Will the BYU defense be much better next year?

[Goatnapper'96]

What could make BYU's defense better? IMO, the biggest issue on defense this year was the linebackers. Their inability to cover both the pass and defend the run exposed BYU's defensive secondary, especially the safeties. There was a pitiful symbiotic relationship between those two groups in which their inabilities did a spectacular job of illuminating each other in a most horrific way. I think even the most objective nattering nabobs of negativity must begrudgingly admit that it is likely that the safeties will be better next season. Rich made more plays in his limited reps than Kellen Fowler this past year. If Andrew can find a helmet that does its job and stop leading with his head, he is going to be one of the better free safeties in the MWC. I don't know who the SS will end up being, but I believe whoever it is will have a better year than Tafuna, especially against the pass. Change is a power in and of itself and it can give way to hope, so I will believe that BYU sees an improvement at that position.

I am deeply concerned about LB. I have been swayed, against my better judgement, that Manti Teo will be in BYU blue next year and playing OLB. However, I am very nervous about throwing a true freshman in that position. I cannot think of a position in the BYU defense that is more demanding mentally than playing OLB. Kids coming out of high school have never seen the number of formations and the complexity of offenses that one sees in college. The ability to make the decisions of when to play the pass, the run or rush must be made instantly and to do that it requires a great understanding of what opposing offenses are trying to do. I don't believe Manti will be ready for that role as a true freshman. So even if Manti comes to BYU, I am skeptical he will be ready to play regardless of his fabulous physical characteristics and a nice tush to boot.

From where I sit it seems to me that we are in a situation of "help us Terrance Hooks and Vic So'oto you are our only help!" Perhaps Vic getting injured this year might one day be a huge blessing in disguise as I believe the year of watching tapes and studying the position with the position group but not playing should be invaluable to his development. Vic should be much more instinctual in his reactions next season whereas this year I believe he always would have been thinking too much. Vic has the physical abilities to quickly upgrade the BYU defense, make no mistake about that. He is fast, physical and athletic. The big question marks will be whether he can mentally master the position and whether his body will be able to withstand the pounding for an entire year. My understanding is that the issue facing Terrance Hooks is whether or not he can physically return. I seem to be of the opinion that most were confident in both his physical and mental ability to play the MLB position well, especially against the run.

I don't see drastic improvement from Clausen, Baumen, Doman and Ah You. I just think that they are more physically limited. Maybee Hooks is more physically limited than the overly optimistic BYU fanbase has made him out to be and by next October I will be awaiting the arrival of some other savior at LB. But from where I sit I think that the safeties will be improved and the cornerback play will be adequate, especially for BYU. So if BYU is going to upgrade the defense from poor to average-above average the upgrade has got to come from the linebackers. I am not confident the returning players who saw the most action have the physical ability to be above average college linebackers, so I am left to pin that hopes on the kids who have been around the system but injured.

With respect to the BYU offense, even if Collie goes the issue will come down to Max Hall. If he can get a better mastery of the offense so that he is able to get rid of the ball to the right receiver as quick as the offense is designed, BYU is going to roll offensively. Even against teams whose speed overwhelm BYU's OL. New OL, losing Collie are not nearly as big an issue as getting Max to where he needs to be in understanding where the open receiver will be because they are there.

[cougjunkie]

If BYU lands Van Noy and Te'o they both start from Day 1. Andrew Rich over Fowler makes the secondary 10 times better. If Jordan Pendelton decided that he wanted to hit like a real safety this Secondary would be very solid.

[Goatnapper'96]

If BYU lands Van Noy and Te'o they both start from Day 1. Andrew Rich over Fowler makes the secondary 10 times better. If Jordan Pendelton decided that he wanted to hit like a real safety this Secondary would be very solid.

I disagree on both Van Noy and Te'o. Perhaps, Te'o physical ability will make it worth while for him to start or play a lot as a true freshman, but that doesn't insure that BYU's defense will be better next year. It indicates that the coaching staff think that Manti's physical abilities are great enough to warrant the growing pains that will follow for throwing a true freshman into the OLB position. I would expect to see some great plays early made by Te'o with some blaring assignment screw ups that result in really huge plays. If those assignment mistakes are made against Florida State or Oklahoma the result is likely a long TD by the opponent. If they are made against SDSU or WYO the likely result is a first down or an incomplete or something.

