Offense
Quarterback
What to say about Taysom Hill's first six games? The good: at one point, he was near the top of the NCAA in rushing yards per game. The bad: until a few recent strong showings, he was near the bottom of the NCAA in passing efficiency and completion percentage. Through the first three games of the year, Hill was as likely to break a 50+ yard touchdown run as he was to bounce a ten yard button hook to his receiver. You would have to go back to the early 1980s (a young Steve Young) to find a BYU quarterback so athletically gifted but so erratic as a passer. Not surprisingly, BYU started the season 1-2 as Hill completed just 35% of his passes with only 1 passing touchdown. During the last three games, he has completed 65% of his passes with 4 passing touchdowns. His improvement as a passer has been impressive and his feet will always make him dangerous.
QB Grade Thus Far
B-. He gets props for his improvement in the passing game and he has had some dazzling plays with his legs. Still, he played lousy in two pathetic offensive performances against the Utes and Virginia.
Prognosis
I think Hill will continue to get better as he becomes more knowledgeable about the offense. It was obvious from the beginning that he had a strong arm and the last few games he seems to be finding a rhythm and showing good accuracy and touch on his ball. He has 6 games left and a probable bowl game. I think he'll finish with 15 TDs passing and 13 rushing (currently at 5 passing and 7 rushing). That will be a solid first year as a starter and hopefully he can carry that momentum into next year.
Running Back
Jamaal Williams was an absolute workhorse for BYU through the first 2 and a half games of the season. Against Virginia, he carried the ball a whopping 33 times. Against Texas, he had 30 carries. He performed very well in both of these games though he was kept out of the end zone. When he had to be carted off in the third quarter against the Utes, everything changed. BYU no longer had a running back that had potential to break loose for a big run and the Utes knew it. Hill was forced to throw the ball 48 times and we all know the rest of the story. Robert Anae has done a good job of slowly integrating Williams back after his frightening injury. It will be interesting to see if Williams is used as frequently as he was before the injury.
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| Jamaal Williams being carted off the field in front of a stunned LES crowd. |
Paul Lasike had a big game against Texas but has been quiet since and did not carry the ball at all against Georgia Tech. Algernon Brown has been solid during mostly mop-up duty. It is hard to gauge his ability as he has primarily faced tired defenses. The player that I really would like to see more of is Adam Hine. He only has 8 carries for a grand total of 10 yards, thus far. It looks like he is still learning the offense (he seems to be out of position, etc. the few times he has been in) but I've got to think that he can be another potential playmaker with the way he has been returning kickoffs.
RB Grade Thus Far
B+. BYU is 13th in the nation in rushing yards per game. Much of this yardage has been picked up by Hill. Hill also has more rushing TDs (7) than all of the running backs put together (6). Still, Williams has been a stud and it seems like an abberation that he has only scored once. The other players have been solid but nothing special.
Prognosis
I think Williams workload will increase as BYU starts to play some tough road games. This increase in carries will coincide with an increase in touchdowns. I think he'll finish the year with 10 touchdowns on the ground and over 1,000 yards rushing. My hope is that Hine and Brown will get comfortable enough to be viable options to sub in for Williams for a few plays here and there. I think running backs not named Williams will add 4 more scores.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
It is hard to evaluate this group, thus far. Coming into the year, I thought this would be our strongest group on the offensive side of the ball. Through six games, we only have 90 completions and 5 TDs through the air. Cody Hoffman only has one of those TDs. He has been having a rough year with his injury and suspension but has still accumulated 18 grabs and 311 yards in 4 games. Skyler Ridley and JD Falslev have been their usual solid, but unexceptional selves. Mitch Matthews could potentially be a match-up nightmare for opposing teams. He and Hill have had some heated exchanges on the sidelines but they have looked great when on the same page. Ross Apo has been an absolute disappointment. It's almost time to consider his career at BYU a bust.
The tight ends have been almost non-existent this season. Through six games, they have 11 catches total and no scores. It is hard to say if this lack of production has been due to schematic changes by Anae or if there has been no pressing need to include the current crop of tight ends.
WR/TE Grade Thus Far
C+. With Hill's erratic throwing, it is hard to say how much of the passing struggles have been due to to the wide receivers and tight ends. The last three games, though, the receiving corps has been stepping up and making plays when given a chance.
