Bowling hopes dashed?

We're in a close one with Wyoming at the end of a game. Little progress or consistency.

What are the chances looking like now on the road?



Not Good.

Our bowling hopes are only dashed when we lose 7 games, I'll wait for that moment to say that we're not going bowling.

There are no style points for us to go bowling. We get bowl eligible and we go bowling. BYU travels well and is very desirable to the lower tier bowls that don't usually get a shot at us.



Wyoming is better than UNM, UNLV or CSU and we now have a bye to get things straightened out. Bronco will have this team humming soon as well as a team this young can hum.



Jordan Pendleton will be back and our guys will be healthy.



Those that didn't expect a bumpy road obviously didn't know what starting a true freshman would mean. It is what it is and we'll be bowl eligible this year.

If we play this game in ulgy Laramie, they win going away. Sad pathetic game again by the O. It's shameful really how bad they are against such a small, proven soft defense.

The O really only played poorly on two plays, otherwise we owned this team.

mizzoucoug wrote:
If we play this game in ulgy Laramie, they win going away. Sad pathetic game again by the O. It's shameful really how bad they are against such a small, proven soft defense.

Like we dont' deserve to play a desirable schedule.... I'm sorry but we just finshed up one of the most brutal stretches in school history and finally the schedule is on our side.



If we started out with UNM, CSU, Wyoming, etc. who knows how this teams confidence level , etc. would be. We brought in the most inexperienced team in recent memory and ran into a buzzsaw of a schedule. It hurt confidence, progression and is has affected our play. I'm okay with baby steps and today was one.



I dont' mind winning ugly either, it increases the chance that we're not throwing a bandaid on the offense that Anae can hide behind.



We win and he still has a ton of explaining to do... win win imho



BTW the defense held Wyoming to negative yards in the 1st half (without Fuga and JP) ; Bronco is still righting the ship and continuing the improvement over the last 3 weeks. If people don't see improvement from this team, then they're concentrating too hard on the weaknesses.

No question the D is fired up but there is none of that fire on offense. I even had a small premonition during Wyoming's comeback in the 4th that if we had lost this game that Anae would be fired immediately afterward. After all, losing this would've meant pretty much no chance at a bowl game. A stretch? Perhaps but the thought certainly crossed my mind.

mizzoucoug wrote:
No question the D is fired up but there is none of that fire on offense. I even had a small premonition during Wyoming's comeback in the 4th that if we had lost this game that Anae would be fired immediately afterward. After all, losing this would've meant pretty much no chance at a bowl game. A stretch? Perhaps but the thought certainly crossed my mind.

It isn't worth it imho. Getting to a bowl game trumps firing Anae midseason. We've seen that once a quarterback gets familiar with this offense and has some weapons (ours are all very young or with apo, injured) that an experienced qb can run the offense (ala Max) and do well enough in spite of Anaes spotty play calling.



I'm not happy with well enough and would love to see Anae replaced, but nothing hurts BYU more this year than if we dont' make a bowl game. If we make a bowl game, then this season looks like what it is, a rebuilder. If we dont' make a bowl game, it will have an effect on recruiting, scheduling, hiring, firing, transfers, etc. etc. etc.



In my personal opinion, getting to a bowl game is now more important than even beating Utah (and I like to believe I hate Utah as much or more than anyone on this board) but losing to Utah won't hurt those items mention above as bad as not making a bowl will.



The next 3 are not only winnable but vital wins to restore confidence in our team from a team and recruiting standpoint. They are ripe for the picking if this team gets its stuff together and our bye could not be coming at a better time.



We've seen over the years, that the team that wins their bowl game doesn't have to be the most talented, but the one that is the hungriest. I have a hard time believing that by mid december there will be many hungrier teams than these Cougs.



All we have to do is beat UNM, UNLV and CSU and I believe that possibility is better than a coin flip. With the way our defense is playing now, I'm not going to count us out of the Utah game (I mean we should have gone into half vs TCU 0-3 and that wasn't the rivalry game these Cougs care about)

craigoscarson wrote:

No question the D is fired up but there is none of that fire on offense. I even had a small premonition during Wyoming's comeback in the 4th that if we had lost this game that Anae would be fired immediately afterward. After all, losing this would've meant pretty much no chance at a bowl game. A stretch? Perhaps but the thought certainly crossed my mind.

It isn't worth it imho. Getting to a bowl game trumps firing Anae midseason. We've seen that once a quarterback gets familiar with this offense and has some weapons (ours are all very young or with apo, injured) that an experienced qb can run the offense (ala Max) and do well enough in spite of Anaes spotty play calling.



I'm not happy with well enough and would love to see Anae replaced, but nothing hurts BYU more this year than if we dont' make a bowl game. If we make a bowl game, then this season looks like what it is, a rebuilder. If we dont' make a bowl game, it will have an effect on recruiting, scheduling, hiring, firing, transfers, etc. etc. etc.



