This phrase should be very familiar for anyone who has been following BYU Football under Kalani Sitake. The de facto program mantra is regularly referenced by the players and coaches, usually after being met with some kind of setback or disappointment. They've preached that no matter the circumstance they have to continue loving and supporting each other while learning from failure.
After a devastating loss like the one we experienced this weekend it can be easy for players and fans alike to entertain frustration or even anger. Instead of falling into a trap of blame, we can focus on what went well and in a healthy way still discuss what can improve without jumping straight to the tired "SOMEONE NEEDS TO BE FIRED" rhetoric. I'm not going to pretend to be in a healthier state of mind than the next guy but finding a way to stay out of the pit of fan dispare has been a major improvement.
So in lieu of our traditional top ten list I've broken out five things that we loved and five things that we learned. Trying to find ten positives in a week like this can be difficult so we'll follow the example set by our coach to help us on our path forward.
With that said, let's jump right in and get to the (adjusted) POWER RANKINGS.
1) Jaren Hall is still cool as the other side of the pillow It was pretty clear after the first two drives that BYU wasn’t going to have much success running the football against Oregon, forcing Jaren to shoulder the load for the offense. I don’t think that he would call this a standout performance by any measure but he worked with what the defense gave him
2) The young core of receivers is reliable After Chase Roberts had his big coming out party against Baylor we were blessed with solid showings from Kody Epps, Brayden Cosper, and Keanu Hill. All three showcased their ability to get open and hold onto the football. Without Gunner and Puka on the field it’s unclear if any of the younger crop can be that play-making deep threat that the offense is missing, but for now it’s good to see the younger guys get experience and make the most of it. 3) How bout that turnover ratio Even though the defense has only produced two turnovers all season the offense has stepped up their ball security. I would expect that as we start to play teams that aren’t ranked in the top 25 there will be more opportunities to show off that turnover belt but for now let’s appreciate that the only turnover this season came in the second half against South Florida. 4) Noteworthy pass protection One of the reasons why Jaren Hall has been able to show so much composure in the passing game is his protection. There have been moments where he has felt some pressure but nothing has ever looked overly uncomfortable. There have been a couple of holding penalties in pass protection that have slowed some drives but overall this has been a real strong suit for the Cougs. 5) Isaac Rex catching touchdown passes It was nothing short of heartbreaking to see him go down with that nasty injury against USC. To think that he’s well enough to be catching touchdown passes again feels like a miracle. We probably won’t have Isaac at full strength until next year but it’s great to see him out on the field making contributions.
1) The running backs can only do so much Through three games it’s become pretty clear that there are issues with BYU’s ability to run the football. Moving on from Tyler Allgeier was always going to be tough but it seems like he might have been hiding some deficiencies in our blocking. Against a talented Oregon front the BYU running backs were averaging 0.8 yard before contact. Even if you have an NFL-level talent toting the rock that number is bad. Both Brooks and Katoa can create problems for a defense if they’ve given a little more space. I’d imagine this will be a point of emphasis for the offense in the coming weeks. 2) The run defense needs help Clearing running lanes certainly wasn’t an issue for the Oregon offense as they averaged 2.3 yard before first contact. When you get a full head of steam without getting hit right at the line of scrimmage it generally leads to more yards after contact (BYU averaged 1.8 yards after contact to Oregon’s 2.5). All of this resulted in Oregon getting 5+ yards per rush on over 45% of their attempts. Of course this made things easy for Bo Nix in the passing game as BYU had to commit more bodies to stopping the Ducks on the ground. Having two defensive lineman out didn’t help but even then there is room to improve. 3) Talent can still beat hard work when hard work doesn’t execute I love our guys and I think that the talent level of this team is increasing with each season. That said, it’s pretty clear that Oregon has some serious dudes on their roster. For all of Mario Cristobal’s faults (his game management was on full display in the last Miami game) recruiting wasn’t one of them. He left a stocked cupboard for Dan Lanning and we got to see it on display last week. Not only did they spend the last few years beefing up their offensive line, they continued to add those game-breaking skill players that you expect from a Duck offense. I don’t know that they’ll be this explosive against every team they play but they’ll match up well against just about anyone not named Georgia. 4) Jaren Hall isn’t a threat to run the ball Jaren is definitely an option to run the ball and keep plays alive in the passing game but he hasn’t shown that big play ability that we’ve seen previously. It’s probably due to the fact that teams are better prepared for him to take off and BYU is doing their best to protect him (considering his injury history). I’m not disappointed that he’s been limited running the ball but I’ll be curious if we need the offensive staff to try to find different ways to get him in space beyond the speed option or occasional draw. 5) Maybe we do this to ourselves? At some point during the game I saw a few of my friends tweet something to the effect of “typical BYU, letting us down like they always do”. This certainly wasn’t the result that we expected but I had to remind a few of them that Oregon was the betting favorite to win this game and that most of us probably underestimated the Ducks because of how they started the season. I don’t think we need to eliminate any expectation of success for this football team but I do think we need to be reasonable. Discussions about CFP odds were certainly premature and the AP ranking the first six weeks of the season is a joke. I’m probably a little too cautious when it comes to my optimism but I think it’s a safe space that allows for more grace in these tougher games. I try not to tell anyone how to fan but the next time you think BYU is “letting you down”, maybe have a quick think about your own expectations for the team.
