Inaugural 2023 Season Review

 

Another season is in the books. In many ways, their final game on the road at Oklahoma State served as a microcosm of the inaugural year in review with the Big 12. It began with a less than inspiring start, a promising even brilliant second quarter, a spirited comeback fourth quarter comeback and a crash in overtime. Honestly, that truly summed up unfortunately the 2023 football season. Certainly, a rather disappointing way to close out the season including no post season play for the first time since 2005. 

September seemed rather promising for the cougs going 4-1 with it's lone loss on the road to Kansas. If someone would have asked me at that point that BYU would be 4-1 with a road win on the road in SEC territory against Arkansas I would have replied that they are out of their mind. Unfortunately, it seems to be pretty much downhill after that with the same issue each game rinse and repeat concerning the play of the offensive line. 

Heading into the 2023 season it was expected the OL play would be clearly the strength of the team. Somehow, it became it's biggest liability which impacted pretty much the entire offense in both the run game and any passing game it was able to put together. Last season the hogs up front only gave up 7 sacks. This season they allowed 63 hurries which ultimately led to Slovis' injury and emergence of Retzlaff. It also led to OL coach Darrell Funk being released and no longer with the program. 

Although, Jay Hill's installed defense didn't exactly put up stellar defensive rankings by the end of the season. However, it certainly showed a considerable amount of improvement and signs it is heading in the right direction. The cougs secondary was definitely a bright spot with Eddie Heckard, Kamden Garrett and Jakob Robinson. The question will remain though for next season is that will Hill be able to get enough talent to operate his scheme in the Big 12 moving forward. 

Moving forward it seems that there is some collective talent to compete at the P5 level. However, it is pretty obvious that they may need much more depth to truly compete at the P5 level consistently. It was a brutal pill to swallow not having access to their top talent at so many times: Aiden Robbins ribs, Ben Bywater torn labrum, Kody Epps and Keanu Hill out much of the season, etc. 

There is certainly hope that can built around the youth movement of RB LJ Martin, LB Harrison Taggert, CB Marcus McKenzie, LB Siale Esera, SS Crew Wakely, DT David Latu, and WR Parker Kingston to name a few. Shoot, we even finally found a kicker in Will Ferrin. Was this season a total disappointment? Yes, if you consider what the cougs could have been honestly capable of. However, there are some positives in moving forward. Can BYU find the depth necessary to compete on a weekly basis? That remains to be seen. The Big 12 can be a tough conference and the play may get even deeper when adding the 4 schools in next year's schedule. 

Week 1 Sam Houston: Emptying the Noggin

Week one is in the books. Not exactly the thundering entrance BYU was hoping to make coming into the Big 12 winning 14-0. However, a win is a win no matter how ugly it might be. One point or a simple fourteen points. Typically, the first week will be ugly for many teams. Look at TCU who was favored by 20.5 and end up losing by three. Look at Laramie WY who stunned Texas Tech in double overtime. Texas State shocked Baylor 42-31. Fresno State beat Purdue. Northern Illinois took out Boston College, etc. Take the dub and move on. 

First, there is the good. BYU pitched it's first FBS shutout since 2012. One will recall vividly how porous the defense was last year which led to the staff overhaul. Jay Hill was brought in, who went to work and was absolutely outstanding. Sam Houston was only were able to rush for 38 yards the entire game. They crossed the 50 yard line only once. Considering the 57 snaps, 19 of those resulted in hurries, tackles for losses, QB hurries and/or turnovers. Of those snaps BYU only missed two tackles the entire night. One could say that tackling school last night was fully accredited. Bearcat offense was only able to manage 4.2 yards per drive. Hill's defensive secondary players Jakob Robinson, Eddie Heckard, Hamden Garrett came up bigtime. Props to Jay Hill who deserves the game ball.

Now the bad, or the meh. BYU's special teams were anything but. Punt returner Hobbs Nyberg never could seem to break free on his chances. As for the kicking game well that still remains to be seen. The bright spot was certainly punter Ryan Rehkow who was named the Big 12 special teams co-player of the week with his performance on Saturday. Against the bearcats Ryan had nine punts for 479 yard (an average of 53.2 per kick). Seven of those were at least 50 yards, with two going for 64 and 65, including 4 downed inside the 20 yard line. Having numbers like that can't hurt his chances at the Ray Guy award. 

