College Gameday Coming to Provo

ESPN's College GameDay is coming to Provo for the BYU, TCU football game this saturday.  The game is set to kick off at 5:30pm.  However, the college gameday show will begin at noon.  The game will not be televised on ESPN or ABC, but the day's college football action will be brought to you from Provo.

Over the weekend the first BCS standings came out.  BYU fell into place at 16.  TCU is the leader of the conference at number 8.  The no. 8 vs. no. 16 match-up is definitely the reason ESPN is coming to Provo this weekend.

This morning KSL interviewed Bronco Mendenhall and asked him how he felt about ESPN coming to LaVell Edwards Stadium for the game.  He said that he was proud of his team.  He feels they are a good football team and have deserved that kind of recognition.  When asked how he would keep his team focused on the game and not the attention that will be brought to Provo on Saturday, he said that the preparation will be similar to how the team prepared for the Oklahoma game.

BYU Football - Florida St - Final

As hard as it is for me to say, BYU got it handed to them on their home field today by Florida State.  The defense that had been touted across the country as one that was unbreakable, broke.  After only allowing 16 points their first two games of the season, the BYU defense allowed 54 points today. 

The offense seems pretty reasonable.  Max Hall's stats looked about average, but his average this year has be below what I would expect for a Sr. quarterback at BYU.  In three games he has already thrown for 6 interceptions.  That just won't get it done, when you are playing big name teams.

On a good note, I was happy to see Riley Nelson get a chance to take a few snaps.  He appears to be an already developed quarterback and it will be fun to see him compete for the starting job next season.  It was nice to see Harvey Unga back in the game.  He rushed for 97 yards and appeared healthy on the plays he was in on.

I will say this 54-28 loss appears to completely dash any hopes that BYU had of playing in a BCS bowl.  It may not be impossible, but it certainly looks grim. 

Onward and upward, I guess.  Next week the Cougars face Colorado State, a team that is on the rise.  With today's loss I am concerned about the Rams.  I hope Bronco has something in mind for practice this week that can get his team back on track.

Pre-Game Thoughts - UNLV

As a BYU fan, you typically wouldn't think of a UNLV team as a challenge. However, this weeks match up brings with it the same set of challenges as the last two games. UNLV delivers a powerful run game, with the back pocket option to pass.

As the year has progressed, UNLV has seen its good games and bad games. While their record doesn't show a lot of consistency, there is no mistaking that Omar Clayton is getting better with each game he plays. Last week against New Mexico, he completed 19 of 30 passes for 251 yards, averages for a BYU quarterback, but pretty good numbers for the rest of the conference. His offensive counterpart big Frank Summers is a monster in and of himself. Clayton is really just a back up if Summers can't get the job done. Averaging almost 5 yards per carry, Summers is a force to be reckoned with.

The rebels are coming off a tough one point loss to Air Force. They are greedy for revenge. And with BYU losing last week they will be looking for blood this saturday.

The cougars haven't lost back to back conference games since 2005, but be careful because in 2005 the first of those two losses was to TCU.

Last week's defeat was difficult for BYU. Although they played tough, mistakes seemed to plague both the offense and defense. Multiple turnovers and missed opportunities kept the cougars to only 7 points on the board, while those same turnovers turned into points for TCU. I have no doubt that this weeks practice regime was not easy for the cougars. Bronco has said that the team simply wasn't prepared for TCU. I'm sure that won't be the case this week.

Keys to the Game
Run Defense
I keep saying this, but it keeps killing us. BYU has got to stop the run. Allowing teams like TCU and New Mexico to run, opened up pass opportunities that shouldn't have been available to them.

Get back to BYU
BYU has traditionally been a passing team. Harvey Unga has added a ground element to their attack this year. BYU can't leave it all on the shoulders of Harvey. He really is a secondary weapon to the BYU passing attack. BYU needs to come out and play like the BYU that clobbered UCLA.

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 Hands UCLA a Humiliating Loss, 59-0

I always try to use pictures of BYU players on the blog, but this picture seemed so fitting of UCLA's performance today. BYU handed them their worst loss since being shutout 76-0 by USC in 1929.

In the first quarter of today's game, many believed it would be a close game. At the end of the first 15 minutes of the game, the score had BYU ahead 7-0. Both defenses looked pretty solid. UCLA allowed BYU to score once, but stopped them on their other drive.

In the second quarter BYU let loose, scoring 35 points. Most of those points came off turnovers. BYU's defense caused three fumbles and blocked one field goal. All of which, BYU's offense was able to capitalize on.

