One thing I do believe the BYU coaches

[Goatnapper'96]

is that I agree with them that they currently have as much talent at their disposal as they have had during their tenure at BYU.

They went a long way to pump this team up. It flopped. Now there are multiple possible explanations about why this year flopped:

1.) The coaches are unable to genuinely predict the shortcomings of the team. I am beginning to see this more and more as a cause. I look at the last few years and I remember the "Quest for Perfection" mantra. Whether or not it was motivated by spiritual enlightenment or dreams of BCS glory, it should not have been your motto when your ILBs, NG, one OLB and safeties were at that level. Teams that allow CSU and UNLV to put up that many points on them should not use that motto. Of all the explanations for the flop this is the most concerning because it indicates the coaches just can't watch practice and figure out glaring weaknesses and there is some historical evidence to support this.

2.) Jake Heaps flopped and this really hurt BYU.

3.) Coaches are unable to get the job done in big games. Looking back to 2008, I don't think TCU was that much better than BYU. Neither was Utah. In 2009 I am convinced FSU was not that much better, TCU really might have been and that asskicking I could live with. Last year is difficult to really evaluate as BYU was in such a huge rebuilding mode. This year while still rebuilding, I find little reason to believe Utah was that much better than BYU and that TCU team, while still a good college football team, was very beatable by this BYU team and the talent I believe it has. In my perspective there is enough consistent flops to genuinely believe there is an issue here.

However, I do believe there is a great deal of amassed talent on that team, for BYU.

[Katy Lied]

However, I do believe there is a great deal of amassed talent on that team, for BYU.

But the coaches do not know how to deploy that talent.

[jay santos]

The talent's overstated. The D is talented and it's showing in the results for the most part.

Offense:
RB: extreme lack of talent and it's hurting
OL: talented. I'm not ready to lynch OL coach, but I could be persuaded we're not maximizing our OL talent.
QB: we thought we were talented, but turns out we weren't. I don't blame coaches.
WR: we thought we were talented, but Apo's still very raw in his ability to run routes, position himself to make a catch, and always come to the ball. Hoffman started out slow but he's showing talent and production now.

Weighted to the important positions, I would say we're not that talented on offense.

[Goatnapper'96]

But the coaches do not know how to deploy that talent.

My opinion is that they seem unable to get the consistency out of them that is neccesary. I don't see in this group of coaches the same shortcomings I saw in Crowton. I don't believe they are forcing a system on the players that they are unable to recruit for. I don't think they try to force kids to execute things before they are ready. I tend to believe they have an identity that they are working towards. I just don't think they appear able to get the kids to do it as consistently as coaching staffs that I consider to be great. I don't know what you do when your coaching staff is only "good."

My guess is you pull string and whine a lot about it. I guess it took me a bit longer but Brethren and Cistern: save me a seat upon the string pulling express! LOL!

[jay santos]

But the coaches do not know how to deploy that talent.

Give Doman a QB before you hang him.

[Goatnapper'96]

The talent's overstated. The D is talented and it's showing in the results for the most part.

Offense:
RB: extreme lack of talent and it's hurting
OL: talented. I'm not ready to lynch OL coach, but I could be persuaded we're not maximizing our OL talent.
QB: we thought we were talented, but turns out we weren't. I don't blame coaches.
WR: we thought we were talented, but Apo's still very raw in his ability to run routes, position himself to make a catch, and always come to the ball. Hoffman started out slow but he's showing talent and production now.

Weighted to the important positions, I would say we're not that talented on offense.

I think the receivers are better than BYU has had in some time. Still young but these kids can get open against most defenses.

I think Quezada and Alisa are more capable than both Kariya and Diluigi. I think Alisa is still a year away and Quezada was hurt by injuries this year. I think Alisa will be a good college back, similar to Curtis Brown, the next two years.

I think the OL is fine. I thought Nelson had plenty of time to throw the ball he just is not that good of a passing qb and does not believe discretion is the better part of valor.

I still believe Jake is uber talented at least physically. Time will tell if he finds himself mentally. I think the offense is better suited to pocket type qbs. Riley is not that type, but I think the coaching staff is using him very effectively within the BYU offense. If Jake Heaps can find himself mentally and earn his teamates trust he is the better option for BYU. If Heaps plays to his potential I think BYU has the talent to be a very good team. I just don't have the confidence that something else won't leak out if Jake starts playing well.

I do believe the talent is really high on offense as well. I think it is young and I think it is a bit rudderless being led by a young staff that is a bit overwhelmed and without any good peer leadership until recently.

[byu71]

Too many people bought into how good we were, including coaching staff, because we beat up on shitty teams and had great W/L seasons. Heck, we could be 9-3 this year and another good record for the Cougars.

Seems Bronco now is saying we need to take the next step. I hope he doesn't think the next step means even more doing things right off the field.

