The Heaps Reclamation Project

[Blueintheface]

A different Riley cost us the TCU game. When your punter absolutely shits the bed, there isn't much you can do.

I think my very inebriated family members got into it with some TCU fans right after his 2nd miscue. I spent that quarter talking with Dallas police.

[Tone Loc]

A different Riley cost us the TCU game. When your punter absolutely shits the bed, there isn't much you can do.

Ok, it took a little while but we finally peeled back the layers to find out why you hate Jake so much. We have an official Riley homer here folks.

[Maximus]

I don't know what to make of this. To me Nelson was far and away the better quarterback this year. It wasn't close. This idea that Nelson took out cupcakes while Heaps struggled against the good teams is baloney. We didn't play any good teams this year. I don't have any idea about what happened off the field, but based on game performance Heaps can have no complaints. Nelson was better.

Except when Heaps was given the chance later in the year he performed just as well as Nelson has been.

[Flystripper]

I don't know what to make of this. To me Nelson was far and away the better quarterback this year. It wasn't close. This idea that Nelson took out cupcakes while Heaps struggled against the good teams is baloney. We didn't play any good teams this year. Heaps played against Texas. Nelson got TCU. I don't have any idea about what happened off the field, but based on game performance Heaps can have no complaints. Nelson was better.

I think Nelson loses at Texas and against Utah. These are the same losses that Jake experienced. Just speculation but it is my opinion.

[Goatnapper'96]

Time will tell. He sure didnt look like a dang good college qb against a suspect TCU defense. Which, by the way, is the only decent defense he has faced. I hope he ends up being my knight in shining armor like he is yours.

It was the best offensive performance BYU had had against TCU in a long time. I think with Riley that performance is what you will see against defenses that good. His gambling will hurt a few times but will also benefit. I don't see him ever dialing back his mentality. However, the offense was not the biggest variable that led to the loss.

I think the loss to TCU was more a failure of Mendenhall. BYU lost that game because of breakdowns in every phase of the game. As good as the defense played it even had a couple of miscues that if they do not happen the complexion changes. Patterson coached his team to do enough to let BYU make their job easier. BYU did it and the game demonstrated why Patterson is an elite coach and Mendenhall is merely a good coach.

[jay santos]

I don't know which Heaps' games we win with Nelson or how many Nelson games we win with Heaps. The point is we're clearly better with Nelson. Though it's impossible to provie, I'd bet money we'd be clearly better next year with Nelson as well. Too bad Heaps didn't work out. Sometimes things don't work out.

[Tone Loc]

Sure, hey, when your brother/brother in law transfers, do you promise to follow him there and leave us in peace?

Ill tell you what, if Jake is related to me I will leave this board for good. If he isnt, you leave for good. Fair deal?

Geez man, I would tell you to go get a slumpbuster but I am afraid that is all you ever get.

[Goatnapper'96]

I think Nelson loses at Texas and against Utah. These are the same losses that Jake experienced. Just speculation but it is my opinion.

The Texas one is difficult. I am skeptical Nelson could have had the first half Jake had, but I also believe that Nelson's scrambling and playmaking ability would have resulted in more consistency throughout the game and I think one of the reasons BYU lost was because the lack of offensive consistency got the defense fatigued in half 2. I also wonder if Nelson had played more in prime time against those teams he might have fared better against TCU?

Elohim themselves could not have saved the BYU against Utah.

[Viking]

Harmon back up with the Nelson family nonsense. I'm sure it's generating great traffic.

Dick, that's a bullshit move and you know it. If you're going to write what you did, you might as well name the family member. Otherwise, it's total hearsay and belongs in the hallowed halls of Cougarboard

[EuropeanFootballMale]

I think Nelson loses at Texas and against Utah. These are the same losses that Jake experienced. Just speculation but it is my opinion.

It's impossible to say, but I'll disagree. I really think we beat Texas if Nelson plays. Utah was an epic implosion, but Nelson would have scored more points than Heaps I think. I don't think Heaps wins the TCU game either.

