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BYU football: Y. knows there's work to be done

New BYU Football Slogan / Perfection-No Exception

"While Mendenhall acknowledged there must be improvement, he said there are no plans to alter the defensive scheme."

WHAT!!!???

No matter how hard you bang your head against a brick wall, or how well you execute the banging, the brick wall will eventually win. The ability to see when something isn't working and find alternatives that do is what separates the good from the great coaches.

If Y would allow dreadlocks, tattoos, and earrings within their dress/honor code, they could solve most of their problems on offense which is being able to recruit speed

Bronco,

If you are serious about improving the program and taking it to the next level, here are a few ideas:

1) Practices that last longer than an hour.
2) Get rid of the bend-don't break defensive philosophy. That's rubbish and you know it.
3) New offensive coordinator who can bring some creativeness to his game plans.
4) Being more than a nine-to-five coaching staff. Your competition is out-coaching you guys...because they are putting in the hours.
5) Take a few chances to improve the athletic ability of the players. DBs that have to play 10-15 yards off the line will get beat every time.

Maybe the new slogan/t-shirt for 2009 season should be "More Defense Less Turnovers."

The defense did fine when the offense was protecting the ball and scoring points. The offense needs to protect the ball. The offense needs to spread the ball around. Max was targeting single receivers in the last few games thus Paul K from Utah was able to bat down many balls. Max was singling in. I think Austins Departure will be good especially with McKay coming home.
Cougars will be just fine. GO COUGARS!

What ever happened to the blitz?

I remember one year reading another coach say of the BYU/Mendenhall defense that 'BYU started blitzing the moment they got off the bus.' Do we blitz anymore?

It seems we don't. We rush 3 or 4 and drop the rest into pass coverage. When you have a weak pass coverage the first thing you do is blitz in order to put pressure on the quarterback.

Next year, always next year. With Oklahoma in Texas and Florida State, Utah and TCU in Provo, it has all the makings of either a BCS busting year or 7-5 and maybe a bowl game.

I worry that we are breaking in 4 new offensive linemen. Clearly that is a big concern.

Go BYU!

TOP 3 things BYU needs to do over the off season if they want to improve for next year!
1. Coaches need to spend every minute between now and August, recruiting DBs that can play Football/ create a defensive scheme that does not allow 6 yards or more per play. In the Utah Game they were averaging 8 yards per play, pretty easy when the defense gives them 15 in cushion!
2. Max Hall needs to learn how to go through his Checks! He is a good leader and and has a accurate arm. But the defense knows where he is going every time. Hot route, sack, or pick cant always be the option!
3. Robert Anae needs to pull out the stops. Go back to BYU spread football. When the commentators from the MTN know they play before the snap THERE IS A HUGE PROBLEM!!!! Put a counter in the offense. Run a trick play once in while! Its funny how we think of the fake handoff to Fui and then Pitch to Unga in the Utah game as a trick play! No creativity. You had it in Texas where is it now?

I am proud of the football team. They are winning like they did in the glory years, and they are doing it right. Keep it up.

"...the teams we lost to this year were the best teams we've lost to since I've been the coach."

Some will probably snicker at this quote, but it's right on the money. TCU and Utah were strong enough teams to force the Cougs into multiple errors and bad decisions. BYU was its own worst enemy against Arizona--which, if you take a look at the UA schedule and several very close losses, was only a handful of plays away from being 9-3 or maybe even 10-2 entering the LV Bowl. Nobody came close to blowing them out--their biggest loss was 10 points.

So all BYU losses were in fact to very good teams. The only shame in losing to any of those programs was in the Cougs' own failure to execute during those losses.

So forget the "get-rid-of-Anae-and-Max" overreactions. If BYU will just execute its own darn game plan against the best teams it faces, it'll take care of a lot of its own problems.

BYU football is great, Bronco and his staff work very hard to build a great program and put in the time and energy to make it such. Outstanding quality kids are comming into the program and it will improve. If all the best LDS athlets committed to BYU with a blend of good non LDS athlets with the desire to live the same standards it would be top 5 team evey year. Note to all the LDS high school athlets, really think about your options carefully and what BYU has to offer. You won't regreat it!

I have promoted the new slogan already, that is why Bronco doesn't have to get one. "Surrender to Deficiency". I just have one question about BYU's dress and honor code...Why can you be a card carrying member of the LDS church and have tatoo's and dreadlocks, but you can't attend BYU?

Don't get me wrong, Bronco is a great coach and he will continue to win a lot at BYU. But I'm starting to doubt he can take BYU to the next level. The next level being BCS or a National Title. He never changes his game plan and has become too predictable. Bronco needs to add a little creativity to his belt and then BYU might have a chance. But I don't see that happening.

Bronco, I will bet you park your car in the same spot every day, so at the end of the day you can find it. There is a sign that says, "Bronco, park here." Nothing changes, its simply, do I back in this time or pull a little more forward, um, let me see.

Tommy, take away his parking place, something has to change, or its 3rd place again! Try to keep it simple for him, we would not want him to RAISE is voice and maybe get a little extra out of his players.

You had better change something Bronco, or its I am glad we finished 3rd and not 4th.

Thanks Cougs, for being the people you are. Even though the school gets kidded about it, the fact is other programs would be decimated if they had to be as quality a people as you. They can't do it. They're not strong enough. We are always very, very proud of you. You're the best in many ways, including football. Can't wait for next year.

Mendenhall is a great coach! His record speaks for itself. When other teams will ebb and flow, the Cougs will not take those massive dips. The talent level is very high, the excitement is so great that 10-3 is disappointing.

What's not so great are ute fans, even after a great season they can't get past their morning without piling on. Here's a slogan for them..."Quest for Perfect INSECURITY". Congrats ute bloggers, hold your inferiority complex high!

As for the execution of the defence I am all for it.

I think the new slogan/t-shirt for BYU's 2009 season should be "At BYU We Have Uped Our Standards, So Up Yours."

Maybe BYU's new slogan should be: "BYU, Where Knowledge is Good."

Stop with the tips, here is a tip, BYU has rarely had a great Defense, sometimes we have a reasonable defense, sometimes a good defense, but never a great defense. You think Bronco created the bend don't break concept, every year that is our collective hope, and MOST years it breaks too much. 10-3 is a great record when 2 out of the 3 loses were against 2 of the best teams in the country. I admit, the AZ game was a bunch of BYU players that were playing because they had too not because they wanted to.
Good season.