The blocked field goal also gave BYU a little more crediblity that they can block field goals, and not just when the officials move the ball back. "We certainly have proven that we are a team with the propensity to block field goals," Coach Bronco Mendenhall commented in a post game interview.

Closing the third quarter, BYU capitalized on an interception. Wayne Latu scored from 13 yards bringing the score to its final resting point at 59-0.

Player of the Game
This award can't be given to one person. Today the game ball goes the the BYU defense. Being short at the linebacker position, the defense was forced to play in an unfamiliar 3-3-5. Coach Bronco Mendenhall has used the 3-3-5 in the past, but since coming to BYU is hasn't seen much action. By the end of the game, BYU had 2nd and 3rd string player going up against the UCLA starting offense, and they still managed to keep the goose egg on the score board.

Another Blocked Kick Keeps BYU in the Running for the BCS

This is the second time in their last three games that BYU has blocked a kick at the end of the game to produce a win. With two seconds left on the clock BYU defensive end, Jan Jorgensen, blocked Washington's PAT that would have tied the game and sent it into overtime. The previous play, Washington quarterback, Jake Locker, ran it in from three yards out, making the score 28-27.

“I asked (Assistant Coach) Paul Tidwell if there was any chance they would have the nerve to fake it and he said, ‘there’s always a chance.’” Mendenhall said. “So I said, ‘all out rush.’ And the players nodded like they believed they could block it. They were smiling, just like they were against UCLA.”

Today's win not only was monumental to the Cougars because it keeps their BCS hopes alive, but also because BYU has not beaten a non-conference road game since 2002. This was the hurdle that BYU needed to surpass this year to prove to the nation that they are ready for the BCS. Over the years they have been critized about the non-conference road record. Today's game was tough, but they pulled it off. In a post game interview, Bronco Mendenhall, commented, "What I don't do is ever doubt these players. When it comes down to it, they find a way to win and that's why they are having the success they are."

BYU's offense operated just like they normally do. Max Hall threw for 339 yards and three touchdowns. On the ground, the offense (with the help of Harvey Unga) racked up 143 yards rushing. Total yards passing and rushing yards for this game was 482.

Player of the Game
Harvey Unga racked up 167 yard with 22 carries and 5 catches. Unga did not score this game, but provided the means of many touchdowns. When Washington found somewhat of an answer for BYU's passing attach, Unga kept the defense honest. They had no answer for his power running.

Areas of Improvment
The ball security problems from last week appeared to to by resolved. BYU only fumbled the ball once, and it was forced. This week's area of improvment with be the defense. Although they played well, they allowed more points than they should have. Washington's quarterback, Jake Locker, was allowed to run with the ball whenever he couldn't find a reciever open.

BYU defeats Northern Iowa 41-17

This afternoon BYU won its second straight season opener extending the nation's longest winning streak to 11. The win, however, wasn't as simple as many expected it to be. The Northern Iowa Panthers put up a good fight against the nationally ranked Cougars.

“I give Northern Iowa credit,” said Mendenhall. “I think they are a very good team and coach [Mark] Farley does a great job with them. They are physical and their quarterback had an outstanding game in terms of heart.”

In the first half, BYU fans felt it was all their game. After the first two periods, BYU led the contest 27-3. All BYU right? Not quite. In the third quarter, UNI showed they came to play. A crazy reverse/wide reciever pass put UNI on the board in the third quarter. But that wasn't the worst part of BYU's third quarter. The Cougars were plauged with mistakes during the quarter, including 4 fumbles (3 recovered by UNI). One of those fumbles occured when Max Hall was hit in the back in his own end zone. UNI fell on the ball and 6 points went on the board. In the fourth, BYU started to put it back together. Two late scores put BYU well in front and ended the game 41-17.

Key Players
Max Hall and Dennis Pitta were the duo of the day. They connected 11 times for 213 yards, with an average of almost 20 yards per pass. Bronco even noted in the post game show that they planned their offense so that a defense could not cover all of the key positions. UNI chose to play the run and the wide outs. Therefore, they wouldn't be able to cover the tight end, which is exactly what happened.

Areas of Improvement
Ball Security. The first game jitters showed in the third quarter. Vetrans and rookies alike had problems holding on to the ball. “Ball security was one of the things we can improve on, and with that being different, most likely the game would have been much more convincing,” commented Mendenhall. “We saw enough mistakes and things that we can certainly improve on over the next week.”

Next Week
A test. BYU faces Washington on the road. The past two years, BYU has not won a single non-conference road game. This well be the real test of what BYU is made of.

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."

Quest for Perfection

Bronco Mendenhall speaks on this year's theme - The Quest for Perfection.