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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — The BYU Cougars opened up the 2013 season with a 19-16 loss to the Virginia Cavaliers.
Offense: C-
I'll refrain from the freak out factor that so many experienced after the game Saturday. Calling for Robert Anae's job is a bit much after one game, don't you think? Having said that, there were a whole host of issues on the offensive side of the ball that need to be addressed. Obviously the late turnover all but handed Virginia the game, and I know the ball was wet, but securing the football was an issue all day long for BYU.
The O-line was the most glaringly absent in Charlottesville. UVA's defense is built on giving tons of pressure to disrupt and BYU's offensive line made the Cav's front four look like a bunch of Kyle Van Noys. They were out of sync and it threw off much of the mojo that Taysom Hill was trying to get going. Jamaal Williams' 144 yard performance was nice, and he ran like a beast in the fourth quarter, but the bright spots in the new offense were few and far between.
The Texas Longhorn defense next week will be an even bigger test for the new Anae offense.
Defense: B+
The Virginia offense isn't exactly a juggernaut, but it was a solid performance from the "D." The scoring standard for Bronco and crew every game is to try and hold the opponent to 17 points. Even with the safety on offense, the two turnovers that put UVA inside BYU's 15 yard line — twice — the Cavs only posted 19 points and 230 measly yards of offense.
The defense had seven tackles for loss, including 2.5 from their All-American KVN. But the team didn't post any sacks on the day. There needs to be more pressure if the Cougs want to stymie a more talented Longhorn offense at home next Saturday.
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Another encouraging piece of play from the defense was how solid the corner play was despite so many injuries. It was probably the biggest question mark going into the game Saturday, and the field and boundary corners held just fine.
Special Teams: C+
The special teams are very close to being very special, but it wasn't necessarily a great start for Coach Kelly Poppinga and crew. JD Falslev showed flashes of brilliance, as well as Adam Hine, when it came to returns, but penalties negated big returns and even brought back a punt that had to be re-kicked, which was blocked, leading to an easy Virginia score. Those mistakes contributed greatly to a BYU loss.
Scott Arellano had a serviceable start replacing Riley Stephenson as the punter this season. His average of just over 40 yards was a nice start to the year. It was also really nice to see Justin Sorensen build up a little confidence with a rainy, 36-yard pressure-filled field goal in the fourth quarter. Bronco Mendenhall wouldn't have likely even given Sorensen a shot at that kick a year ago. The kick already eclipsed Sorensen's long of 35 yards from last season
Overall Team: C
I know that a "C" indicates something "average," and BYU's performance felt extremely sub par, but I'm checking this against the extremely high expectations that come with an opening game and an offense that many assumed would garner 40+ points a game. Its going to take more time for this offense to mature and get in sync. There were flashes of brilliance from Jamaal Williams and even Taysom Hill, but for two sophomores, they have nowhere to go but up from here.
The execution, the weather and the overall performance were extremely sloppy, and yet the Cougs still almost won this game. Don't be that fan who calls for Robert Anae to be fired and for Ammon Olsen to get the start in the next game quite yet. There is plenty of season left to improve. Plus, nobody likes a wishy-washy fan anyway.
