HB Arnett’s

801 372 - 0819

hbarnett@fiber.net

1391 West 800 South – Orem, Utah 84058

 

Vol. 34, Issue 12 – October 21, 2013

 

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Deciphering Post Game Quotes

 

BYU’S 47-46 WIN OVER HOUSTON TRANSLATES TO A 5-2 RECORD

 

No need for the Rosetta Stone to help translate BYU’s 47-46 win over Houston last Saturday in Reliant Stadium. In what turned out to be a classic college football shootout, BYU had one more bullet than Houston, The winning shot came from Taysom Hill, just when you thought he was out of ammunition.

 

Hill hit Skyler Ridley from 11 yards out for the go ahead touchdown with 1:08 left on the clock. An interception by Alani Fua after the ensuing kickoff made the shot stand up and gives BYU a 5-2 record on the year.

 

Where a little translation might be needed is in deciphering the code of post game interviews after the game.

 

Ross Apo, the BYU receiver who played high school football in Texas and had two touchdown catches in the contest, was asked about the play of Taysom Hill. Apo replied, “He’s a horse.”

 

Translation: What happened to all those guys calling for Ammon Olsen? Take away Hill and BYU would have absolutely zero offense in the new scheme installed by Robert Anae. It was fitting that this game was played in Texas, the home of Earl Campbell, the former great Longhorn running back and NFL Hall of famer.

 

Hill put up Campbell-like numbers in carrying the ball 34 times. That’s not a typo. The sophomore from Pocatello, rushed 34 times for 194 yards. He was also sacked 8 times for losses of 66 yards to finish with a net 124 yards on the ground. He carried the rushing load by himself in the second half of the game. Jamaal Williams rushed for 83 yards on 17 carries and had two touchdowns, but after carrying the ball on BYU’s first two plays in the third quarter, he suffered a hip pointer injury and never saw the field again.

 

At least Campbell was built to take a beating. Hill won’t last the season carrying the ball at that clip. Of the 115 plays BYU ran against Houston, Hill was directly involved in 78 of those calls. As good as his rushing numbers were, his passing stats were better. He completed 29-44 throws for 417 yards and 4 touchdowns. For those who are math challenged, that is 545 yards of total offense by Hill against Houston. For those still thinking BYU would still be better served with another quarterback, here is your ammo for that way of thinking. Hill also threw 3 interceptions.

 

Caballo, Cavalo, Pferd, Paard or Pocatello Pony. No matter how you translate it, Hill is BYU’s horse and they are going to ride him as long as they can this season.

 

Taysom Hill, was asked post game why the BYU offense wasn’t as productive in the third quarter. He said that Houston made some defensive adjustments and played man coverage on BYU’s receivers and brought more pressure up front. He said that he had to wait for the wide outs to clear and come open but didn’t have enough time to let that happen.

 

Translation: BYU’s offensive line still leaves a lot to be desired. It’s isn’t because of not playing hard, but more an issue of not enough talent. The overall subpar play of BYU’s current offensive line has already been discussed, dissected and deciphered.

 

It is what it is, which isn’t very good. It will require more and new bodies to fix the problem. The good news is that one of those bodies, Tayo Fabuluje is already in school and will be eligible to play next season. Fabuluje is the former Cougar who transferred to TCU, where he was a starter, but has since returned to Provo, is sitting this season out.

 

There is also some more help on the way for next season from the Lone Star state. While in Texas last week, the Cougar coaching staff made recruiting stops at several high schools. One school was Allen HS just outside of Dallas.

 

That is where the coaching staff secured a verbal commitment from Tejan Koroma, a  6-0, 260 pound center for the Eagles. He is LDS. Click here for some video highlights of Koroma.

 

Tony Levine, Head Coach of Houston on what he said to Bronco Mendenhall after the game: “He’s a guy who I just met today for the first time but who I’ve followed throughout his career. He’s a guy in our profession who everyone has a lot of respect for, not only as a football coach, but as a person. Assistants talk about him when they say who they would love to work for as a head coach one day and he pops up in those conversations. I know he is a great family man. I actually got to meet him right when his team got here. He and his wife Holly were walking on the turf, I met them briefly and we talked prior to the game and then just after. He complemented me on my team and I complemented him on his and wished him the best for the rest of the

season.”

 

Translation: I can’t believe he wins without any legitimate speed on defense or at wide receiver.

 

Bronco Mendenhall, when asked about the game clinching interception by Alani Fua, Mendenhall said, “We basically used Alani as a defensive back in this game because we needed to get more athleticism on the field for this game.”