I think Van Noy has redshirt written all over him. The kid is reported to be at 200 lbs. He will be eaten alive by physical college players next year. I think it feasible that he is a 4 or 3 year starter after a redshirt year and bulking up to at least 220 lbs. I think the OLB next year are going to be Clausen, So'oto and likely Te'o.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

With respect to the BYU offense, even if Collie goes the issue will come down to Max Hall. If he can get a better mastery of the offense so that he is able to get rid of the ball to the right receiver as quick as the offense is designed, BYU is going to roll offensively. Even against teams whose speed overwhelm BYU's OL.

In many ways I think BYU may be better without Collie next year. In 07 when Collie was having a good, not great year, and we didn't really have any other amazing WRs we ran the ball much better. Unga had 1500 yards, Hall spread the ball better, in general I think the big problem with the offense this year was Collie is great let's watch him. Clearly that became the case at the end of the year.

[RockyBalboa]

I have no idea how the defense will fare next year. The general logic is a defense returning 8 starters should be very good, but we're talking about a defense that had Bauman and Doman as their starting inside LB'ers.

I think it comes to a couple of different things and some tweaks here and there. I don't believe there needs to be an entire schematic change from a 3-4 to a 4-3 or a 3-3-5.

A team can run a 3-4 and still be an aggressive, attacking defense that is pressure oriented and causes turnovers.

Our defense was on their heels all season. We rarely pressured the quarterback and had a defense that when going up against 3rd down, rarely had the confidence to show they could get the neccessary stops.

I know this sounds Bronco-esque, but a change in mindset and going to back to basics of when he first arrived...and just getting downright mean and aggressive again I believe, is in the cards. With all that's returning on offense next year, there is a golden opportunity to have a special season, and without a return to aggression on D, I fear that will undermine the other side of the ball.

While it's true that our lack of success was paritally personnel based, I also believe that Jaime Hill did a poor job in his 1st year as Defensive Coordinator.
Bronco used to trump that it didn't matter what kind of defense you run, so long as you get the right or best 11 guys on the field.

Does anyone here really believe that the 11 starters were the best defenders we had? I don't,,,and I think that was a major screw up. Clusterf**K or whatever you want to call it by Coach Hill. He was the guy that made personnel decisions on who played and who didn't.

He was so loyal to the guys that "won" 2 deep jobs in camps that even if they proved they no longer could be trusted on the field ...*Cough, Cough,,,Kellen Fowler, Shawn Doman, David Tafuna, Brandon Howard..etc*....that you were still going to play. There was a lot of talent behind those guys that weren't being given chances to go out and perform, where at most other programs,,,if you're consistently grading out poor and not doing your job.....you get replaced. Coach Hill didn't do that....he essentially cut off his nose to spite his face and I think that hurt us badly this year.

Whatever happened to letting an athletic stud cut his teeth and get on the field and use his athleticism to make plays while learning on the job that goes on at most other places?

Going into the 2006 year everyone said our Defense would be terrible because we had no experience on the D-line.....turns out we had 5 Freshman getting a lot of PT on our D-line that year and we ended up being pretty good defensively.

I think you can be good defensively even if you're a little inexperienced.

Having said that,,,I'm not making any predictions if the defense will be better. Theoretically they should make a big leap in improvement, but until I see a return to an aggressive and attacking style that puts pressure on the QB and forces turnovers, then I'm withholding my judgement til then.

[Surfah]

You would have thought Bauman was Laurinitis or Maualuga based on the way the analyst and color commentator of the Vegas Bowl were talking him up. My eyes were rolling and I was trying not to puke the whole time.

[Non Sequitur]

I don't worry about the personnel nearly as much as I do the coaching. Bronco's act is wearing thin. A lot of fans are already starting to turn him off. When the players start seeing that "magic" doesn't always happen, they'll start turning him off as well.

This team needs some toughness and some attitude. Get rid of the firesides and the cheesy slogans, and teach these kids how to kick some ass. I've been a BYU fan my entire life, and this year is the first time in my life that I lost interest in the team. I hated the Crowton years, but honestly I cared about those teams more than I do this one. I hate to say it, but BYU football is in trouble.

[Goatnapper'96]

I don't worry about the personnel nearly as much as I do the coaching. Bronco's act is wearing thin. A lot of fans are already starting to turn him off. When the players start seeing that "magic" doesn't always happen, they'll start turning him off as well.

This team needs some toughness and some attitude. Get rid of the firesides and the cheesy slogans, and teach these kids how to kick some ass. I've been a BYU fan my entire life, and this year is the first time in my life that I lost interest in the team. I hated the Crowton years, but honestly I cared about those teams more than I do this one. I hate to say it, but BYU football is in trouble.