Finally, onto the ugly. All is not well in Provo as Aaron Roderick's offense seemed almost non-existent. The offense could never seem to find it's groove. Too many third and longs. Honestly, it was non-inspiring. As many would say things begin and end in the trenches. The trench play from the OL was clearly an issue which impacted other areas. Receivers seemed to struggle to get any sort of separation without Epps and Keanu Hill out of the lineup. The running backs (both Aiden Robbins and Deion Smith) also had issues finding the holes to move the chains. It seemed to impact Slovis as well where it felt much was forced. The clock is ticking moving forward towards conference play in a couple of weeks. Even Trevor Matich former great appeared on BYU's sports nation who gave his insight and it wasn't pretty. Freshman LJ Martin came in and gave the cougars a much needed spark. LJ showed the vision and the timing when to hit the holes, etc. Can A-Rod fix the struggling offense? He has plenty of a track record to show that he can. 

One common factor in the offense is the play of the offensive line. This can be fixed but must be repaired quickly. Looking at the OL as a hole there is a theme needed to change the issues summed up in one word. Cohesion. Coming together as a whole. Could this be the lack of chemistry on the OL? This will take repetitions for the OL to mesh together. This is the first time Kingsley is playing LT his natural spot. This is the first year Weylin is at LG. This is the first time for Maile playing at BYU. This is the first time for Pay at RG. Even first time for Caleb at RT (was LT at Oklahoma State last year). Time will tell is they can come together quick enough for the Big12 conference play. 

Offseason Big 12 Coach Rankings

College football truly has become pretty much a business and what have you done for me lately. We can see this through the NIL, online gambling, etc. Coaching roles have evolved into something much different over the years to what it is today: the philosophy, the schemes, the recruiting, ability to send players to the next level, working the transfer portal/NIL deal, etc. Here's a quick subjective look at the Big 12 coaching rankings for 2023.

1. Chris Kliemen, Kansas State-Wildcat fans/players have embraced his blue collar work ethic. Klieman posted the first 10 win season in over a decade with Kansas State and Chris comes with a solid resume (102-33 record as head coach and four FCS national championships at ND State) replacing the legend Bill Snyder. Not bad for someone initially hired as a defensive backs coach. 

2. Sonny Dykes, TCU-the youngest son of former TX Tech head coach Spike Dykes inherited a sub 500 Horned Frog team taking TCU to the national championship game. Quite a performance for year one. Can he build upon the success? Many names are gone but plenty of talent remains.

3. Lance Leipold, Kansas-Coach Leipold has helped turn around the Jayhawk program getting  them to their first bowl game in over a decade. As a result, he is getting more national attention as one of the top coaches in all of the Power 5. In a recent CBS Sports panels Leipold came in at number 23 ranked nationally. 

4. Gus Malzahn, UCF-Coach Malzahn has won everywhere he has been. Gus was 9-3 in his first year as head coach at Arkansas State. In 8 seasons at Auburn he went 67-35. Coach Malzahn looks as possibly the most poised team entering the Big 12 to make a splash.

5. Kalani Sitake, BYU-Excluding the 2017 season Kalani has been a model of consistency compiling a 52-25 over those seasons. That's averaging nearly 9 wins per season with a post season bowl game each of the schedules. When most teams were not playing during the 2020 Covid year Sitake was able to coach the team to an 11-1 record highest ranking since 1996. With a defensive coaching staff overhaul and influx of transfer portal talent the cougars have a great shot at making some noise as they enter the Big 12.

6. Dave Aranda, Baylor-Coach Aranda's time in Waco has been rather intriguing. Started rough in 2020, but that was the Covid year for everyone. He came back strong in 2021 leading the Bears to their best season in school history. Last season was a bit of a struggle. Dave took care of some staff changes with a OL rebuild. Look for Baylor to rebound in 2023.

7. Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State-Mike is certainly the longest tenured coach in the Big 12 conference. He has been rather consistent over the years since 2006 when he took the helm (156-75 overall). Gundy won a Big 12 championship in 2011 and has been the coach of the year twice (2010, 2021). However, 2022 was a step back at 7-6. This fall his coaching seat could become hot if things don't improve. 

8. Joey McGuire, Texas Tech-Coach McGuire might not be as notable as other former Red Raider coaches (Mike Leach/RIP, Kliff Kingsbury, Tommy Tuberville, etc). However, he sure is off to an exceptional start. Last season the Red Raiders beat Texas and Oklahoma in the same season for the first time in school history giving Texas Tech the best record in 13 years.

9. Steve Sarkisian, Texas-Coach Sark certainly has a great offensive mind. He been in programs with loads of talent (Washington, USC and Texas now). However, Sark has only produced three 8 win seasons in 9 years. He has gathered some of the best talent Texas has seen in years. Longhorns claim to be back every year but is this really the year?

10. Brent Venables, Oklahoma-Coach Venables has built quite a reputation coming from Clemson replacing Lincoln Riley. However, his first season was pretty much laying an egg in what Sooner fans normally expect finishing with a 6-7 record. The defense was basically a disaster giving Oklahoma its worst season in years. The Sooners should be undefeated (5-0) heading into Dallas when they play Texas. 

11. Matt Campbell, Iowa State-Ames Iowa hasn't exactly been a location that many coaches have succeeded with. However, Coach Campbell was named the Big 12 coach of the year twice. In 2021 the Cyclones were selected for the Fiesta Bowl (first major bowl appearance in school history) and beat Oregon 34-17 finishing ninth in both major polls (also the highest final ranking in school history). Although, in 2022 they pretty much face planted with a 4-8 record. This next season should be intriguing to see which way Iowa State trends. 

12. Dana Holgorsen, Houston-He has been a head coach for 12 seasons. Although, his first two seasons for Houston was pretty much ho hum. However, these last two years the Cougars were 12-2 in 2021 and 8-5 in 2022. There is certainly a huge difference from the AAC and the Big 12. How long will it take the Cougars to adjust is the big question. 

13. Scott Satterfield, Cincinnati-Coach Satterfield becomes the 43rd head coach in Bearcat history. Following Luke Fickell (although Kerry Coombs was named interim after Fickell left for Wisconsin) may be a tough task to follow. New to Cincy fans, he has coached for 10 years at Louisville and Appalachian State with a 4-1 record in bowl games. Job security with Cincinnati shouldn't be an issue for a few years as they transition into the Big 12.

14. Neal Brown, West Virginia-To say winning is urgent for West Virginia may be an understatement. Since taking the coaching reins in 2019 Coach Brown has only had one winning season. Back in November 2022 the Mountaineers parted ways with it's athletic director Shane Lyons which certainly doesn't help. Barring a massive turnaround it doesn't appear that Brown's days in Morgantown might not last much longer. 

Big 12 Preseason Rankings

 It seems each and every year Texas seems to reload and their fans say that they are finally back. There certainly is no question that the Longhorns are stocked full of talent sky high every year. This year's Big 12 media poll was released with Texas was picked atop the conference. The Longhorns were slotted fourth in last year's preseason poll behind Baylor, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Texas hasn't won a title since 2009. This is their last go around and they will be sure to get the best shot from each of the conference foes. How far Coach Sark gets the Longhorns to rise remains to be seen.

Big 12 Media Poll                  4th & 18
1-Texas                                  Oklahoma
2-Kansas State                       Kansas State
3-Oklahoma                           Texas
4-Texas Tech                          TCU
5-TCU                                    Texas Tech
6-Baylor                                 Baylor
7-Oklahoma State                   UCF
8-UCF                                     Kansas
9-Kansas                                 Oklahoma State
10-Iowa State                          BYU
11-BYU                                   Iowa State
12-Houston                             Cincinnati
13-Cincinnati                          Houston
14-West Virginia                     West Virginia