 

Translation: Bronco really is a defensive genius and guru. He is playing with the defensive hand that has been dealt him after the losses of cornerbacks Trent Trammell and Jordan Johnson. Both went down in the spring and early fall camp with season-ending knee injuries. Let’s be real. He is having to defend passing offenses with cornerbacks and nickel backs that wouldn’t be on any other Division I schools’ depth charts. He also was without his second best safety when Craig Bills was not cleared to play because of a concussion suffered last week against Georgia Tech.

 

He had to scheme and plan how to use his under athletic and undermanned secondary in an effort to combat a legitimate passing attack. It wasn’t pretty all the time, but the Cougar defense did make enough plays and get enough pressure and sacks to make it work. Give Bronco credit for it.

 

Boise State up Next

 

BYU to Face a Taysom Knockoff?

 

The sample size is small (just one game) but Boise State, BYU’s next opponent, may have their own version of Taysom Hill.

 

Grant Hedrick, a 6-0, 200 pound redshirt junior for the Broncos, came off the bench after just one play last Saturday and led BSU to a resounding 34-17 win over Nevada. Joe Southwick, the Boise starting QB, broke his ankle on the first play of the game.

 

All Hedrick did was complete 18 of 21 passes for 150 yards. His real input in the contest was rushing the football. He gained 115 yards and scored 2 touchdowns on just 8 carries. Those are Taysom type numbers.

 

As good as Hedrick was, however, the real Bronco that head coach Chris Peterson saddled and rode to the come from behind victory was sophomore running back Jay Ajayi. He rushed for 222 yards and 3 touchdowns on 24 carries. For the game the Broncos had 407 yards rushing against the Wolfpack from Reno.

 

If Boise State puts up 400-plus yards on the ground against BYU they will win going away. Something has to give. Under Bronco Mendenhall, the Cougars’ first defensive priority is, has always been, and will always be, stopping the run. After 7 games, BYU is currently ranked 33rd in the nation in rushing defense. They average giving up 135.4 yards per game.

 

BSU is currently ranked No. 20 in the nation in rushing with an average of 224 yards per game. BYU is ranked No. 14 in rushing averaging 263 yards on the ground per game.

 

On paper, this appears to be a battle of defensive front sevens. The team with the best scheme and execution to take away the opponents’ run game, should win. Las Vegas odds makers have the Cougars as an early 7.5 point favorite for the game.

 

Battle of the Boxes

 

Look for Boise State to load the box defensively and try and take away BYU’s

run game. The Broncos are limiting their opponents to just 152.1 yards per game on the ground. BYU can’t afford to load the box defensively because they have to cheat and cover for their less than stellar cornerback play. It will be up to the Cougar’s standard 3-4 front to hold down the BSU rushing attack.

 

BSU comes into the game with a 5-2 record. The two losses were on the road and at the hands of Washington in Seattle (38-6) and Fresno State (41-40). Four of the wins, all in Boise, were against Tennessee-Martin, Air Force, Southern Miss and Nevada. The Broncos also hammered Utah State in Logan.

 

If anybody is keeping score, Tennessee-Martin is a FCS (formerly called I-AA) team. The other three FBS (formerly called I-A) teams currently have a combined season record of 4-16. Air Force is now 1-6, Nevada is 3-4 and Southern Miss is 0-6.

 

 Both teams are now at the stage in their seasons where it is becoming a battle of attrition and injuries. For BYU and the rush game, it would help if Jamaal Williams can play this Friday night. More importantly, Craig Bills, the BYU safety will be needed against the BSU run game.

 

BYU is still very questionable at corner when it comes to good passing games and good receivers. Boise has a pass game and receivers, but they are not at the same level of proficiency as Houston was last week.

 

Once again, for BYU, it will be a case of Taysom Hill. How he goes, so go the Cougars. I see them going 41-28 over Boise.

 

The game is set for Friday, October 25 at LaVell Edwards Stadium with a kickoff at 6:00 pm Mountain Time. The game will be televised nationally by ESPN.

 

BYU BASKETBALL KICKS OFF THIS WEEK

 

Dave Rose has had a look at his new Cougar basketball car on the show room floor. It looked good on display at the dealership last week as BYU tried to sell this team to the public with a promotion called Boom Shakalaha.

 

The promo featured loud music, inane made-for-TV commentary and plenty of dunking, dinking and three point shooting. Nobody broke a sweat or their toes while kicking the tires of this team.

 

Now Rose gets to actually test drive his new car and Cougars around the block with exhibition games against Colorado College and Alaska Anchorage set for this week and next.

