C
CougarbibLet's see if we can get this straight.
Whomever called the plays had us in control of this game until the 4th QTR meltdown borne mainly of misfortune to BYU and fortune to Utah. I would have taken the field goal in the 1st QTR. I don't know who made the call to go for the TD. The fan part of me would have wanted to go for the TD - but if I were the coach - I take the field goal and go up 9-0.
Jake Heaps was not perfect â who is? - but he played well enough for BYU to win. The pick - well he threw 2 less picks than Wynn - so that didn't lose the game for us. The muffed handoff resulting in a fumble did seem to be where the wheels started falling off. I don't know who misunderstood what, so let's just call that a shared accountability of some sort. Heaps did throw behind a few guys. But as I said, Heaps played well enough for BYU to win.
Jacobsen had a great game - so let's let that perennial scapegoat off the hook. Ashworth - I know many are down on his game. Quite frankly, I don't recall anything spectacular or horrible from Ashworth. Tight ends â not perfect â but an improvement in my book. Hoffman was more good than bad imho. Some argue that he should have caught the ball at the 2 when we went for it on 4th down. To me it looked like the ball came a little too early and he had a defender tugging on his arms when the ball hit his hands. Shoulda taken the field goal and this would be moot.
Now we get to special teams and my comment a week ago that I wish we had a Bronco clone to be hands on with Special Teams like he was early in the year before he diverted to be hands on with the defense. If I had to pin this loss on any one unit, it would be special teams and to a lesser extent the defense and the offense. The shanked punt bouncing off the leg of a BYU player was misfortune number 1. A freak of coincidence? A mistake in fundamentals? I don't know. The blocked punt, from straight on within range - well - KWhitt was quoted that Utah had seen a weakness on that edge on the kicking unit on film. They exploited it. So coaching takes a hit on this one as well as field goal execution. But both plays are freakish in nature. But these two plays killed us.
Defense - kept stepping up again and again, but the pass over the top of #7 after the BYU turnover, hurt as it gave Utah hope. Personally, I think there was offensive pass interference on the play. But it hurt. And maybe #7 could have slapped it away. It was also a freakish tip to himself and catch but the Ute. Then throw in the pick - BYU got more picks than you would expect - but he woulda, coulda, shoulda gotten down sooner and before any contact. I understand the competitive spirit to try to take it to the house. And, imho, and the opinion of the announcers, he did get down. Another freakish bounce of the ball that went the wrong way.
Causes
1. FREAKS - Turnovers unraveled what should have been a win - Fumbled hand off (freakish), fumbled interception (freakish), punt bouncing off BYU player (freakish), Blocked Punt (freakish), Heaps interception. Utah had more turnovers - but BYU had the FREAKS.
2. Freaks - Defense - #7 interfered with on Utah deep bomb resulting in a self-tipped freakish reception. But maybe #7 coulda swatted it away. BYU missed a chance for an interception on another play.
3. Coaching - Utah spotted a kicking game weakness we did not spot and fix. Perhaps the ball was taken out of Heaps hands on that last drive. But the play caller did what the book would suggest. Get your team in position to win it with a field goal. He did that (I am assuming whomever called the plays was male). The fan part of me would say - shoulda taken a couple of shots at the end zone with clear instructions to throw it away. But the coaching part of me would say - but what about all the freakish stuff that has already unraveled. Heaps pass to Hoffman on 4th down - didn't quite click. Heaps Int. Heaps sacked for a big loss. Stuff happens. Maybe we shouda done a QB sneak an d gotten a little closer instead of losing 4 yards. If Heaps had been allowed to throw for the end zone and got sacked out of field goal range or gotten picked, the play calling would have been called atrocious by all of the experts and most of the fickle fans.
So - now that we have it all straight - the answer is clear - Fire Anae. we need a scape goat. TIC. Bronco said BYU played better in this loss than they played in any of their wins this season. He is probably right. In my mind, we won this game. Moral victory, I guess.
But when that kick got blocked, I ironically got sick and my wrist tried to slit itself. Seriously, I got very ill right after the game and I have an unexplainable deep scratch right on my left wrist. I guess it shows how the Utes felt losing a couple in a row on last second plays. But this one was in the bag until the cat got out of the bag. Ouch.