[Coach McGuirk]

I don't know which Heaps' games we win with Nelson or how many Nelson games we win with Heaps. The point is we're clearly better with Nelson. Though it's impossible to provie, I'd bet money we'd be clearly better next year with Nelson as well. Too bad Heaps didn't work out. Sometimes things don't work out.

The only thing that is clear is we are better against teams with losing records. To say we are clearly better with Nelson is pure speculation.

[originalsocal]

Some rambling thoughts:

I believe that there were MANY people on the team and staff that REALLY did not like Heaps. I have heard rumors that other QBs (cough...cough...Lark...cough...cough) have a pretty frosty relationship with Heaps. It has been seen in how the team reacted after the USU game. Good hell, Ogletree, all but said that Heaps was personna-non-grata on the team. Really, from what I see (from a distance admittedly) Jake's teammates are not going to shed many tears about this.

Having said that, did the coaches screw up? HELL YES THEY DID! I cannot for the life of me understand how we could place so much hope in a truely untested QB? Sure he came close at Utah last year and was able to perform well against UTEP. Not exactly a true measuring stick. BUT going into the season we were spoon-fed that this was the second coming of Ty Freaking Detmer. I remember seeing the interview with Ty and Jake and thinking that if I was Ty I wouldn't think much of the kid. In fact, I distinctly remember Ty nearly telling Jake that even though he had broken Ty's freshman record, that he still had a long way to go. The coaching staff should have put the kybosh on any of this. They knew, or should have known, he wasn't ready.

Then there's the media. Holy crap from the media prior to the season we had this kid anointed as the chosen one. Hell, even Monson was ready to stick his tongue in Jake's ear and whisper sweet nothings. Again, the coaching staff let all this Heaps love run amok...and here I was buying in hook, line and sinker. Never again I say! I thought I learned my lesson from the Olson debacle, but hope always spring eternal in this Coug I guess.

My biggest axe to grind in all of this in with the BYU PR team. Wow! What a disaster!!! Not only did they pull out all the stops from Steve Young, Ty Detmer, Trevor Matitch, Chad Lewis (you know the usuals), but they hosted what has to be the biggest honk-fest in the history of man during media week. I know, I know...that's how that works at all media days, but weren't we all told that this team, this QB was special? So special...we had to have some of their affection?!! NEVER again I say!

With all that would it not be surprising if both Jake suffered from big head syndrome (not that he didn't previously) or that his teammates might start to resent him...especially since they saw that the kid might not be all that and a bag of chips?

So, I feel kinda bad for Jake, but also believe the kid may have gotten what he deserved in some ways. Also, I understand why he would want to leave. He lost the faith of the fan base, his teammates, the coaching staff, the media etc. The biggest problem I have though is that he is doing it now, before the bowl game. Sorta a "I'm better than this" move if you ask me...but again hasn't everything having to do with Jake Heaps been that way?

[Viking]

The Texas one is difficult. I am skeptical Nelson could have had the first half Jake had, but I also believe that Nelson's scrambling and playmaking ability would have resulted in more consistency throughout the game and I think one of the reasons BYU lost was because the lack of offensive consistency got the defense fatigued in half 2. I also wonder if Nelson had played more in prime time against those teams he might have fared better against TCU?

Elohim themselves could not have saved the BYU against Utah.

I disagree about the Utah game. Jake set the tempo with the most embarrassing play in Cougar history against Utah. It was like the team collectively sighed and said, "we're f---cked" and the game was over.

[jay santos]

The only thing that is clear is we are better against teams with losing records. To say we are clearly better with Nelson is pure speculation.

It's clear to me.

[Blueintheface]

It's impossible to say, but I'll disagree. I really think we beat Texas if Nelson plays. Utah was an epic implosion, but Nelson would have scored more points than Heaps I think. I don't think Heaps wins the TCU game either.

The changes Texas made second half were to take away the success BYU had at running the ball. Nelson couldn't have helped that.