BYU vs CSU Video
Posted by Jim on Sep 30, 2009
BYU vs Oklahoma Highlight Video
Posted by Tyler on Sep 8, 2009
The biggest win in Cougar football of the 21st century to date!
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The Vegas Bowl is Right for the Cougars
Posted by Jim on Dec 20, 2008
Let’s look at the upside for the cougars to play in the Vegas Bowl for this years.
Opponent:
Let’s face it, this years version of the Cougars is not quite ready for prime time. As much as i would like to be of attending a BCS bowl with all the hype, exposure, and $$$, the truth is, this cougar team would probably have not fared much better than last years Hawaii team.
Arizona is, right now, one of the better Pac-10 teams. So this gives BYU, a chance to beat 3 pac-10 teams in the same year. While beating Arizona won’t stir talk that you should have been in the title game, it will garner respect, and allow this cougar team to finish, probably in the top 15
Location:
Now that the word Recession, is officially out of the bag, the location of the Vegas bowl is affordable for most cougar fans. It’s close, it’s cheap, and it fits the bill.
Date:
I know many who feel like any bowl not close to New Years Day is a waste of Space, But I also think that there may be an advantage to play at a time when you are one of the few games available. The Cougars will occupy a prominent place on Sportscenter for the next 24 hours. Many of those other bowl games will be lines on a ticker, or quick blurbs every so often.
What They Can Do:
This years Cougars still have some benchmarks they can meet to push the program forward. they can beat their 4th straight Pac-10 team (and a victory would give them 6 out the last 7). They can finish the season 11-2 for the third straight year, and could finish in the top 15. So I, for one, am happy to cheer the Cougs to one more Vegas Bowl victory.
Holy War Game Day
Posted by Tyler on Nov 22, 2008
Holy War - BYU vs Utah
Today is it!!!
10-1 vs 11-0
Blue vs Red
This series has been very close. Even in the days of BYU WAC domination, this game was almost always closer than you wanted it to be. The last 10 out 11 games have been decide by a touchdown or less.
In college football, it doesn’t get any better than this.
Keys to the Game
Win the Turnover battle. Max Hall has been spectacular, but has thrown some ill advised passes as of late. If BYU can avoid turning over the ball, I think the Cougar Offense can out score the Ute Offense.
Slow down the Ute pass rush. A key to Hall’s success will be to slow down the pass rush of Utah’s D-line. They are smaller and quicker, and can hurry Hall into bad decisons. However, BYU’s O-line has been pretty solid all year, and should be able to get the job done.
Get Pressure on Brian Johnson. Ute offense has been inconsistent, especially when teams have gotten some pressure on Johnson. The cougs haven’t excelled at that this year, and have played more conservative on D. But today, they need to bring just enough pressure, to get BJ out of his comfort zone.
The Guru’s Guess
The Cougs have played big in big games (with the exception of TCU) I think the Boys in Blue hold the mental edge (Thanks to to consecutive last minute big play wins.) The Cougs continue:35-28
Air Force Preview
Posted by Jim on Nov 13, 2008
BYU vs Air Force has long been a tale of two philosophies: passing vs. running. The Falcons are about the last vestige of the once popular veer option offense. They still run that with military precision and copious chop-blocking. (for more on chop blocks see Gooch) http://deepshadesofblue.com/keeping-your-feet-against-the-air-force-cut-blocks/
Offense:
The Falcon offense throws for a lowly 85 yards per game, but chews up 275 on the ground. They do this behind a veteran O-line. Newcomer Asher Clark broke loose for 136 yards last week against Colorado State! Although QB Tim Jefferson doesn’t throw much, when he does, he can produce big plays. Last week he was 6 of 8 for 171 yards. The secondary needs to be careful not to bite too hard on the run and get caught watching the play from behind. The Falcon offense utilizes speed & discipline with a healthy mix of misdirection and play action passing.
Defense:
Air Force typically has run a 3-4 defense this year, similar to the Cougars but with more blitzing. Air Force has limited opposing offenses to 136 on the ground and 167 through the air. However, good offenses have been able to exploit them this year and BYU’s offense is probably the league’s best.
In Addition:
Air Force averages 361 yards per game on offense while the Cougars average 451. The Cougs also average 36.2 points per game vs the Falcons 28.6. BYU also has seemed to have the Falcon’s number in recent years and has historically played the wishbone as well as anybody. The Falcons have lost 9 straight to ranked opponents.
Keys to the Game:
The Key to stopping the option is to stop the Fullback. If the Cougars can do this successfully, then the Falcons will have a long day. But if they let them get 4 or 5 yards each carry then the Cougars will be hard pressed to stop the Cadets. As far as Air Force Defense goes, they will just have to pick their poison. If they try to stop Harvey and Pitta, they will leave the nations top WR in single coverage. If they double Collie, then Unga and Pitta could have big days. Unga’s health is also a question, although a small one I bet the Cougars won’t publicly talk much about to keep the Falcons a little uneasy. If Harvey is unable to go, BYU could become easier to defend.
The Guru’s Guess: BYU 38 – AF 24
BYU versus SDSU Highlight Video 2008
Posted by Tyler on Nov 10, 2008
Here’s the Hi-Def Version in Quicktime format:
Click Here to Watch Hi-Def Version of this Highlight Video
Here’s the Low-Def version from YouTube:
BYU vs. SDSU Summary
Posted by Jim on Nov 9, 2008
I have to say, that for once, the game came out pretty much as I expected. The score was about what I predicted and the only surprise to me was that the Cougars were not able to run better against the Aztecs. But then, they really didn’t need to. Here is a Review of the Cougars 41-12 pounding of the Aztecs
Offense:
Max Hall had an 83% completion rate, hitting 25 of 30 for 319 yards. The Aztecs were able to get 3 sacks, and disrupt the running game with an assortment of run-blitzes. BYU only rushed for 101 yards, but found Unga on a couple of passes. Harvey basically sat out the second half after getting banged up, and could have returned, but was not needed. This gave some carries to seniors Wayne Latu and Fui Vakapuna. The receivers had a good day. Collie was his usual 9 catches for 126 yards and 2 TDs. Michael Reed had one his best outings, particularly since being injured. He went 5 for 97, and what looked to be a long score until an aztec shoe-string tackle ended it at the 6 yard line. Pitta added 5 for 60, and Adrew George added a couple of nice catches including a back of the end-zone touchdown.
Defense:
The Defense helped cause some big turnovers (4). David Nixon was everywhere and was playing as a man possessed. BYU’s secondary did an admirable job, and Andrew Rich was good in his first significant minutes as a cornerback. The Defense held the Aztecs to 282 total yards with only 163 passing, and 119 rushing. Several of those came on gadget plays, or after the second string defensive line was in. For a decent part of the game, it looked as if they might pitch another shut-out. I have been impressed with the improved coverage of the secondary in the last three games, and though they still give up too many plays, they are doing a better job of being in position to contest passes and occasionally make plays.
Overall:
A good win for the Cougars. They looked more relaxed in this game and seemed to be having fun. They set a BYU record of 18 straight home victories, and are now back in control of their efforts to claim a third straight MWC title. It was fun to see the Seniors honored. The Cougars will have a big task in replacing their offensive line next year.
For Those Fearing Utah This Year
Posted by Tyler on Nov 8, 2008
Sometimes we need to remember who’s boss in our rivalry against the University of Utah. cougarfan20 has posted a fun highlight video of the 1989 “Ute Massacre” game on Youtube (just this week) and I wanted us to watch and remember, we still own them.
Warning: The music is “Cotton-Eyed Joe”…if that isn’t in your ability to stomach, turn the sound down…
CSU Review
Posted by Jim on Nov 6, 2008
I had to work Saturday, so I missed much of the game live. I know I’m late with all of this but here it is. After watching it on DVR, I have a few thoughts
O-line:
O-line started out slow. Early on, the running game was a little sluggish, and the rams got some pressure on Hall. As the game wore on, however, the line stepped up, gave protection, and created some holes for Unga.
Hall
Other than turnovers (ouch), Hall had a nice game! He made some good throws and moved the ball down the field. The Cougs should have won with some breathing room if it wasn’t for those turnovers. I will still take Hall as my QB almost any day. I love that he doesn’t get rattled by mistakes, but just bounces back and makes the next play. Hall put up 389 yards passing and 5TD’s
Receivers:
Receivers took some big hits but still held on to balls. Reed is starting to look comfortable in the offense again; Collie, Pitta and George all had great catches. Even Reed White had a nice catch. Great outing from all of them. Pitta: 175 yards, 2 TD’s. Collie: 156 yards, 3 TD’s. Wow!
Running Backs:
Harvey got a chance to get things rolling, including a bust through the line and out run the DBs for 40 yards and a touchdown. Harvey got more effective later in the game, as he clearly adapted to the CSU defense. Fui blocked well and had a couple of nice runs himself. He is still hard to bring down. Even though they stacked the box and brought a lot of safety help on the run game, Unga had 143 yards rushing plus a 14 yard catch.
Defense:
OK, I know some of you would say, there was no defense. And this was not our best defensive outing, but there are a couple of things of note.
D-Line
D-line struggled more than just a bit in this game, especially early on. I think that ever since our secondary and middle linebackers have been exposed (TCU game), there has been more pressure for the rush to come from the front 3. Jan Jorgensen seems to be most effective when he is left on the outside and not flanked by a LB on the line. They have to find a NEW way to get some pressure on opposing QB’s
Linebackers:
Linebackers had maybe their worst game this year. Clawson disappeared and was getting beat on his corner. Even our favorite LB, Nixon, was not as effective as he usually has been. I hope I never have to say “has been” about Nixon again. That guy’s got talent.
Secondary:
One thing that gives me some hope for our secondary is that they seem to be in coverage more to make plays. CSU ran a lot of comeback routes that are hard to defend, but our secondary is contesting more passes and occasionally making some noteworthy plays. The loss of Johnson will really hurt us though, especially now that we’re late into the season. Too bad we lost G Pittman!
Overall:
An exciting game for fans. A character building experience for the team. (I love that they have the confidence to march down the field and score at the end of games…..just wish they didn’t have the need.) Let’s just get back to blowing people out and shutting them down. That was fun too!
BYU Overcomes CSU Highlight Video
Posted by Tyler on Nov 4, 2008
Here’s the Hi-Def Version in Quicktime format:
Click Here to Watch Hi-Def Version of this Highlight Video
Here’s the Low-Def version from YouTube:
