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I am tempted to jump onto the full "buy" mode, but I wonder if there are holes I am missing.
In 2008 BYU appeared to be ready for a potential national level splash, but Utah and TCU were able to expose BYU. Offensively, Hall had his worst games at the wrong times and BYU was unable to force teams to respect the vertically passing game - even with the best WR it ever had. Defensively, the interior players of the front 7 were unable to stop the run forcing Mendenhall/Hill to compensate with DEs and OLBs leaving an already athletically challenged unit to be exposed on the edge. Going into the year I expected Hall to play his best when it mattered most and was surprised at how lackluster the ILBs and NT were.
2009 presented a similar opportunity but BYU had perhaps its shittiest game of the Mendenhall era against FSU and TCU was just much, much better.
I don't think BYU is going to face anyone this year as good as TCU the past two years but one doesn't really know what opponents have until they play them. However, what at the potential holes for this BYU team that could create the havoc that we experienced defensively in 2008?
As I watch the Mendenhall defense, it appears to me that the first role is to stop the inside run game at any cost neccesary. In 2008 we sold ourselves out on the edge by emphasizing stopping the run up the middle. That will always be Mendenhall's first priority. I think this BYU club is well equipped to do that with just its base players - assuming they stay healthy. I think the interior triangle of Fangupo, Ogletree and Kaveinga will be brilliant in this role and Mendnehall will have much greater flexibility with his DEs and OLBs. In fact I really think that this BYU team is going to be really difficult for anyone to rush against. I think BYU has the mass on the DL and with the ILBs to stack teams up without significant difficulty. I think BYU also has the depth at those positions to be able to do it with fresh bodies all game long. Further, BYU's OLBs are speedy and athletic enough that when teams seek to string the Y defense out horizontally it will be really tough to do. Further, I think that while there are concerns about the BYU safeties, I think they will be well prepared and capable to fill the rush lanes and deliver very physical and punishing tackles.
The biggest hole I worry about is getting pressure on the QB. While the OLBs are extremely athletic and poised to be exceptional, that is a weakness that concerns me. I think the safeties will be excellent in run support, once again as that is the core expectation of a Mendenhall coached defense. However, I have my concerns that they will be nearly as proficient in pass coverage. The key to that concern is the OLBs really stepping up their pass rush and not allowing opposing qbs the time neccesary to find the holes in the BYU pass defense. For those who have attended spring practice, how do you estimate BYU's ability to rush opposing qbs? I think the CBs will be better than adequate in coverage but I don't yet have that confidence in the safeties so I am hoping that the studs at OLB will bail them out. The OLBs SHOULD be able to do it but last year as good as KVN, Frazier and Pendleton looked at times I don't recall them getting the pressure that their athleticism would indicate. However, Pendleton was hurt, KVN was a true freshman and Frazier was playing the position for the first time. I am expecting improvement but it has to be pretty big, IMO.
Offensively, I think BYU is loaded. Some key players need experience and that is why I am skeptical that BYU can be much better than a solid top 20 team this year. However, after another year of experience for Heaps, Apo, the TEs and Quezada, they will be scary the following two years. As the year ended I don't see anything that concerns me about the offense, wrt holes that I am ignoring, just that they will need more experience and that comes only one way.
In 2008 BYU appeared to be ready for a potential national level splash, but Utah and TCU were able to expose BYU. Offensively, Hall had his worst games at the wrong times and BYU was unable to force teams to respect the vertically passing game - even with the best WR it ever had. Defensively, the interior players of the front 7 were unable to stop the run forcing Mendenhall/Hill to compensate with DEs and OLBs leaving an already athletically challenged unit to be exposed on the edge. Going into the year I expected Hall to play his best when it mattered most and was surprised at how lackluster the ILBs and NT were.
2009 presented a similar opportunity but BYU had perhaps its shittiest game of the Mendenhall era against FSU and TCU was just much, much better.
I don't think BYU is going to face anyone this year as good as TCU the past two years but one doesn't really know what opponents have until they play them. However, what at the potential holes for this BYU team that could create the havoc that we experienced defensively in 2008?
As I watch the Mendenhall defense, it appears to me that the first role is to stop the inside run game at any cost neccesary. In 2008 we sold ourselves out on the edge by emphasizing stopping the run up the middle. That will always be Mendenhall's first priority. I think this BYU club is well equipped to do that with just its base players - assuming they stay healthy. I think the interior triangle of Fangupo, Ogletree and Kaveinga will be brilliant in this role and Mendnehall will have much greater flexibility with his DEs and OLBs. In fact I really think that this BYU team is going to be really difficult for anyone to rush against. I think BYU has the mass on the DL and with the ILBs to stack teams up without significant difficulty. I think BYU also has the depth at those positions to be able to do it with fresh bodies all game long. Further, BYU's OLBs are speedy and athletic enough that when teams seek to string the Y defense out horizontally it will be really tough to do. Further, I think that while there are concerns about the BYU safeties, I think they will be well prepared and capable to fill the rush lanes and deliver very physical and punishing tackles.
The biggest hole I worry about is getting pressure on the QB. While the OLBs are extremely athletic and poised to be exceptional, that is a weakness that concerns me. I think the safeties will be excellent in run support, once again as that is the core expectation of a Mendenhall coached defense. However, I have my concerns that they will be nearly as proficient in pass coverage. The key to that concern is the OLBs really stepping up their pass rush and not allowing opposing qbs the time neccesary to find the holes in the BYU pass defense. For those who have attended spring practice, how do you estimate BYU's ability to rush opposing qbs? I think the CBs will be better than adequate in coverage but I don't yet have that confidence in the safeties so I am hoping that the studs at OLB will bail them out. The OLBs SHOULD be able to do it but last year as good as KVN, Frazier and Pendleton looked at times I don't recall them getting the pressure that their athleticism would indicate. However, Pendleton was hurt, KVN was a true freshman and Frazier was playing the position for the first time. I am expecting improvement but it has to be pretty big, IMO.
Offensively, I think BYU is loaded. Some key players need experience and that is why I am skeptical that BYU can be much better than a solid top 20 team this year. However, after another year of experience for Heaps, Apo, the TEs and Quezada, they will be scary the following two years. As the year ended I don't see anything that concerns me about the offense, wrt holes that I am ignoring, just that they will need more experience and that comes only one way.
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