Pummeled in Provo, Utah-BYU 2011

Well, nobody predicted Utah by 44, so we were all wrong this week.  That's alright though, predictions for the game were still better than BYU's performance.  I wonder, as a coach, how you glean anything from watching film of this game.  In high school, after getting beat down pretty hard (though nowhere near as hard as 54-10), my coaches told us for the first time that season that we weren't going to break down our film after the game because 1) there wasn't anything good to watch and 2) there were too many things to learn from that we wouldn't have time to get it all in.  I imagine Bronco and Company will have to take a similar approach.  Anytime a team gives up 47 unanswered points, at home, against a rival, on national television, the breakdowns are more than watching film can fix.  It's mental.  And BYU looked very mental in Provo last night.

This "analysis" will be relatively brief, as I'm not sure BYU fans want to think about it.  Utah fans probably wish I would delve in a little deeper.

Offense
A lot of the mistakes were made by sophomores [though the offensive line was atrocious all night long as well].  Heaps looked very uncomfortable in the pocket all night long, despite not really getting hit that much, at least in the first half.  When he got out of the pocket and had time, he threw into double coverage twice and didn't complete anything.  Those are typically plays that have the highest completion percentage and he was whiffing all night.  The running backs fumbled twice in the early going and BYU got in such a hole that they had to abandon the running game entirely.

The offensive line was supposedly a strength of the team.  Watching this game reminded me of Tecmo Bowl and Super Tecmo Bowl when you picked the offense's play and you got 11 guys in the backfield before he QB could hand it off or pass it.  I would chalk it up to the rivalry except that it happened the second half of Texas, and it's been happening to the running game all season.  This season's offense is the worst of Crowton and Anae combined: full of mistakes/lack of execution and total predictability in the run game.

There are a lot of good players on BYU's offense.  Hoffman made some impressive runs after catch, Apo made some nice catches, Heaps made some nice throws, several linemen have NFL "talent."  But the offense stinks.  It is not cohesive.  The line and QB are seeing different things.  People are missing assignments.  There are mental breakdowns all across the field.  Good players don't make a good unit.  And this is not a good unit.  This is a Crowton unit.

Defense
The defense did well until they completely gave up late in the third quarter.  Consider that BYU's offense and special teams essentially handed Utah 24 points, and Utah scored two meaningless garbage rushing TDs in the fourth quarter when the game was already over.  BYU's defense only really gave up two scoring drives through the first 3 quarters (the last drive of the first half and the first drive of the second half).  Even adding in the two garbage TDs (which were partially set up by the BYU offense giving Utah good field position), they still only gave up 27 points.  The first half they were the most physical unit on the field.  There were a lot of pops, they owned the line of scrimmage, and Utah players were getting helped off the field on a regular basis.  The defense manned up in the face of adversity.  At least for 2.5 quarters.

What killed the defense early was three pass interference penalties.  All of them came on third down stops where BYU didn't need to interfere.  They gave Utah first downs and took opportunities away from BYU's offense to score points (for Utah).  When the game was still in doubt, ending those possessions could have been huge.  Two of those were made by the senior leaders, so it can't even be explained away by youth.  Still, they forced turnovers, got stops, hit people hard, and kept BYU in the game.  At least for 2.5 quarters.

Overall
It almost felt surreal watching the implosion.  Usually the meltdowns happen in Salt Lake City.  Max Hall in 2008 and Crowton's 2004 team that was in a game against one of the top 5 teams in the country until allowing a fake punt and went into the fetal position the rest of the game.  The difference is: in 2004 and 2008, coming into the game, Utah clearly looked the better team.  This year, the teams were supposed to be even.  Physically, that was actually probably the case (at least for 2.5 quarters).  But mentally, Utah was so far ahead of BYU that I'm surprised it was only 54-10.  When the chips were down, it spiraled out of control for BYU.  When Utah smelled blood, they went in for the kill.

Remember, this was a team that thought they had a shot at a BCS game this season.  This was an offense that talked about scoring every time they touched the ball.  This was a team that Bronco liked enough before the season that he ended fall camp two days early because the level of play exceeded all of his previous teams.  I bet Bronco wishes had those two days back.  The offense must have decided they weren't putting it in their end zone enough and decided to put it in the other team's instead.  And the only BYU players going to a BCS game this season might just be the ones that are related to Ute players (k, you wish Ute fans).  The ESPN announcer said it best: I'm not sure this team can even get bowl eligible this season.  I'm sure they can get 6 wins.  I still think 8 MIGHT be possible because BYU has one win already with 6 games that SHOULD be "gimme" games left.  But this team looks very similar to last year's team on the field: beat up on rummies and get destroyed by everyone else.

One final note.  I remember going to a pep rally during one of Crowton's last two years.  It was very obvious that there was a division on the team between offense and defense.  Bronco's D was confident and seemed to loathe the underperforming Crowton offense.  I think BYU fans might just see this same rift in 2011 if the offense doesn't start doing something.  The problem is, even if they start doing something, it's not impressive coming against Utah State, San Jose State, Idaho State, Idaho, and New Mexico State.  Or even Oregon State.  BYU needs to do it against UCF, TCU, and Hawaii.  Friday night's game against UCF will decide BYU's season.  I know if they bow out again and quit, their fans might too.  I don't support being a fair-weather fan, but if a BYU team quits again like it did last night, then they aren't a BYU team.  What we saw on Saturday in Provo was not BYU football.  Bronco will need to develop the soul of this team, and try to find if there is any kind of a heart.