The Heaps Reclamation Project

[Maximus]

This fact, along with failing to hire a dedicated QB coach, cannot be overstated when discussing Heaps' career.

Doman is far better equipped to call plays for a running QB. Hopefully he can keep things going in the right direction with Nelson, at least until the world ends on December 21, 2012. Hopefully it happens AFTER the end of the Poinsettia bowl.

ughhhh so we hired someone who can not run a BYU offense? maybe bronco should have looked around some more instead of making the easy hire.

[Goatnapper'96]

Yes, that is my thought on the matter. And no, I dont think you pull the QB vs USU. So he loses that game. big deal. then he goes into the easy part of the schedule and BYU finishes the regular season with 8 wins, not 9. And we have a kid that has grown up a bit more and still with us for 2 more years.

Look at Matt barkley at SC. Started as a true freshman, beats Ohio State at the Shoe. Throws a ton of interceptions his sophomore year. comes back fat and out of shape. Gets his act together for his junior year, poised for a Heisman run his Senior year. SC gets 4 really serviceable years out of him even though he threw a lot of picks and lost some games he could have won.

Bronco...what a moran. This is the guy that actually ran out a different QB every other series against Washington. That was his plan. Bronco has not known what to do with Heaps from the very first snap.

I think it is a pretty complicated issue. Give me time and I will find an example of a HC who stuck with a highly recruited kid waiting for him to develop and it never happened, coach probably lost his job. Much of what folks are critcizing Mendenhall and Doman for in this case is based upon the assumption that Heaps is going to develop into a great one. I think he has the potential, but IMO clearly something wasn't right this year.

I will never fault a HC for choosing to win over a what if scenario. That is not to say that I think Mendenhall is faultless either just that by the time the USU game rolled around I had no issue with him choosing how they did.

[Portland Ute]

really, what rumor? I have three family members who are staff and former players (one current) in the last two years that would go right after your statement.

Are these the same sources that guaranteed BYU was going to the Big12?

[Goatnapper'96]

I too question Jakes toughness, but there is a good chance a lot of that rumor is true. Sorry.

I have heard no rumors and am not trying to spread any. Just from what I have seen and can surmise from what has happened, I think Jake lacks some toughness. My biggest criticism of the coaching staff was being a situation to hand it to a true freshman. I don't know if that was because they were convinced that Heaps was going to be their man or if they had failed in finding a replacement for Hall that was prepared. In any case, my perspective is Jake lacked the toughness he needed at the time. Perhaps this ugly experience will help him to develop that toughness.

[Green Monstah]

Are these the same sources that guaranteed BYU was going to the Big12?

I think you're a great guy, PU, esp. for a Ute, but you have no dog in this fight.

[kccougar]

That was a incredibly dumb thing for Dick to write even if true.

Also if it is true what precipitated it? I've heard some interesting thing about Riley's parents, particularly his dad. Also Riley has a couple of pre-teen brothers. Maybe they were ones who popped off.

I know three people who are close friends with the Nelson's. By all accounts they are very solid people. If something went down then I'm thinking there's more to the story.

Looks like Harmon's article has now been revised. No longer any direct reference to the Nelson family.

[Goatnapper'96]

That describes me on both counts!

You will note that my most scathing insult has yet to be inflicted upon you. Indeed, you and I cry when they tell the James Kirkwood story because we each know 4 older brothers who would have carried us up Rocky Ridge to the fire and then laid down to die.

Generally younger brothers rarely end up being stringpulling pussies. I am not sure what is Mark Grace's excuse. He is younger than me and loves Rush, clearly he had to have had older brothers to love classic rock from that generation.

[Flystripper]

You don't think they should have pulled Jake against USU or are you saying you believe he should have been named the starter for the SJSU game?

Just wondering what your perspective is. You indicating that steady Bronco did a bit of a classical Crowton move of not having the patience a HC should have and biting off his nose to spite his face?

Jake getting pulled against USU was fine. That was a game-time decision and it happens. Jake getting pulled for SJSU when the cupcakes were on deck was the mistake and is what probably set the progam back a few years.

Riley has done ok with his opportunity. He has performed better than I thought he could, even though he has been lucky as hell on some of the shit he puts up for grabs. BTW those idiotic decisions are going to lose games even more than Jake missing 5 yards outs against good teams.

My frustration isn't about Riley. It is about the direction of the program and the lack of patience shown to Jake on a 2-2 team about to hit the easiest part of its schedule. It is a lack of long-term perspective and falling in love with a good story of the moment instead of having the discipline to see your long-term plan though fruition.

