Lamb speaks at Cedar City alumni event-QB battle, Mo Langi

https://www.thespectrum.com/story/sports/2018/07/28/lamb-calls-critchlow-big-time-quarterback/857190002/



It might not be this season, but BYU assistant head coach Ed Lamb sees sophomore quarterback Joe Critchlow one day continuing the long line of great Cougar throwers.



“Joe Critchlow is, I think, a big-time quarterback in every way,” Lamb said while speaking at an alumni event in Cedar City last Thursday. “... I think Joe will be one of the great quarterbacks at BYU before it’s all said and done.”



The big question heading into BYU’s first practice of fall camp this coming Thursday revolves around just how soon Critchlow gets that opportunity. The Cougars will enter camp in an open quarterback battle. A quartet of players — Critchlow, Tanner Mangum, Zach Wilson and Beau Hoge — are all expected to vie for the starting job, but that battle may be over sooner than later.



“We may want our first opponent, Arizona, to not know who our quarterback is,” Lamb said. “People know who Zach Wilson is, he was heavily recruited and he can run fast, so if he is in the mix, it makes their preparation a little bit tougher. But in our building, we need to know who the guy is about Day 2 or 3.”



And it sounds like the foursome might be down to three already, too. Lamb said the Cougars are exploring using Hoge at a different position.



“Beau Hoge has a lot of other skills," Lamb said. "I think it’s fairly common knowledge that he is playing other positions and might fit in somewhere else.”



The potentially quick decision is something that Mangum has been preparing for. The senior and opening-game starter last season was injured during spring ball and didn’t have the chance to showcase himself within new offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes’ offense. He knows he has to come out swinging during the first practices.



“It’s motivating to me knowing I have to be ready from Day 1,” Mangum said during BYU’s Media Day in June. “I can’t use that as an excuse. I have to come in and show that I understand the offense, understand what we are doing and be able to lead the offense and be productive.”



And here is hope among the Cougar coaches that, with a new offensive coaching staff, Mangum will be able to improve on his 2017 performance.



“Tanner has all the physical skills,” Lamb said. “He did not respond well to the previous coaching staff. I think there is great potential there for him to improve because he seems to be responding better to this style of coaching. He really struggled with the previous coaching staff’s style.”



While Mangum couldn’t play in the spring, Critchlow showed he could be productive in the new offense. In the final scrimmage, one in which he started, Critchlow finished 9-for-12 for 130 yards and a touchdown.



“If he’s not the starter this year, it’s because Tanner is amazing and beats him out,” Lamb said.



Talking about Mo

In early 2015, BYU fans were introduced to Mo Langi. An unknown recruit from Tonga that weighed over 400 pounds. Langi’s size alone brought national attention, but he’s not as big anymore.



“He was about 480 pounds, and that was way too heavy,” Lamb said. “He’s got down to 380. He’s lost 100 pounds.”



That’s a more feasible weight to play college football at. But his body might be a little ahead of his mind when it comes to being ready for gameday. Langi hadn’t played football before getting to BYU and it’s been a sharp learning curve.



“He does not know football,” Lamb said. “We start what I would consider pretty basic every training — fall and spring. But he didn’t even know what a hashmark was. I tried to put him on the PAT/field goal team and said, ‘You are a right guard, so whoever has the ball is the snapper and you line up right next to him.’ I thought that was enough instruction at least to know where to line up but then he caught something else I said to the snapper which was: If it’s on the hash you want to angle it, and that through him off. ‘What is the hash?’”



But Lamb acknowledged there’s still plenty of time for Langi to do special things during his BYU career.



“I don’t think he will make a meaningful contribution this year,” Lamb said. “But he’s earned the respect of his teammates and coaches. He does have a future, he’s still very young. He still has four years left.”

I'm surprised they'd move Hoge, but he is a tremendous athlete so having him on the field somewhere will help. I just struggle to see Critchlow as anything more than an adequate 3rd string QB. But maybe Lamb is seeing something in practice that hasn't really shown up yet for fans.

Maybe all the QB stuff is misdirection?

snoscythe wrote:

Maybe all the QB stuff is misdirection?

