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PROVO -- Hard to find much fault in a 42-7 blowout victory and while the BYU Cougars dominated the New Mexico State Aggies in every which way, there was one area where the Cougars made their fans cringe.
Here are some observations after BYU's manhandling of the over-matched Aggies:
Observation 1:
Jake Heaps is alright and there wasn't a noticeable drop- off from Riley Nelson, if there was one at all. He's not going to win a Heisman with his performance, but he managed the game well for the BYU, made the necessary throws, and some nice throws to Ross Apo and Cody Hoffman. He also did a great job of spreading the ball around to eight different receivers and four touchdown passes isn't too shabby either. On his last touchdown pass to JD Falslev, Heaps did a great job to escape a collapsing pocket, throw a bullet on the run and hit Falslev in stride. A great sign of Heaps progression and development.
Observation 2:
BYU has done to these WAC teams what a team of its caliber should do. After a come from behind win against Utah State, when Nelson took over for an ineffective Heaps, the Cougars have outscored the three other WAC teams (San Jose St., Idaho and New Mexico St.) 113-30; that's a 38-10 advantage. BYU is a good team, but this speaks more to the quality, or lack thereof, of the opponent(s).
Observation 3:
Cody Hoffman is a star in the making and Ross Apo isn't far behind. Whoever is behind center next year will have two of the best wide receivers BYU fans have ever seen to throw to. Hoffman is only a sophomore and Apo is a red- shirt freshman; hard to believe considering their skill sets and impact. On Saturday the two combined for eight catches, 92 yards and two touchdowns. On the season, Hoffman has 42 catches for 672 yards and six touchdowns. Apo has 30 catches for 398 and seven touchdowns.
Observation 4:
It didn't hurt the Cougars, but the kicking game is woeful right now. Justin Sorensen missed a chip-shot 37-yard field goal in the first half when the game was still close. That was his third straight miss dating back to the Cougars' game against Idaho. Riley Stephenson only punted three times, but seemed to be back into form averaging over 50 yards a kick. The most impressive group was the kick coverage team, which held the Aggies to under 18 yards a kick return. And that includes one of the most dangerous return men in the country, Taveon Rogers, who was contained despite getting six chances to make a big play.
Email: gjohns@ksl.com
