Spring Game

I did not see it but I heard that Hall was like 4 TDs out of 4 tries and he did very well. Any chance he is better than Wilson?

He's very good. I wish we could have seen them both play today to know for sure. Hall is definitely a starter at any other university in the state.

Here's my stream of consciousness



Jaren Hall is really good you guys. https://t.co/bYKBGyFOZE

The sense I'm getting from this practice is that Critchelow has a very Jason Munns feel to him.

They just put in Romney at QB. He looked decent in throwing drills. He is moving smoothly on the field, but lacks the athleticism of Hall.

https://t.co/nJ3Gc7XHL5

Romney to Romney TD. Can't ask for more than that. Would be fun if we could do that against a few cupcakes this year.

Trying this while I'm here. It's good. Tastes like a mint brownie https://t.co/CSryOJuGkF

Critchelow just had a great pass to Pau'u over the middle but followed it with a pick.

Multiple punt catches have been bobbled. And the kicking game in general has not been good.

Jaren just ran through the entire defense like it was Swiss cheese

There have multiple fg/pat attempts tipped at the LOS

Feels to me like Tyler Algier has been the best RB today.

Oldroyd hit a 48 yarder. Southam and Anderson both missed. Anderson's was about 15 yards short

A line of people started gathering to get my autograph but luckily my man Fred Warner took care of them so I could continue providing this quality content. https://t.co/YGIvLW8KTR

Jaren Hall with back to back passes to Gunner Romney, ending in a TD. Definitely the dynamic duo of this day.

Sione Finau has had a few nice, shifty runs.

Offensive line has had a pretty nice surge on running plays. The 1s have protected pretty well on passing plays. But defense has gotten in on a few against 2s and 3s. This also isn't a defense that generally gets much pressure

That's all for practice. https://t.co/BcHArYPOhW

"In conclusion the offense was the clear winner.



Zach Wilson and Jaren Hall would start for any team in the region."

So our backup QB destroyed our defense?

frdbtr wrote:

So our backup QB destroyed our defense?

A lot of defensive starters were out. So let's say, "Our backup quarterback playing with the first team offense destroyed our first team defense playing with a lot of backups."

Thanks. This is the first thread on spring football. Hall looks like he has great potential and is a good runner. I would like to see him and Wilson in the backfield at the same time. The defense would not know what to expect. I remember when McMahon was starting they put in Steve Young at running back. Young threw a strike on that play. I hope they do this with Hall and Wilson. I edit this to say once in a while.

I think Grimes will draw up something along those lines. Especially for Utah.

Jaren Hall is legit. He made quick decisions and had some pin-point throws, hit guys in stride, had a fantastic 50+ yard run, and just looks like an athlete out there. He will push Wilson and it's great to have a good back-up. Romney had his moments, both good and bad. Critchlow is still too indecisive and waits too long. I wish Stacey Conner would have taken some snaps. He looks solid in position drills - but didn't really get any action in the live scrimmage.



Gunner Romney is a playmaker. Good speed, good routes, and great hands. I'm excited to see him this fall. Milne looks good too. Pau'u had a nice jet sweep run and a couple of good catches. Also some drops. Simon looked rusty in the return game.



Allgeier had a decent day and at least looks like a legit running back. I wasn't overly excited. Sione Finau is a good change of pace, but he is small and not enough speed and athleticism to offset. Reminds me of KJ Hall - he can contribute, but will not be a play-maker, especially against good defenses. He had a couple of nice catches out of the backfield. He needs to gain weight.



I was impressed with MacFarland, who played some full-back and H-back. Had nice catches, including a nice TD catch-and-run.



Ah You stands out on defense. He sheds blocks and makes plays. AJ Lolohea surprised me on defense. He got to the quarterback really quickly 2 or 3 times and broke up a couple of passes in coverage. The linebacker competition will be fun to watch.



Hall exploited the secondary with a mix of short, medium, and deep throws. I tend to lean towards Hall being that good. The secondary looked good most of the time when Romney and Critchlow were behind center. Reality is probably somewhere in the middle.

I can see it already. Fans calling for Hall when Wilson struggles.

frdbtr wrote:

I can see it already. Fans calling for Hall when Wilson struggles.

You might as well predict that water is going to be wet.

I wonder whether there will be competition for the starting spot in the Fall. Hall seem like he's that good.

I realize Zach just threw a perfect game his last time out, but surgery and an off season can change things. Is it worth the coaches opening up that can of worms?

