As a BYU fan I have my complaints about how this season is progressing but I am not willing to throw in the towell. There are many games left to play, and therefore there is time to improve.
The one factor conistently missed by most fans is a consideration of the teams BYU has played in their first three games this season. All three teams have been good or great. There has yet to be an automatic win on the schedule, and outside of CSU and New Mexico, BYU will probably not be favored to win their remaining games.
The first game which was against Washington brought a team with probably the same talent level as the cougars to town but still has a second year head coach. How did the team fare against these huskies. They won.
Game #2 took a very young team to the Air Force Academy. The cadets have an identity on offense, veteran players who execute it, and a coaching staff that is established. The cadets were also very motivated, with the game played on 9/11. Also with the entire offseason the Air Force Coaching staff and players were able to prepare for BYU knowing that they had a gimme game which required little preparation as their first game.
All of these factors, in favor of Air Force, combined to take down a young BYU squad playing their first road game of the year. One only needs to look at the score from the AF and Oklahoma game this past weekend to know that the Fly boys are very good.
Game #3 required a cross country flight into a hostile Doak Cambell stadium to face the Seminoles. BYU still reeling from the loss at Air Force, tried to play against a hungry and well coached athletic team. The game pitted two teams with similar athletes but much different experience levels.
BYU lost this game because of a lack of an identity on Offense. The seminoles feasted on the inexperience of a Freshman Quaterback using knowledge from Defensive Coordinator Mark Stoops. His name is familiar to BYU fans, from his days working at Arizona in the same capacity. He faced the cougars three times while winning two of the games. Knowing BYU's schemes and how to stunt and frustrate a young QB became the difference in the second half of the ballgame.
BYU is rebuilding. This much is sure. The team will be fine around midseason whwn the record should be 3 wins and 3 losses. (USU win, UNR loss, SDSU win)
The record for the remaining games should be 4 wins and two losses. The losses TCU and UTAH.
The final record than should stand at 7 and 4 with a chance for a possible bowl bid assuming the team remains at 4th place in the MWC.
This years squad is young and green. Two things it is not is unathletic, and unskilled. Hold your head high and root for the boys in blue. Go cougs!!
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