C
CougarbibOk - enough worrying about whether we will win the next 4 - lets focus on the next 1. I hope the team does.
It is the other UW. We beat one UW already - let's beat this one Saturday. It ain't gonna be easy. The other one wasn't easy either. Same Place - hopefully the same result.
But we gotta go about it a little differently. We do not have Riley Nelson - but we still gotta figure out how to score some touchdowns.
If I were Wyoming on offense - I would not do what I correctly suggested our previous opponents (UNR and USU) should do. I would not try to jam it down our throats until we proved we could stop the run. That used to work. Now it won't. That is because, over the past two Saturdays, BYU proved we can reasonably stop the run. that is what Bronco does - he stops the run. You may recall that part of why Bronco hired Jaime Hill, was because Bronco's defenses took a lot of heat for getting burned deep too often and being to gimicky - but the ystopped the run. So now, we can stop the run again. And, we got a little gimmicky and did not execute and got burned over the top for 4 TDs - a former weakness from years back made a reappearance. So, if I am UW, I am going to draw BYU up, draw them up, draw them up, and then go over the top on them. UW won't have as much ability to do this as TCU displayed, but that is their best shot. If they can't pull it off, then they just need to mix it up and cross their fingers because BYU will stop them if they can't go over the top.
If I were BYU on defense - well I just stop the run, but take less risk that might allow someone to go over the top on me. Quite frankly, although the offense could have helped avoid the two late TDs in the 1st half Vs TCU, BYU defense got too tricky, too soon, and opened themselves up for the bomb. Twice in about 1 minute. They should have made TCU burn more clock on the first drive by keeping things in front of them and hope to hold TCU to a field goal. Then there would not have been time for a 2nd TD drive in that half. So, since the O can't be relied on to score much, the defense has to make Wyoming earn every yard and hold them to field goals.
If I were Wyoming on Defense - same recipe as previous opponents. Make Jake Heaps beat you with his arm. Make him try to go deep. Make him throw to the wide receivers. Stop the run and cheat up on the short passing game, and dare Heaps to go deep. If Heaps and his merry band of receivers can actually get open, make and catch the throw, and not fumble - Wyoming is going to lose, but it is their only chance to win and it looks like it could work just fine for them.
If I am BYU on offense - I run more power I, but not exclusively. Mix it up a bit. I use play action and screens and throw mostly to the backs in the flats, screens, and dinks over the middle when the back releases, but hit a tight end over the middle on occasion, a WR every now and again, and maybe once or twice when the situation is not obvious - find out if Jacobsen still has the ability to get behind a mediocre defense. But don't do it in an obvious situation or Wyoming will be in Heaps face, Heaps will lock onto Jacobsen, and Heaps will get picked. But then, a really deep pass, when picked off, is as effective as a pooch kick on 2nd or 3rd down. So if the D is playing well - try this a time or two - but no more. We can't afford to risk killing more than 1 or 2 drives trying to throw deep. If our D is not playing well - then forget the two deep throws because we cannot afford to kill even 1 drive and need to run even more and go 45 minutes TOP strategy again.
It is the other UW. We beat one UW already - let's beat this one Saturday. It ain't gonna be easy. The other one wasn't easy either. Same Place - hopefully the same result.
But we gotta go about it a little differently. We do not have Riley Nelson - but we still gotta figure out how to score some touchdowns.
If I were Wyoming on offense - I would not do what I correctly suggested our previous opponents (UNR and USU) should do. I would not try to jam it down our throats until we proved we could stop the run. That used to work. Now it won't. That is because, over the past two Saturdays, BYU proved we can reasonably stop the run. that is what Bronco does - he stops the run. You may recall that part of why Bronco hired Jaime Hill, was because Bronco's defenses took a lot of heat for getting burned deep too often and being to gimicky - but the ystopped the run. So now, we can stop the run again. And, we got a little gimmicky and did not execute and got burned over the top for 4 TDs - a former weakness from years back made a reappearance. So, if I am UW, I am going to draw BYU up, draw them up, draw them up, and then go over the top on them. UW won't have as much ability to do this as TCU displayed, but that is their best shot. If they can't pull it off, then they just need to mix it up and cross their fingers because BYU will stop them if they can't go over the top.
If I were BYU on defense - well I just stop the run, but take less risk that might allow someone to go over the top on me. Quite frankly, although the offense could have helped avoid the two late TDs in the 1st half Vs TCU, BYU defense got too tricky, too soon, and opened themselves up for the bomb. Twice in about 1 minute. They should have made TCU burn more clock on the first drive by keeping things in front of them and hope to hold TCU to a field goal. Then there would not have been time for a 2nd TD drive in that half. So, since the O can't be relied on to score much, the defense has to make Wyoming earn every yard and hold them to field goals.
If I were Wyoming on Defense - same recipe as previous opponents. Make Jake Heaps beat you with his arm. Make him try to go deep. Make him throw to the wide receivers. Stop the run and cheat up on the short passing game, and dare Heaps to go deep. If Heaps and his merry band of receivers can actually get open, make and catch the throw, and not fumble - Wyoming is going to lose, but it is their only chance to win and it looks like it could work just fine for them.
If I am BYU on offense - I run more power I, but not exclusively. Mix it up a bit. I use play action and screens and throw mostly to the backs in the flats, screens, and dinks over the middle when the back releases, but hit a tight end over the middle on occasion, a WR every now and again, and maybe once or twice when the situation is not obvious - find out if Jacobsen still has the ability to get behind a mediocre defense. But don't do it in an obvious situation or Wyoming will be in Heaps face, Heaps will lock onto Jacobsen, and Heaps will get picked. But then, a really deep pass, when picked off, is as effective as a pooch kick on 2nd or 3rd down. So if the D is playing well - try this a time or two - but no more. We can't afford to risk killing more than 1 or 2 drives trying to throw deep. If our D is not playing well - then forget the two deep throws because we cannot afford to kill even 1 drive and need to run even more and go 45 minutes TOP strategy again.