For kicks and giggles

[Goatnapper'96]

I looked back at John Beck's progression as a BYU qb. He had his first "good game" in his 3rd start and his first really good game in the 8th game he played significantly - against Boise State his sophmore year.

Heaps has yet to have just a "good" game and skipped from absolute shitty to very good in his 8th game of significant playing time.

Beck regressed after his first really good game into a 3 game slump of very poor play before finding his mojo to finish the 2004 season with spectacular games against AF and SDSU and a very solid outing against Utah.

It will be interesting to see how Heaps progresses. I think the 2004 squad had better receivers, but the 2010 team has a much better OL by such a huge extent that it isn't funny. I think that Tahi and Brown were better than the current crop of backs but not by a significant amount. I also think that Heaps has the better defense, at least post USU.

I really don't think any of this means anything significant, just thought I would share how I wasted 15 minutes of my time!

One thing I do find bizarre is the enormous jump in performance. I think it really bodes well for Jake's future. I learned that when he really knows where to go with the ball and he is confident in himself, he can be a really good qb. What I don't know is how long it will take him to be able to know where to go with the ball fast enough to be effective against really good defenses. Especially ones capable of getting any amount of pressure on him. I think CSU has a better defense than UNLV. Not so much better that Jake Heaps should look like he did against WYO and SDSU, but they will be better than UNLV. I also would think that when one is really young and struggling to figure out where to go with the ball the extra prep week probably helped him immensely. He will be without that second week of prep time this week.

At least for me, that game really piqued my interest in Jake's development for this week. Back to the bizarre, I am figuring this week Jake will start to show the more incremental improvement one would have expected to see before the output of last saturday. It was kind of like the Odonnel chick who ran for Senate, from witch to anti-masturbating Evangelical Christian. I mean shouldn't there be some middle ground steps inbetween, perhaps as a scantily clad go-go dancer in the Amsterdam red light district or a biker chick or something? Put me in the 20-35 for 250 yards, 1 int and 1 TD. BYU will also run for 175 yards and win the TO battle 2-1 in a 27-17 win.

[Jacob]

One thing I do find bizarre is the enormous jump in performance.

The enormous jump in performance based solely on the statistical output. I don't know whether this was really an enormous jump in performance as much as a combination of other factors working in his favor--much more time in the pocket, receivers making semi-difficult catches, playing against a terrible defense, etc.

[Goatnapper'96]

If I could add one other comment

is that I think what Jake Heaps showed is better than the type of games Beck had as a sophmore that gave him the really good PER games against BSU, AF and SDSU. In those games Beck's stats were inflated by a few really long bombs for TDs. I think the type of game we saw from Heaps on Saturday is more sustainable and likely to continue happening than John Beck hitting Austin Collie and Todd Watkins 3 times in a game for long tds that give him 200 yards passing. What made my nipples hard, and oh yes that climatic threshold was indeed crossed on saturday, was the multiple 15-25 yard passes. That is the stuff BYU has to have to be good. A very good OL with adequate receivers who know their routes being thrown to by an exceptional qb with a great arm is the only consistent recipe for BYU to have a great offense against really good defenses. That mixed with a capable power running game is the BYU bread and butter. I really think Heaps will be real good at leading that offense against just about any defense by the time he is a junior. I am more convinced that Juice can provide that power rushing by then, I actually expect it by next year. I am still hopeful the tight ends will thin out with the cream and stepping up. I believe the receivers are adequate and if Apo can be this superstar, and stay healthy which is my bigger concern, BYU's offense in 2011 is going to be really good.

[Goatnapper'96]

The enormous jump in performance based solely on the statistical output. I don't know whether this was really an enormous jump in performance as much as a combination of other factors working in his favor--much more time in the pocket, receivers making semi-difficult catches, playing against a terrible defense, etc.

I disagree. There was an eyeball difference that was huge. At present time I attribute it to the extra prep time and Jake really being comfortable in his reads and where to throw the ball. His passing was so much more accurate than any other game this year that the only conclusion I had was he had no doubts when he started slinging. Without a doubt the shitty opponent led to that as inept defenses have to stay in more standard sets and not do anything that would confuse themselves and the opposing qb. However, I don't think WYO was much better and Jake did not look as comfortable.

[Katy Lied]

Wasn't Beck's progression hindered by his trading off PT with the Handsomest QB in America? I think Heaps will benefit from lack of QB controversy--like the type that will bedevil Wynn all week.

[Goatnapper'96]

Wasn't Beck's progression hindered by his trading off PT with the Handsomest QB in America? I think Heaps will benefit from lack of QB controversy--like the type that will bedevil Wynn all week.

Beck traded his freshman year but there was no reason he should have been playing that year. He was the clear starter by the end of spring ball going into his sophmore year and there really was no contraversy going forward, at least that I recall.

[Indy Coug]

This was the most accurate Heaps has been in his short BYU career. He was struggling recently with even the short passes and failing to lead his receivers properly to allow them to catch the pass in stride and get YAC. Not Saturday.

Frankly, he was brilliant. His pocket presence was very, very good, including at least two very good passes that were on the money after stepping up in the pocket to avoid pressure.

Sure, UNLV's pass defense is atrocious, but to dismissively downplay Heaps' performance because of that would be very unfair, IMO.

[Sizzle]

I'm going to disagree slightly. A lot of these throws Heaps has been making all year, but the receivers didn't drop as many passes this week. His accuracy might have been a little better, but not leaps and bounds IMO. (Thinking back to the Utah State game in particular where he made a lot of throws, guys just didn't come up with the grabs.) Making the same throws, guys are just coming down with the ball. Hoffman's TD catch is a great example. The other near TD pass to Hoffman where he didn't catch it clean was a bit behind and he had to slow up. That type of pass was dropped earlier in the year, but Hoffman caught it. Also, on Ashworth's TD pass, it wasn't Heaps making a spectacular throw (though he did make the correct read to beat the blitz) Ashworth just made the play afterwards, broke some tackles and took it 40+ yards for the score.