Each year Texas seems to have the talent but can they work together as a team? Longhorns only have a couple "tough" games on the road (Baylor and TCU). TCU last years playoff team likely will won't be the same but still has plenty of firepower. Sooner fans must be happy with the this year's favorable schedule. Oklahoma doesn't have to face Baylor nor an improving Texas Tech squad. Although, Sooners will face TCU on a short week. Another run at the Big 12 title surely isn't out of the question for Kansas State which returns QB Will Howard but must replace standout RB Deuce Vaughn and reload a secondary which certainly will be tested by the Big 12 high powered offenses. TCU big names may be gone from last years roster and the great young players will have to rise quickly. However, the horned frogs have plenty of talent in place and a schedule that isn't all that horrible. Baylor's coach Aranda made some staff changes and rebuilt the OL. Having 8 home games on the schedule should certainly be rather encouraging. Most media likely are seeing what is gone and the questions surrounding BYU. How will they adapt to a P5 schedule each and every week? How fast can the cougars adjust losing Jaren Hall and Puka to the next level. What will the defense be like with the overhaul? That same media most likely is not taking into the consideration the incoming parts/pieces. Most college football pundits predict a 5 or 6 win season. How the cougars react to adversity as it comes each week will tell the true story and where they ultimately be ranked when the season plays out. 

End of An Era: All Independent Team

 
When the clock switched over to July 1st it signaled the end of the Independence Era and the ringing in the Big 12 era. Many players rolled through Provo and LES stadium bringing many fond memories of this time period. Some of these elite athletes have gone on to the next level, while others chose to move to bigger and better things. After sifting through the dust now that BYU has begun settling into the Big 12 herein is a quick look at the "All Independent Era Players". This would be the squad chosen here to roll with. 

Special Teams

K-Jake Oldroyd
P-Ryan Rehkow
KR-Adam Hine
PR-JD Falslev
Just missed the cut-Rhett Almond, Riley Stephenson, Jonny Linehan

Offense
QB-Taysom Hill
RB-Tyler Allgeier
RB-Jamaal Williams
WR-Cody Hoffman
WR-Puka Nacua
TE-Isaac Rex
LT-Brady Christensen
LG-Clark Barrington
C-Tejan Karoma
RG-Chandon Herring
RT-Blake Freeland
Just missed the cut-Zach Wilson, Mitch Matthews, Matt Bushman, Dax Milne, Lopini Katoa, Tristen Hoge, James Empey

Defense

DE-Bronson Kaufusi
DT-Khyiris TOnga
DT-Romney Fuga
DE-Ziggy Ansah
LB-Kyle Van Noy
LB-Sione Takitaki
LB-Fred Warner
CB-Dayan Lake
CB-Kaleb Hayes
S-Dan Sorensen
S-Kai Nacua
Just missed the cut-Butch Pau'u, Brandon Ogletree, Craig Bills, Zayne Anderson, Zac Dawe

Basketball State of Mind

 
Here we are again. How time flies. March Madness is upon us and for the second straight season the cougs were not invited to the big dance. The road for BYU won't be getting any easier anytime soon as a member next season in the Big 12. Exit interviews are currently underway and so far a couple pieces appear to already be moving on from the program.

College basketball's transfer recently opened with Hao Dong (6-6 freshman Forward) and Braeden Moore (6-9 freshman Forward from Nashville TN) have both placed their names in the portal. Dong was a RSL Academy graduate who committed to BYU last July. Thus, not a surprising move playing in 4 games and only accumulating 8 total minutes. Moore's move is also not much of a surprise either with pretty much nonexistent playing time. 

Coach Mark Pope will certainly have his work cut out for him in the offseason. Rudi Williams and Gideon George exhausted their eligibility. Although, Jake Wahlin returns home. Am speculating that there may be another or two who place their name in the portal or move on in the coming weeks. There will be some soul searching possible staff shakeup, and recruiting to rebuild the roster with hopes to be even somewhat competitive entering the Big 12. Pope must know that his seat may be growing hot.

This squad saw the pendulum swing both directions this season with some good times (victories over Creighton, Utah including a 7 game win streak) as well as some tough trials (consecutive losses to Utah Valley, South Dakota and a 4 game losing streak). This squad seemed to struggle with a number of concerning basic fundamentals (breaking the press, free throws, etc). Pope has mentioned the struggle in being able to offer comparable NIL deals in order to recruit the better athletes.

