BYU Football - UNLV - Pre-game

This saturday, BYU football heads on the road again.  This week they will take on UNLV at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, NV.  BYU has been dominant in the series with UNLV over the past few years and it doesn't look like this game will be a problem for them either.

BYU is coming off a strong home win agains Utah State last week.  However, now BYU is without their star receiver McKay Jacobson who injured his hamstring while stretching during warm ups.

This will allow room for some new receivers to shine.  I expect that we will see a lot from Luke Ashworth and Spencer Hafoka.  Each has seen more playing time this year than last, but has still essentially been playing in the shadow of Jacobson.

Many people are concerned with how this will affect BYU's passing game.  However, I see it as a blessing in disguise.  Over the past couple of years, BYU's passing game has had one or two dominant receivers that seem to stand out.  Last year, it was Pitta and Collie.  This year it is Pitta and Jacobson.  I think this limits our abilities in the pass.  It allows Max Hall to get comfortable with those few receivers and they always become his first targets.  Which makes it that much easier for the defense to read.  Just ask Hall, who has already thrown 10 interceptions this season, and just a couple of those were tipped balls.

It seems like BYU has the most success when they can throw the ball around the field to whoever they want.  I think back to John Beck's senior season when he could throw to Collie (Zac), Allen, Meikle, Reed, Harline, Coats, Brown, and Vakapuna.  I am excited to see this years receiving core develop into one where the defense has to play defense because they don't know who Hall is going to throw to.

I think we will see a lot more of that this game.  I think BYU wins this one soundly.

BYU UNLV Prediction
BYU 42 - UNLV 14

Austin Collie gets his First NFL Touchdown

Earlier today, former BYU football wide receiver, Austin Collie, caught his first touchdown pass in the NFL.  Payton Manning called an audible and found Collie in the corner of the endzone.  It was a diving catch, which reminded BYU fans everywhere why Austin Collie is missed in Provo.

On the day, Collie caught 6 passes for 65 yards and 1 touchdown.  It was a great afternoon for the rookie.  We wish you the best Collie.  Thanks for giving us a reason to watch football on Sundays.

Austin Collie to Enter 2009 NFL Draft

In a press conference yesterday, Austin Collie declared that he would forgo his senior season with the Cougars and enter the 2009 NFL Draft. For complete details, click here.

BYU continues winning streak against Utah St, 34-14

In a game that was never a question for BYU fans, Utah State made the score look like it was a lot closer than it really was. The BYU defense shut out the Aggies for the first three quarters, but allowed two scores in the fourth quarter after defensive capitain David Nixon left the game with an injury.

BYU started this game quickly scoring 24 points in the first quarter. The defense forced USU to punt on their first posession. After that it only took three plays for Max Hall to find Austin Collie. Collie hauled in the pass and turned the corner on two USU defenders to go 76 yards for the touchdown.

That was just the beginning of the first quarter scoring frenzy for BYU. On the next USU posession, quarterback Diondre Borel fumbled the football. BYU defensive back, Brandon Bradley, scooped up the ball and ran it 35 yards for the touchdown. On the next USU posession, the BYU defense caused another fumble, and the offense capitalized with a 44 yard field goal by Mitch Payne. USU's next posession was ended on the first play when David Nixon intercepted a pass. The offense took one play to score. Harvey Unga ran it in from 11 yards out to make the score 24-0 at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter was really rather boring, with no points being scored by either team. The third quarter picked up with BYU scoring 10 more points, putting them ahead 34-0 and continuing an 11 quarter shutout. It ended, however, in the fourth quarter, when the BYU defense looked like it was playing its first game of the season. They allowed two scores, and almost three. USU put one in the end zone with only a few seconds on the clock, but it was called back by a penalty. BYU ended the last play of the game by sacking QB Diondre Borel.

