Most disapppointing part of today's game.

What was the most disappointing part of today's football game?

I voted for offensive play calling, but the inability of the front seven to stop the run, plus some broken coverage were really disappointing as well.

I put defensive line, but I really mean the whole defense. The offensive mistakes were costly, but only because we were so terrible on defense.

Is there an "all of the above" option? That was sad and pathetic effort...

if our receivers catch a few of those balls, drives continue, points are scored and half of those other "problems" go away.

I chose the fumbles only because had JJ scored the TD I think we have a whole different ballgame.

CougarClaw wrote:
if our receivers catch a few of those balls, drives continue, points are scored and half of those other "problems" go away.

Exactly! Then Air Force wouldn't have blitz so much, our O-line wouldn't collapse as much.



Sigh... This game just put a damper on the rest of the weekend for an awesome two days full of football, college and NFL.

Nothing kills momentum like turnovers. We had some serious momentum until the DiLuigi fumble. By the time we built up momentum again, there was another turnover. After the first 1 1/2 quarters, our guys seemed so disappointed with everything that they decided to roll over for the Cadets. I cant think of any other explanation for the lack of any consistency and intensity for the rest of the game.

Our offensive problems lie solely on the receiving corps. If we had caught those balls that were drops then the offensive play calling would have been just fine, the turnovers wouldn't have been that big of a problem.



The defense had major problems, unable to seal off the edges and giving up way too much yardage up the middle.

Games are won and lost at the lines and today Air Force was better at the line on both sides than we were.

Npliam wrote:
Games are won and lost at the lines and today Air Force was better at the line on both sides than we were.

Cliche, cliche, cliche... I hate it when they're actually true.

You can point at all sorts of things that would've helped BYU today, but two simple things ultimately lost us the game:



1) Di Louigi's fumble (-7 points)

2) Chamber's dropped TD pass (-7 points)



The inability to do something as simple as holding onto the ball cost us two scores, which would have completely changed the chemistry of the game.

Italics wrote:
You can point at all sorts of things that would've helped BYU today, but two simple things ultimately lost us the game:



1) Di Louigi's fumble (-7 points)

2) Chamber's dropped TD pass (-7 points)

.

Unfortunately #1 is not a shock and I bet my life it happens multiple more times this season. And guess what, I'll make the same prediction about #2! IOW, these are not aberrations. This is our team and this is the talent level we have to try to compensate for, and we can expect similar mistakes in the future. Some things cannot be coached, but players can certainly be benched.

Italics wrote:
You can point at all sorts of things that would've helped BYU today, but two simple things ultimately lost us the game:



1) Di Louigi's fumble (-7 points)

2) Chamber's dropped TD pass (-7 points)



The inability to do something as simple as holding onto the ball cost us two scores, which would have completely changed the chemistry of the game.

No, those weren't the 2 things that cost us the game. We couldn't stop their offense because we couldn't get off the the blocks and we didn't have enough time for the receivers to get open before the pocket collapsed.



We still would only have scored 28 points. They scored 35 and could have scored again in the last couple of minutes. Our front 7 in particular got worked.

We always beat Air Force because we play assignment football so well; we always have someone right on the pitch man. Today they were wide open except for 3-4. I'm no defensive expert; what happened there? Was it inexperience in the linebackers, or the passing threat of Jefferson keeping the safeties in the backfield?

From a defensive stand point, I think I learned today that Steven Thomas is not good enough to keep that job. He was AWFUL in run support on the edges, and most of those big AFA run plays happened because he was too slow to react and seal off the play. He also totally blew the coverage on the first TD pass and ran right to run support and let the receiver run right past him and whiffed the read. Travis Uale only played at the end, but it was amazing to see the kid fill the hole with speed on the edge and hit guys, not whiff them. I am going on record here that the first change BYU needs to make it to play Uale over Thomas. He needs a chance because Thomas was that bad. Reminded me of Kellen Fowler bad.



Second is that Riley Nelson is not a long term solution for BYU at QB. I have no idea why the coaches stuck with him all second half, but he was not good. Too 1 dimensional and AFA totally did not resect his passing and it showed. They dared BYU to beat them with Rileys passing. Receivers did not help on a few plays again today, but mostly Riley could not make the throw. He missed many open guys and threw some awful looking passes. No new revelation here at all. Honestly, the bar is so low here not that there is no pressure for Heaps to step in and take over. I am peeved they sat Jake the whole second half and did not give him a chance to throw it when we were down 21 late.



It also looked like the guys on offense quit late in the game. They lacked any fire, any drive to score and make it a game. That tells me that riley is NOT the leader some think he is, because I think in

the back on guys minds, many think he can't get it done passing when it is required. And he can't.



After seeing OU throw it all over FSU today, I sure hope Jake plays more next week. A lot more.

Lawboy wrote:
After seeing OU throw it all over FSU today, I sure hope Jake plays more next week. A lot more.

He better! Then if it doesn't work... We can put all the blame on our WR's. JJ could do some damage if he just fixes his fumble-itis. This has been with him, his whole career at BYU.

bplewe wrote:
We always beat Air Force because we play assignment football so well; we always have someone right on the pitch man. Today they were wide open except for 3-4. I'm no defensive expert; what happened there? Was it inexperience in the linebackers, or the passing threat of Jefferson keeping the safeties in the backfield?

This is how I saw it too. The the DL and the LB picked the QB on several plays leaving the first contact to the CB if he could sort of shed his blocker. And that was usually 10 yards downfield. It was just simply a very poor defensive effort. And what is with So'oto losing containment? They could have run the reverse every other play and broken it for big gains.



I also think the WR's were more than poor today. Almost nobody could catch a ball if Nelson decided to throw it. As for him I think he makes a great mop up QB. Say what you want but after watching him today it seems the idea of putting the team on your shoulders means tuck it and run. Most QB's when they move in the pocket don't tuck it until they start to get close to the line but he was looking at his first two checks, tucking it and then taking off. That may have worked in HS but that doesnt' cut it in D-1 football. I wish they would have thrown in Heaps in the fourth to give him the reps he needs to catch up to the speed of the game.

This is a very young team and it showed today. It may end up being a tough season but they will in the end be very good. I am betting that by the time these kids all graduate this will end up being one of the best groups in BYU history. Frustarting today and probably more frustration to come this season but they will end up being very good.

Why isn't the 1 yard punt followed by the 12 yard punt a candidate?



On the pre-game KSL much was made of how Bronco had a humbling experience in Colorado Springs when coaching d for New Mexico and then developed a personal passion to never repeat that experience. Then the later mentioned that Bronco was totally uninvolved with the D this tear and delegated it fully. Maybe the obsessed master of defending the option delegated too much.



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