2023 BYU Football:The First Year of The Quorum of the BIG12

[Bo Diddley]

Which the play as called told the QB he was supposed to take.

Contrast this with the play from Zach Wilson's rookie year, where on 4th and 2 against Tom Brady's Bucs he ran a QB sneak instead of handing the ball off to a receiver on a jet sweep. Zach made the read based on where a defensive lineman lined up. The play call was for him to decide what to do based on that alignment, and in keeping it for the sneak (coming up short and giving the ball back to Brady for the winning TD drive) he ran the play exactly as it was called. The coaches later acknowledged that they gave him the wrong play-- or, at least, failed to give him the right instruction on how to run that play.

Here, by contrast, the indication is that the play was designed to be a run-- a run with an option to pass, not a pass with an option to run. Moreover, the option to pass was to be considered only if it was absolutely open. The play was supposed to be a handoff.

Again, this doesn't let the coaches off the hook. It's still a coaching mistake-- just not the same kind of mistake.

Let's just agree to hope the coaches learn from this as they develop Retzlaff moving forward.

[Omaha 680]

Which the play as called told the QB he was supposed to take.

Contrast this with the play from Zach Wilson's rookie year, where on 4th and 2 against Tom Brady's Bucs he ran a QB sneak instead of handing the ball off to a receiver on a jet sweep. Zach made the read based on where a defensive lineman lined up. The play call was for him to decide what to do based on that alignment, and in keeping it for the sneak (coming up short and giving the ball back to Brady for the winning TD drive) he ran the play exactly as it was called. The coaches later acknowledged that they gave him the wrong play-- or, at least, failed to give him the right instruction on how to run that play.

Here, by contrast, the indication is that the play was designed to be a run-- a run with an option to pass, not a pass with an option to run. Moreover, the option to pass was to be considered only if it was absolutely open. The play was supposed to be a handoff.

Again, this doesn't let the coaches off the hook. It's still a coaching mistake-- just not the same kind of mistake.

You are making a distinction without a difference. If the explicit instructions to not throw the ball did not accompany the RPO call on Saturday then it was the wrong call. Anything else leaves the very real opportunity for your very inexperienced QB to make the exact fatal mistake he did. But we appear to agree it was on the coaches to ensure the ball got into Robbins's hands on first and goal and they failed spectacularly.

I still like ARod and (more importantly) don't see anyone better we could bring in. But this play was one of those things he does occasionally that makes me want to die.

[Shaka]

The play call wasn't bad. RPO's are run first. The only time you go pass is if the receiver is basically uncovered. The ball should have been handed off but Jake screwed it up.

[byufan4ever]

What I thought was odd was Sitake throwing Retzlaff under the bus. He's usually a "praise in public, criticize in private" person. I thought it was really out of place for him to do that with a relatively unexperienced QB. It seemed like Sitake is starting to feel some heat and he was deflecting...it was a bit classless if I'm honest. I like Sitake most of the time, but this lowered him a notch in my book.

[Bo Diddley]

So missed opportunity against Oklahoma, but did we figure out the running game? One more shot in Stillwater to become bowl eligible. A win there and all is forgiven wrt the pick 6. We always saw this as a rebuilding year anyway, right? That loss was progress.

[All-American]

What I thought was odd was Sitake throwing Retzlaff under the bus. He's usually a "praise in public, criticize in private" person. I thought it was really out of place for him to do that with a relatively unexperienced QB. It seemed like Sitake is starting to feel some heat and he was deflecting...it was a bit classless if I'm honest. I like Sitake most of the time, but this lowered him a notch in my book.

The alternative is coachspeak, blinking, and "I'll go look at the film."

We get made when they obfuscate. We get mad when they address it point on. We get mad when they lack creativity. We get mad when that creativity doesn't pan out.

Reality is that nothing he says to the media is going to make a difference; the performance on the field was what it was.

[BlueK]

So missed opportunity against Oklahoma, but did we figure out the running game? One more shot in Stillwater to become bowl eligible. A win there and all is forgiven wrt the pick 6. We always saw this as a rebuilding year anyway, right? That loss was progress.

Yeah, why did the running game suddenly get better and against one of the toughest opponents? What did they finally figure out or do differently on the offensive line?

[BigFatMeanie]

Yeah, why did the running game suddenly get better and against one of the toughest opponents? What did they finally figure out or do differently on the offensive line?

My amateur observation: Robbins actually was able to make a cut-back move every now and then. It seems like for most of the year our RBs have been running straight into the blockers - either not seeing the hole, not waiting for the hole to open, or not see when there was an available cut back lane. Of course there hasn't exactly been a lot of great holes/lanes for them this year. Robbins still ran into the back of his own blockers a few times but most of the big gains seemed like they came on nice cutbacks.

[byufan4ever]

The alternative is coachspeak, blinking, and "I'll go look at the film."

We get made when they obfuscate. We get mad when they address it point on. We get mad when they lack creativity. We get mad when that creativity doesn't pan out.

Reality is that nothing he says to the media is going to make a difference; the performance on the field was what it was.

But that's exactly what Sitake does 99% of the time. He's not a Saban "publicly criticize your player that just had a Heisman day" type coach. He almost always says, "this is on me (or the coaches)." He did publicly call out the OL earlier in the season, but that was honestly deserved with how awful they have been. When was the last time he called out the defense? To call out a relatively inexperienced QB on a questionable play that gives the QB an option to choose...if you don't want a young QB to make a wrong choice there, don't call a RPO. Sure, it was a bad decision by the QB on that one play. It was heartbreaking. You think Jake doesn't feel bad about it? You only publicly call out players when the private chastising/coaching isn't working.

[byufan4ever]

My amateur observation: Robbins actually was able to make a cut-back move every now and then. It seems like for most of the year our RBs have been running straight into the blockers - either not seeing the hole, not waiting for the hole to open, or not see when there was an available cut back lane. Of course there hasn't exactly been a lot of great holes/lanes for them this year. Robbins still ran into the back of his own blockers a few times but most of the big gains seemed like they came on nice cutbacks.

Robbins finally being healthy is helping. I can't remember who, but someone who had watched fall camp/practices said that Robbins was looking really slow and unconvincing as a RB1 and he personally thought Robbins was nursing an injury even though BYU had not said anything at the time.

[Pelado]

The announcers during the game said that Oklahoma had struggled all season stopping the run. I'm not sure how true that is since the only other Oklahoma game I've watched all the way through was against Texas.

Still, I'm not ready to say the running game is fixed.

[byufan4ever]

The announcers during the game said that Oklahoma had struggled all season stopping the run. I'm not sure how true that is since the only other Oklahoma game I've watched all the way through was against Texas.

Still, I'm not ready to say the running game is fixed.

Oh for sure. We've seen a few glimpses here and there, but if this team thinks it's fixed and takes the week off, then we are in for a sub 25 rushing game against OSU.

[Joe Public]

Opening drive turnover again. Yuck.

[All-American]

Good grief.

Nice job by the D to keep it to three there.

[BigFatMeanie]

Unlike the commentators, I don't think that pitch/fumble was on either Retzlaff or Robbins. The horrible O-line "block" (it was really a non-block) that allowed the OSU player into the backfield and forced the pitch came from none other than.... #76 Caleb Etienne. He has been so bad this year. Really, really bad.

Or perhaps the play was designed for him to just let the defensive player zoom right by him with minimal attempt at run-blocking? Those of you that understand football better than I do, which is probably most everyone, please let me know.