BYU vs. The other, other Aggies (NMSU)

[Viking]

I don't know why I am still awake. 1:15 am. Thanks ESPN.

Yes, the game had a fantastic 1:15 am start time here. I figure I missed the final 5 minutes or so by about 30 minutes by the time my alarm rang.

Just looking at the stats, looks like another impressive 6.6 yds per throw night for Hsuaru's baby boy.

[doctorcoug]

I'm a pretty sentimental guy, so I really enjoyed watching the senior blanket ceremony as much as I enjoyed watching the game. Thanks BYUtv

[cougjunkie]

Yes, the game had a fantastic 1:15 am start time here. I figure I missed the final 5 minutes or so by about 30 minutes by the time my alarm rang.

Just looking at the stats, looks like another impressive 6.6 yds per throw night for Hsuaru's baby boy.

6.6 yards per throw with 4 drops by hoffman that would have added about 50 more yards. Jake played fine.

[Pheidippides]

6.6 yards per throw with 4 drops by hoffman that would have added about 50 more yards. Jake played fine.

Other than the one pick, I agree. Would have likes to see a bit more touch on the deep balls - he overthrew a wide open Apo on one play in particular - but 21/36 and 4 touchdowns is just fine.

[cougjunkie]

Other than the one pick, I agree. Would have likes to see a bit more touch on the deep balls - he overthrew a wide open Apo on one play in particular - but 21/36 and 4 touchdowns is just fine.

Agree on th miss to apo. The play to Falslev was pretty spectacular though.

[TripletDaddy]

General areas in which Heaps has shown some improvement to one degree or another:

Staying the pocket longer
Throwing to that out route with more accuracy.
Scrambling
Hitting his receivers
A screen pass here and there
Checking down
Picking up the pre-snap pace

General areas in which Heaps still needs to improve to one degree or another:

See above.

Overall, I thought he did well last night. His two biggest mistakes....that pick (even though the defender jumped the route, you still have to at least try to come back to the ball. Even so, bad throw) and overthrowing a wide open Apo for a TD. But he is showing improvement, which leads me to believe that the kid is teachable and wants to improve.

[cougjunkie]

Torn acl for Holt. Unreal how we have lost so many tight ends. Jorgensen,Mahina, wilson and now holt done for the season.

[Shaka]

I agree with you Triplet.

He had one series and maybe a few other plays where you saw the Heaps that got benched. Other than that he played a nice efficient game. The TD throw to Falslev was pretty cool. It was nice to see Jake have to dance a bit, step up in the pocket, and then deliver a strike.

[woot]

I basically agree with you guys, but wanted to emphasize how important his little scramble on the TD seems. Statue QBs don't really exist; you have to be able to buy time even if you never tuck it. So even though his numbers weren't overly impressive, I saw enough to think it's possible he really did turn a corner watching Riley.

Edit: It seems Shaka just did. Yay we all agree.

[Joe Public]

I'm a pretty sentimental guy, so I really enjoyed watching the senior blanket ceremony as much as I enjoyed watching the game. Thanks BYUtv

I enjoyed that, too. Also, it was fun to see Lavell Edwards trying to be semi-incognito and not distract from the seniors' moment. His name's on the top of the place, and he's trying to blend in.

[MarkGrace]

I basically agree with you guys, but wanted to emphasize how important his little scramble on the TD seems. Statue QBs don't really exist; you have to be able to buy time even if you never tuck it. So even though his numbers weren't overly impressive, I saw enough to think it's possible he really did turn a corner watching Riley.

I think one of the things we speculated on early in the season is proving to be absolutely correct: he was really uncomfortable with all the play actions, deep rollouts, turning his back to the defense, etc. I've said it before, but it was just weird how jumpy he was early in the season given that we never saw that last year. Heaps playing like a wuss and looking uncomfortable taking a shot is entirely a phenomenon of this year. Early this year we saw a play where he turned around to face the defense, and as soon as he threw the ball ducked like he had heard a shot fired out of a canon. Only there was no defender there. I thought it was a pretty clear indication that he was really struggling to see the field in some of those sets and feel pressure and determine where it was coming from.

