Cougars recognize errors, are ready for Boise State


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PROVO — With less than half of the 2014 season remaining and currently on a three-game losing skid, the BYU Cougars are ready to move on from the past and focus on this week’s opponent, Boise State.

Entering a short week with the game being on Friday night, the players and coaches clearly recognize there is no time to dwell on the disappointments and lack of execution that has plagued both sides of the ball the last three weeks, but instead the work must come in fixing the problems as they move forward.

“Streaks of winning or losing, all we focus on is one week at a time and try to look out the front of the windshield, not the back rearview mirror,” explained offensive coordinator Robert Anae Tuesday morning.

Anae has seen improvement in his offense the last two weeks under quarterback Christian Stewart, who is playing in place of the injured Taysom Hill. But Anae also recognizes that there is room for improvement, despite putting up 35 points against Nevada last week.

“We’ve made improvements as a group on offense," he said. "Nobody is happy with the outcome, but we did take a stride forward, and hopefully we can continue to grow in that regard.”

Anae addressed how the offense has taken on a bit of a different look with Stewart at the helm, which is evident in BYU’s 408 passing yards and 4 receiving touchdowns on 39 of 63 pass attempts.

“He’s a different brand of quarterback than Taysom, and the offense is geared to the strengths that its players have right now, and that’s our strength with Christian,” Anae said.

Wide receiver coach Guy Holliday praised Anae for the job he’s done at managing the offense despite its new circumstances the past two weeks under Stewart.

“Coach Anae has done a really good job adjusting to the quarterback’s talent level or his skill set,” Holliday said. “I think he brings a skill set (of) throwing the ball that maybe you don’t appreciate until you put them into that type of offense.”

The past two weeks the offense has put up a healthy number of points — an amount that typically would have sealed wins for the Bronco Mendenhall-led BYU teams because of their defensive performances. But with scoreless quarters and costly turnovers leading to short fields for opposing offenses, the offensive players recognize the need to do more on their part to help finish out games.

“We can’t be complacent, we just have to keep putting points up on the board,” said offensive lineman Kyle Johnson. “We can’t put our defense in difficult situations like we have in the past.”

Anae added his thoughts by simply stating that not turning over the ball is as always a continued focus, and that the offense simply has to focus more to keep the fumbles from happening this week against Boise State.

While the offense seeks to add more points, the defense also recognizes they must do their part to keep opponents under the points the offense has been generating.

“It’s just execution and being consistent," said safety Craig Bills. "We played good football for a lot of the game, and then we just missed assignments they were able to capitalize on, that so that’s our focus right now.”

Bills, who has been sidelined with a concussion the past two games, says he’ll be ready to go come Friday night. He also said that being on the sidelines has given him a different perspective on things the defense needs to work on.

“We know as players that we’re not playing to our potential, and so the coaches come in and they address that,” explained Bills. “Hopefully the guys don’t get offended by that, and I think the coaches are doing a really good job right now at addressing what needs to happen and what we need to change in order to win games.”

Injuries have also kept out senior linebacker Alani Fua, and Tuesday Fua himself reported that he ran that day but struggled with some pain. His hope is he can continue to heal and that his ankle will be ready in time for Friday.

Fua spoke of the work he’s put in with the younger linebackers Fred Warner and Sione Takitaki while he’s been injured, similar to the way Kyle Van Noy worked with him when he was an underclassman.

“I remember Kyle all the time telling me, 'Do this, do that,' so I kind of took that role and am doing the same thing for these younger guys,” said Fua.

Tuesday's injury notes include running back Jamaal Williams and Bills being reported as probable for Friday night with Alani Fua and Devon Blackmon, who injured his ankle last week in practice, as questionable. Running backs Algie Brown and Adam Hine are officially out for Friday’s game.

The depth at running back will obviously improve with Williams most likely returning to the lineup, but the performance last week of Paul Lasike and former walk-on Nate Carter raking up 193 total yards on the ground was very pleasing to coach Anae.

“Really proud of Nate and what he’s done in the course of his career here in the program and am very happy he stepped up in a critical time for us," he said.

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Mitch Davis

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