But what happen? How did a 23 point first half, turn into a slow, non eventful pickup game?
Riley Nelson.
The worst thing that could have happened to BYU, happened. BYU won the game, and Nelson had flashes of greatness. I repeat "flashes." Throwing 3 first half touchdowns, and bringing BYU out to a commanding 23-6 lead. Only to see that come to a halt in the second half with only 2 field goals, and 3 turnovers, 2 of which were in the second half. Riley had 3 turnovers in the blue zone. That is 3 too many. Nelson did not finish off his game, bringing back the lingering question of whether he is fit for the starting quarterback job, or if Heaps should get it back.
Nelson has grit. No one can deny him that. He has heart, he shows it every play. However, one thing he lacks, is the ability to throw the ball consistently.
Now, Heaps has not shown this ability yet so far this season either, but look at the teams Nelson has played compared to Heaps.
Riley Nelson has played against: San Jose State, Utah State
Jake Heaps has played against (all starts): Ole Miss, Texas, Utah, UCF, Utah State.
I'm sorry. You look at those two comparisons, and it is not even a contest on who has played the harder teams, and still managed to come out with a winning record (albeit one of the wins should be credited to Heaps). Heaps has played SEC, Big XII, Pac-12 speed and schemes, over WAC opponents. Heaps has got to be given his dues for what he accomplished. Not to mention, Riley Nelson set a personal record for passing yards on Saturday... with 219. WHAT? When did a BYU QB have a "record" with 219 yards passing.
This is a team that should be airing it out to their big wide receivers, and versatile backs. However, they continue to try and be something they are not.
I love Nelson's heart, and the guy is a tough football player. But that is all he is, is a football player. Let the quarterback, Jake Heaps, start and continue to grow and play in the easy part of their schedule and I promise dividends will pay off. Maybe not this year, but they will come.
Start Heaps!
We wouldn't even be having this conversation if Heaps was not highly ranked by recruiting services. Give it up. The offense showed little signs of life under his leadership, and, for now, it appears they do. Let Nelson have his chance, and let Heaps continue to compete for the spot until he earns it over Riley just like every other QB recruit.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this article. Heaps is the future. Riley just happens to be the now. Was heaps struggling yes. But if you think back to John Becks first year as the starter he struggled mightily, but look how productive his last two years were.
ReplyDeleteThis is quite possibly the worst article written on the Cougs this year. In no way do I believe that Riley is gonna end up as one of the BYU greats, but wanting to start a QB who's getting progressively worse is absurd. We never expected Heaps to blow through any of the teams he played against at the start of the season, but to come out in the second half of EVERY game and not put any points on the board was getting ridiculous! We either punted or turned the ball over with every possession. Oh, and your jab at Riley about turning the ball over in the Blue Zone is a lost cause, because Heaps has a knack for doing the exact same thing. And how much "more time" does Heaps need????? We've given him plenty, and he shows no sign of coming around, if he did, then I'd say lets give him another chance. As for the above comment, I would've taken John Beck in his first year, easily over Heaps and his lousy time here. I'll admit, Heaps has got a strong arm, he just sucks at using it! To say he's a better passer than Riley up to this point is bogus. I've never seen more missed throws, turnovers, and lack of offense from a QB as highly recruited as he was. And let's not even talk about his lack of poise and confidence. I would love it if he could snap out of all this, but it's just not gonna happen, so if Heaps is truly our future, then we've got a rough couple of years ahead of us.....
ReplyDeleteLots of assumptions in here. Let's compare how they each played against Utah St since that is the only competition that they have both played. Nelson looked much better in that game. 219 yards was a record for him because it's his first complete game as a Cougar. He will have better games, but the old days of 400 yards a game are gone at BYU. Our defense is designed to keep our O off the field. Bend don't break. The college game has changed. The clock is different.
ReplyDeleteWhy are BYU fans so afraid to admit that Heaps is not who we though he was? He is not good and has proven that he is not good. Nelson is our best option at this point. I would also like to see some of the blame be placed on Doman. His play calling has been terrible.