staff. Bad thing is it's all live training, learn from your mistakes, not learn from a mentor and work your way up. Even our head coach is pretty junior in his career. The experience isn't there, like you say.



Assuming BYU sticks with this staff and these coaches have the talent and just do need some "time," we're still looking at 2-3 seasons before we're rolling. In the mean time, BYU will lose all sorts of fans as apathy continues to plague fans.

Mars wrote:

The main problem is that we got the coaches we were willing to pay for. Experience matters.

BYU couldn't even keep a "crappy" coach and O-coordinator at BYU.

Sadly we even raised the amount we were paying the coaching staff considerably between the two staffs.

Yes, I agree that our coaches are experienced. And that seems to be at least a fair amount of the problem. But who else do you propose that byu get? Kalani has no less experience than Bronco had as a coordinator before he became a coordinator and then head coach at BYU. Kalani has been mentored by two decent HCs directly and a Hall of fame coach (LaVel) in directly over the last decade prior to his death. I know, it's their collective inexperience that really adds up. But other coaches have risen up and gone into the wind. ;-) Why can't these guys?

I think people need to face the fact that BYU will NEVER get Or hire a Hall of Fame or top talent coach. The coach may develop overtime as such, but it just simply is not going to happen.

The head coach at Navy would have been an option if we had given him more than a curtesy interview. The Dcoordinator at Stanford, and the Ocoordinator for the Seattle Seahawks are also LDS and would have been an option if BYU hadn't decided that Kalani was going to be the HC as soon as Bronco left. There are options if BYU wants to pay for them.

frdbtr wrote:

the Ocoordinator for the Seattle Seahawks .... would have been an option if BYU hadn't decided that Kalani was going to be the HC as soon as Bronco left. There are options if BYU wants to pay for them.

Darrell Bevell is not coming to college any time soon. He has interviewed each of the past two seasons for NFL head-coaching jobs, and should have his own NFL team within two or three more seasons as he distances himself from the infamous Super Bowl play call.

Whether we could have gotten him or not we will never know because we never pursued him at all. That is the difference between BYU and a Power 5 school. Power 5 schools would have gone after their most qualified candidate and made him an attractive offer making it hard for him to turn it down. BYU interviews Ken N as a curtesy call and meets Kyle W at the airport hoping to get some interest and then goes hard after a guy who wasn't a standout at any of his previous jobs like he was the big time guy. Then allows him to hire a network of good ole boys without any college coaching experience with the exception of Ed Lamb, and now we are all decrying the results. I am willing to give this year a mulligan if I see significant improvement in our competitiveness next year but if not, I will be pulling out my pitchfork. This years team is embarrassing. I am not enjoying watching at all. I have always gotten irritated over losses but I can live with losses when I see effort on the field. This years team doesn't even seem to be playing hard on either side of the ball.

Not that I'm bailing on Sitake but, since the coaching possibilities keep coming up, this list was posted at the link below when BYU was looking for Bronco's replacement.





Andy Reid

Mike Holmgren

Mike Leach

Norm Chow

Ken Niumatalolo

Darrell Bevel

Lance Anderson

Kalani Sitake

Mike Canales

Nick Howell

Ed Lamb

Charlie Stubs

Brandon Doman

Ty Detmer

Max Hall

Reno Mahe

Robert Anae

Kyle Whittingham

Gary Crowton





http://www.vanquishthefoe.com/2014/1/6/5280688/moderately-realistic-alternatives-to-bronco-mendenhall