Georgia Tech Rushing Attack
Georgia Tech has a great rushing attack. BYU gave up nearly 300 rushing yards last week against Notre Dame. That's the key matchup, obviously. BYU's experienced, deep defensive line doesn't exist anymore. Two senior starters went down to season-ending injuries earlier this year. It showed against Notre Dame. Georgia Tech has some great running backs and an experienced QB leading the tricky triple option offense. The DL just has to be disciplined, something that will prove difficult for the younger players that will see the field. Bronson Kaufusi is going to be a great one over the next three years, Ziggy is an NFL talent, but defending the option isn't necessarily about talent, it's about being assignment-sound.
BYU Mindset
More important to me, from a BYU perspective, is how they respond this week. Make no mistake, last week was BYU's BCS game. They poured their heart and soul in the game at South Bend. And lost. Do they have the mental fortitude to pull it together? Based on what I've seen from them: it's a mixed bag. The mental strength they displayed in stretches against Utah, Boise State, Oregon State, and Notre Dame was overshadowed by the mental collapses (well, and the physical collapse against Notre Dame) in those games. So, does the front 7 (and really the front 8 with Daniel Sorensen) play well enough against the run that the DBs can afford to stay home on the pass?
Second Half Woes...
BYU has started quickly in most games this seasons, performing extremely well in the first half of games, outscoring opponents by 69 points in 8 games this season. The second half has been where the struggles have come, especially in games against Utah, Oregon State, and Notre Dame, where they have been outscored 55-24. Georgia Tech hasn't fared much better. The last time they "won the second half" was over a month ago, being outscored in the 2nd half in four consecutive games, going 1-3 in those contests.
Road Woes...
The other factor: BYU is 0-3 on the road, losing by a total of 7 points. They have played well enough to win any of those 3 games. But they have not been able to get over the hump and actually pull one of those out. They need to have a lead at half or there is no expectation they can outplay any competent team, especially on the road, in the second half.
Not gonna happen. Georgia Tech 27, BYU 21
Glad you were wrong on this one.
ReplyDeleteI'm interested in your ND thoughts - they looked excellent tonight.
WRONG! That was about as much fun as I've had at a BYU game in my life. Fun to be there, I love independence.
ReplyDeleteBram
Yeah, I'm glad I was wrong too, it showed a mental toughness that I didn't think BYU really had in them. My thoughts on ND...their win a Oklahoma made me depressed, actually. BYU sits at 5-4 and they had Notre Dame on the ropes in South Bend, the same Notre Dame that went into Norman and took down an Oklahoma team with an explosive offense. No way BYU should be 5-4 when they competed with ND the way they did. It's clearly not a question of talent in Provo this year...and that's a painful assessment to come to. There's no blaming it on the honor code or the lack of skill at certain positions. No, BYU had the personnel to make a serious run, they just didn't have the coaching. And that's unfortunate.
ReplyDeleteMo - you got me thinking.
ReplyDeleteI figure if BYU could have pulled off the Utah and Boise State wins (perfectly reasonable) then they would have been about #15 for the match up with Oregon State. A loss there (to a top 10 school) moves them down to around 20-25. A win at Notre Dame (another top 10 school)as you indicated would have moved them right back up to about #15. With the rest of their schedule as is, they might have finished Top 10. Aaaaargh. I never thought I'd say this, but go Irish ;).