In my personal opinion, getting to a bowl game is now more important than even beating Utah (and I like to believe I hate Utah as much or more than anyone on this board) but losing to Utah won't hurt those items mention above as bad as not making a bowl will.



The next 3 are not only winnable but vital wins to restore confidence in our team from a team and recruiting standpoint. They are ripe for the picking if this team gets its stuff together and our bye could not be coming at a better time.



We've seen over the years, that the team that wins their bowl game doesn't have to be the most talented, but the one that is the hungriest. I have a hard time believing that by mid december there will be many hungrier teams than these Cougs.



All we have to do is beat UNM, UNLV and CSU and I believe that possibility is better than a coin flip. With the way our defense is playing now, I'm not going to count us out of the Utah game (I mean we should have gone into half vs TCU 0-3 and that wasn't the rivalry game these Cougs care about)

BYU has not been a top tier team in 15 years. I don't believe we ever will be with Anae calling the shots. When this team blows games that would make them BCS contenders, they don't just lose they get dismantled and embarrassed. We should all be sick of being the Penn St. of the MWC--i.e., known for our past but always playing 2nd fiddle to Utah, TCU, and BSU. It's time to get elite coaches to lead these boys to prominence.

craigoscarson wrote:

If we play this game in ulgy Laramie, they win going away. Sad pathetic game again by the O. It's shameful really how bad they are against such a small, proven soft defense.

Like we dont' deserve to play a desirable schedule.... I'm sorry but we just finshed up one of the most brutal stretches in school history and finally the schedule is on our side.



If we started out with UNM, CSU, Wyoming, etc. who knows how this teams confidence level , etc. would be. We brought in the most inexperienced team in recent memory and ran into a buzzsaw of a schedule. It hurt confidence, progression and is has affected our play. I'm okay with baby steps and today was one.



I dont' mind winning ugly either, it increases the chance that we're not throwing a bandaid on the offense that Anae can hide behind.



We win and he still has a ton of explaining to do... win win imho



BTW the defense held Wyoming to negative yards in the 1st half (without Fuga and JP) ; Bronco is still righting the ship and continuing the improvement over the last 3 weeks. If people don't see improvement from this team, then they're concentrating too hard on the weaknesses.

Agreed. So far this season only three teams in the country have played tougher schedules (per Sagarin) than we have (Oregon State 3-3, San Jose State 1-6, and Washington State 1-7). The fact that we're sitting as close to .500 as we are is incredible considering how bad our offense has looked. If we had started the season with a cupcake schedule like Utah and built some confidence for our freshman-laden offense, who knows where we'd be?

We have choked and had to hang on for dear life in the 4th quarter of all 3 of our wins.



Uncanny - but interesting in that if we are in it in the 4th quarter in a tight game we pull out the close wins.



But this has me worried that it can't go our way every time and especially - we are not the same team when playing on the road.



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mizzoucoug wrote:

mizzoucoug wrote:
No question the D is fired up but there is none of that fire on offense. I even had a small premonition during Wyoming's comeback in the 4th that if we had lost this game that Anae would be fired immediately afterward. After all, losing this would've meant pretty much no chance at a bowl game. A stretch? Perhaps but the thought certainly crossed my mind.

It isn't worth it imho. Getting to a bowl game trumps firing Anae midseason. We've seen that once a quarterback gets familiar with this offense and has some weapons (ours are all very young or with apo, injured) that an experienced qb can run the offense (ala Max) and do well enough in spite of Anaes spotty play calling.



I'm not happy with well enough and would love to see Anae replaced, but nothing hurts BYU more this year than if we dont' make a bowl game. If we make a bowl game, then this season looks like what it is, a rebuilder. If we dont' make a bowl game, it will have an effect on recruiting, scheduling, hiring, firing, transfers, etc. etc. etc.



In my personal opinion, getting to a bowl game is now more important than even beating Utah (and I like to believe I hate Utah as much or more than anyone on this board) but losing to Utah won't hurt those items mention above as bad as not making a bowl will.



The next 3 are not only winnable but vital wins to restore confidence in our team from a team and recruiting standpoint. They are ripe for the picking if this team gets its stuff together and our bye could not be coming at a better time.



We've seen over the years, that the team that wins their bowl game doesn't have to be the most talented, but the one that is the hungriest. I have a hard time believing that by mid december there will be many hungrier teams than these Cougs.



All we have to do is beat UNM, UNLV and CSU and I believe that possibility is better than a coin flip. With the way our defense is playing now, I'm not going to count us out of the Utah game (I mean we should have gone into half vs TCU 0-3 and that wasn't the rivalry game these Cougs care about)

BYU has not been a top tier team in 15 years. I don't believe we ever will be with Anae calling the shots. When this team blows games that would make them BCS contenders, they don't just lose they get dismantled and embarrassed. We should all be sick of being the Penn St. of the MWC--i.e., known for our past but always playing 2nd fiddle to Utah, TCU, and BSU. It's time to get elite coaches to lead these boys to prominence.

