Rise Up: BYU vs UCF.....knight game

[Surfah]

I read that the unbalanced line was too confusing to our personnel and they complained to Doman about it. We ran some unbalanced when I was in HS and it was a mental leap to get it right, although I can't recall why.

We have some dumb personnel on offense.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Either Heaps is terrible, or our TEs are terrible, or Doman just doesn't use the TEs. I can't imagine it's Doman not using TEs, it seems like we have TEs lining up and running patterns.

The disappearance of the TE in the BYU offense is mind blowing to me.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

The disappearance of the TE in the BYU offense is mind blowing to me.

Anae was still running the offense last year. Between Harline and Pitta and guys like Andrew George, BYU had some pretty good TE production under Anae...until last year.

The common thread is either the TEs themselves or it's Hypes. I'm inclined to believe that it's Hypes since it seems like he's also incapable of getting our wide receivers balls in the middle of the field.

[jay santos]

Anae was still running the offense last year. Between Harline and Pitta and guys like Andrew George, BYU had some pretty good TE production under Anae...until last year.

The common thread is either the TEs themselves or it's Hypes. I'm inclined to believe that it's Hypes since it seems like he's also incapable of getting our wide receivers balls in the middle of the field.

I agree. Im not big on the coordinator change, but we appear to be running the same stuff we always have.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

I agree. Im not big on the coordinator change, but we appear to be running the same stuff we always have.

I'm not quite sure the problem is Doman. Perhaps he needs a QB coach. But looking at Heaps' lack of accuracy and an apparent inability to read defenses (have we seen Hypes ever punish a defense for blitzing?), I'm beginning to think it's Hypes. I also get the feeling the kid is either lazy or guys on the team don't like him, or maybe both.

[Hot Lunch]

LOL.

I had to take a shot. Flip it this way, if Holt, Wilson, and Mahina were at Utah would Jake play much?

I will take Murph over all 3. I was big on Murph when I saw him in Spring and I think we see more and more of him since his breakout performance vs. BYU. I have to agree with CMBF on the stars. I will get excited about the stars up until they start playing on Saturdays (or Friday nights in BYU's case). BYU's trio of TE's haven't done a thing to impress me the past two years.

[Surfah]

I will take Murph over all 3. I was big on Murph when I saw him in Spring and I think we see more and more of him since his breakout performance vs. BYU. I have to agree with CMBF on the stars. I will get excited about the stars up until they start playing on Saturdays (or Friday nights in BYU's case). BYU's trio of TE's haven't done a thing to impress me the past two years.

I'll concede that. But I think you'd feel differently about those three guys in Utah's system. I think their lack of productivity isn't due to their lack of talent.

[Hot Lunch]

I'm not quite sure the problem is Doman. Perhaps he needs a QB coach. But looking at Heaps' lack of accuracy and an apparent inability to read defenses (have we seen Hypes ever punish a defense for blitzing?), I'm beginning to think it's Hypes. I also get the feeling the kid is either lazy or guys on the team don't like him, or maybe both.

I think the problem is combination of a lot of things. Doman, Heaps and the offensive line carry the blame. Doman is a young coordinator. He has been a very good q.b. coach the past few years and and they had to promote him. It was promote him or lose him. Doman is also the best recruiter on staff so Bronco really had no choice. Heaps is still a very young q.b. that is still learning. It does seem like he is getting worse and not getting any better. As for the O Line, I think they have underachieved more than anyone on the team. They were a little better last night in the run blocking but the first three games they were horrible. I think that group has around 100 combined starts. BYU's O has been so one dimensional. Makes it a lot easier for defenses to defend.

[MartyFunkhouser]

Judging by his production against BYU, yeah he would.

Either Heaps is terrible, or our TEs are terrible, or Doman just doesn't use the TEs. I can't imagine it's Doman not using TEs, it seems like we have TEs lining up and running patterns.

But I also think some people put too much emphasis on recruiting rankings for players. It's why people keep on thinking that Heaps is just bursting at the seams with untapped talent after he goes 16 for 34 for 133 yards with an int and no TDs in his, what, 14th start? Austin Holt was a pretty big recruit and perhaps he would play like it if he were playing with Max Hall. We don't know what's going to happen with Murphy over the long run but he had a decent game against BYU.

I think it is Heaps with the TEs. BYU wasn't using the TEs last year either with an offensive coordinator who had used TEs a lot in the past.