Prognosis
It will be interesting to see how much Anae opens up the offense and trusts Hill to throw down the field for the remainder of the year. I predicted that he will finish with 15 TDs, so I will say that Hoffman will finish with 6, Matthews with 5, Falslev with 2 and the others will make up the last two (though, again, it is highly doubtful to me that Apo will ever cross the goal line again. Maybe against Idaho State?)
Offensive Line
This has been the most offensive unit of the team. When did the offensive line become BYU's worst unit? The hogs up front have been manhandled in most games, thus far. The only real strong effort was against a soft Texas team. Hill has been scrambling for his life whenever there is any pressure and it seems like Williams has to fight for every yard out of the backfield. Anae has been openly critical of them and for good reason.
O-Line Grade Thus Far
D. The offense has the skill players it needs but the linemen are not doing their part. I am not sure if Doman is responsible for the current crop of linemen we have seeming to be soft and ineffective. While BYU fans like to gripe about Anae's playcalling, there is no doubt that he brings an attitude of toughness and meanness that the line will need to adopt to be successful.
Prognosis
I think this unit will get better with coaching and frankly, because they cannot get much worse. The line will become a major priority in recruiting in the off-season and I think will eventually become a strong link in our scheme, again. Hopefully they can keep Hill and Williams upright enough to win some of our tough remaining games.
Offense Overall
The offense has been inconsistent, at best. They moved incredibly fast but nowhere against Virginia and Utah. They ran all over a Texas team that just thrashed Oklahoma but still left many points on the board in that game and only had 9 completions. They managed to score 28 points against Middle Tennessee despite five turnovers (including a few in the red zone). They looked great in the first half of the Georgia Tech game and had two great drives in the third quarter against Utah State. Potentially the best news is that they didn't turn the ball over at all against Georgia Tech. Ball security is something that the 2012 BYU defense salivated for.
Offense Grade Thus Far
C+. At the end of the day, the most important thing an offense can do is put up points and not turn the ball over. BYU is 70th in the nation in points per game (and that includes a few touchdowns scored by the D and special teams). We're also -3 in total turnovers. However, the team seems to be improving in the passing game and taking care of the ball. These improvements bumps the overall grade up to a C+.
Prognosis
The Cougars still have three very tough games left, including two on the road. Hopefully BYU's offense is playing their best football by the Notre Dame game. I think that Hill will continue to improve as a passer if the line can be even decent. If the line does not improve, we're going to have some long (and cold) games in Madison and South Bend.
Defense
Defensive Line
Bronson Kaufusi has stepped in very well for Ziggy. He is massive and he is fast, just like Ziggy. While I don't know if his potential is as unlimited as Ziggy's was, I think Kaufusi has a good chance of being a NFL starter some day. Remington Peck has been solid, as well. For those who have watched BYU play this year, it is surprising to find out that they only have the 55th best defense against the run in terms of yards given up per game (150). However, BYU has only given up 3 rushing TDs total and teams are averaging only 3.7 yards a carry against them. The big boys on the line are doing their job. One knock on them is that they have not created a lot of sacks. The Cougars are 89th in the nation in sacks.
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| Even if Kaufusi becomes a star, Ziggy will always be more of a legend seeing how he didn't know what football was until in his 20s. |
D-Line Grade Thus Far
B+. It is hard to be upset about only giving up 3 rushing touchdowns through 6 games. The line has been stout and solid against the run game. Kaufusi has broken up 4 passes and Peck has an interception. However, the linemen need to get to the QB more consistently.
Prognosis
The d-line passed their first real test by only allowing Georgia Tech to score one rushing touchdown. We will see what they can do against the 5th best rushing team in the nation when they face Wisconsin. I feel that they will respond well to the challenge through the rest of the season and be in the Top 25 against the run.
Linebackers
This is probably the best unit on this year's team. KVN is an absolute beast. Even while facing constant double teams and chop blocks, he has 39 total tackles, 10 tackles for a loss (including a safety), 3 sacks, an interception return for a touchdown, 4 pass break-ups and 10 QB hurries. As always, he has been all over the field this year. Uani 'Unga has 17 more tackles than the next leading tackler. He has been very active and disruptive in the running game in particular. Alani Fua just might take over the playmaker role with KVN's departure after the season. He has been great in coverage, with 7 pass break-ups and an interception return for a touchdown.
Spencer Hadley has been very solid when on the field and his quest for redemption is a potential rallying point for the team. He looked very hungry to perform well against Georgia Tech and did so. His fumble recovery late in the game all but sealed the game for the Cougars.