And it probably should, but the fans want to know yesterday.



One comment by Hans Olson last week on his show on 1280AM, he noted that Utah last year in both Spring and Fall camp threw repeatedly to the TE position--and very successfully, and yet then in the 2017 season, there were only 9 catches by a TE the whole year (3 TE's each had 3 receptions each). He said he could only conclude that it had been a deliberate smoke screen. In fact, he and his co-host, Scotty-G, both said that if you had a son that was a TE, the last place you would want to send him would be to Utah where outside of blocking, the TE is rarely used in the passing game.



So, officially until after the AZ game, I'm okay with there being misdirection on who the starting QB is, but I want our coaches to know by the 3rd day of practice. Still, I have very little confidence that they would be able to keep any such decision hidden as they'll need to give that guy the most reps. It's one thing for a team to be able to smoke screen TE play, but another thing entirely to do the same with the QB over the whole fall camp.

snoscythe wrote:

Maybe all the QB stuff is misdirection?

My thought exactly.



Lamb is quoted in the article as saying, "We may want our first opponent, Arizona, to not know who our quarterback is.”



So it makes sense that Lamb is trying to throw off the Wildcats.

jadesroom wrote:

Maybe all the QB stuff is misdirection?

My thought exactly.



Lamb is quoted in the article as saying, "We may want our first opponent, Arizona, to not know who our quarterback is.”



So it makes sense that Lamb is trying to throw off the Wildcats.

If anything, I came away from this with the thought, "Beau Hoge sounds like the most likely starter."

Hoge’s concussion history and style of play at qb don’t really go well together.



It sounds like Lamb was being pretty honest overall. He didn’t sugarcoat the Mangum situation.

Fido wrote:

https://www.thespectrum.com/story/sports/2018/07/28/lamb-calls-critchlow-big-time-quarterback/857190002/



“Tanner has all the physical skills,” Lamb said. “He did not respond well to the previous coaching staff. I think there is great potential there for him to improve because he seems to be responding better to this style of coaching. He really struggled with the previous coaching staff’s style.”

This was the part I found fascinating. Holy dysfunctional coaching staff! Really solidifies the notion that the offensive coaches had no business being together as a Division one staff. They were all in way over their heads. Honestly, that coaching staff was such an abomination that firing the entire football staff and the athletic director who put it together would have been justified.

SpiffCoug wrote:

https://www.thespectrum.com/story/sports/2018/07/28/lamb-calls-critchlow-big-time-quarterback/857190002/



“Tanner has all the physical skills,” Lamb said. “He did not respond well to the previous coaching staff. I think there is great potential there for him to improve because he seems to be responding better to this style of coaching. He really struggled with the previous coaching staff’s style.”

This was the part I found fascinating. Holy dysfunctional coaching staff! Really solidifies the notion that the offensive coaches had no business being together as a Division one staff. They were all in way over their heads. Honestly, that coaching staff was such an abomination that firing the entire football staff and the athletic director who put it together would have been justified.

This is what should have happened. The defensive coaching staff is still in over their heads. The only guy who deserved to stay around from last years staff was the guy talking in this article. I am hoping that the offensive staff revamp was a good one but it may not be enough to fix all that was wrong.

SpiffCoug wrote:

https://www.thespectrum.com/story/sports/2018/07/28/lamb-calls-critchlow-big-time-quarterback/857190002/



“Tanner has all the physical skills,” Lamb said. “He did not respond well to the previous coaching staff. I think there is great potential there for him to improve because he seems to be responding better to this style of coaching. He really struggled with the previous coaching staff’s style.”

This was the part I found fascinating. Holy dysfunctional coaching staff! Really solidifies the notion that the offensive coaches had no business being together as a Division one staff. They were all in way over their heads. Honestly, that coaching staff was such an abomination that firing the entire football staff and the athletic director who put it together would have been justified.

I didn't think our dysfunctional coaching staff was all that Holy. :lol:

I don't think Lamb is blowing smoke or being crafty here trying to deceive Arizona. I think he's trying to say that he brought Critchelow to SUU and then brought him to BYU so he's his guy.