When BYU starts losing to teams where it is obvious that BYU has the better players I could see your point. Up to now Mendenhall clearly beats the teams he should beat. BYU got beat by one team that clearly was better in Utah. BYU then lost to one team that was probably better than BYU but had a great game and BYU played like pussies in TCU and then BYU lost one game that was probably a toss up. I don't think BYU rose to the occasion very well this year, but a good sign of a coaching is consistently beating the teams it should. Mendenhall's approach makes that happen almost like clockwork.

I think that you are put off by Mendenhall's religious approach and that clouds your judgement. Trust me, there were glaring personnel issues this year regardless if the fairy dust approach and fireside tour '08 weren't as conducive to good football as you would like. I struggle to see the signs of imminent demise that you see.

[BigPiney]

from what I have heard, Vic So'oto has spent all of his rehab time in the weight room and has gotten bigger than ever before. I could see them moving him to DE, at least that was the talk my brother heard. Maybe they should move him to ILB if he really is around 260.

[jay santos]

If BYU lands Van Noy and Te'o they both start from Day 1. Andrew Rich over Fowler makes the secondary 10 times better. If Jordan Pendelton decided that he wanted to hit like a real safety this Secondary would be very solid.

Is your anti-Pendleton bias personal? Be honest.

[jay santos]

What could make BYU's defense better? IMO, the biggest issue on defense this year was the linebackers. Their inability to cover both the pass and defend the run exposed BYU's defensive secondary, especially the safeties. There was a pitiful symbiotic relationship between those two groups in which their inabilities did a spectacular job of illuminating each other in a most horrific way. I think even the most objective nattering nabobs of negativity must begrudgingly admit that it is likely that the safeties will be better next season. Rich made more plays in his limited reps than Kellen Fowler this past year. If Andrew can find a helmet that does its job and stop leading with his head, he is going to be one of the better free safeties in the MWC. I don't know who the SS will end up being, but I believe whoever it is will have a better year than Tafuna, especially against the pass. Change is a power in and of itself and it can give way to hope, so I will believe that BYU sees an improvement at that position.

I am deeply concerned about LB. I have been swayed, against my better judgement, that Manti Teo will be in BYU blue next year and playing OLB. However, I am very nervous about throwing a true freshman in that position. I cannot think of a position in the BYU defense that is more demanding mentally than playing OLB. Kids coming out of high school have never seen the number of formations and the complexity of offenses that one sees in college. The ability to make the decisions of when to play the pass, the run or rush must be made instantly and to do that it requires a great understanding of what opposing offenses are trying to do. I don't believe Manti will be ready for that role as a true freshman. So even if Manti comes to BYU, I am skeptical he will be ready to play regardless of his fabulous physical characteristics and a nice tush to boot.

From where I sit it seems to me that we are in a situation of "help us Terrance Hooks and Vic So'oto you are our only help!" Perhaps Vic getting injured this year might one day be a huge blessing in disguise as I believe the year of watching tapes and studying the position with the position group but not playing should be invaluable to his development. Vic should be much more instinctual in his reactions next season whereas this year I believe he always would have been thinking too much. Vic has the physical abilities to quickly upgrade the BYU defense, make no mistake about that. He is fast, physical and athletic. The big question marks will be whether he can mentally master the position and whether his body will be able to withstand the pounding for an entire year. My understanding is that the issue facing Terrance Hooks is whether or not he can physically return. I seem to be of the opinion that most were confident in both his physical and mental ability to play the MLB position well, especially against the run.

I don't see drastic improvement from Clausen, Baumen, Doman and Ah You. I just think that they are more physically limited. Maybee Hooks is more physically limited than the overly optimistic BYU fanbase has made him out to be and by next October I will be awaiting the arrival of some other savior at LB. But from where I sit I think that the safeties will be improved and the cornerback play will be adequate, especially for BYU. So if BYU is going to upgrade the defense from poor to average-above average the upgrade has got to come from the linebackers. I am not confident the returning players who saw the most action have the physical ability to be above average college linebackers, so I am left to pin that hopes on the kids who have been around the system but injured.

With respect to the BYU offense, even if Collie goes the issue will come down to Max Hall. If he can get a better mastery of the offense so that he is able to get rid of the ball to the right receiver as quick as the offense is designed, BYU is going to roll offensively. Even against teams whose speed overwhelm BYU's OL. New OL, losing Collie are not nearly as big an issue as getting Max to where he needs to be in understanding where the open receiver will be because they are there.