This game reminded me of Nick Saban's comments on his Alabama team's big win over Georgia a week ago. He said that the game was a coaches dream because they won the game, but his team played so poorly in the second half that he still had so much to work on in practice. I imagine Bronco Mendenhall has similar feelings. I'm sure he was happy to win the game, but probably walked out of the stadium with a list of things to work on before they take on New Mexico next week.

Player of the Game
Austin Collie
Collie hauled in 8 passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns. His long of 76 was a signature play that will show up on Collie's highlight reel for years. Although Pitta appeared to be Hall's favorite target as the season opened, Collie has now emerged as the top BYU reciever.

BYU gets second straight shutout with 44-0 win over Wyoming

For the second straight week, BYU walked all over their opponent. However, today's offense wasn't quite as impressive this week because the defense did a lot of the work. In both the first and third quarters, the defense turned turnovers into points on the board without the help of the offense.

On the first drive of the game, Wyoming seemed to be making a quick strike. They threw a lateral on the BYU 36 yard line. The pass was incomplete, but Scott Johnson was smart enough to recognize that the incomplete pass was actually a fumbled ball. Johnson scooped up the ball and ran it 64 yards for the score.

That was BYU's only score in the first quarter. The second quarter was when the offense started to get together. BYU scored three times. One on a one yard run from Harvey Unga. The other two came on Austin Collie receptions, including a 62 yard pass from Max Hall.

Collie was Hall's favorite reciever today. He had 8 receptions for 122 yards and two touchdowns. Hall also connected with Harvey Unga in the third quarter for Hall's third touchdown pass.

It was in the third quarter that the defense put their second set of points on the board. Wyoming's quarterback Karston Sween attempted a pass. It was tipped and David Nixon came down with the ball and ran it 17 yards for the score. With the exception of a 31 yard field goal, by Justin Sorensen, that ended BYU's scoring for the day.

BYU pull all of its starters by the mid third quarter. Obviously this was to done in part to preserve the health of the starters and give other's some experience. Some criticize Bronco Mendenhall for not trying to boost the teams stats and look better for the nation critics. Bronco's response was simple. "If that's at the expense of polls, rankings or points, then it's at that expense," Mendenhall said. "I have been around selfish teams that do that. That's not who we will be."

Although BYU's stats only looked "average" in todays win, the nation will have no way on not acknowledging two straight shutout wins by the Cougars.

Player of the Game
This week's player of the game goes to Austin Collie. Collie had 8 receptions for 122 yards and two touchdowns. His long today was 62 yards for a touchdown. Collie has proved to be consistently Max Hall's primary target. During the first two games, many believed that Dennis Pitta was emerging as the Hall's primary reciever. However, in 4 games Collie is averaging 7.5 catches and 96.5 yards per game.

UCLA at BYU, Pre-game thoughts

After a close call at Washington, BYU is back at home this week hosting the UCLA Bruins. This is the third time BYU and UCLA have clashed since last September. UCLA beat BYU 27-17 in Pasadena in their first meeting. Then BYU beat UCLA 17-16 in an unforgettable Las Vegas Bowl in their second match-up. With the record being 1-1, there is a lot at stake this Saturday. However, for both teams there is a lot more at stake than owning a three game series.

For UCLA, this is a chance for them to show the nation that they are real. Over the past few years, UCLA has been a up and down team. Some weeks showing that they can play with anyone and other weeks losing game that should have been no brainers. Their win against Tennessee was impressive, but will mean nothing if they play as they have over the past years losing to mediocre teams in the Pac-10.

For BYU, a win against UCLA would not only mean continued hopes of a BCS bust. It would also give them a chance to prove to the nation that they do deserve the ranking they have been given. There are many doubters in the nation that think BYU doesn't deserve to be ranked as high as they are. The fact that BYU allowed a bad Northern Iowa to score 17 points and only beat a mediocre Washington by 1 point gives some validity to their argument. If BYU can beat up the Bruins, the arguments about whether or not the Cougars deserve their ranking will be lessened.