CrimsonCoug wrote:

I wonder whether there will be competition for the starting spot in the Fall. Hall seem like he's that good.

I realize Zach just threw a perfect game his last time out, but surgery and an off season can change things. Is it worth the coaches opening up that can of worms?

There should be a competition for every position every year.

Sammich wrote:

I can see it already. Fans calling for Hall when Wilson struggles.

You might as well predict that water is going to be wet.

Yep, let's not call for ANY backups when someone struggles at their position. RB can't find the hole? Keep him the entire season so that we don't have a RB controversy!

byufan4ever wrote:

frdbtr wrote:

I can see it already. Fans calling for Hall when Wilson struggles.

You might as well predict that water is going to be wet.

Yep, let's not call for ANY backups when someone struggles at their position. RB can't find the hole? Keep him the entire season so that we don't have a RB controversy!

Oh man, you totally got us by taking the most extreme version of that complaint and throwing it back as though it were what we were saying. You are good at arguing on the internet!

frdbtr wrote:

I wonder whether there will be competition for the starting spot in the Fall. Hall seem like he's that good.

I realize Zach just threw a perfect game his last time out, but surgery and an off season can change things. Is it worth the coaches opening up that can of worms?

There should be a competition for every position every year.

I agree with this in principle, but almost every head coach makes an exception by degree for the QB position. Uncertainty inhibits outside investment--true in finance, true in football. The longer a team goes without a recognized leader, the more likely they are to struggle. That's one of the reasons for Max Hall's success--there was no doubt who was alpha. And it's one of the reasons for the failure of the Heaps/Nelson two-headed monster--split leadership. And it's one of the reasons that Mangum lost his job last year.

Just saying, it's not so cut and dry that there should be a competition for the QB spot every year.



Judging by recent history at BYU, my guess is that Wilson gets the starting nod at the beginning of the season partly because he's the incumbent, struggles at times through the grueling front half of the season and is either benched or gets injured, and Jaren Hall comes in to "save the day" against the cupcakes, leaving everyone to wonder why Hall wasn't put in earlier and forgetting the tremendous difference in competition.



To be clear, I'm not calling out Hall (he seems like a fantastic QB; I hope he's patient enough to develop further), or Wilson (who played well and has an undeniable combination of skills, moxie and luck).

Sammich wrote:

Sammich wrote:

I can see it already. Fans calling for Hall when Wilson struggles.

You might as well predict that water is going to be wet.

Yep, let's not call for ANY backups when someone struggles at their position. RB can't find the hole? Keep him the entire season so that we don't have a RB controversy!

Oh man, you totally got us by taking the most extreme version of that complaint and throwing it back as though it were what we were saying. You are good at arguing on the internet!

And to the other extreme we have the "we should NEVER ever bench the starting QB for any reason." Tell me, oh great Internet debator, when is it okay for fans to call for the backup QB when the starting QB is struggling? We really need you to establish the rules for all. Please tell me!!

I thought Mangum lost his job for not getting things done as needed after having a reasonable opportunity to do so. But maybe that is just me.

byufan4ever wrote:

byufan4ever wrote:

frdbtr wrote:

I can see it already. Fans calling for Hall when Wilson struggles.

You might as well predict that water is going to be wet.

Yep, let's not call for ANY backups when someone struggles at their position. RB can't find the hole? Keep him the entire season so that we don't have a RB controversy!

Oh man, you totally got us by taking the most extreme version of that complaint and throwing it back as though it were what we were saying. You are good at arguing on the internet!

And to the other extreme we have the "we should NEVER ever bench the starting QB for any reason." Tell me, oh great Internet debator, when is it okay for fans to call for the backup QB when the starting QB is struggling? We really need you to establish the rules for all. Please tell me!!

Not every argument is meant to be taken to an extreme. It is possible to dislike the amount of impatience that some fans show toward a struggling quarterback, while simultaneously believing that said quarterback should be replaced should they continue to struggle. I know that reaction is way less interesting than the argument you were hoping to have, but that is just the problem with a nuanced opinion. The guy who sits behind me at games who starts grumbling for quarterback two after quarterback one’s second mistake (every year without fail!) has an extreme view that is much easier to argue with, which is exactly why I am making fun of him.

Fido wrote:

I thought Mangum lost his job for not getting things done as needed after having a reasonable opportunity to do so. But maybe that is just me.

Not getting things done?

Did you forget the Wisc game?

What did Wilson do?