Sunday, October 27, 2013
Join Us at TornBySports.com!
Thank you to all our faithful readers! We are so excited to announce that we are joining the team at TornBySports.com! Click here to read the same great Sports Bros analysis at our new home.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Week 8 Podcast - Recovering from the Houston Circus
The Sports Bros talk about the rise of Taysom, the importance of beating Boise State, and the ceiling of this BYU team.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Week 7 Podcast - The Road to Bowl Eligibility
The Sports Bros talk about the tough upcoming schedule, how the Cougars can become bowl eligible, and the possibility of facing Utah again in the bowl game.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Cougars Could Get Rematch Against Utah If (Big If) They Can Get Eligible
You gotta think that the BYU football team would love to get another crack at beating Utah before the teams halt the rivalry for a few seasons.
Well, it turns out they just might get their wish.
As most BYU fans know, the Cougars are locked into a Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl bid if they become bowl eligible. Their opponent, should the Cougars become bowl eligible, would be the 6th place team from the PAC 12. And it so happens that right now, Utah is tied for 6th place.
Now, lest we get ahead of ourselves, the Cougars still need two more wins to be eligible to play in the KFH Bowl, and their schedule doesn't get much easier in the second half of the season. In fact, no team left on BYU's schedule has a losing record. The Cougars have five very difficult meetings coming up against Houston (5-0), Boise State (4-2), #25 Wisconsin (4-2), and Notre Dame (4-2), and Nevada (3-3) and only one "gimme" against Idaho State (3-3). Before you wonder why I call the Wolf Pack a difficult matchup, remember that their losses came to #9 UCLA, #5 Florida State, and San Diego State in an overtime shootout. All in all, the Cougars have their work cut out for them.
There are a lot of seniors on this BYU squad who would love another shot at Utah, since the Cougars have not beaten the Utes in their past four meetings. Hopefully the chance to get a W against the redcoats up north can motivate the team to step it up against a difficult remaining schedule.
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| Frustrated BYU fans would love another chance to see their team beat the Utes in the kraft Fight Hunger Bowl |
As most BYU fans know, the Cougars are locked into a Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl bid if they become bowl eligible. Their opponent, should the Cougars become bowl eligible, would be the 6th place team from the PAC 12. And it so happens that right now, Utah is tied for 6th place.
Now, lest we get ahead of ourselves, the Cougars still need two more wins to be eligible to play in the KFH Bowl, and their schedule doesn't get much easier in the second half of the season. In fact, no team left on BYU's schedule has a losing record. The Cougars have five very difficult meetings coming up against Houston (5-0), Boise State (4-2), #25 Wisconsin (4-2), and Notre Dame (4-2), and Nevada (3-3) and only one "gimme" against Idaho State (3-3). Before you wonder why I call the Wolf Pack a difficult matchup, remember that their losses came to #9 UCLA, #5 Florida State, and San Diego State in an overtime shootout. All in all, the Cougars have their work cut out for them.
There are a lot of seniors on this BYU squad who would love another shot at Utah, since the Cougars have not beaten the Utes in their past four meetings. Hopefully the chance to get a W against the redcoats up north can motivate the team to step it up against a difficult remaining schedule.
BYU Offense Borderline Un-Stoppable
With its third straight convincing victory over a good opponent in Georgia Tech, BYU's offensive has continued to make strides in almost every facet of the game.
Taysom Hill continues to silence critics with his increasingly strong and efficient arm. His first half performance against Georgia Tech was reminiscent of BYU quarterbacks of old, slinging the ball all over the field. His touchdown pass to Cody Hoffman was a fantastic throw with an even better catch by the All-American wide out. To bring it all together, Robert Anae offered a balance and unpredictable play calling scheme that kept Georgia Tech on their toes.
That was the first half, anyways.
After the break, Georgia Tech made adjustments. To the Yellow Jackets' credit, they shot gaps, brought pressure and disguised their coverages. Anae and the Cougar offense on the other hand, went into prevent offense.
Instead of remaining aggressive, they were content with what they had accomplished. They went back to running up the gut on first and second down, causing long third down attempts that failed. as a result, the BYU offense only gained 100 yards of total offense in the second half. While no disrespect is meant towards their ACC foe, BYU should have scored 50+ points last night.
The well documented rotations of the offensive line for the Cougars continues to plague the potential of this offensive unit. Robert Anae has continued to make strides in utilizing his weapons at his disposal. Taysom Hill continues to prove me correct by being a solid quarterback that could become a Heisman type player before he is finished at the Y.
