Alright, let's hear your Heaps assessments

[MarkGrace]

After the TCU game there was a lot of talk about what people wanted to see out of Heaps in the last five games to end the season, and that they would reevaluate his year at the end of the schedule. Well, since we've reached the end of the year -- bowl game notwithstanding -- I'm curious to hear where people now stand. Here's a look at the numbers over the last five:

ATT: 138
COMP: 84
COMP %: 60.8
YARDS: 1076
TD'S: 10
INT'S: 2
PER: 147.38.

LiveCoug said in the last five he just wanted to see Jake get a PER of over 100 at least once -- I think he got his wish. Others, like Shaka, were waiting until after the Utah game before leveling any end-of-the-year opinions, and I can't speak for those people, but he impressed the hell out of me yesterday. In my estimation he played as well or better than Max in any of the three cracks he got at Utah (of course there are a lot of arguments to made there on both sides: Hall was going up against better Ute teams; Heaps had nothing near the caliber of Collie/Pitta/Unga, etc.). Statistically speaking, his 114.73 PER yesterday surpassed any of Max's games against the Utes (93.30, 68.83, 93.99), and the poise he showed on that last drive given the circumstances was just remarkable -- too bad it didn't end with a win because everything he did there is now bound to be overlooked.

For my part, as a pro-Jake homer that wanted him to be named the starter after spring ball, this season went differently than I expected. There were times when I thought he looked worse than I ever thought we'd see in his Fr. season, and there were times he looked better than anything I thought we'd see during his Fr. season. I know the opponents over the last five were pretty dreadful, but we played some pretty poor defenses early on and got a lot less in terms of results than we did over the last five. Sure the teams were worse, but even at that, everything about his play seemed better (accuracy, decision-making, awareness in the pocket, etc.). All in all, I'm very pleased with his freshman campaign and the direction he seems to be heading. I'm excited to (hopefully) watch him for another three years.

So...thoughts?

[MarkGrace]

Heaps is going to be awesome. He made some big time plays yesterday. I was excited to see how he would play up there, believe me it's a pretty tough environment and some players fold and some step up. At 18 or 19, I don't think I was physically or mentally ready to play at the D1 level, so what he did was very impressive to me. I even friended him on facebook lol!

That was from Jonny Harline.
http://www.cougarboard.com/noframes/...tml?id=6255748

[smokymountainrain]

I will say this - Heaps was money yesterday against the utes when it mattered most. The coaches continued to be the pussies they've always proven to be - tried to take the ball out of his hands on the final drive, but he converted a huge 3rd and 9 regardless on that first series of downs. Then they succeeded at the end of the game and simply wouldn't let him do anything. Heaps was poised to take that game from the utes, but coaches would have none of it.

For the season, he obviously had a rough start, but I think that had as much to do with the coaches not being willing to open things up for him and horrendous play by the skill guys around him. I don't worry about Heaps - not even a little bit.

[PaloAltoCougar]

I will say this - Heaps was money yesterday against the utes when it mattered most. The coaches continued to be the pussies they've always proven to be - tried to take the ball out of his hands on the final drive, but he converted a huge 3rd and 9 regardless on that first series of downs. Then they succeeded at the end of the game and simply wouldn't let him do anything. Heaps was poised to take that game from the utes, but coaches would have none of it.

For the season, he obviously had a rough start, but I think that had as much to do with the coaches not being willing to open things up for him and horrendous play by the skill guys around him. I don't worry about Heaps - not even a little bit.

That's a point I've been thinking about a lot since yesterday. Overall, and despite the CB chorus calling for Anae's head, I thought he called a good game yesterday. But I do wish that on the final series he had called one play action pass for Heaps. I would have loved to see a Heaps pass to, say, Holt or Mahina.

[jay santos]

Fabulous. Couldn't be happier.

[Sizzle]

That's a point I've been thinking about a lot since yesterday. Overall, and despite the CB chorus calling for Anae's head, I thought he called a good game yesterday. But I do wish that on the final series he had called one play action pass for Heaps. I would have loved to see a Heaps pass to, say, Holt or Mahina.

The big reason why I don't think we did was the previous series we ran play action on first down, lost 12 yards and stalled out. The worst thing that could happen would be to do something stupid that turns a 40-yard FG into a 50-yard FG. I can only imagine the calling for Anae's head were they to have tried a pass play, gotten sacked or thrown an INT. Everybody would be armchair QBing saying that we should have ran the ball and played for the FG and the win IMO.

[byu71]

The big reason why I don't think we did was the previous series we ran play action on first down, lost 12 yards and stalled out. The worst thing that could happen would be to do something stupid that turns a 40-yard FG into a 50-yard FG. I can only imagine the calling for Anae's head were they to have tried a pass play, gotten sacked or thrown an INT. Everybody would be armchair QBing saying that we should have ran the ball and played for the FG and the win IMO.

I was on the phone with my son and we both agreed what they were doing was wrong. Reason, I can remember winning games at the end with a TD, I don't ever remember us executing a FG for a win in a big game.

That being said, I am not among those saying it was the wrong decision. Probably most coaches would have done the same thing.

I am though having a hard time thinking going for it on fourth down with a pass play instead of kicking the field goal or running it wasn't a bad decision. They should have at least asked for a measurement and thought things through.

I am really excited about Heaps future and I hope the coaches are capable of bringing him to his full potential.

[PaloAltoCougar]

The big reason why I don't think we did was the previous series we ran play action on first down, lost 12 yards and stalled out. The worst thing that could happen would be to do something stupid that turns a 40-yard FG into a 50-yard FG. I can only imagine the calling for Anae's head were they to have tried a pass play, gotten sacked or thrown an INT. Everybody would be armchair QBing saying that we should have ran the ball and played for the FG and the win IMO.

