Hill, Detmer stuck at the crossroads of BYU’s culture change


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PROVO — When Taysom Hill decided to return to BYU for a second senior season after coming back from a third season-ending injury, Cougar fans anxiously awaited the return of the former Heisman Trophy candidate.

Alongside running back Jamaal Williams, with a series of veteran wide receivers, and a junior college transfer in Jonah Trinnaman, offensive coordinator Ty Detmer’s first year running a college offense appeared loaded with options.

Hill and Williams posses the rare combination of size and speed. They display a devastating option attack capable of forcing opposing defenses to pick their poison by slowing Hill and allowing Williams to run free or attacking Williams while turning Hill loose.

As defenses brought extra defenders down to help stop the running attack, Hill was able to find his receivers for big gains through the air.

It’s a beautifully designed offense that has yielded many wins in Provo.

Unfortunately for Hill, that offense, deemed the ‘Go fast, go hard’ offense, no longer exists at BYU.

Nor does it need to.

When Detmer was hired by new head coach Kalani Sitake, the one known fact on BYU’s offense was that Tanner Mangum was coming off a record-breaking freshman season, and he was poised to return with three high-quality years ahead of him.

Detmer, from an era of pro-style quarterbacks and a former pro player himself, was announced as the coordinator in late December. Two months later, Hill announced he was returning to BYU.

An announcement BYU was undoubtedly thrilled to be a part of, but it presented an obvious conundrum. How would the prototypical spread-system quarterback, fit into a pro-style system?

So far, the results have been underwhelming, and fans are left asking whether a quarterback change is needed.

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In defense of Hill, asking a 26-year-old with a winning history on the field to change his style of play makes little sense.

In defense of Detmer, BYU is one of the few programs in the country with a long history of prolific pro-style quarterbacks, including one already on the roster.

For the future, Detmer’s offense will suit BYU perfectly. Currently, it’s the round hole to Hill’s square peg.

What should fans do?

Try to enjoy it.

Hill is a once-in-a-generation athlete, and he will be remembered as one of the most exciting quarterbacks in BYU history, regardless of his senior production. And as was evidenced by his 27-yard hurdling scramble against West Virginia, he still has enough in the tank to make highlight-reel plays.

Coming back from three season-ending injuries, all of which occurred in live action, has entitled Hill to job security not usually seen at the college level.

Detmer, with a roster full of carry-overs from the ‘Go fast, go hard’ offense, has job security as a new hire and a legend at BYU to allow Hill to keep his job for the duration of his senior season.

There’s a culture change occurring at BYU, and it’s created a less-than-ideal pairing between two of BYU’s most memorable quarterbacks. While the results have yet to meet the preseason fan expectations, Hill and Detmer have earned the patience of the BYU faithful.


![Ben Anderson](http://img.ksl.com/slc/2556/255612/25561254\.jpg?filter=ksl/65x65)
About the Author: Ben Anderson ------------------------------

Ben Anderson is the co-host of Gunther and Ben in the Afternoon with Kyle Gunther on 1320 KFAN from 3-7, Monday through Friday. Read Ben's Utah Jazz blog at 1320kfan.com, and follow him on Twitter @BenKFAN.

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