Now that we're back to running an offense closer to last year (more shotgun, most drops taken where he's got his eyes on the defense the whole time), he looks a lot more poised and comfortable in the pocket, he's feeling pressure better and managing the pocket better, he's more patient and going through his reads better, etc. This comes as no big surprise, since this is exactly what we already saw out of him last year. Of course the argument is going to be competition, no pressure, etc., but in the moments where he has taken heat from the defense, he's looked entirely different. Hanging in a bit longer, stepping up in the pocket to buy another second or two, etc. Again, all stuff we saw last year when he was more comfortable and was better able to determine when and where the pressure was going to come from.

I know Jay will say the offense was back closer to Anae by the fourth game and Jake still sucked, but I think by then he was just kind of shell-schocked given what had gone on through the first three games.

[woot]

I think one of the things we speculated on early in the season is proving to be absolutely correct: he was really uncomfortable with all the play actions, deep rollouts, turning his back to the defense, etc. I've said it before, but it was just weird how jumpy he was early in the season given that we never saw that last year. Heaps playing like a wuss and looking uncomfortable taking a shot is entirely a phenomenon of this year. Early this year we saw a play where he turned around to face the defense, and as soon as he threw the ball ducked like he had heard a shot fired out of a canon. Only there was no defender there. I thought it was a pretty clear indication that he was really struggling to see the field in some of those sets and feel pressure and determine where it was coming from.

Now that we're back to running an offense closer to last year (more shotgun, most drops taken where he's got his eyes on the defense the whole time), he looks a lot more poised and comfortable in the pocket, he's feeling pressure better and managing the pocket better, he's more patient and going through his reads better, etc. This comes as no big surprise, since this is exactly what we already saw out of him last year. Of course the argument is going to be competition, no pressure, etc., but in the moments where he has taken heat from the defense, he's looked entirely different. Hanging in a bit longer, stepping up in the pocket to buy another second or two, etc. Again, all stuff we saw last year when he was more comfortable and was better able to determine when and where the pressure was going to come from.

I know Jay will say the offense was back closer to Anae by the fourth game and Jake still sucked, but I think by then he was just kind of shell-schocked given what had gone on through the first three games.

Reasonable enough. I'd still like to see the taking a hit hypothesis tested, but maybe that won't happen this year. Does Tulsa have a decent pass rush? Or maybe they've moved beyond the Armed Forces bowl by now. SMU?

[TripletDaddy]

I thought we saw a lot of heaps under center last night, not as much shotgun. I could be wrong on that.

[Shaka]

I basically agree with you guys, but wanted to emphasize how important his little scramble on the TD seems. Statue QBs don't really exist; you have to be able to buy time even if you never tuck it. So even though his numbers weren't overly impressive, I saw enough to think it's possible he really did turn a corner watching Riley.

Edit: It seems Shaka just did. Yay we all agree.

There was never a need for me to turn a corner. I've always supported Jake in the sense that I want him to succeed. I'll praise him when he deserves praise and rip him when he deserves to be ripped. Same goes for Riley. I recognized his strengths when I officiated his games in high school and knew he could be a college QB. Riley will never be Elway but he has surprised a lot of people.

It was nice to see Jake make that throw to Falslev but lets not go overboard. Stepping up in the pocket is a move every QB, including the eighth graders I coach, needs to be able to make. My favorite part of the TD was after he avoided the pressure. Jake's eyes came up and he immediately recognized the opportunity and made the throw.

[Green Monstah]

I hate to play devil's advocate (okay, not really) but IMO, we've seen very little improvement in Jake. He's had an eternity to throw the ball. Put him against a decent pass rush, and I thinks he struggles again.

Everytime I start to get excited about Jake, I have to remind myself how much worse he was than Max Hall at this point in their college careers. That may be unfair, but it seems that Hall had an X factor that Jake lacks.