[MarkGrace]

Heaps sucked in this game. I took up the Heaps defense the last few weeks because I didn't think he was was the biggest problem in our offensive woes. But against UCF, he was. The first three games he was good in at least half of each, and I particularly didn't understand the bitching after the Utah game because I thought there was a stretch of that game where he was as good as we'd maybe ever seen (at one point I think he was like 10/13 for 140 and a TD), but there just wasn't much good going on at all against UCF.

I'm not sure what his problem is. Actually, after four games, I kind of think it's becoming evident to everyone that he's afraid to get hit, and it's throwing off everything about his game. There was a play early that could have been a touchdown and he just missed the receiver. Blaine said something along the lines of if "he sees the blitz developing, makes the right read, but you have to know that hit is coming and hang in there long enough to let the play develop." Heaps sees the blitz coming, but gets right of it two steps too soon. As a result, no touchdown. And this seems to be the biggest problem with his accuracy as I watched the game back. Too often his got happy feet, or not set, or throwing off his back foot or whatever. I think this is why the ball is consistently sailing on him Jake Locker style. And going back to Nik's comment about why he's so much better in practice, I think it has less to do with our secondary and more to do with this. He can hang in there, let the play develop until the last second, step into his throw and not worry about getting drilled.

The thing I don't get is why he has this fear all of sudden. I seem to recall him taking seem decent shots last year and handling it fine. Even in the Utah game at the end of last year he showed some moxie and fight. We even found out after the game that he had dislocated his rib or something and played through it, which garnered him all sorts of tough praise last year. Not sure where that went, but it's definitely not there. And it's not like anything has happened to cause this. He hasn't taken any big hit that caused severe injury of left him on the turf for a prolonged period or anything. Against Texas I just figured it was one of those things where he hadn't taken a real shot in so long he'd kind of forgotten what it was like, but four games in I'm not really sure I get it.

[smokymountainrain]

Actually, after four games, I kind of think it's becoming evident to everyone that he's afraid to get hit, and it's throwing off everything about his game.

If so, this would explain why he's good in practice, but sucks in games against good talent.

[MarkGrace]

If so, this would explain why he's good in practice, but sucks in games against good talent.

Agreed on the practice part, but I don't think it has a ton to do with the talent.

And going back to Nik's comment about why he's so much better in practice, I think it has less to do with our secondary and more to do with this. He can hang in there, let the play develop until the last second, step into his throw and not worry about getting drilled.

[Commando]

I think coach needs to load up the jug machine during practice and fire tennis balls at Jake after the snap while he is making reads to get those nerves iced up.

[smokymountainrain]

Agreed on the practice part, but I don't think it has a ton to do with the talent.

The reason I threw the talent part in there was because Heaps was legit last year at the end of the season against shitty teams. And I think the reason is that those teams couldn't threaten him consistently. Part of that success could be due to having a competent OC, but he wasn't missing passes against those bad teams that he missed against good teams last year and the decent teams they've played this year.

[Shaka]

The reason I threw the talent part in there was because Heaps was legit last year at the end of the season against shitty teams. And I think the reason is that those teams couldn't threaten him consistently. Part of that success could be due to having a competent OC, but he wasn't missing passes against those bad teams that he missed against good teams last year and the decent teams they've played this year.

Jake had some issues with his accuracy and touch even against the crappy teams. These flaws weren't magnified due to the lack of consistent pass rush but also because if the less than great pass defense. Many were hoping these issues would be ironed out over the summer but unfortunately they were not.

After the USU game BYU gets to play some patsies. These games, with an exception or two, will essentially be meaningless to determining if Jake is progressing. Fortunately we get the chance to get a mid-term test for Jake against TCU and then a final test against Hawaii. I think we will know most of what we need to about Jake at the end of that Hawaii game. If Jake doesn't progress much then I can't see the coaches not opening up the QB competition in the spring. Lark improved quite a bit during the offseason although not enough to win the backup job. Maybe he will continue to gain ground give Heaps a run. Maybe things will click for Munns. Maybe Bronco punts and brings in a JC guy. Nelson the gadfly would also be in the mix.

Personally I'm hoping that Jake is getting a much needed wakeup call and will rise to the occasion. Up until he hit college football has been somewhat easy for him to grasp. Now that he's expected to do well against top collegiate teams he needs to put in the hard work to up his game. It will be interesting to see if he has to aptitude to do so.