ESPN College Football Challenge - Week One

Well, the first week of the Cougaracity's group of ESPN College Football Challenge went pretty well. I wanted to thank all of those who have joined. We're excited to have 25 participants!

The problem with doing something like this is I have no idea who everybody is. I think most people are from Twitter, so some of the participants were semi-easy to figure out, but for the rest of you, shout @Cougaracity on Twitter and let me know who you are.

This week, it was pretty easy to tell who the leader was, because it was Cougaracity's own Preston Johnson. He managed to score 160 points, almost all (not really) scored by Wisconsin's Montee Bell. He also figured out that Oklahoma's kicker was going to have a busy day.

You are able to change up your roster, so make sure you spend some time to put together your roster before the games start this weekend.

If you want to play and don't care about coming into the game a week late, feel free to click on the link below and sign in:

Not this one

Or this one

Maybe this one

Definitely not this one

This one. Yep.

My Trip to Oxford, Mississippi

*A thought: Ole Miss fans really haven't embraced the Rebel Bear mascot just yet.

Like many of the members of Cougar Nation, I decided to head down south to Oxford, Mississippi, for the opening game of the 2011 BYU football season. To say I wasn't disappointed would be like saying ice cream isn't horrible or trick-or-treating isn't boring or my two-year-old daughter isn't calm when she doesn't get her way.

The trip was a lot of fun for many reason, but what stood out early on was the tailgating scene on campus at The Grove.

These pictures really don't do it justice. Sure, it looks like a lot of people (and it is), but it is only a drop in the bucket compared to the total number of people there. Acres of tent and people and BBQ made the gathering an eyesore in of itself. Lots of awesome, hospitable people with a handful of knucklehead's sprinkled in (like any fan base has).

Coming from someone who really hates walking around at fairs and the rest of that ilk, I couldn't get enough of walking through all of this and getting a good view of the culture surrounding The Grove.
Here's when the Ole Miss buses pulled up for the players to do the "Walk of Champions." Pretty cool sight.

BYU huddles up at the close of warm-ups. I kept waiting for them to do the Haka, but me and my posse ended up disappointed that all we saw were football exercises and such. Oh well.
BYU runs onto the field led by former Cougar and current Baltimore Raven Dennis Pitta. I hear Austin Collie was also at the game, but I didn't see him. Then again, I heard it after I got home, so I didn't really know to look for him.
Mike Hague and Jordan Johnson await the unleashing of the "unstoppable" SEC Speed. Were they wondering what they got themselves into?
Jake Heaps and the rest of the BYU offense take the field before the first offensive play of BYU's independence.
Scoreboard! Here is a picture of the rebuttal to any Ole Miss fan trash talk after the game (surprisingly, there was more after the game than before). I didn't really take too many pictures during the game, as I wanted to be able to enjoy myself.

Here are some more pictures after the game. Jake Heaps and Kyle Van Noy took their turns talking to BYUTV's Robbie Bullough.


Overall, a lot of fun was had by all. I remember being down 13-0 and thinking, "If we lose this game, I probably won't say a word to anyone in the car during the entire 10-hour car ride home. In a matter of 15 minutes or so, that attitude change. I'm so happy I was able to be there to witness BYU's first game as an independent.

Week 1 Thoughts from Daniel and Preston:

DANIEL'S TAKE:

Well, there's that old saying--a win is a win. And it's true. Especially against an SEC team in their backyard on opening day. Despite being ugly, I'm thrilled with the result.

Some take home points without reading too much into one game (least of all the first game):

The Bright Spot. I never thought I'd live to see the day, but the aspect most firing on all cylinders for the Cougars was actually the defense. Jordan Pendleton seems fairly back with a vengeance, and the run defense was rock solid. USC transfer Uona Kaveinga capably filled the role of general menace at the Linebacker position, and Daniel Sorenson seems intent on making a big impact as well.

If you just saw the score, you wouldn't know that the defense basically pitched a shutout--conceding two field goals after special teams blunders gave Mississippi a short field, and Jake Heaps' interception-touchdown accounting for the other score.

The Glaring Weakness. BYU's red zone offense continues to un-impress. The offensive machine started sluggishly, but was eventually able to shake the rust off and move the ball. The problem is the seemingly inevitable slow-down as they zero in on the goal line.

This blogger offers his opinion that the main issue is really the ground game. J.J. DiLuigi is great in the flat, a serviceable backfield blocker, and (too often?) a reliable check down option for Heaps. But a pure rusher he is not. (And Bryan Kariya seems incapable of running downhill either, enough to make you pine for the days of Harvey Unga like a middle school boy after his first crush.)