The defense continues to be great, and is creating turnovers that result in points. If the struggles on the offensive line and spotty play calling are worked out, the country should be put on notice. This BYU team could become unstoppable.
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| Cody Hoffman hauls in a 45 yard TD catch against Georgia Tech, the 29th of his career. |
That was the first half, anyways.
After the break, Georgia Tech made adjustments. To the Yellow Jackets' credit, they shot gaps, brought pressure and disguised their coverages. Anae and the Cougar offense on the other hand, went into prevent offense.
Instead of remaining aggressive, they were content with what they had accomplished. They went back to running up the gut on first and second down, causing long third down attempts that failed. as a result, the BYU offense only gained 100 yards of total offense in the second half. While no disrespect is meant towards their ACC foe, BYU should have scored 50+ points last night.
The well documented rotations of the offensive line for the Cougars continues to plague the potential of this offensive unit. Robert Anae has continued to make strides in utilizing his weapons at his disposal. Taysom Hill continues to prove me correct by being a solid quarterback that could become a Heisman type player before he is finished at the Y.
The defense continues to be great, and is creating turnovers that result in points. If the struggles on the offensive line and spotty play calling are worked out, the country should be put on notice. This BYU team could become unstoppable.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Hadley Rejoins Team, Makes Difference
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| BYU linebacker Spencer Hadley hunts down Georgia Tech quarterback Vad Lee. |
Hadley was not allowed to start, presumably because he has not been practicing and preparing for Georgia Tech most of the week. After entering the game with the punt team, he eventually made his way back into the defensive rotation, and made a difference.
Spencer's road to redemption has been highly publicized, starting with this piece by Jeff Benedict on SI.com. And although some in the media have tried desperately to underplay or outright criticize the beauty of Hadley's story (I'm talking to you, Salt Lake Tribune), the story keeps getting better.
Welcome Back, Hadley. You are an inspiration to BYU fans across the country.
P.S. If you're late to the party and didn't understand my Salt Lake Tribune reference, I refuse to post a link to help you find the garbage they published after Benedict wrote his SI.com piece. If you must read it, it's not hard to find. But I will not be a party to the vile, anti-BYU vitriol that spews from that publication's website by linking it on my blog.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Are Cougar Fans Too Confident?
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| Disappointed Cougars fans watch as their team struggles once again. |
One fan predicted a blowout...if 's offensive line blocks well.
@SportsBros tough but fun! We block~ we win 35-13 Spirit will have an outstanding game.. one for the books!!Another fan corralled his hopes, but still thought BYU would "roll."
— Yblueblood (@TedYblueblood) October 10, 2013
@SportsBros GT isn't very good. BYU rolls by 10.Yet another fan simply thought the Cougars would dominate.
— Brandt Anderson (@Brandt_Anderson) October 10, 2013
@SportsBros BYU wins 38-16
— Glen Hanson (@ghanson25) October 10, 2013
The truth is, the enthusiasm from BYU fans going into this weekend's homecoming game smacks eerily of the optimism Cougar fans had heading into the Utah game. And the result in that game was not pretty for the loyal, strong, and true.
After winning handily against the ranked Texas Longhorns, and with the University of Utah coming off a heartbreaking loss to Oregon State, BYU looked to keep their momentum going at home against their rivals. Fans and pundits alike were swept up on the talking points of the week: BYU's offense was out of its slump, Utah would be emotionally and physically tired. But fans and pundits were wrong. On both counts.
Circumstances this week are strangely similar leading up to the Georgia Tech game. Georgia Tech is coming off a heart-breaking loss to ACC-rival Miami, a game which, thanks to late-game turnovers, was much closer than the final score indicated. Meanwhile, BYU is celebrating this year's best overall performance against instate rival Utah State.
Also, Taysom Hill had his coming out party as a runner against Texas--the week before Utah--just as he had his coming out party as a passer last week against Utah State.
Are Cougar fans forgetting too quickly the offensive woes BYU had just two weeks ago versus Utah, the same way they forgot about the pitiful performance in Charlottesville two weeks before the Utah game? Will that false confidence seep into the BYU locker room and lessen the sense of urgency needed for this team to Rise Up (see what I did there?)? Or have the Cougars really arrived offensively?
This Cougar fan is trying to remain cautiously optimistic." Oh, who am I kidding? I'm predicting another blowout against the Yellow Jackets. But still, let's not be too surprised if the offense struggles again.
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