The number one most important thing to a good offense is the offensive line. Period. You can put Joe Montana in the backfield with Barry Sanders and Bo Jackson, and have Jerry Rice, Randy Moss, and Sterling Sharpe as your WRs and TE, but if your offensive line sucks, you're still not going to do that well. On the other hand, if you have a dominant offensive line, you could have a bunch of fat :utard: cheerleaders at your skill position and still probably manage 4 yards a carry. And 4 yards a carry = first downs = WIN.
O-line is a strength for us. They were thrown into the fire against OU and did pretty well, even against Gerald McCoy. Yeah, we only had 28 yards rushing. But rushing was enough of a threat that we did get some big runs (without Harvey, I might add) for first downs, we were able to keep the offense moving without abandoning the run, and we won the game. That group blocked for 2166 rushing yards, averaging 4.6 ypc. They also only gave up 1.77 sacks per game. This year they are healthier, deeper, and more experienced. That is a solid anchor for our offense, and the main reason I think our offense will be fine.
At RB, we don't have Harvey Unga. That's a big loss. But I think the guys we do have will help us get over that loss very fast. Kariya showed in the OU game that he is a load to bring down. He'll give us a nice power game. JJ is a great change of pace, and last year showed he was getting back to his old form and speed. He's as healthy now as he's ever been and will give us more speed and quickness than we've had at running back than we've had during Bronco's time here. And Quezada, while a freshman, showed us in his highlights that he hits the whole FAST and goes north and south. That plus our o-line means we'll get that 4 ypc no problem with him.
Our WR group is ridiculous. I've watched a LOT of BYU football, and I've NEVER seen a group like this. We have the traditional BYU receiver type in Spencer Hafoka and Luke Ashworth that will be reliable targets. We also have the occasional faster model (like Tyler Anderson) in McKay Jacobsen. But we also have guys that give us a combination of size and speed we rarely see at the position at BYU. Chambers is 6'2" and has shown us on punt and kick coverage he can fly AND shed tackles (especialy :utard: ones). Cody Hoffman is 6'4" and battled his way into the 2-deep this year despite the fact that we lost NO ONE from last year. And Ross Apo is also 6'4" and more athletic than all of them. The o-line will give them all the time they'll need to get open, and they'll be open often and all over the field - even deep! - and a lot of them will be carrying DBs as they go.
At TE, we are very young and did seem to drop an awful lot of passes in camp. But the talent at the position is undeniable, and when you have 6 or 7 guys competing for 1 or two jobs, you know you are going to get their best effort, and I think as the season goes on this will be a major strength for us. Even if it isn't, with the WRs we have it will be easy to get by with even mediocre TE play.
At QB, we have some exciting potential. Riley, I think, has demonstrated that he can run and throw well. Maybe he's not Tim Tebow, but does he have to be? No. The o-line protection, talent at WR, and his own run threat should open the defense up nicely for him, whether it be to run or pass. And Jake Heaps' ability to be the co-starter at BYU as a true freshman shows a lot about how poised and talented he is. Remember, this kid won 3 5A Washington state championships. Also, have you seen his deep ball? It's beautiful! But it's not even as beautiful as his corner fade. Combine that with our big receivers and TEs, and the TDs are going to be automatic when we get inside the 20. When he throws that thing right, it cannot be defended. Period.
Thus, I conclude that our offense will be just fine. We may get a bit of a slow start like in 2007. But we will score, score often, and keep the defense on the field a long, long time as we do it.