And without a ground game to keep the D honest, play action can't do what it's designed to; Mississippi was able to cheat and play more earnest pass defense.

But still. A win is, as we've said, a win. And looking at BYU's schedule this year, the goal was always to get through this first month or so with as many Ws as possible. Not a bad way to start.

PRESTON'S TAKE

Where do I start? This was everything but a normal BYU football game. If you have followed this program at any point during the last decade you have found these all-too-familiar and predictable scenarios to be true: a high scoring Cougar offense that puts plenty of points on the board and a defense and secondary that we constantly pray can avoid giving up the big play.

In this case today playing in Mississippi, however, I never once felt nervous when our defense was on the field and, contrary to popular speculation prior to the game versus Ole Miss, BYU’s offense struggled to finish drives and we found our Cougars sitting on a whopping total of 0 points through three quarters.

Fortunately, the dice rolled BYU’s way in the 4^th quarter and they were able to score 14 unanswered points to beat Ole Miss 14-13. Let us dissect each side of the ball in more detail:

Offense

The immediate reaction to the offensive performance today versus Ole Miss would be a negative one. BYU was unable to put a point on the board till the 4^th quarter and Jake Heaps was far from the gunslinger he proved to be during fall camp. But I argue we need to analyze this a little bit deeper. During the “offensive drought” through the first 3 quarters BYU managed to take the ball inside the Ole Miss 40-yard line four different times.

We can thank a penalty, a bad snap, an interception (that turned into a pick 6 and the only Ole Miss touchdown of the game), and a missed field goal that these drives resulted in 0 Cougar points. I am not making excuses for the BYU offense, they definitely need to limit these mistakes, but I would like to draw attention to the fact that the offense was capable of moving the football consistently against a stronger and more athletic Ole Miss defense. The Cougars accumulated a total of 316 yards in comparison to the Rebels 208, and BYU also converted 20 first downs compared to the Ole Miss 13.

Although the run game was limited to only 3 yards per carry, BYU still out rushed Ole Miss by 30 yards. The Cougars outplayed the Rebels in every aspect of the game and deservedly got the victory. While there needs to be improvement in the execution of the offense (especially in enemy territory), I am surprisingly optimistic going into the Texas game next week. Bring on the haters, but I stand by what I am saying.

The law of averages tell us there is no way that BYU moves the ball that effectively again while only managing to score one offensive touchdown, I guarantee it.

Defense

There is not as much to discuss regarding the Cougar defense as they completely dominated the Rebels in every aspect of the game. They held Ole Miss to 2.2 yards per carry on the ground and limited them to only 144 total passing yards. Without question the defense won the game for BYU today, and more specifically, Kyle Van Noy. He was able to force and recover the fumble late in the 4^th quarter that lead to the go ahead touchdown that gave the Cougars the victory. He actually scored as many points as the entire BYU offense.

To play devil's advocate though, we need to recognize that Ole Miss was using two quarterbacks throughout the game and neither had ever started a collegiate game in their lives. The Cougars hard-hitting also managed to knock two of the Rebels running backs out of the game and ruined any chances Ole Miss had of getting the ground game going.

So, like my analysis of the BYU offense, I will actually go against the public perception here and say that I am more worried about the Cougar defense going into Austin next Saturday than anything else. They looked great against Ole Miss, and they literally won the game for BYU, but with all the question marks on the offensive side of the Rebels’ squad, I am skeptical to believe that the defense can bail them out again against a much more experienced Longhorn team.

I could also see the defensive players getting a little bit too complacent during the week as I am sure BYU will be putting a great deal of their focus in practice on the offense and special teams. This will presumably put more pressure on the offense, which I believe is a good thing in this case, and I would be surprised if Bronco Mendenhall and the BYU defense can duplicate their performance they had today against the Ole Miss. In fact, I dare them to.

Despite the strange mood and flow of the game today, BYU got the victory, and that is what ultimately counts. To win a game and open the season on the road against a SEC school is a feat in and of itself.

My early analysis of next week’s game against Texas is a positive one. While I will not pick an official score or winner now, I am definitely a believer that the Cougars can win the game. They will compete and make things interesting, I promise you this. If not for any other reason than the fact that as I wrap up writing this post-game review, Texas is only beating Rice 20-9 at the end of the 3^rd quarter… they typically beat the Owls by 50-60 every year. #BeatTexas

Roundtable Predictions: This Weekend + This Season

Predictions: BYU vs. Ole Miss

Preston:
BYU 27 Ole Miss 20 - BYU gets off to a fast start and jumps to an early lead while the Rebels settle in during the 2nd half and push BYU down to the wire... big defensive stop late on the final drive seals the win for the Cougars.