LBs Grade Thus Far
A-. This group has been great. They have been solid against both the run and the pass. They have made some big plays (particularly KVN) that have been major momentum swingers. Just like the defensive line, the one area that could be improved is their ability to get to the QB. KVN has been close a lot of times and has inflicted a lot of pain on opposing QBs but we need to get sacks more consistently.
Prognosis
The linebackers should continue to be the best unit on this team. Van Noy has been so close to getting sacks that I think he will eventually start rolling them up. He and the rest of his colleagues will continue to make big plays, limit the run and play lock down defense against the opponents' passing game. I believe that KVN has at least another TD in him and I will go out on a limb and say he finishes with 10 sacks this year.
Secondary
Before the season even began, the secondary was ravaged by injuries. It got to the point where Bronco joked that he would have open tryouts for anybody with any eligibility left to play the position. Skyler Povey has been adequate as a corner. He is a sure tackler but he has gotten burned downfield on numerous occasions. Mike Hague has not been anything special and hasn't had much to write home about other than getting blown up by the U of U's running back when Hague came in late and high. Robertson Daniel has been an excellent tackler. He has 25 unassisted tackles, meaning he has been very reliable in the open field. He has also forced two fumbles. He has been burned a few times but has played well overall.
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| Craig Bills brings the boom. |
Craig Bills and Daniel Sorenson may be two of the best safeties we have had in a long time. Sorenson does a little bit of everything. He provides great coverage over the top and has broken up 7 passes and hauled in an interception in the end zone. Craig Bills is one of the nastiest hitters I've seen in a long time at BYU. He reminds me a lot of Aaron Fransisco--he doesn't just settle for simply tackling the opponent. Rather, he lays the wood on those unfortunate enough to come across him.
Secondary Grade Thus Far
B+. This unit has exceeded most people's expectations. They are 23rd in the nation in passing yards allowed a game. They tackle well and have not had too many long passes against them. One concern I have is that they are not breaking up a lot of passes or intercepting them.
Prognosis
BYU faces two top 25 caliber passing teams in a row with Houston and then Boise. These will be opportunities to show how good they really are. I think the unit will rise to the occasions and put in good games against these two teams. It would also be nice to see them force more turnovers.
Special Teams
Justin Sorenson is having a very good comeback season. He is currently 9 for 11 on field goal attempts. This is a massive improvement from the plague of poor kicking we've had over the past few years. While the FG% is good, it is important to note that his season long is 36 yards. He is knocking down the chip shot field goals (which is good) but it would be nice for the offense to punch the ball in the endzone on more of these drives that finish with short field goals. It would also be nice to know that we can consistently make decent length field goals. Still, Bronco seems to trust him a lot more than last year (remember when we punted from Notre Dame's 35 when down 3 with only a few minutes to go, last year?).
Scott Arrellano has been solid overall as a punter. He has had 12 punts where he pinned opponents within their 20. He has had three kicks blocked, but those have had more to do with bad blocking and poor snaps.
Adam Hine is absolutely electric every time he returns kickoffs. He is always a threat to take one all the way back to the house. Falslev has a punt return for a TD and had another really good one against Utah (which we of course, did not score a TD after). But, he's also developed a case of the dropsies. It's nice to have big play potential but I would personally prefer a returner who just catches the punt every time.
Special Teams Grade Thus Far
B+. The returners (both punt and kick) have had some electric moments. However, these are offset by Falslev's muffs and penalties by blockers that have caused some of Hine's returns to be called back. Sorenson has been solid but still has shown no real threat of making a long field goal.
Prognosis
I predict that Hine will take at least one kick back for a touchdown before the year is over. He will continue to give the offense good starting field position. I think Falslev will also return another one for a TD. Finally, I predict that one game will come down to Justin Sorenson at the end of the game. I dare not make any predictions of whether or not he will make it.
Team Overall Grade
B-. The defense has looked very good this year and I believe will at least give us a good chance to win against Wisconsin and Notre Dame. This week's game against Houston will be a good test for our secondary. The offense has been very inconsistent. While it's been disappointing, I guess it should be realistically expected--they are learning a new system with a QB who had only two career starts and he is behind a shaky offensive line.
Final Prognosis
I believe this team will finish 9-3 in the regular season heading into a bowl win. Again, though, it will all depend on whether or not the offensive line can be decent enough to let us win.
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