BYU's passing game needs major upgrade


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PROVO — The quarterback factory that Ty Detmer punctuated by winning the Heisman Trophy is now only a memory at BYU.

To put it in simple terms, BYU’s passing attack has struggled through most of the eight games. The inability to consistently throw the football is the primary reason the Cougars are 4-4 instead of 6-2 or better.

Going back from the 1970s through Detmer’s record-setting career and beyond, BYU built a national reputation on prolific passing. Bad throws and dropped passes are more of the norm this season.

Three years ago, the last time he played a full season, quarterback Taysom Hill threw for 2,938 yards in 13 games. The fifth-year senior is well below that pace, throwing for 1,607 yards so far this season.

The numbers at receiver are much worse. According to Darnell Dickson’s column in the Provo Daily Herald, BYU is on pace to have a historic low in individual receiving yards.

As it stands, Nick Kurtz leads the team in receiving yards with 310. Over a 13-game schedule, his final total would be 504 yards, which would be the lowest total at BYU since Golden Richards had 287 yards in 1971.

Obviously, this isn’t what Detmer wanted during his first season as BYU’s offensive coordinator.

As often is the case, given his position, Hill has endured a heavy dose of criticism. In football, the quarterback often gets too much of the credit or too much of the blame.

The situation is heightened with backup quarterback Tanner Mangum waiting in the wings. As a freshman, after replacing the injured Hill in the first game, Mangum passed for 3,377 yards and 23 touchdowns.

Many BYU fans have grown impatient with Hill, preferring Detmer and coach Kalani Sitake go with Mangum. Last week’s loss to Boise State was the tipping point.

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BYU’s defense recorded five turnovers against the Broncos, including returning two interceptions for touchdowns. In a one-point loss, the defense actually outscored the offense 14-13.

On the season, Hill is completing 58 percent of his passes for an average of only 6.02 yards per attempt. In 2013, his only other season as a full-time starter, Hill’s completed 53.9 percent of his passes.

Accuracy is not his strong point. And don’t expect it to improve.

“The truth of the matter is it’s an innate talent,” said BYU legend and NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young. “Accuracy is something you just have a sense of. Within a range, I think you can improve. But you can’t become inaccurate to accurate.

“There’s a small range that I think you can work on your technique and some of the other things. It’s something you just have a knack at. Everybody was born with different things. I think throwing the football accurately is one of things you kind of have or you don’t have. If you don’t have it you can get sufficient, but you’ll never thrive.”

Longtime offensive guru Norm Chow, who called plays at BYU for 18 years, would agree. He recalled that even as Young was working his way up the depth chart, he was always an accurate passer.

No wonder Young went on to set the San Francisco 49ers' record by completing 65.8 percent of his passes.

“It’s tough to fix accuracy,’ Chow said. “There’s no secret to fixing a technique to make a guy more accurate. I thought either you’re accurate or you’re not.”

But Chow would be hesitant to change BYU quarterbacks at this point. He would be inclined to stick with Hill over the next four games and try to work in Mangum to prepare him for next season.

“I don’t think (Hill has) reached the point where they think he can’t get it done,” Chow said. “I don’t think now is the time. I think they’ll get the next four; 8-4 is not bad for Kalani’s first year.”

But maybe it could have been better.

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