Ben W:
Ole Miss 20, BYU 17 - with BYU missing a last minute FG to tie the game.

Daniel:
BYU 24, Ole Miss 21 - Really can't be sure on opening day, but Mississippi and BYU represent two teams heading opposite directions at the end of last season. Gotta go with the trend.

Scott:
BYU 31, Ole Miss 17 - Two teams that ended last year going in different directions. Read more from Scott

Jake:
BYU 28, Ole Miss 24 - It will be a slow first half but both offenses will come alive late in the game. Ole Miss will have a few big running plays but won't be able to match Jake Heaps' consistent passing attack. Look for special teams to play a big role in the game.

Predictions: 2011

Jake:
10-2
That seems to be a typical Bronco Mendenhall record. The Cougars will drop a road games in Austin and then lose again against a solid UCF team. The big games this season will be on the road against Oregon State and TCU. Both will be hard fought battles and both will be Cougar victories.

Ben W:
7-5
BYU gets off the season right with a win against Ole miss, but then struggles and loses to UT, Utah, UCF, TCU, and Hawaii. Heaps will have one injury that will keep him out a few games which will be a huge blow to the cougars. BYU does close out the season strongly, winning their bowl game.

Preston:
8-4
I think that the Cougars will be amped enough to open the season in Mississippi and get the win this Saturday, but when they go down to Texas to take on the Longhorns and then later TCU in Dallas, I think that BYU will drop both of those games. That leaves us with tough games against Utah, Central Florida, Hawaii away, and Oregon St. As well as we have played against Oregon St. in the past, I do not think that we can chalk this up as a win just yet. Playing Hawaii on the road is a tough task for any team. Anyone that has followed the rivalry game knows that anything can happen when it comes to BYU/Utah. I see BYU losing two of these "toss up" games along with the losses in Austin and Dallas to finish a solid season at 8-4.

Scott:
11-1
My prediction is so awesome. I look at the schedule, and it has a lot of great programs. But those programs are not exactly playing at their highest level right now (#understatements). BYU's 2010 season served as a reminder that nothing comes easy, and with the added players, experience, and coaching, this team should be favored in almost every game. Frankly, I talked myself out of 12-0.

Premature Box Score - Ole Miss: Take 2

Do you remember the old CBS show "Early Edition"? It starred Kyle Chandler, someone we've come to know as Coach Eric Taylor from NBC's "Friday Night Lights."

Anyway, the premise of this show was Chandler's character receiving the newspaper a day early. This allowed him to attempt to fix the things that went wrong during that day (somewhere Michael J. Fox is in a sleeveless coat screaming "Nooo!!!!!")

I am going to give you the box score a day or so early. What I am attempting to do is kind of the same thing as "Early Edition," although you won't be able to save BYU from anything. Oh, and also, the info you receive from runs the risk of being wildly inaccurate.

Some readers might remember me attempting to do this during the summer. I've had some time to think about the Ole Miss game some more, and I would like to tweak it...a little.

Enjoy!

BYU 31, Ole Miss 17

Passing
Heaps: 21-31 277 yards, 3 TDs

Rushing
Quezada: 18 carries, 109 yards
Di Luigi: 11 carries, 58 yards
Kariya: 8 carries, 30 yards, 1 TD

Receiving
Apo: 5 catches, 78 yards, 1 TD
Jacobson: 5 catches, 53 yards
Hoffman: 4 catches , 72 yards, 1 TD
Wilson: 2 catches, 27 yards
Holt: 2 catches, 16 yards, 1 TD
Di Luigi: 2 catches, 18 yards
Quezada 1 catch, 13 yards

Defense
Rushing yards allowed: 154 yards
Passing yards allowed: 151 yards
INTs: 1
Fumbles Forced/Recovered: 3/2

We all remember what happened when Heaps and Nelson split reps in fall camp last year. Neither QB got the preparation they both needed. As a result, neither were truly ready to begin the 2010 season.

Same deal for Ole Miss this year, except that the 1st team reps were split between three QBs. Ole Miss' starting QB Barry Brunetti was given the job last week only after Randall Mackey was arrested and subsequently suspended for the first game. Oh, and coach Houston Nutt says QB Zack Stoudt will play against BYU as well (Did anyone order a 2-QB system?). Good news.

Because of the inexperience at the QB position, Ole Miss will likely rely on Brandon Bolden, a very solid back. However, BYU's rush defense is one thing that doesn't concern me at all for 2012. With the speed of LBs like Kyle Van Noy and Uona Kaveinga, I think we'll be able to manage.

