Alright, let's hear your Heaps assessments

[oxcoug]

Looking in the rear view mirror, yep. But maybe the OL makes their blocks and Kariya goes 8 yards. Maybe if we call pass, the OL jumps gets nervous to pass protect and jumps offsides, or maybe Heaps gets sacked or throws an INT, or throws two incompletions we make the FG with 1:00 to go and Wynn comes back and gets another FG or TD and we still lose. Maybe, maybe, maybe. You guys really don't remember Detmer vs Iowa?

I don't know if it was the right call. It certainly wasn't an idiotic, no-brainer, fire the coach for it call.



Passing in that situation was not a no-brainer.

Oh I won't make the case that it, itself, is a "fire the coach" call or that it was a total no-brainer. But I think it was a near no-brainer for the following reasons:

1. Utah was clearly selling out to stop the run

2. We had a TO

3. Heaps had a hot hand and was making smart decisions

4. Payne is barely over 50% for his career outside of 40 yards - and most of those kicks weren't happening in 35 degree weather in hostile environments with the game on the line. With that in mind I feel like BYU NEEDED another 5-10 yards to feel safe, and they weren't going to get it running into Utah's goal line defense.

But sure - could have gone wrong throwing the ball as well.

[statman]

Probably most coaches would have done the same thing.

I doubt it.

If they were 10 yards closer, I agree, many coaches would've done the same thing. But to put the whole game on the roll of the dice on a 43 yarder in cold weather, with no time on the clock, on the road, in a rivalry game, is high-risk football, not low-risk.

Especially after Jake had shown he COULD move the ball in tough situations (he was nails in that posession).

The shitty refs who called the game won't be there next season. But the coaching staff who called a stupid end of the game will be.

[statman]

Anae's worst decision of the game was an overly aggressive one not a conservative one: the pass on 4th and inches.

I agree on this one for sure - they should've taken the points. No question at all. With three more on the board, Utah needs to scores to take the lead, and BYU would've won. And if you're going to go for it on 4th and 6 inches, just sneak it up the middle...

[Flystripper]

Also go back and watch all the 6 yard, 8 yard, 7 yard runs all game long that kept the heat off Heaps, kept us winning the field position game, and put us in position to win the game at the end of the game. I'm sure you and the rest of the fire Anae gang would have preferred a game plan of Heaps throwing long bombs all game long. Or did you only not like the runs that got stopped? Did you not like any of the pass calls that didn't work?

Anae's worst decision of the game was an overly aggressive one not a conservative one: the pass on 4th and inches.

Preach!

[SoCalCoug]

Looking in the rear view mirror, yep. But maybe the OL makes their blocks and Kariya goes 8 yards. Maybe if we call pass, the OL jumps gets nervous to pass protect and jumps offsides, or maybe Heaps gets sacked or throws an INT, or throws two incompletions we make the FG with 1:00 to go and Wynn comes back and gets another FG or TD and we still lose. Maybe, maybe, maybe. You guys really don't remember Detmer vs Iowa?

You've just described "playing not to lose" which is the hallmark of Anae. You're obviously comfortable with that, I'm obviously not.

[SoCalCoug]

Actually before that last run by Kariya for a 5 yard loss they were at the 20.

First down was at the 24. Kariya ran for 2 to the 22. On 2nd, Kariya lost 1 to the 23. On third, Kariya lost 2 to the 25.

So they were around the 25, not the 30. Still outside the red zone, and still a 40+ yard field goal.

[Goatnapper'96]

You've just described "playing not to lose" which is the hallmark of Anae. You're obviously comfortable with that, I'm obviously not.

I wonder what BYU's winning percentage is in games decided by less than 7 points? I thought at one time I read where Mendnehall had a real high percentage. It helps that when he loses he gets knocked the ef out! But I think whatever method Mendenhall employs, statistically speaking he does well.

Since we are ailing grievances about Robert Anae can I mention that while I stand ambivalent about his future at the BYU, I thought that rush against UCLA at the end of the first half in the 2007 Vegas Bowl was about as bad a call as I had seen in my life. I was amazed he did that.

[SoCalCoug]

If you want to play the percentages: Matt Payne has missed around 50% of his 40+ yard field goals. What percentage of Jake's pass attempts have ended in an interception? In a sack?

It wasn't the conservative thing to do. It was the chicken thing to do.

[SoCalCoug]

Since we are ailing grievances about Robert Anae can I mention that while I stand ambivalent about his future at the BYU, I thought that rush against UCLA at the end of the first half in the 2007 Vegas Bowl was about as bad a call as I had seen in my life. I was amazed he did that.

Again, another call that just wasn't appropriate for the circumstances. How many of these has he had?

[Sizzle]

If you want to play the percentages: Matt Payne has missed around 50% of his 40+ yard field goals. What percentage of Jake's pass attempts have ended in an interception? In a sack?

It wasn't the conservative thing to do. It was the chicken thing to do.

Had BYU made the FG and won, would you be taking the same stand?

[SoCalCoug]

Had BYU made the FG and won, would you be taking the same stand?

Of course not. I'd have been too busy exulting in the win over the evil empire.

But I remember being very disappointed and concerned as I watched them run at the teeth of the Ute defense three times, and wondering if I really wanted the game to come down to a 40+ yard field goal by Payne. If I'd been a comic book, you'd have seen question marks swirling around my head. I would have been much more pleased at the time with a shot or two down the field.

[Jacob]

Had BYU made the FG and won, would you be taking the same stand?

Those were not after-the-fact thoughts. At least not for me. Real time I was yelling at the TV to not settle for a long FG. Of course, had it worked, nobody would complain. Still wouldn't change the my preferred strategy.

It's as if nobody watched what happened in the Boise game the day before. Kicking the long FG is the last resort, not something you settle for when your offense is moving the ball, you have time on the clock and a timeout.

[Sizzle]

Those were not after-the-fact thoughts. At least not for me. Real time I was yelling at the TV to not settle for a long FG. Of course, had it worked, nobody would complain. Still wouldn't change the my preferred strategy.

It's as if nobody watched what happened in the Boise game the day before. Kicking the long FG is the last resort, not something you settle for when your offense is moving the ball, you have time on the clock and a timeout.

Would you rather attempt a game winning FG with no time left on the clock or would you rather kick a FG and leave 45 seconds on the game clock and leave the other team with two timeouts? The strategy was to grind the clock and let BYU be able to leave the statement and IMO it was absolutely the right one.

Would I have preferred that BYU had been able to grind it out and get an additional 5-8 yards, or pick up the first down and convert and get a TD? Absolutely. But the negatives associated with passing (fumbling, getting sacked, throwing an INT, stopping the clock, putting the team outside of FG range) are not worth the risk IMO. How many times had Utah put an end to comebacks this season with a game changing INT? I watched it happen twice against SDSU who had thrown the ball at will against Utah, and also against Pitt.

How many times do you see teams in OT make the same play. You only need a FG to win, when you get in position you don't do anything stupid to take you out of FG range or turn the ball over.

[Sizzle]

Of course not. I'd have been too busy exulting in the win over the evil empire.

Then, pardon my French, but shut the fuck up. It is either a good decision or a bad one. The outcome of the play shouldn't dictate whether or not it was the right or wrong call. If you feel strongly about it being the wrong call, then nut up and say you would have disagreed with it had it worked. Otherwise, quit being a bitch.

[KillerDog]

I am pleasantly surprised with Heaps development in the second half of the season. He has come on and is playing some good football. I expect he will be a good one for us.

I am also very pleased with Quezada's development. He runs low and hard and has very good balance. I expect he will have a shot at becoming the feature back next year.