This Saturday's game will probably be a close one. I don't think anyone believed this game would be as tough as its going to be until we saw UCLA beat a very good Tennessee ranked number 18. Quarterback Kevin Craft, had a good second half for the Bruins. In the first half he just didn't seem to have it together. He himself said, "It was just a matter of settling down. I wasn't nervous at all. I just wasn't in a good rhythm. In the second half, I found it." And find it he did. In the second half he picked apart Tennessee, going 18-23 and 193 yards and a touchdown. He performed much better than any 3rd string quarterback is supposed to.

On saturday, UCLA's hopes will depend on his performance. Will he play like the star quarterback he was in the second half or will he throw interceptions and fumble like he did in the first half.

On the other hand, BYU's offense continues to be powerful. The Hall-Pitta combination remains the strongest passing attack in the country. Dennis Pitta is the number one tight end and reciever in the nation and Max Hall ranks number two in passing in the nation. Their combination still has yet to be well defended by any team. And let us not forget Austin Collie. With all of the attention on Pitta, Collie is able to hide out in the wings and average a measly 130 yards per game.

As I see it, UCLA's defense was what allowed them to stay in the game against Tennessee. Without it Craft's incredible performance in the second half would not have produced enough points to beat the Vols. That being said BYU will have to continue to run their high powered offense and wear down the Bruin defense.

Keys to the Game
Harvey Unga
Unga needs to have a good game. Everyone knows BYU can pass. Unga adds another dimension to BYU's offense. If the Bruins have to defend the run, it will open up more passing opportunities from Hall to Pitta and Collie.

Defense, defense, defense
BYU's "young" defense needs to grow up this game. The last two games it has been okay for BYU to allow some points, because the teams were mediocre. However, UCLA is a big dog. The defense needs to tighten up. Without a strong defensive front, Craft could have the ability to pick us apart when he wants to.

Let's Hear From the Fans

With the season opener only two days away, we would like to hear what some of the fans are thinking about this game. Feel free to make comments on any of these questions.

1. How will Northern Iowa fair against the Cougars?

2. What players will stand out?

3. Would you like to see Austin Collie under center?

4. How will BYU's "young" defense perform?

5. What will be the final score?

To give us your thoughts, simply click the "comments" button below this posting. This website was created to pump up BYU fans everywhere. So, let's get pumped up on our Quest for Perfection.

Austin Collie - Under Center

Don't be surprised to see Austin Collie under center for a few snaps against Northern Iowa this weekend. In yesterday's MWC teleconference, Bronco Mendenhall, officially gave Collie the nod as back up quarterback under Max Hall.

"I was not happy with the play of our backup quarterbacks in our last scrimmage," Mendenhall said. "So, it appeared to me that [Collie] might be our next best option in case Max were to ever get hurt or a combination of Austin with another one of our backup quarterbacks."

Collie will maintain his starting duties at the wide receiver position. Due to a stress fracture in his leg earlier this year, he has had limited practice time. However, this week he began going full speed on his leg and is anticipated to play a big role in BYU's season opener against Northern Iowa on Saturday.

When asked if Collie would see time in the backfield against Northern Iowa, Coach Mendenhall responded, "Whether he'll be used in this game or any game early on remains to be seen. But I've been impressed with what I've seen and I think it could make what is a solid offense even better." I think that means "Your guess is as good as mine."

Austin Collin at Quarterback?

With Northern Iowa only a week away, BYU began its game week practice routine yesterday. After sitting out most of the season with a leg stress fracture, junior wide receiver, Austin Collie, began to see action again. However, he is looking at things from a different point of view now. After Wednesday's scrimmage, he was told that he would be practicing and attending position meetings as a quarterback.

“I was a little shocked and taken aback,” said Collie. “It’s a whole new world. The last time I played quarterback was when I was 10 years old. The coaches want to add more depth at the QB spot. There’s a lot to think about, but it’s definitely going to help me as a wide receiver—to read the defense and know where I’m going.”

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