That's the worthy counterargument of course, and I've been going back and forth on it. No question the same idiots calling for Anae's head would still be doing so had a play action pass resulted a big loss.

[Sizzle]

I think Heaps took a MAJOR step forward yesterday. Heaps made a lot of plays all game long. The two most memorable in my mind are the two long passes to McKay. The TD pass he made a move with his feet to extend the play, kept his eyes downfield, checked back to McKay and stepped up in the pocket and fired an absolute laser. The second play he worked through his progressions which it appeared that his first two or three reads were on the right side of the field. With them all being covered, he checked back to the left side and found a wide open McKay because the safety had cheated to take away the right side.

He also threw some balls on a rope over the middle. I do have to say that for the most part the TEs stepped up in the passing game yesterday as well, as did McKay and gave Jake the help that he needed.

Heaps showed a ton of poise and I really can only think of a few bad throws that he made. The INT while the DBs made two great play to come up with the deflection and then the pick, the ball was underthrown and had it been delivered it could have been a TD.

Heaps also had a few more passes that should have been caught (Ashworth on the out and up, Ashworth on the screen, etc.) that would have made his day look even better, and very probably could have given the Cougs the win.

All in all, I'm very excited about the potential for Heaps and the offense for the next three years with Hoffman, Apo, Quezada, Holt, Mahina, etc.

[smokymountainrain]

The big reason why I don't think we did was the previous series we ran play action on first down, lost 12 yards and stalled out. The worst thing that could happen would be to do something stupid that turns a 40-yard FG into a 50-yard FG. I can only imagine the calling for Anae's head were they to have tried a pass play, gotten sacked or thrown an INT. Everybody would be armchair QBing saying that we should have ran the ball and played for the FG and the win IMO.

That's why you don't run play action in that situation. You roll him out and if nothing is there he throws it away. With regard to the part in bold...playing for a 40+ yard FG and not even trying to do anything is never a good idea in college football, IMO.

[Sizzle]

I was on the phone with my son and we both agreed what they were doing was wrong. Reason, I can remember winning games at the end with a TD, I don't ever remember us executing a FG for a win in a big game.

I think it has to do with most of those last-second close games we needed a TD and not a FG. I'm thinking of last years Utah game, the Beck to Harline game, CSU two years ago, etc. The one exception was the Utah game in 2007 when a FG would have won it and we were able to drive it in for a TD.

Don't get me wrong, when we were driving down I said to my wife "Let's not leave this to the chance of a kicker" having watched the Boise game the night before. But the way the chips fell where BYU had the opportunity to both run down the clock and force Utah to burn all their timeouts grinding the clock to essentially zero and put themselves in a position to win the game if they execute, I think any BYU fan would have taken that had you given them the opportunity before the game. I mean let's be honest, in that situation, I think at the very minimum 6 times out of 10 Payne makes the kick. And that is probably low. It just happened to be one of those times that the percentages didn't win out.

[byu71]

I think it has to do with most of those last-second close games we needed a TD and not a FG. I'm thinking of last years Utah game, the Beck to Harline game, CSU two years ago, etc. The one exception was the Utah game in 2007 when a FG would have won it and we were able to drive it in for a TD.

Don't get me wrong, when we were driving down I said to my wife "Let's not leave this to the chance of a kicker" having watched the Boise game the night before. But the way the chips fell where BYU had the opportunity to both run down the clock and force Utah to burn all their timeouts grinding the clock to essentially zero and put themselves in a position to win the game if they execute, I think any BYU fan would have taken that had you given them the opportunity before the game. I mean let's be honest, in that situation, I think at the very minimum 6 times out of 10 Payne makes the kick. And that is probably low. It just happened to be one of those times that the percentages didn't win out.

Like I said, I am not critical of the call. If Payne had kicked it we would be all hailing Bronco as a genius.

I do wonder if Beck or Hall had been the QB if they would have made the same decision. I know if McMahon had been the QB he would have just gone in the huddle and changed the play.

[Sizzle]

That's why you don't run play action in that situation. You roll him out and if nothing is there he throws it away. With regard to the part in bold...playing for a 40+ yard FG and not even trying to do anything is never a good idea in college football, IMO.

I think the other reason why they ran the ball (which I mention below) is because they knew they could grind the clock and leave Utah with no time if they got the ball back.

Was the FG a sure thing? Absolutely not. But at least you put the game in your hands where if you execute and do what you are supposed to do, you win. I think if BYU were in the same situation again, I don't know that I would want them to do anything differently on that drive (besides maybe running straight ahead the first two plays of the drive).

[Sizzle]

Like I said, I am not critical of the call. If Payne had kicked it we would be all hailing Bronco as a genius.

I do wonder if Beck or Hall had been the QB if they would have made the same decision. I know if McMahon had been the QB he would have just gone in the huddle and changed the play.

I wouldn't have wanted Junior Beck doing anything different than they did yesterday. Senior Beck is probably a different story. Same with Senior Max Hall. The way Junior Max Hall played in the rivalry game, I wouldn't have wanted them doing anything differently either. Granted, the 2008 Utah team was MUCH better than the 2010 iteration.

[byu71]

I wouldn't have wanted Junior Beck doing anything different than they did yesterday. Senior Beck is probably a different story. Same with Senior Max Hall. The way Junior Max Hall played in the rivalry game, I wouldn't have wanted them doing anything differently either. Granted, the 2008 Utah team was MUCH better than the 2010 iteration.

For you or any other knowledgeable football guys, I can't figure out the two runs out of the I when we first started our drive on our own 20 with four minutes left. We did complete the pass on 3rd down, so maybe we were setting up the pass with the run????