Cache Cows! Who needs a (General) Conference?

[TripletDaddy]

I think Riley will be back next week. He will get all of the first team reps during the week. The fan base will be beside themselves. But sometime in the next two games he will get knocked out again. I've just come to terms with the fact that Riley will be back. With as anemic as our offense is I find it hard to think we will pull off a win the next two weeks regardless of who is at QB.

Not sure if it appeared on TV before the game, but Riley came out for the coin toss and then he was the one on the field throwing right before the kickoff. He was throwing it extra hard. It was all very sad and troubling. I agree that he will likely come back out and play at some point.

Hill showed some promise with those passes to Hoff at the end of the first half. Great drive. Also made some frosh mistakes. Under the "tempered expectations" regime, I am very happy with Hills performance. Obviously, under the standard "reasonable starting QB" regime, I'm less enthused and pretty annoyed with 19 carries, many of which ended with a head first dive and a shot to the body.

Haven't read all of the game comments, but in case nobody mentioned it, our defense is very pleasing to the eye.

Despite all of that, one of the slowest, most boring games to attend in a long time. And most of it was dead silent (and really cold).

My take on football in the State if Utah after the first month:

Utes are not good at much of anything, BYU is average (but for the stellar defense they would be anemic), and Utah State is nowhere near as good as the hype. In short, not a great year for football locally. BYU's defense and Star Lotu are the highlights. Utah State is a lovable loser feel good story that has lost its appeal. If Aggies want to take the next step, they have to start winning these close games.

Also, all three of these teams have kicking issues. Pathetic. I would rank last nights field goal/PAT attempts as follows:

Third place: BYU
Second place: Utah State
First place: guy that attempted a FG to win a free haircut at Great Clips

[jay santos]

That offense was hard to watch. I think I'd rather have Nelson than Hill right now. I hope he can get healthy. Hill's got potential, but he's not going to beat anyone at this stage of his career. I rate Hill a 3.5 and Nelson a 5. (Hsaru, in case you wanted to know how Heaps fits in there, Heaps is a 4 on that scale)

[Non Sequitur]

That offense was hard to watch. I think I'd rather have Nelson than Hill right now. I hope he can get healthy. Hill's got potential, but he's not going to beat anyone at this stage of his career. I rate Hill a 3.5 and Nelson a 5. (Hsaru, in case you wanted to know how Heaps fits in there, Heaps is a 4 on that scale)

I agree about Nelson. Hill is too limited with what he can do right. Especially considering our next 3 games...I expect to lose them all. It won't matter who is behind center. Bring Hill back for the Vandals.

[Art Vandelay]

Also, all three of these teams have kicking issues. Pathetic. I would rank last nights field goal/PAT attempts as follows:

Third place: BYU
Second place: Utah State
First place: guy that attempted a FG to win a free haircut at Great Clips

No, 1st place was Just Sore at halftime. He got the 2nd loudest cheer of the night, for making an uncontested 20yard FG (the loudest roar, was the announcment about I15 construction finally being done in December). I found it funny, though a mocking cheer probaby not helping his already fragile psyche.

[BoylenOver]

Also, props to BYU marketing for using the theme from "Drive" in the BYU bookstore ad.

[TripletDaddy]

I agree about Nelson. Hill is too limited with what he can do right. Especially considering our next 3 games...I expect to lose them all. It won't matter who is behind center. Bring Hill back for the Vandals.

If it doesnt matter who is behind center and you think we will lost the next 3 regardless and you agree that Hill is at a stage in his career wherein he needs more experience, then why would you possibly want Nelson to come back?

[Non Sequitur]

If it doesnt matter who is behind center and you think we will lost the next 3 regardless and you agree that Hill is at a stage in his career wherein he needs more experience, then why would you possibly want Nelson to come back?

Because I don't want his confidence shaken and I don't want him to get hurt. Doman isn't smart enough to stop calling the QB draws and options. Against our next three opponents, that could get someone hurt. Let Hill get his experience during the soft part of our schedule.

[RC Vikings]

The fake call was terrible. If you're not going to kick there, line up and put the ball in your best player's hands to get in the endzone. Dumb. They should have just kicked it. It was about 5 yards away from being a PAT. That's the perfect kind of kick to get Sorenson's confidence up and put points on the board. Stephenson was MIA last night until his last punt.

It was beyond terrible. Very little upside and a whole lot of downside to that call.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

I'm less enthused and pretty annoyed with 19 carries, many of which ended with a head first dive and a shot to the body.


First place: guy that attempted a FG to win a free haircut at Great Clips

Carry #19 was by far the most annoying, the play calling there was pretty good. "Game is over, only need to take a knee and end it, starter already injured, I'm gonna call QB keep!".

I wonder if the Great Clips kid has any eligibility left?

[TripletDaddy]

Because I don't want his confidence shaken and I don't want him to get hurt. Doman isn't smart enough to stop calling the QB draws and options. Against our next three opponents, that could get someone hurt. Let Hill get his experience during the soft part of our schedule.

He doesn't need that experience. He already knows how to beat terrible teams. What will that accomplish? The experience he needs will be found in playing superior opponents, not pounding Idaho for 45 points. Getting hurt is inevitable because of his play style. Regardless of what play doman calls, QBs with this mentality will give up on the play prematurely and tuck and run. It is a defect, not a positive attribute, and whether Riley or hill are under center, we are going to always see an inordinate amount of these types of plays. I'm not trying to excuse doman, btw. I think he is very underwhelming.

[Viking]

The Darwinian outcome is simple: Doman can't pass scheme so he will inevitably sideline our QBs with his kamikaze play calling, thus accelerating his inevitable demise.

[TripletDaddy]

Carry #19 was by far the most annoying, the play calling there was pretty good. "Game is over, only need to take a knee and end it, starter already injured, I'm gonna call QB keep!".

I wonder if the Great Clips kid has any eligibility left?

We were walking out and standing at the end of the tunnel to catch the last play. I saw that and simply turned and left. Made zero sense. What makes it even more egregious is that BYU is currently nursing their starting QB with a busted back that was injured doing the exact same thing they are doing with the new QB. The tommy fraziers of the world ran the ball a lot. They also played behind excellent o lines. They were extremely speedy and ran to the edges a lot. It CAN be done but not the way BYU is doing it and certainly not with our current personnel.

[TripletDaddy]

The Darwinian outcome is simple: Doman can't pass scheme so he will inevitably sideline our QBs with his kamikaze play calling, thus accelerating his inevitable demise.

I think this is correct. What is doman going to do in a couple of years when mangum is ready to go? Is doman going to try to convert him into a spread option type player or will doman completely shift offensive philosophies and start from scratch with a new drop-back style of play? Dude seems rudderless.

[MarkGrace]

I think this is correct. What is doman going to do in a couple of years when mangum is ready to go? Is doman going to try to convert him into a spread option type player or will doman completely shift offensive philosophies and start from scratch with a new drop-back style of play? Dude seems rudderless.

Mangum is nuts for going to BYU.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Mangum is nuts for going to BYU.

I hope he's cashews, they are delish!