What is a fan to do when there team has a bye?

It's a beautiful day in Texas today. Clear blue skies and a temperature of 75 degrees. What's missing, on a great saturday like today? BYU football, that's what!!! I live for cougar football in the fall, and even though this season has been frustrating, I still will miss not hearing the game today. So what is a cougar fan to do during a bye week? I guess I could clean out the garage, get some painting done, repair a leaking toilet or two, or watch a couple of other college football games and pretend it's the cougars!!! I found this quote that describes the football mentality perfectly (both players and fans).

Let’s face it, you have to have a slightly recessive gene that has a little something to do with the brain to go out on the football field and beat your head against other human beings on a daily basis.
Tim Green

Scheduling just keeps getting better

I saw the following update on Deseret News.com. The future schedules literally have BYU playing from one end of the country to the other. It is very clear to me know why this was done. This is not only a great thing for the football program, but gives the church so much more exposure. I look forward to BYU playing such great programs and experiencing a bowl type atmosphere each week. 


FUTURE SCHEDULES: BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe is still putting the finishing touches on the 2011 schedule, the first season BYU will compete as an independent. Here's a rundown on BYU's future games:
2011 — at Oregon State, at Texas, vs. Utah, vs. Utah State, vs. New Mexico State, at Hawaii, at Louisiana Tech, vs. Idaho. vs. San Jose State, vs. Central Florida.
2012 — vs. Oregon State, vs. Hawaii, at Utah, at Boise State, vs. Utah State, at New Mexico State, at Georgia Tech, at Notre Dame.
2013 — vs. Texas, at Hawaii, vs. Boise State, vs. Georgia Tech, at Notre Dame.
2014 — at Texas, at Boise State, at Central Florida, at Georgia Tech.
2015 — vs. Boise State.
2016 — vs. West Virginia (at Landover, Md.).
2017 — vs. Georgia Tech.

Gathering the groceries for future meals (otherwise known as recruiting)

Since this is a bye week, most of our coaching staff will be on the road looking at future recruits. As I stated in an earlier post, our greatest need is for an increase in team speed and athleticism. Many of the top teams in the country now recruit more for these two factors than anything else. They typically recruit athletes who can play safety, safeties that are quick enough to play corner, corners who are strong enough to play outside linebacker, outside linebackers who are capable of adding some bulk and either moving to the middle or putting their hand down on the outside, and ends who can add enough weight and strength to clog the middle. The advantage to this approach is simple. In the game of football speed wins over size almost every time. Players tend to get bigger and stronger in college, but rarely much quicker or faster. That tends to be more of a natural gift. You either have it or you don't!!!

I am encouraged that one of BYU's top recruits for 2012 is a Safety out of Alta High School by the name of Rhett Sandlin. His coach compares him to Jordan Pendleton as a high school player. I would suggest that BYU learn from there experience with Jordan and start developing Rhett as an outside linebacker from the very beginning. We need to get as much speed on the field at one time as we can in order to deal with the pistol and spread offenses.

Here's hoping that as the cougar coaches are out shopping for the groceries, that they keep speed and quickness at the top of their shopping list!!!!

Cougar's win FINALLY!!!!!!!

As I listened to the BYU vs. Wyoming broadcast on KSL and pulled the last few strands of hair from my head, I  realized that this year is going to require the patience of Job on the part of the team, the coaches, and the fans. The game started out great and I felt like we were going to be on our way to a good old fashion Cougar blowout. My optimism soon gave way to frustration, which soon gave way to exasperation!!!! I was not able to relax until the very last play. And this is against Wyoming at home??

I liked the fact that we ran the ball more to take pressure off of Jake Heaps and to give the defense a breather. The bye week comes at a great time to not only heal up, but for us to put in some more of our short passing game (remember the way we used to use the tight end??)

UNLV comes to town at the perfect time for us to continue gaining confidence and refine the game plan for the remainder of 2010. I would like to see the coaches challenge the offensive line to DOMINATE the way they should and carry the load for the offense the remainder of the year. These guys are so huge and strong they should be able to fall forward and have the backs pickup a minimum of 4 yards at a time. I know it's not exciting football, but it does give us our best chance to win the rest of our games (including Utah) and return to win another bowl.

The way we finish, will be key for where we begin next year in the polls. One game at a time, one series at a time, one down at a time. EXECUTE!!!!

Speed, Speed, Speed is what we NEED!!!

Watching BYU football games this year (the few you can see in Texas where the Mtn. is not available) it is very clear that the team's main weakness is a lack of speed and quickness. If we are going to compete on a national stage we need players that can MOVE at each position.

Gary Patterson and Kyle Whittingham have done a great job of recruiting athletes and then putting them in the right position. Many of their defensive players (including linemen) were skill players in high school. This enables them to get pressure on the quarterback without always having to resort to blitzing like we do. On offense this quickness and speed gives them a big advantage in spreading us out and exposing our own lack of speed.

BYU's passing game, which has always been a strength, has been handcuffed this year by the players inability to get separation from the defenders (and the ability to catch the ball, but that is a different post)!!! Other teams do not respect our receivers and backs speed, and therefore often put seven, eight or nine men in the box. In order to effectively run and pass the ball we must open the field up. After all, if schools like Nevada, Utah State and Boise State can recruit ATHLETES, BYU with it's amazing facilities and resources sure should be able to.

Yes. Speed, Speed, Speed is what we NEED!!!!

Future Schedules

Wow!! In the past week BYU has announced future football home and home series with Notre Dame and Georgia Tech. As I mentioned yesterday, the exposure for the school and the church is going to be tremendous.It takes BYU from being a mid-major program from a non qualifying BCS conference, to a major independent football power playing on a national stage.

It's going to force everyone, the team, the coaches, and yes even the fan's to step up our game. One of the things I have noticed when we have played other national powers in the past is how gracious their fans are. When they beat us they do so with class, and when they lose they never miss an opportunity to tell us how well we played and wish us success the rest of the way. I think all of us, myself included, could take a lesson from these other fans. We should be the best fan-base in the country.

I look forward to more exciting scheduling news in the weeks, months, and years ahead. Go Cougars!!!!

Welcome to BYU Cougar Sports

I have been an avid BYU fan my entire life, even though I did not attend school there (my wife, and two of my six children have). I am excited about BYU's future as an independent football power ( I do think there will be a few lumps along the way, but the exposure for the school and church will be fabulous).

This season has been a big disappointment. I felt with a strong offensive line, and the infusion of top tier recruits that we would fare better than we have. The second half of the season will show a lot about the character of the team and the coaching staff. We have shown the ability to run the ball and should do so more to relieve the pressure off of Jake Heaps. I know it is tempting to throw the ball down field a lot, but the second or third and long situations force him into a lot of mistakes. It also leads to many three and out possessions leaving our young defense on the field too long.

It's time for the upperclassmen to show leadership against Wyoming and not let the O'Neill Chambers fiasco affect the season and the program. It truly is one game at a time from here on out with a chance to finish with a winning season and another bowl game. Go Cougars!!!