The Heaps Reclamation Project

[Coach McGuirk]

It's clear to me.

and you're delusional, so where does that leave us?

[Viking]

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?

This kid played 3A ball in Washington. That's the equiv of grab-ass football in Texas.

He showed nothing this season other forever cementing BYU's presence in football blooper hall of fame reels. And now he quits. Goodbye.

[Coach McGuirk]

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.

Sounds like the rest of the team needs a lesson from your dad.

[Jacob]

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

That's just wrong. He didn't look that great. Riley looked better.

[Jeff Lebowski]

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.

It still amazes how people point to that game as proof of how horrible Riley is. He had two turnovers in the red zone, one of which was a tipped ball on a high pass (that stuff happens) and the other was clearly his fault. But he moved the ball extremely well for most of the game and converted lots of third-down plays using his scrambling ability. There is no evidence whatsoever that Jake would have performed better than that.

Had our punting team simply punted the ball each time, we most likely would have won that game.

[jay santos]

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?

So some people say Bronco blew it by playing Jake too soon. Some people say he blew it by not playing him all last year. Interesting.

[ERCougar]

Wow. I come off the slopes to this? What a downer.

This whole thing is just really sad. Not that a highly touted recruit didn't pan out--nothing new about that--but all the extra crap that has come around. I think Heaps is making a mistake, but he knows the situation better than anyone and it sounds like he's getting pretty solid advice on this. Lame to impugn his character at all.

Good luck to him. I hope he gets his head together and succeeds wherever he ends up.

[Tone Loc]

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.

You are better than this.

Here are TCU's defensive rankings the last four years. Against which one did Riley Nelson go 1-7 with 2 picks against in the second quarter. Eventually putting up 13 points in the first 3.5 quarters before they went in their prevent defense.

1st, 1st, 1st, or 32nd.

Hint (It isnt the first three listed)

[EuropeanFootballMale]

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

Having a mobile quarterback that can go through a progression wouldn't have helped?

[Goatnapper'96]

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.

Bullshit. I was there the team battled back and took the lead. That game was a clusterfetch in which every facet of the BYU team contributed to the outcome. Jake might have set a tempo but with a bomb to Apo he set a new one until Eason wiffed on a very easy pass to knock down and then Falslev wanted to play hot potato with a kickoff and then Jake reasserted the original tempo.

I clearly think Riley was the better qb this year but I am skeptical that even the real BYU #9 could have avoided the BYU from shaving themselves in delicate places and gently begging the Utes to do the do gently.

[Jacob]

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

I really don't remember that. We had 2 FGs and a passing TD. We had 58 total rushing yards for the game. But to say that Riley wouldn't have helped rushing in the 2nd half kinda goes against all the evidence from every other game where Riley improved our rushing, no?

[ERCougar]

It still amazes how people point to that game as proof of how horrible Riley is. He had two turnovers in the red zone, one of which was a tipped ball on a high pass (that stuff happens) and the other was clearly his fault. But he moved the ball extremely well for most of the game and converted lots of third-down plays using his scrambling ability. There is no evidence whatsoever that Jake would have performed better than that.

Had our punting team simply punted the ball each time, we most likely would have won that game.

No kidding. That pass into the end zone was 6 inches and a close PI call from being a fantastic play.
The TCU fans who were with me thought Nelson and Hoffman were our two best players.

[Goatnapper'96]

You are better than this.

Here are TCU's defensive rankings the last four years. Against which one did Riley Nelson go 1-7 with 2 picks against in the second quarter. Eventually putting up 13 points in the first 3.5 quarters before they went in their prevent defense.

1st, 1st, 1st, or 32nd.

Hint (It isnt the first three listed)

Obviously TCU's defense wasn't as good as the previous 3. However, it was still the best offensive performance since 2007, and about on par with the 2007 performance, and I think the TCU defense was much better this year than it was in 2007. What you state has no bearing on my point. The turnovers hurt against TCU but I am not convinced Heaps gets BYU into the positions to turn the ball over.

[Blueintheface]

Having a mobile quarterback that can go through a progression wouldn't have helped?

At that point Nelson's progression reads were in their infancy. I'm not defending Jake at all, in fact his lack of poise certainly cost BYU, but I just think had Doman truly prepared both Jake and Riley correctly the adjustments Texas made wouldn't have caused such a problem. Doman could have inserted Riley in situations or have prepared Jake for a change in defensive looks. It doesn't matter.

[Tone Loc]

Obviously TCU's defense wasn't as good as the previous 3. However, it was still the best offensive performance since 2007, and about on par with the 2007 performance, and I think the TCU defense was much better this year than it was in 2007. What you state has no bearing on my point. The turnovers hurt against TCU but I am not convinced Heaps gets BYU into the positions to turn the ball over.

TCU's defense in 2007 was 15th. Try again.