What is your definition of a top tier team?

Watch photo.byu.edu of today's highlights. Heaps is a Pro passer and looks professional, I think they can get through it now. GO Y

I don't expect BYU to win the CSU game this year. The offense just isn't good enough. BYU will have to shut out CSU on defense for us to have a chance and that may not be enough if Heaps under throws another back out of the backfield by 10 yards right into a defenders hands.

frdbtr wrote:
I don't expect BYU to win the CSU game this year. The offense just isn't good enough. BYU will have to shut out CSU on defense for us to have a chance and that may not be enough if Heaps under throws another back out of the backfield by 10 yards right into a defenders hands.

Much like the timing of when we played Air Force (AFA tends to peak very very early and then fall apart and we played them at the absolute worst time) we're also playing CSU at a very good time for us.



Pendleton will be healthy. Stout, Van Noy, Frazier, Wagner, Atkinson, Rowley, Ogletree and even Uale will be experienced in this defense under Bronco and Andrew Rich is playing like an all american right now.



I actually expect our superior defense to force their frosh qb into mistakes. We'll dominate the turnover battle and run on them to death, just like the frutes did yesterday. The moment CSU couldn't handle the run, then Utah just threw over them with impunity. CSU cannot match BYUs defense when the Cougs are healthy and led by Bronco.



We're going into CSU rested, healthy and with a gimmee game in UNLV at home right before. CSU cannot run the ball and the weather could be an issue (mid november). If the weather's bad and both teams need to run the ball, then we win handily. The Cougs also get the benefit of this bye week to watch both teams play.



CSU cannot run and BYU specializes in stopping the run under Bronco; when the weather dictates that you need to be able to, BYU benefits the most.



BYU can run and CSU was gashed by Nevada and TCU for over 370 yards apiece. I think we win this game handily and mostly because CSU will be incapable of exploiting the few weaknesses we have on this defense; while our defense I believe will wreck havoc in the backfield.

the sky is falling crap is getting old. i almost can stand even being on this board. everybody needs to relax. yes, anae needs to be fired. yes our coaches screwed up massively this year. yes our team is young and inexperienced but the future is bright if our coaches can get it together.

frdbtr wrote:
I don't expect BYU to win the CSU game this year. The offense just isn't good enough. BYU will have to shut out CSU on defense for us to have a chance and that may not be enough if Heaps under throws another back out of the backfield by 10 yards right into a defenders hands.

k FRD, I finally found some legit crow for you... btw this entire thread is a great read in retrospect.

craigoscarson wrote:

I don't expect BYU to win the CSU game this year. The offense just isn't good enough. BYU will have to shut out CSU on defense for us to have a chance and that may not be enough if Heaps under throws another back out of the backfield by 10 yards right into a defenders hands.

k FRD, I finally found some legit crow for you... btw this entire thread is a great read in retrospect.

At the time I wrote this post, did you expect the offensive turn around that we have seen? Given the data I had to go on at the time, a loss to CSU on the road was not an unreasonable prediction.

craigoscarson wrote:

I don't expect BYU to win the CSU game this year. The offense just isn't good enough. BYU will have to shut out CSU on defense for us to have a chance and that may not be enough if Heaps under throws another back out of the backfield by 10 yards right into a defenders hands.

Much like the timing of when we played Air Force (AFA tends to peak very very early and then fall apart and we played them at the absolute worst time) we're also playing CSU at a very good time for us.



Pendleton will be healthy. Stout, Van Noy, Frazier, Wagner, Atkinson, Rowley, Ogletree and even Uale will be experienced in this defense under Bronco and Andrew Rich is playing like an all american right now.



I actually expect our superior defense to force their frosh qb into mistakes. We'll dominate the turnover battle and run on them to death, just like the frutes did yesterday. The moment CSU couldn't handle the run, then Utah just threw over them with impunity. CSU cannot match BYUs defense when the Cougs are healthy and led by Bronco.



We're going into CSU rested, healthy and with a gimmee game in UNLV at home right before. CSU cannot run the ball and the weather could be an issue (mid november). If the weather's bad and both teams need to run the ball, then we win handily. The Cougs also get the benefit of this bye week to watch both teams play.



CSU cannot run and BYU specializes in stopping the run under Bronco; when the weather dictates that you need to be able to, BYU benefits the most.



BYU can run and CSU was gashed by Nevada and TCU for over 370 yards apiece. I think we win this game handily and mostly because CSU will be incapable of exploiting the few weaknesses we have on this defense; while our defense I believe will wreck havoc in the backfield.

This is me patting myself on the back for a post almost a month old :crazy: