Sitake reiterates: Taysom Hill remains BYU starting QB

PROVO — In case there was any doubt about who the BYU coaching staff still considered the starting quarterback after back-to-back losses, head coach Kalani Sitake spelled it out Monday during his weekly media briefing.

Taysom Hill is still the starter.

“Taysom Hill is the starting quarterback,” Sitake said after the Cougars’ third-straight game of fewer than 20 points on offense. “It would be foolish to make him a scapegoat when it’s not all his fault when it wasn't all his fault. I think that's the wrong assessment from a lot of different people. We're looking to get better and evaluate every position.

“You can’t blame it all on one person when it's not all his fault. We're not going to do that."

BYU (1-2) hasn’t jumped out of the gates on offense like some fans may have expected under new offensive coordinator Ty Detmer. But Sitake said it isn’t all Hill’s fault; while the fifth-year senior hasn’t been perfect, it’s equally impossible to pinpoint blame for the offense’s woes on one person.

Quarterback, wide receivers and offensive linemen — even the run game can share the responsibility for a Cougar offense that was shut out in the first half of a 17-14 loss to UCLA in the 2016 home opener last Saturday, and has yet to score more than two touchdowns in a single game.

“There are a lot of different variables,” Sitake said. “I know everybody likes to blame it on one person, but there are so many things that go into it with the quarterback. Talking about Taysom, the worst thing you can do is panic and make a change when it’s not just that one spot.

“There are a lot of variables: protection, routes, tightening. Looking at it again, it’s what we thought: It would be premature to make that decision (to change quarterbacks).”

The same UCLA team that forced one total sack against Texas A&M and UNLV downed Hill in the backfield four times while going against an offensive line playing without veteran Ului Lapuaho. Hill completed just 26 of 48 passes, but the game-long pass went 39 yards to running back Jamaal Williams. Among the receivers, the Cougar pass catchers did not notch a reception longer than 16 yards until Nick Kurtz’s 23-yard grab in the fourth quarter.

Wide receiver Garrett Juergens agreed that the blame shouldn’t fall entirely on Hill’s shoulders. He even offered up the receiving corps for numerous dropped balls against the Bruins (2-1).

“That’s on us. We need to give our quarterback a better opportunity to give it to us more easily,” said Juergens, who had one catch for 6 yards against UCLA. “Creating separation was on press-man coverage. But we need to do a better job of allowing him to get us the ball in space.”

Many fans voiced their displeasure with the offense Saturday night, booing Hill on several pass attempts — notably the ones that sailed over receivers’ heads or were thrown into traffic.

Sitake said it’s not his job to tell BYU fans what to do or how to behave. He has repeatedly recalled his day sitting in the nosebleed section at what was then Cougar Stadium, yelling at the coaches and having his own opinions. So he isn’t about to tell fans what to think.

“If there are a few fans who voice displeasure, that’s their right,” Sitake said. “We’ve got to give them more to cheer about, and that’s my job.

“I’m just grateful that they are there.”

Backup quarterback Tanner Mangum, the sophomore who started all but one game last year and won Touchdown Club of Columbus quarterback of the year honors, wasn’t available to talk to the media Monday. But he made his stance on Hill’s starting job clear via Twitter.

“There is no room for negativity,” he tweeted.

Juergens said the team remains united behind Hill, and the fifth-year senior’s outlook has remained positive.

“He’s still a leader, still takes things into his own hands, and he’s confident and trusts us as receivers,” Juergens said. “He’s got his head up, and he’s the right guy for the job. We’re all backing him up.”

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