 

He will actually get to try out his team on the freeway at real speed on Nov 8 when the season officially opens in Provo against Weber State.

 

Kicking tires in the preseason is nice, but for BYU to be good this year, they will need to kick some butt in the post. It looks like Rose may have a couple of posterior kicking post men in true freshmen Eric Mika and Luke Worthington.

 

How the two freshmen go early in the season will be indicative of how the BYU record goes. The two newcomers, especially Mika, have to produce right out of the gate.

 

Rose has plenty of options on the outside on the perimeter. With Kyle Collinsworth, Matt Carlino, Frank Bartley and Skyler Halford, he can mix and match and sit down any guard that isn’t performing or making shots consistently.

 

Look for Collinsworth to be the Taysom Hill of this team early. Fans will question why he is playing the point, but when push comes to shove, he will do what Hill has done. He will produce and win games.

 

Just how good BYU can be this season with the new youth movement and influx of players is underlined by how little preseason attention Tyler Haws has received.

 

The fact that Haws is the returning leading scorer in the WCC and seems to just be an after thought in all the preseason buzz, has to have Dave Rose grinning from ear to ear.

 

This will be a very good team. Just how good will be determined by how much posterior kicking post play Rose gets from Mika and Worthington.

 

BYU Women on a Roll

 

Since last losing in a tournament in Portland to Oklahoma 2-3, the BYU Women’s volleyball team is currently on a 12-match winning streak. The hot streak has the Cougars at 16-3 overall and 9-0 and in first place in WCC play. The Lady Cougars are also ranked in the top twenty nationally.

 

Next up for the Cougars will be a nationally televised match this Thursday in Stockton, Calif. as BYU takes on Pacific. The match will be televised on ESPNU and will start at 9 pm Mountain Time.

 

In women’s soccer, there will be no repeat of the magical run BYU had last season in WCC play and NCAA action. This team is good, as evidenced by their No. 25 ranking nationally, but they aren’t good enough to overcome No. 5 Portland and No. 14 Santa Clara in WCC action.

 

The Cougars lost at Santa Clara 2-1 but rebounded nicely this past week with two wins at home against Pepperdine and LMU. The Cougars are now 9-4-1 overall and 3-1 in WCC action.

 

 BYU will now face league leading Portland this Saturday in Portland. They also will make a stop at Gonzaga on Thursday. The next televised women’s soccer match will be on BYUtv on Friday Nov. 1 against San Diego in Provo.

 

You will need a waiver from your wife to watch this much television during the next few weeks.

 

BYU Television Timetable

 

BYU vs. Pacific (Women’s Volleyball)

Thursday, Oct 24 at Stockton

Match Start: 9:00 pm Mountain Time

TV: ESPNU

Boise State vs. BYU

Friday, Oct 25 at Provo

Kickoff: 6:00 pm Mountain Time

TV: ESPN

BYU vs. Colorado College (Men’s Basketball exhibition)

Saturday, Oct 26 at Provo

Tipoff: 7:00 pm Mountain Time

TV: BYUtv

BYU vs. Loyola Marymount (Women’s Volleyball)

Thursday, Oct 31 at Provo

Match Start: 7:00 pm Mountain Time

TV: BYUtv

BYU vs. San Diego (Women’s Soccer)

Friday, Nov 1 at Provo

Match Start: 7:00 pm Mountain Time

TV: BYUtv

BYU vs. Pepperdine (Women’s Volleyball)

Saturday, Nov 2 at Provo

Match Start: 1:00 pm Mountain Time

TV: BYUtv

BYU vs. Alaska Anchorage (Men’s Basketball exhibition)

Saturday, Nov 2 at Provo

Tipoff: 7:00 pm Mountain Time

TV: BYUtv

BYU vs. Pacific (Women’s Soccer)

Thursday, Nov 7 at Provo

Match Start: 7:00 pm Mountain Time

TV: BYUtv

BYU vs. South Dakota State (Women’s Basketball)

Friday, Nov 8 at Provo

Tipoff: 3:00 pm Mountain Time

TV: BYUtv

BYU vs. Weber State

Friday, Nov 8 at Provo (Men’s Basketball)

Tipoff: 7:00 pm Mountain Time

TV: BYUtv

Wisconsin vs. BYU

Saturday, Nov 9 at Madison

Kickoff: TBA

TV: TBA

BYU vs. Stanford (Men’s Basketball)

Monday, Nov 11 at Palo Alto

Tipoff: 9:00 pm Mountain Time

TV: ESPN

BYU vs. Idaho State

Saturday, Nov 16 at Provo

Kickoff: 1:00 pm Mountain Time

TV: BYUtv