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PROVO — Given the internal investigation of the BYU football program, it is understandable that so much attention has been called to off-the-field issues for the team. However, as mentioned in my article last week, there are no concrete answers to any of the questions being posed about the investigation.
With the 2014 season being three months away for the Cougars, here are four on-the-field questions for the team.
Will any of BYU’s opponents be any good?
Prior to the 2013 season, BYU’s schedule looked daunting based on preseason hype and 2012 results. There was national buzz about Texas returning to national prominence. Boise State came into the season perennially ranked under Coach Chris Petersen. The Cougars were also set to face Big Ten juggernaut Wisconsin and 2012 national title runner-up Notre Dame on the road.
If that were not enough, Utah State, previously an annual guaranteed win for the Cougars, was coming off an 11-win season with a dark horse Heisman Trophy candidate in Chuckie Keeton returning to lead the Aggies.
Turns out none of the preseason projections were accurate. The 2013 opponents were solid but not overly impressive. Boise State had a disappointing season and saw Petersen leave for Washington. Keeton blew out his knee against the Cougs in the first quarter and BYU rolled to an easy win in Logan.
BYU quickly exposed Texas as soft and overrated on a rainy day in Provo that led to the immediate firing of Texas defensive coordinator Manny Diaz.
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Notre Dame turned out to be solid but not great and finished with four losses. Wisconsin was probably the best team BYU played but likewise finished with four losses. In all, the Cougars only played three teams ranked in the final AP poll (No. 20 Notre Dame, No. 22 Wisconsin and No. 25 Washington in the bowl game) and lost to all three.
On paper, the 2014 slate of opponents looks less impressive than the 2013 schedule. The only opponent the Cougars will face that was ranked in 2013 is Central Florida. The Golden Knights appear to be in rebuilding mode after losing some of their biggest stars from their Fiesta Bowl winning squad (most notably Blake Bortles, the number three overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft).
However, UCF still has talent remaining from last year and it would not be a surprise if it has another strong campaign this year.
New Texas head coach Charlie Strong worked wonders at Louisville and inherits a program with many former blue-chip recruits. Houston may turn some heads playing in a weaker conference with a dynamic young quarterback John O’Korn. Utah State seems poised to continue its rise with Keeton coming back for one last go round, and Boise State has been winning for too long to write it off after one disappointing season. Or, they could all be lousy. Only time will tell.
Who will be the leader on defense?
Since Bronco Mendenhall took back the reins of the defense midway through the 2010 season, the Cougars have been terrific on that side of the ball. The 2012 unit was perhaps the best collective defense in school history. The 2013 defense was also strong though they slipped in terms of statistical rankings. A sizeable amount of this slip can be explained by the significant increase in plays defended due to offensive coordinator Robert Anae’s new offensive system that focused on quantity of plays and subsequently left the defense on the field for longer stretches.
While Mendenhall is rightfully known as a great defensive coach, he also had strong leadership among his players during the four-year span. Last season, seniors Kyle Van Noy, Daniel Sorensen, Eathyn Manumaleuna and Uani ‘Unga responded to the call for leadership and played very well. All those players are now trying to make NFL rosters so it is up to other players to step up and take a leadership role.
Cougar nation’s eyes will be on Craig Bills, Bronson Kaufusi, Robertson Daniel and Alani Fua. If those players do not step up, the Cougars may have to go back to their old WAC days and try to win shootouts each week.
Which wide receiver will step up?
Going into 2013, BYU’s receiving corps was thin. Significant injuries to Mitch Mathews and Ross Apo during the season did not help matters. Even the indestructible Cody Hoffman missed time due to a hamstring injury and was suspended a game for violating team rules.
During recruiting season, Cougar coaches worked hard on deepening the wide receiver position. In all, BYU signed four wide receivers (three transfers and an incoming freshman) on signing day with the transfers being expected to contribute right away.
The question now is this: Who is going to step up? Will there be a go-to guy that quarterback Taysom Hill can trust to make a big play when the Cougars need one?
Mathews and Apo are returning this year and should have the early advantage after playing a year in Anae’s system. However, it is unknown if either of them can remain healthy, particularly Apo, who has been plagued by injuries his whole tenure in Provo.
Also, without injuries, neither player has yet proven that he can be consistently counted on to perform at a high level. While Mathews’ and Apo’s experience will be factored in, it is likely that the new guys will all get a look. I will make the prediction that newcomer Jordan Leslie will be BYU’s go-to receiver by the end of the season because of his big-play potential and his ability to run myriad routes.
Will the Cougars finally have a kicking game?
Under Mendenhall, BYU has fielded some very good offenses (2006, 2008, 2009) and very good defenses (2006, 2007, 2010-2013) but has never been strong in the kicking game. From 2005 to 2011, the kicking game was nothing to write home about. Then came 2012. The Mayans said the world would end in 2012. Well, it did not, but the end of any semblance of a kicking game for BYU did.
Mendenhall seemed to lose all faith in his kickers that year (go back and watch the Utah game and you will see why). It got so bad that BYU started punting if it did not make it past the opponent’s 30-yard line.
The 2013 campaign was better for BYU kickers. The much maligned Justin Sorensen was finally healthy and hit a higher percentage of field goals than he did the year before. Still, he could not be counted upon to hit one of any considerable length as he only kicked three field goals over 40 yards with the longest being 45 yards. This is particularly disappointing seeing how the thin air of Provo is especially conducive to long kicks.
Without the ability to kick long field goals, BYU lost an important weapon — particularly in late game situations. Will this finally be the year BYU finds an automatic kicker who adds an extra dimension to the offensive side of the ball?
Dylan Cannon is a regular contributor to KSL.com. He can be reached via his email at dylancannon86@gmail.com.