Also, Ole Miss' defense is what caused its 4-8 2010 record, and it only returns 4 starters. Two starters are lost from the secondary, and it was bad last year. This is why I had so much optimism in putting together BYU's offensive predictions. This seems like a pretty good opportunity for BYU to showcase its new offense. Kentrell Lockett returns, but after blowing out his knee last year, is it really safe to assume he'll be the same guy he was in 2009? I don't think so.

BYU and Ole Miss both had bad 2010 seasons, but BYU finished 2010 playing its best football. That can't be said about Ole Miss, and I have serious doubts about Ole Miss' ability to make vast improvements by Week One.

Feel free to leave a comment with your own prediction(s).

Cougaracity Podcast Central

Cougaracity contributors Ben Wagner, Preston Johnson, and Jake Welch got together last night and rolled tape on their thoughts on the upcoming BYU football season. Look for the PB&J Report on iTunes.

PB&J Report - BYU Preview - August 31, 2011

Also, Preston and Scott Gower join the fellas from Red Cup Rebellion on their podcast last night as well. Great guys. Give them a follow on the ol' Twitter.

Red Cup Radio - Cougaracity - August 31, 2011 (we come on at about the 23-min mark)

Bold Statements for the 2011 Season

At the start of every football season, we have the opportunity to prognosticate as to what will happen in the following months. Some BYU fans have extremely high hopes and dream of undefeated seasons and BCS glory, while others remain staunchly pessimistic, claiming we will be lucky to get 5 wins. Both parties pride themselves on bold statements.

I am a fan of bold statements but only if they are somewhat realistic. Sure, Jake Heaps has a chance at winning the Heisman, just like I have a chance at pitching in the World Series for the Phillies.

Below are a few of my bold statements concerning this season. Some of them might be a bit surprising, but they are backed by some logical though.

J.J. DiLuigi will be the most important skill player behind Jake Heaps
Ever since he came to BYU, it seems as if DiLuigi has been flying somewhat under the radar. His freshman and sophomore seasons were spent in the shadow of Harvey Unga, and last year he split time with Brian Kariya and fan-favorite Joshua Quezada. Most will forget last year he led the team in rushing AND receiving yards. He might not have the numbers he did last year, but he will be vital is the success of the offense.

It’s no secret J.J. is not the biggest guy on the field, but he makes up for it in almost every way. He has great field vision and follows his lead blockers very well. He doesn’t have breakaway speed, but he has great quickness that gives him separation when running routes. It’s these small intangibles that will allow him to make big plays. Apo, Hoffman, Quezada and others will have their time to shine, but J.J. will be the difference maker.



Brandon Ogletree will be the defensive MVP
Most BYU fan want to reserve this title for a certain USC transfer, but Ogletree will have a big year. He had a knack for making big plays last year and playing consistent every game. If he can stay healthy he will be the leader of the defense and set the tone for this inexperienced but talented squad.

Hiring Ben Cahoon was most important coaching change this offseason

BYU fans have been counting down the minutes until they can see the new offensive changes Brandon Doman will bring to the table. Having Doman at the helm will be a significant upgrade, but, most importantly, the offense will benefit from having a capable wide receivers coach. The performance of last year’s wide outs was uninspiring at best, and a lot of that had to do with the position coach Patrick Higgins. Players said he was strange and lacked the players’ respect.

With Ben Cahoon, the receivers have someone they can learn from and respect. Unlike years past, BYU’s crop of receivers are physically gifted. Hoffman has size, Jacobsen has speed and Apo has both. What they can really improve upon is their route running. Cahoon made a living in the CFL running crisp routes and creating separation. If Cahoon can teach the WRs his craft, then we should see some great improvements.



BYU will beat TCU
It would be a gross understatement to stay TCU has dominated BYU the last three seasons. The Cougars scored a measly 17 point in the three games combined. It’s just one of those situations where it seems they have our number. This year will be different.

First off, TCU won’t have the luxury of having Andy Dalton at the helm. The guy carved up our defense in his sleep. The Horned Frog offense won’t be nearly as potent this year and they will have a lot of underclassmen taking on key roles. They will be good, just not great.

Second, BYU will have an offensive coordinator not named Robert Anae. Brandon Doman will be able to game plan better for opponents than Anae, who refused to change things up depending on who they played. When playing TCU, the old OC wouldn’t account for TCU’s amazing team speed and strength. He called the same tired plays that worked against Northern Iowa but, gee golly, were ineffective, against TCU. These are finally two very different teams and BYU will have the advantage.

--Jake Welch, Cougaracity contributor
Twitter: @jraywelch