[Goatnapper'96]

Too many people bought into how good we were, including coaching staff, because we beat up on shitty teams and had great W/L seasons. Heck, we could be 9-3 this year and another good record for the Cougars.

Seems Bronco now is saying we need to take the next step. I hope he doesn't think the next step means even more doing things right off the field.

Bronco has been saying this for some time. It might just be he is not able to get the team there. I have watched this team this year and I know the difference between when a team is just overwhelmed, such as the TCU game in 2009, and when a team is a bad team but not on the shitty end of the talent disparity stick. BYU does not have Oklahoma's talent or Texas', but I am convinced they have enough talent to be able to compete and win games against good opponents more frequently than they have.

[WashingtonCoug]

Give Doman a QB before you hang him.

I think Doman will be a good OC. I think he's already shown improvement this year.

However, they clearly need to separate the QB coaching duties. Has a quarterback shown any improvement with Doman as the QB coach? Max Hall really never improved much after his sophomore year. Maybe Hall hit his ceiling early, but the guy clearly put in the work after practice. Heaps has digressed. Nelson aside, None of the backups have shown any ability to even get in the conversation to compete for the starting job.

[Donuthole]

I think Doman will be a good OC. I think he's already shown improvement this year.

However, they clearly need to separate the QB coaching duties. Has a quarterback shown any improvement with Doman as the QB coach? Max Hall really never improved much after his sophomore year. Maybe Hall hit his ceiling early, but the guy clearly put in the work after practice. Heaps has digressed. Nelson aside, None of the backups have shown any ability to even get in the conversation to compete for the starting job.

I suppose you could call it that.

[WashingtonCoug]

I suppose you could call it that.

Or worse

[Goatnapper'96]

I think Doman will be a good OC. I think he's already shown improvement this year.

However, they clearly need to separate the QB coaching duties. Has a quarterback shown any improvement with Doman as the QB coach? Max Hall really never improved much after his sophomore year. Maybe Hall hit his ceiling early, but the guy clearly put in the work after practice. Heaps has digressed. Nelson aside, None of the backups have shown any ability to even get in the conversation to compete for the starting job.

Beck improved significantly under Doman. So did Max Hall. Heaps was really grooving last year as the season progressed. He played as well last year against Utah as Hall ever had. This year Heaps fell apart but I think the body of evidence wrt Doman's coaching of qbs indicates this might be the anomaly. I think Riley, his two crucial blunders even included, has improved.

Now perhaps the addition of the OC duties has negatively impacted Doman's ability to coach qbs. Or perhaps Jake Heaps just mentally exploded. I am not so sure this young offensive coaching staff needs more upheaval immediately.

[Tone Loc]

Beck improved significantly under Doman. So did Max Hall. Heaps was really grooving last year as the season progressed. He played as well last year against Utah as Hall ever had. This year Heaps fell apart but I think the body of evidence wrt Doman's coaching of qbs indicates this might be the anomaly. I think Riley, his two crucial blunders even included, has improved.

Now perhaps the addition of the OC duties has negatively impacted Doman's ability to coach qbs. Or perhaps Jake Heaps just mentally exploded. I am not so sure this young offensive coaching staff needs more upheaval immediately.

Ask Max how well he was coached, because I think you would hear different than what you are saying. In fact, against good man defenses, Max regressed

I am amazed that people are saying that Heaps flopped, when he was given 3.5 games against athletic man teams with a brand new OC, and no running game. That is an awfully small sample size to throw away a QB. Matt Barkley would be riding the pine right now because of his early struggles.

[WashingtonCoug]

Beck improved significantly under Doman. So did Max Hall. Heaps was really grooving last year as the season progressed. He played as well last year against Utah as Hall ever had. This year Heaps fell apart but I think the body of evidence wrt Doman's coaching of qbs indicates this might be the anomaly. I think Riley, his two crucial blunders even included, has improved.

Now perhaps the addition of the OC duties has negatively impacted Doman's ability to coach qbs. Or perhaps Jake Heaps just mentally exploded. I am not so sure this young offensive coaching staff needs more upheaval immediately.

Hall did not significantly improve. Hall improved ever so slightly, but he still had a tough time reading defenses. That could still be on Hall, but three years of very slight improvement doesn't cut it. I forgot that Doman coached Beck. I do wonder how much of that was having an incredibly balanced offense that year. I still stick with the notion that Heaps has digressed. BYU has four highly recruited QB's in their system right now and none of them would sniff the field at the top half of D1 schools. That is totally unacceptable.

[Goatnapper'96]

Ask Max how well he was coached, because I think you would hear different than what you are saying. In fact, against good man defenses, Max regressed

I am amazed that people are saying that Heaps flopped, when he was given 3.5 games against athletic man teams with a brand new OC, and no running game. That is an awfully small sample size to throw away a QB. Matt Barkley would be riding the pine right now because of his early struggles.

Stick to funky cold medinas!