Heaps is getting better, but for once he actually got some help from the receivers and the result was a huge difference in statistical output, but not necessarily overall performance.

[whoneedscorners?]

This was the most accurate Heaps has been in his short BYU career. He was struggling recently with even the short passes and failing to lead his receivers properly to allow them to catch the pass in stride and get YAC. Not Saturday.

Frankly, he was brilliant. His pocket presence was very, very good, including at least two very good passes that were on the money after stepping up in the pocket to avoid pressure.

Sure, UNLV's pass defense is atrocious, but to dismissively downplay Heaps' performance because of that would be very unfair, IMO.

Agreed. What was especially encouraging is the variety of throws. This wasn't stats getting inflated because BYU found a weakness and exposed it time after time. This was a complete passing game that had a lot of different routes that had completions. Jake also did a great job of stepping up in the pocket and go through his progressions.

Let's hope he's turned the corner!

[jay santos]

The game Saturday had a lot of the same feel as two games in 2004. Big wins late in the season against AFA and SDSU. I remember thinking the team maybe had turned the corner and I even backed off my calling for Crowton to be fired.

The team ended that season in a disappointing way (not so much the Utah blow out which was expected but the UNM game ugh what a terrible game) and then never got it going the next year.

I'd like to believe the team is poised to make a much bigger jump than what BYU did 2004 to 2005. All the personnel stayed in place, so that can't be blamed. Maybe the blame can be put on the change in offensive coaching staff and lack of improvement from Beck or some combination without putting blame on anyone.

The reality is it might be too much to ask Heaps to go from dead last in pass rating up to a 140 or whatever the BYU offense requires as a bare minimum to be successful.

So the question is just what Goat asks. Can Heaps go from lousy to pretty good and skip the average/good phase?

[Goatnapper'96]

The game Saturday had a lot of the same feel as two games in 2004. Big wins late in the season against AFA and SDSU. I remember thinking the team maybe had turned the corner and I even backed off my calling for Crowton to be fired.

The team ended that season in a disappointing way (not so much the Utah blow out which was expected but the UNM game ugh what a terrible game) and then never got it going the next year.

I'd like to believe the team is poised to make a much bigger jump than what BYU did 2004 to 2005. All the personnel stayed in place, so that can't be blamed. Maybe the blame can be put on the change in offensive coaching staff and lack of improvement from Beck or some combination without putting blame on anyone.

The reality is it might be too much to ask Heaps to go from dead last in pass rating up to a 140 or whatever the BYU offense requires as a bare minimum to be successful.

So the question is just what Goat asks. Can Heaps go from lousy to pretty good and skip the average/good phase?

This game on Saturday is a good opportunity for Mendenhall to demonstrate that he is not Crowton. I think BYU wins. Early in the year, CSU might have won but I think BYU wins on Saturday. What will matter to my nipples is the nature of the victory. If BYU lines up in they "eye" and bullies their way to a 20-13 win, I will not be as happy as if BYU continues to open it up and let Jake grow. I would understand it if the gameplan is bully its way to a win, but I wanna believe, oh so bad, that BYU and Heaps have turned the corner.

I think that if Heaps performs next year like Beck did in 2005, BYU will win double digit games.

I think the consistency in the program, even if Anae and/or others are dismissed, will be a huge boon for Heaps that Beck did not have until his junior year. I also think that Heaps will be playing at a time that the defense is much better than what Beck had as a soph and jr.

[jay santos]

This game on Saturday is a good opportunity for Mendenhall to demonstrate that he is not Crowton. I think BYU wins. Early in the year, CSU might have won but I think BYU wins on Saturday. What will matter to my nipples is the nature of the victory. If BYU lines up in they "eye" and bullies their way to a 20-13 win, I will not be as happy as if BYU continues to open it up and let Jake grow. I would understand it if the gameplan is bully its way to a win, but I wanna believe, oh so bad, that BYU and Heaps have turned the corner.

I think that if Heaps performs next year like Beck did in 2005, BYU will win double digit games.

I think the consistency in the program, even if Anae and/or others are dismissed, will be a huge boon for Heaps that Beck did not have until his junior year. I also think that Heaps will be playing at a time that the defense is much better than what Beck had as a soph and jr.

Too much at risk not to line up in the I and try to power your way to a win. Jake will have to complete some passes, but he'll be on a short leash. If he starts out hot like against UNLV, they'll probably lengthen the leash.

[Indy Coug]

This game on Saturday is a good opportunity for Mendenhall to demonstrate that he is not Crowton. I think BYU wins. Early in the year, CSU might have won but I think BYU wins on Saturday. What will matter to my nipples is the nature of the victory. If BYU lines up in they "eye" and bullies their way to a 20-13 win, I will not be as happy as if BYU continues to open it up and let Jake grow. I would understand it if the gameplan is bully its way to a win, but I wanna believe, oh so bad, that BYU and Heaps have turned the corner.

CSU's pass efficiency defense (117th) is even worse than UNLV's (114th).

http://web1.ncaa.org/mfb/natlRank.js...&div=IA&dest=O

[DapperDan]

CSU's pass efficiency defense (117th) is even worse than UNLV's (114th).

http://web1.ncaa.org/mfb/natlRank.js...&div=IA&dest=O

Sweet. Our 116th passing efficiency offense is going to have a field day against them!