Whomever called the plays had us in control of this game until the 4th QTR meltdown borne mainly of misfortune to BYU and fortune to Utah. I would have taken the field goal in the 1st QTR. I don't know who made the call to go for the TD. The fan part of me would have wanted to go for the TD - but if I were the coach - I take the field goal and go up 9-0.
Jake Heaps was not perfect â who is? - but he played well enough for BYU to win. The pick - well he threw 2 less picks than Wynn - so that didn't lose the game for us. The muffed handoff resulting in a fumble did seem to be where the wheels started falling off. I don't know who misunderstood what, so let's just call that a shared accountability of some sort. Heaps did throw behind a few guys. But as I said, Heaps played well enough for BYU to win.
Jacobsen had a great game - so let's let that perennial scapegoat off the hook. Ashworth - I know many are down on his game. Quite frankly, I don't recall anything spectacular or horrible from Ashworth. Tight ends â not perfect â but an improvement in my book. Hoffman was more good than bad imho. Some argue that he should have caught the ball at the 2 when we went for it on 4th down. To me it looked like the ball came a little too early and he had a defender tugging on his arms when the ball hit his hands. Shoulda taken the field goal and this would be moot.
Now we get to special teams and my comment a week ago that I wish we had a Bronco clone to be hands on with Special Teams like he was early in the year before he diverted to be hands on with the defense. If I had to pin this loss on any one unit, it would be special teams and to a lesser extent the defense and the offense. The shanked punt bouncing off the leg of a BYU player was misfortune number 1. A freak of coincidence? A mistake in fundamentals? I don't know. The blocked punt, from straight on within range - well - KWhitt was quoted that Utah had seen a weakness on that edge on the kicking unit on film. They exploited it. So coaching takes a hit on this one as well as field goal execution. But both plays are freakish in nature. But these two plays killed us.
Defense - kept stepping up again and again, but the pass over the top of #7 after the BYU turnover, hurt as it gave Utah hope. Personally, I think there was offensive pass interference on the play. But it hurt. And maybe #7 could have slapped it away. It was also a freakish tip to himself and catch but the Ute. Then throw in the pick - BYU got more picks than you would expect - but he woulda, coulda, shoulda gotten down sooner and before any contact. I understand the competitive spirit to try to take it to the house. And, imho, and the opinion of the announcers, he did get down. Another freakish bounce of the ball that went the wrong way.
Causes
1. FREAKS - Turnovers unraveled what should have been a win - Fumbled hand off (freakish), fumbled interception (freakish), punt bouncing off BYU player (freakish), Blocked Punt (freakish), Heaps interception. Utah had more turnovers - but BYU had the FREAKS.
2. Freaks - Defense - #7 interfered with on Utah deep bomb resulting in a self-tipped freakish reception. But maybe #7 coulda swatted it away. BYU missed a chance for an interception on another play.
3. Coaching - Utah spotted a kicking game weakness we did not spot and fix. Perhaps the ball was taken out of Heaps hands on that last drive. But the play caller did what the book would suggest. Get your team in position to win it with a field goal. He did that (I am assuming whomever called the plays was male). The fan part of me would say - shoulda taken a couple of shots at the end zone with clear instructions to throw it away. But the coaching part of me would say - but what about all the freakish stuff that has already unraveled. Heaps pass to Hoffman on 4th down - didn't quite click. Heaps Int. Heaps sacked for a big loss. Stuff happens. Maybe we shouda done a QB sneak an d gotten a little closer instead of losing 4 yards. If Heaps had been allowed to throw for the end zone and got sacked out of field goal range or gotten picked, the play calling would have been called atrocious by all of the experts and most of the fickle fans.
So - now that we have it all straight - the answer is clear - Fire Anae. we need a scape goat. TIC. Bronco said BYU played better in this loss than they played in any of their wins this season. He is probably right. In my mind, we won this game. Moral victory, I guess.
But when that kick got blocked, I ironically got sick and my wrist tried to slit itself. Seriously, I got very ill right after the game and I have an unexplainable deep scratch right on my left wrist. I guess it shows how the Utes felt losing a couple in a row on last second plays. But this one was in the bag until the cat got out of the bag. Ouch.