[Portland Ute]

I think you're a great guy, PU, esp. for a Ute, but you have no dog in this fight.

Having no dog in a fight hasn't kept various board luminaries from taking mocking shots at what various posters have said.

I don't see this being any different.

But, I will take your post to be a suggestion and step away from the fight.

[Goatnapper'96]

Jake getting pulled at USU was fine. That was a gametime decision and it happens. For Jake to get pulled for SJSU when the cupcakes were on deck is what was the mistake and what probably set the program back a few years.

Riley has done ok with his opportunity. He has performed better than I thought he could, even though he has been lucky as hell on some of the shit he puts up for grabs. BTW those idiotic decisions are going to lose games even more than Jake missing 5 yards outs against good teams.

My frustration isn't about Riley. It is about the direction of the program and the lack of patience shown to Jake on a 2-2 team about to hit the easiest part of its schedule. It is a lack of long-term perspective and falling in love with a good story of the moment instead of having the discipline to see your long-term plan though fruition.

I can accept that but will wait until whether or not Jake really shows that promise at his next stop to decide whether or not I agree.

[Green Monstah]

Jake getting pulled at USU was fine. That was a gametime decision and it happens. For Jake to get pulled for SJSU when the cupcakes were on deck is what was the mistake and what probably set the program back a few years.

Riley has done ok with his opportunity. He has performed better than I thought he could, even though he has been lucky as hell on some of the shit he puts up for grabs. BTW those idiotic decisions are going to lose games even more than Jake missing 5 yards outs against good teams.

My frustration isn't about Riley. It is about the direction of the program and the lack of patience shown to Jake on a 2-2 team about to hit the easiest part of its schedule. It is a lack of long-term perspective and falling in love with a good story of the moment instead of having the discipline to see your long-term plan though fruition.

I agree with this. Bronco has showed surprisingly poor leadership the last few years.

Although Anae had issues, I was really surprised with the lack of patience with him as well. Sending him packing could have been a -2 Ws for us this year. Oh well.

[Coach McGuirk]

I can accept that but will wait until whether or not Jake really shows that promise at his next stop to decide whether or not I agree.

You will be able to judge nothing from what Jake does or doesn't do at the next stop.

[Goatnapper'96]

I agree with this. Bronco has showed surprisingly poor leadership the last few years.

Although Anae had issues, I was really surprised with the lack of patience with him as well. Sending him packing could have been a -2 Ws for us this year. Oh well.

Perhaps we should have as much patience with Bronco's decisions concerning Riley and Anae as we think he should have been with them?

Although I disagree with your projection that Anae would have resulted in another two wins this year, I do think if BYU had only lost one game this year, which I think was really doable, they would be heading to a BCS bowl.

The issue with the coaching staff is they are not that good. They weren't with Anae and I doubt they will be without him, but I can oh so hope that they are!

[TripletDaddy]

I think it is a pretty complicated issue. Give me time and I will find an example of a HC who stuck with a highly recruited kid waiting for him to develop and it never happened, coach probably lost his job. Much of what folks are critcizing Mendenhall and Doman for in this case is based upon the assumption that Heaps is going to develop into a great one. I think he has the potential, but IMO clearly something wasn't right this year.

I will never fault a HC for choosing to win over a what if scenario. That is not to say that I think Mendenhall is faultless either just that by the time the USU game rolled around I had no issue with him choosing how they did.

I will save you the time and effort.

Jake Locker is a perfect example...never developed, coaches lost their jobs. Ron "Beano" Powlus is another. There are probably lots.

Carson Palmer was about to be drawn and quartered until his final season...and even then, only the last 3/4s of his final season. It was good enough to win a Heisman after he headed up to Eugene and shredded the Ducks.

You are right, nobody knows how players will develop. but we we did know up until that point was that Jake set performance records as a true freshman (something most QBs dont have the burden of doing) and entered his sophomore season with a 2-2 record and looking like he needed to do some work. is that a shocker? Instead of looking up the stats you said you were going to look up, why not look up examples of QBs that lost their starting jobs in the fifth game of the season after going 2-2 to start.

[Goatnapper'96]

You will be able to judge nothing from what Jake does or doesn't do at the next level.

I said next stop not next level. I think if Jake flourishes at his next stop, being whichever college he chooses, it will be real indicting of Doman and Mendenhall and I will agree with the notion that we should have rode Jake out.

Saying that, I am not convinced that Jake would have led BYU to wins over all these teams. I think I recall Flystripper being less than accepting that BYU would waltz to 9 wins back when this issue was a little more in the here and now. Sometimes we might be forgetting how trully awful the offense looked against UCF and for 2/3 of the USU game.