Look I get that there has been a clear explanation of the rules regarding the whole "smooth snap" thing and it sounds like the refs followed the rules accordingly but goodness gracious does all of this bonkers stuff have to happen in BYU games. I remember being at the Air Force game where Max Hall was flagged for "intention to deceive" and a million other odd-ball scenarios in which BYU seems to be on the short end of the stick. Of course I'm willing to admit that my memory is selective here and there are lots of other football teams that are victim to the weird but I'm not a fan of those teams. I look forward to a few weeks from now when Jaren Hall throws a touchdown pass to Dalin Holker and the refs call it back because of something called "illegal post-snap motion", which sounds bogus like holding on a defensive lineman but somehow an blue-haired man will walk onto the field with an official rules manual that details the exact reason why the touchdown shouldn't count. The refs won't question it and we'll all go on with our lives as if this was a normal happenstance.
We don't have to be anthropologists to know that the folks in Oregon differ from those who reside in Utah but there might be more similarities between these two groups than we think. Both Utahans and Oregonians never stop talking about the natural beauty of their home state. They are used to being enclosed by gray for months at a time (one by rainclouds and the other by smog). And as this tweet alludes, both groups love themselves a caffeinated beverage (even if they have very different definitions of cold brew). For all the social chatter that's getting drummed up about the ill will between these two fan bases maybe we just need to invite them over for a mixed soda and frosted cookie to mend the fences.
Portland baristas when BYU fans try to order a Dirty Dr Pepper with extra coconut syrup and lite ice pic.twitter.com/BtzHqoQz2x
Welcome to the family album where we check the social feeds of our football players, just like any good family member would. It wasn't a big week for BYU guys on social but Kody Epps, who caught his first touchdown pass, decided to do a little photo dump from recent weeks. There were a few snaps of him catching passes vs Oregon mixed in with a few other photos, including this gem featuring the rest of the WR squad. There is a LOT to take away from this photo. One, it's pretty clear that Chase isn't quite as comfortable with his shirt off. It looks like he made a compromise and went full pants to make up for the lack of shirt. Two, I probably have more body fat on my person than these guys have as a group and I'm not happy about it. Three, I know Gunner didn't travel with the team but being tagged as a cloud makes me think he has passed on to the next life. Last but not least, in a photo where everyone is supposed to be looking hard Puka still can't help but smile. What a group of guys.
Welcome to another week of JAKE VS JAKE! There is a football player on the team by the name of Jake Oldroyd (I think you guys might know him now) and my first name also happens to be Jake. Each week we’re going to rate the performance of each Jake and decide who had the better week.
Another tough week for Jake as he followed his forgettable second half vs Baylor with another missed field goal. It looked as if he had the same issue, with this kick heading dead straight when it was lined up on one of the hashes. The extra points and kickoffs are looking good but confidence in his three point shots is reaching Ben Simmons levels.
With his wife heading out of town for a few days on business, Jake Welch was left to fend for himself and his two year old kid. Thanks to a large supply of M&Ms and season three of Bluey (which recently dropped on Disney+), Jake was able to navigate a few days of single parenthood. The biggest test was the flight he has to make with his munchkin from Washington to Salt Lake. Sure on paper it's a quick trip but for anyone who has traveled with kids they know any travel distance is never "quick". Again, thanks to candy and screen time there were no major shouting matches or screaming.
If you can prevent a two year old from melting down in the airport, that's always a guaranteed W. ADVANTAGE: Jake Welch
If Wyoming Football was a movie quote, it would probably the fabled line from the lunch lady from Billy Madison when she said, "I made some sloppy joes, I made them extra sloppy. I know how you kids like them sloppy."
The brand of football that they play up in Wyoming isn't particularly careless or disorganized, it's just not particularly appealing. And I'm not just talking about the brown and yellow uniforms. Their offense only looks innovative to those who haven't watched football since 1996 and the defense would love nothing more than to slowly grind your bones into dust. The Pokes probably won't finish at the top of the Mountain West this season but they're going to annoy every team they play this season. Just look at Air Force, who looked to be one of the better teams in the MWC. The Falcons made their way up to Laramie and could only muster 14 points of offense and lost despite giving up only 17.
That's what we're going up against this week. I fully expect BYU to win but I don't expect it to be particularly appealing to the senses.
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