Elated
1. Won the game by more than one score.2. Deion making changes from the inside out and Coach Prime from the top down
3. WR screens reduced
4. Pace of offense varied, especially after a big play or short yardage needed for first down
Impressed
1. Able to make enough adjustments to beat a team they should beat, after the previous week debacle.2. Special team kickoff returns provided some field position advantage.
3. Good run defense
4. Salter performance
5. Pass protection
Unimpressed
1. Mckinney pass defense, poor technique resulting in PI2. Pass protection
3. Sincere's recognition of underthown ball. On the overthrown ball in the second half, he could have sold out and make a better diving effort to try to catch. Not all catches can be made on the fly standing up.
4. Lack of use of TE in the pass game.
Disgusted
1. Dropped passes, because it indicates bad habits and trying to do something extra before doing something basic. Catch the darn ball or catch the darn bench.2. Blocked punt
3. Run defense every now and again allowing gains of 5+ yds
4. Defense not accounting for TE as a pass threat
5. Safety performance. I didn't hear or see #23 Stoutmire's name the entire game. Was he effective on runs and passes? He was definitely late in offering help over the top which led to a TD over Vickers.
6. Defense scheme of not getting beat on long passes, while getting beat on dinks and dunks. Bending a lot will break you.
Prediction
1. 5 wins, 7 losses2. Season Record 2-2
3. Conference Record 0-1
Additional Needed Changes (See also this section for previous weeks)
1. How Safeties line up and play the run and pass, otherwise they seem to be non-beneficial on most plays.2. LB run defense seems totally absent at times. Is this due to trying to make spectacular plays instead of containing and bottling up the runner long enough for the cavalry to catch up? You can't be spectacular without being basic. You can't make a spectacular play without making the basic play. All spectacular plays are part of basic plays.
3. LB pass protection scheming and responsibility
4. Mix in some zone defense
5. Seems to me if DB's are good enough to play man coverage and are in good position each time, there should be some interceptions. Something is wrong and needs correction because they always seem to be in desperation position or trailing instead of being in the receiver's hip pocket or front pocket.
6. Mix in some defensive stunts
7. More blitzes.
8. On defense, grab the body, then grab the ball
9. Leave no stone uncovered to figure out the difference between first half and second half offense performance.
10. Next week there is a freshman QB. Will they make the same mistake of letting an inexperienced QB get comfortable, as they did with Kansas State and Nebraska last year? Two games in which they took an L.
11. Attack where they lack. Attack where they crack.
12. I agree with Sports Talk With B Watts, #59 Yahya Attia should be a starter and should also be used on defense.
09.27.25 Update 6am
After watching the extended highlights of BYU vs East Carolina, and Stanford, BYU can be beat with leftside runs, QB RPO runs and passes over the middle to come back routes and passes to TE's. BYU's defense is full of attack dogs, not guard dogs, thus they are quickly reactive and aggressive, thus they can be beat with fakes and counters, including the pump fake and double move.BYU's offense can be contained using a stronger box, zone defense and discipline coverage of the gaps the edges. The QB must be pressured early and often with stunts and overloads. When given time, QB is very good with straight line frozen rope passes. Not enough evidence to verify his touch passes and long balls. Make the QB beat you with perfect passes over the front zone and in front of the back zone. If he has time to beat you deep, then the DL and containment corners are not doing their job, including on screens, flares and wheel routes. Put your horses in the game on both sides of the ball.
East Carolina and Stanford made several mistakes and turnovers. An almost clean game must be played to beat BYU, but they are beatable, and not the unstoppable giant running powerhouse they are made out to be. If they were, they wouldn't have to punt or kick field goals or fail to score when in the red zone or fail to convert two-point trys.
Is it really necessary to state the obvious threat that special teams must corral, #19?
