Wide Receiving Corps Our Weakness?

So I have been thinking our wide receiving corps is for sure one of our strengths. However after reflecting on the first game, it sure didn't seem that way.



They were running bad routes and dropping balls. I was suprised. Our oline was great as we expected, our running game was better than I was expecting but our receivers were not stellar.



I think its probably just first game issues and expect our offense to really be rolling by years end but this was my impression.

Its hard to know whether they were running bad routes or the QBs were throwing to the wrong spots but something was certainly wrong.



I still think the WRs are a strength on this team but they have had a horrible case of the dropsies that started in fall camp and extended into the UW game. They really have to clean that up if we are going to have any chance at FSU.

I thought Hoffman looked awesome with a big upside. Chambers was what I expected. Jacobsen made some nice catches but a bad drop. Same with Ashworth. Hafoka barely played, which surprised me.



I think that group is going to be really good--next year. We are young here but with a huge upside.

Hoffman looked very good. You can tell he is lacking in experience though. For example on third down when the blitz was showing jake put the ball right where it should have been where he could have caught it with just enough for a first down. he ran the route about five yards past the first down marker so that when he turned around the ball was 4 yards too far in front of him.



like gm said, it is hard to know who is at fault there but i would say both knew they needed a first down. jake put it where hoffman should have been.



while i think they had a mediocre showing, i agree that we have some great talent and depth at wide receiver

As early as I can recollect, BYU has struggled in opening games. It takes a while for the O to gel. I am encouraged. I think the receivers will have a great season. I hope our TE's develop quickly.

Not sure I saw Hoffman as a strength. Still inexperienced, but yes looked lost. does he pass the eye test? for sure.

There are also issues with timing, probably, (ugh, dont shoot me or think i am highjacking this thread) a part of different velocities, spin direction, etc.

But, yes, I agree that this past game was not a strong showing for our receiver corps.

Keep in mind that one receiving corp is having to get used to two QBs. It's not like last season where there was one receiving corp and one QB that constantly worked out together. They've essentially had to get used to two QBs in half the amount of time they're used to.

Gunk wrote:
Keep in mind that one receiving corp is having to get used to two QBs. It's not like last season where there was one receiving corp and one QB that constantly worked out together. They've essentially had to get used to two QBs in half the amount of time they're used to.

that and they are having to learn all the different receiving positions as well, something that I think is new this year. Between that, the two qbs, and simply being young, they have some time before they really get going.

Gunk wrote:
Keep in mind that one receiving corp is having to get used to two QBs. It's not like last season where there was one receiving corp and one QB that constantly worked out together. They've essentially had to get used to two QBs in half the amount of time they're used to.

Also, last year's receivers had been catching balls from Max for a long time before camp.

Yeah, they didn't have their best game, but neither did any other unit on the team (save special teams), so I'm not worried.

Gunk wrote:
Keep in mind that one receiving corp is having to get used to two QBs. It's not like last season where there was one receiving corp and one QB that constantly worked out together. They've essentially had to get used to two QBs in half the amount of time they're used to.

Both QBs were here in the spring ball. Both QBs were here over the summer. Both QBs were here in fall camp. The WRs were here in spring ball. The WRs were here over the summer. The WRs were here in fall camp.



These drops are simply unacceptable and should not be happening to the extent they currently are and have been. They are a weakness on the team right now and one that could become a glaring weakness.

The QBs can do a better job of putting the ball where the receiver wants it. All of the drops were tough catchs. Hopefully Ty Detmer spent some time with them after the game. That was made him great.

scott715 wrote:
The QBs can do a better job of putting the ball where the receiver wants it. All of the drops were tough catchs. Hopefully Ty Detmer spent some time with them after the game. That was made him great.

Huh....is that really what you mean... "putting the ball where the receiver wants it."??? Wouldnt that promote alot of laziness by the receiver? Or excuse why Mckay didnt catch that very catchable ball because he had do dive slightly forward? Go get the freakin ball, receivers!!! Life isnt perfect. Want it more than your defender!

I'm sure we all expect our B-Ball team to make a good percentage of their 3 points and jumpers as well, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't work to find the highest percentage shots each and every time down the court. No one is excusing the drops; but just as we should expect the receivers to catch the ball, we should expect the QB to put it where the receiver has the best chance to catch it.



I think these things we'll work themselves out during the Air Force game, and our defense will be strong enough to win.

Jarhead wrote:
I'm sure we all expect our B-Ball team to make a good percentage of their 3 points and jumpers as well, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't work to find the highest percentage shots each and every time down the court. No one is excusing the drops; but just as we should expect the receivers to catch the ball, we should expect the QB to put it where the receiver has the best chance to catch it.



I think these things we'll work themselves out during the Air Force game, and our defense will be strong enough to win.

Sorry, not buying this Jarhead. Im not excusing QB's totally, but Maybe a more apt metaphor if you are going to compare bball to football, is rebounding. It takes alot more effort, adjustment, anticipation, and scrapiness to be a better than average rebounder. So also a receiver. Go get the dang ball.

All we need to do is look back one year. What made Pitta great is that he caught everything, even when he was hit before the ball got there, even when they ripped his helmet off, even when he had to make circus leaps and dives for it. Yes, I know that someone will come up with some that he didn't catch, like when the :utard: stripped his arms away before the ball got there, but even that didn't happen very often with DP.

I have a problem with "drops" which implies missing an easy ball. These were balls that were not caught. Tough catches that were not made. There was one play I believe to Ashworth were Heaps pass touched both hands but was thrown behind him with a lot of heat and I believe he had no chance of catching.

scott715 wrote:
I have a problem with "drops" which implies missing an easy ball. These were balls that were not caught. Tough catches that were not made. There was one play I believe to Ashworth were Heaps pass touched both hands but was thrown behind him with a lot of heat and I believe he had no chance of catching.

And another that was right to Ashworth, on target, in both hands and just dropped, killed the drive - receiver mistake.

Look at the great BYU receivers. What made them great was not having great size or great speed, it was having great hands. It was making the impossible catches. Without them, we don't have the greatness of BYU football. We don't have great games like the 1980 Miracle Bowl. In that game, in the final four minute run to greatness, there were at least 3 great pass plays. The one that is remembered is the Hail Mary to Clay Brown (surely a great catch), but the really great catch was by Matt Bragga. The ball was thrown low, hard and way ahead of him. It was out of his reach. He couldn't get his hands on it. He could certainly be excused for not catching it, because it was uncatchable, but that didn't stop a Matt Bragga, or a Ben Cahoon, or a Dennis pitta, or a plethera of other great BYU receivers. Sinse he couldn't get nis hands on it, he got his hand under it. He dove through the end zone and got his left hand on the ground at the right spot , at the right time, to tip the ball back into the air, where he gathered it in with his right hand for the TD. Without that catch, there was no Clay Brown catch, and no Miracle Bowl, just the expected win by the mighty SMU Mustangs .



Now, I'm not saying that it's all on the receivers to always catch every uncatchable ball. Certainly, that's totally unrealistic. The QBs need to learn to get the ball to the receivers where they can catch it, but the defenders can't. They need to learn to put the right touch on the pass for the situation. They need to do everything in their power to make it possible for the receivers to do their job right without getting balls tipped to the defense. In turn, the receivers need to catch everything that comes to them, including all of the difficult, and some of the impossible passes. Having great physical assets won't be worth much if we can't complete passes, and not all of the passes that come will be perfect throws.