BYU has a decent group of young players to build around (Dallin Hall, Richie Saunders, Fouss, etc. Although, there are still some glaring needs that can be addressed with the portal. The cougs need more of a scoring punch, someone who can create their own shot. Finding another piece in the guard line that can complement Dallin or Richie would be beneficial.

With Gideon George's eligibility used up it leaves Jaxson Robinson as really the only remaining wing player with decent length. Saunders can bring the hustle not found in the box score but BYU better address the length to match up with most teams in the new conference. Otherwise, teams will absolutely exploit that at will in the Big 12.

There is no question that Fousse is the cougs best player. Atiki played incredibly well in the WCC tourney but BYU must find a way to add another big man. Fousse seemed to struggle at times matching up with bigger players. The cougs really need to find a true big man who can play the 5 spot, who can crash the boards, protect the rim and from time to time put the ball in the hoop. 

What Pope does in the offseason surely will be a treat to watch. Am definitely intrigued to see what needs will be met and how soon BYU can compete in the Big 12. Time will only tell. 

Spring Football: Prep For the Big12

 
Spring football is upon us as BYU will now embark on its inaugural season as a member of the Big 12 Conference after 12 years of Independence. During that time period the cougs stacked up a record of 99-56 and now enter the league hoping to make an immediate impact.

This is where it all starts and the work begins. Following the disappointing 2022 season BYU revamped both the staff as well as the roster. BYU will now have 15 practice sessions stretched over six weeks discovering what it has, what changes still need to be addressed, implementing new schemes/strategies, figuring out a 2 deep, among other things with the end goal in mind placing the best product on the field to compete from day one. 

During this time period there will be a number of things both coaches and fans will have in observations and their impressions. There are numerous questions to be asked. What will the offensive line look like this year with having so many departures and incoming transfers? Due to the same roster overhaul what will the 2 deep look like? Can the kicking game ever recover? What players will stand out and rise to the occasion, while others may decide to look elsewhere? How will the reworked defensive line perform this year? The list could go on. 

The road graders. Most fans know everything starts and ends in the trenches. Offensive Line Assistant Coach Darrell Funk had to revamp pretty much the entire line with the numerous departures and incoming transfers. Listed below is my best guess at a OL 2 deep but is certainly wide open at the moment as is a work in progress as the staff is still trying to nail down what five work best together considering so many interchangeable rotating parts. 

LT-Kingsley Suamataia, Brayden Keim
LG-Connor Pay, Sam Dawe
C-Paul Maile, Connor Pay
RG-Ian Fitzgerald, Weylin Lapuaho
RT-Lisala Tai

The quarterback room. With Jaren Hall onto the NFL who will step up to continue the quarterback factory? Initial observations have shown transfer Kedon Slovis to already have settled in nicely as the next man up. Jake Retzlaff may certainly push Slovis but has been sidelined due to having his tonsils out. Former Boise State transfer Cade Fennegan is also hoping to make the most of his opportunity. One note item worth mentioning at the moment Sol Jay Maiava Peters has been moved to running back. At the moment all indications seem to appear that BYU football is in good hands with Slovis holding the keys to the offense.

The pigskin and the carriers. Gone is Christopher Brooks but incoming UNLV transfer Aiden Robbins should be a rather fine replacement. There are a few remaining familiar faces in Miles Davis (has switched jersey numbers from 19 to 4), Hinckley Ropati and newcomers Sol-Jay (switching from QB), Helu Nukuluve. Helu back from a mission will be looking to make some noise while Ropati hopes to build and last year's success. The talent and depth will be reinforced even further in the fall with the arrival of heralded freshman LJ Martin. 

Taking flight. Puka took his football (and his talents) to the next level. There still remains a solid core of receivers for Slovis to rely on: Kody Epps, Keanu Hill, Chase Roberts and look for Dom Henry to emerge. With Epps still recovering from shoulder surgery Slovis seems to have found a solid connection with Henry. Once the season starts look for Kody Epps to have a breakout season announcing himself to the nation. 