I'm a little bearish on next year. Losing the OL and potentially Collie is huge. After two years of starting experience, I wouldn't count on Hall improving too much. He's a very good QB but lacks the arm strength and forcing it in the middle against fast D's will always be an issue. But overall the O will be about as good as this year, maybe a slight step back.

I'm not big on the D's ability to improve very quickly and that will be the problem. We're into the same problem we had with the 3-3-5. We have a weakness at LB yet we have four on the field at the same time. That said, I don't think moving to a 4-3 would make for an immediate turnaround. We've got serious speed/talent issues on the D and that's very difficult to make up for.

[Non Sequitur]

When BYU starts losing to teams where it is obvious that BYU has the better players I could see your point. Up to now Mendenhall clearly beats the teams he should beat. BYU got beat by one team that clearly was better in Utah. BYU then lost to one team that was probably better than BYU but had a great game and BYU played like pussies in TCU and then BYU lost one game that was probably a toss up. I don't think BYU rose to the occasion very well this year, but a good sign of a coaching is consistently beating the teams it should. Mendenhall's approach makes that happen almost like clockwork.

I think that you are put off by Mendenhall's religious approach and that clouds your judgement. Trust me, there were glaring personnel issues this year regardless if the fairy dust approach and fireside tour '08 weren't as conducive to good football as you would like. I struggle to see the signs of imminent demise that you see.

I agree we beat most of the teams we should have beaten, but we sure didn't dominate many games. The team was loaded offensively this year. We should have been a lot better than we were.

When Bronco was first hired, I was on the bandwagon. I thought he was great. My only concern was his disdain for blue-chip players, his infatuation with walk-ons with the proper attitude. Now, when I look at all those fine young men on the defensive side of the ball, it seems like my initial fears are being realized.

[Goatnapper'96]

I agree we beat most of the teams we should have beaten, but we sure didn't dominate many games. The team was loaded offensively this year. We should have been a lot better than we were.

When Bronco was first hired, I was on the bandwagon. I thought he was great. My only concern was his disdain for blue-chip players, his infatuation with walk-ons with the proper attitude. Now, when I look at all those fine young men on the defensive side of the ball, it seems like my initial fears are being realized.

I think Mendenhall knows more talented players are important. I think the issues of this year are in poor recruiting and planning for LB. There were some injuries, but the lack of depth would have been exposed even with Hooks and So'oto. My criticisms of Mendenhall this year are based upon the lack of mental toughness, a result of internal strife IMO, and the fact that the talent at safety and LB was so down. I have watched his recruiting since he became the head coach and I don't think he ignores the more talented players. I don't think he kisses their ass, but I believe he makes every effort to use every resource he has at his disposal to land the best kids he can. As somebody who has watched BYU football for a long time there are more years on the horizon like this past year with respect to defensive talent. The recruiting base is just that way.

[cougjunkie]

Is your anti-Pendleton bias personal? Be honest.

I dont know Pendelton personally, but I do know that I have heard from plenty of people associated with the program (players, coaches, etc) that he is the most physically gifted safety BYU has had in a very long time. But he plays timid, has yet to learn his assignments and is a pussy when it comes to hitting.

[Goatnapper'96]

I dont know Pendelton personally, but I do know that I have heard from plenty of people associated with the program (players, coaches, etc) that he is the most physically gifted safety BYU has had in a very long time. But he plays timid, has yet to learn his assignments and is a pussy when it comes to hitting.

Pendleton will back up Te'o and Rich next year and will only see the field significantly if either of the starters gets hurt. I don't see any of the safety recruits touching the field as true freshman, especially if they are all planning on missions.

Pendleton might be this super gifted athlete, but I don't think that the differential between his athletic ability and that of Te'o/Rich will reflect the differential between Pendleton and Tafuna/Fowler. I think Pendleton has a narrowing window of opportunity to show he is as much a football player as he is an athlete and if he doesn't prove it this spring one can just about close the book on his opportunity for significant contributions barring injury to the other two. You see we all empathized with his plight when we watched the aforementioned fine young men who did not have anywhere near his physical gifts struggle, but Te'o and Rich are not as physically challenged as the two aforementioned fine young men. I believe Pendleton becomes an afterthought and a name used by the Mullahs to praise Mendenhall for sticking by his values and playing only those that are fully invested yadda..yadda..yadda.

Saying that people can change. Andrew Rich went from being one the DC and DB coach thought a pussy to being the only safety to make any plays by knocking the shit out of an opposing receiver in the entire 08 campaign. We are a Christian people and we believe that pussies can repent!