Tight End Tradition Continues On. While BYU may be known predominantly as Quarterback Factory, those signal callers wouldn't receive all the notoriety without the hogs on the OL and someone on the receiving end of all of those passes. The cougs certainly have a rich history at this position. Names such as Clay Brown, Byron Rex, Chad Lewis, Matt Bushman, Chris Smith, Jonny Harline, Dennis Pitta, Doug Jolley, Todd Christensen, Gordon Hudson among so many others brings back many fond memories. This year's crew is no different full of talent. Isaac Rex is the headliner with Masen "Air" Wake, Ethan Erickson and Jackson Bowers (who will arrive in the Fall). Ethan has improved his blocking skills and has been emerging as the number 2. Look for Bowers to make a strong push in the two deep once on campus.

Defensive Line Overhaul. Coach Poppinga (over the defensive ends) and Sione Po'uha (over the defensive tackles) will have their work cut out for them starting nearly from scratch. Some scary stats BYU ranked 102nd in red zone defense (60 chances with 53 scores), ranked 98th in rushing defense (allowing 4.55 yards/rush, 173.8 yards per game with 22 rushing TDs), ranked 97th in scoring defense allowing 383 total points or 29.46 per game, 130th (out of 131 rankings) in team sacks 15 total or 1.15 sacks per game. Names to look for who hope to make the two deep for DEs include Isaiah Bagnah (transfer from Boise State), Michael Daley, Aisea Moa, Logan Lutui and Tyler Batty. Sione will work heavily with Atunaisa Mahe, Jackson Cravens (incoming transfer from Boise State), Caden Haws and John Nelson who seemed to make a strong impression towards the year end. The only way is up to improve on last years stats.

Linebacking Crew. BYU has a great history at this position. Such names include: Rob Morris, Kurt Gouveia, Fred Warner, Sione Takitaki, Shay Muirbrook, Kyle Van Noy, etc. This year is no different. Assistant Coach Justin Ena certainly will have some talent to worth with. Names hoping to be on the two deep include: Ben Bywater, Chaz Ah You, Isaiah Glasker, Max Tooley, Logan Pili and Siale Esera. Can Chaz remain healthy? When healthy he seems to have a nose for the ball. Having both Tooley and Bywater back should be a huge boost. This position though, could use possibly a bit more quality depth.

Who's in the Secondary. This year Assistant Coach Jernaro Gilford will be over the cornerbacks while Jay Hill will work with the safeties. Notable names of the safeties include Micah Harper, Malik Moore and Raider Damuni. Cornerback's incude Jakob Robinson, Eddie Heckard, George Udo, Mory Mamba and Macus McKenzie. Having Heckerd aboard should be real boost in terms of experience and familiarity with the defensive scheme. How fast can Raider get away from the old mission legs will be a great question. The secondary should be in great shape despite losing two starters in Gabe Jeudy Lally and D'Angelo Mandell. Maybe the question might be how fast can the defense adjust to Jay Hill's defensive scheme.

Not always Special Teams. Gone is Jake 'the make" Oldroyd who seemed to struggle down the stretch (9 of 14). BYU was 10 for 15 in FGs and 49-51 on PATs. The bright spot on the special teams was clearly Ryan Rekhow. He averaged 46.2 per pun (10th nationally, net punting) with a high 71 yard punt. Ryan clearly was an asset often helping to flip the field. Hobbs Nyborg certainly wasn't flashy but definitely incredibly consistent (22.8 avg kick return). At what point do the cougs find an answer in the kicking game? BYU picked up Will Ferrin from Boise State hoping to stabilize their kicking. Justen Smith seems to struggle since he kicks a low ball. Would like to see what Cash Peterman is capable of. There is certainly a possibility the cougs grab a kicker from the transfer portal as well. Time will tell what the answer is.

By the end of spring ball hopefully the cougs will have answers to many of these questions. The staff hopes to implement the new defensive scheme (although maybe very basic at this point), figure out decently what the two deep will look like, can we find a suitable kicker, get the newcomers familiar with the playbook, etc. Although, there still may be changes/additions ahead at the end of spring. Each day puts us towards the end goal in mind putting the best product on the field to compete from day one in the Big 12.