Mendenhall expects a methodical, 'super-fast tempo' Utah State offense

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PROVO — BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall hopes his team can duplicate its result last year against Utah State Friday, but knows it is unlikely his defense can again hold the Aggie offense to 3 points.

“That was a unique game because Utah State is very explosive,” Mendenhall said. “You have to do a really nice job of securing your edges, or they can go around you very quickly. They can go over you with speed at receiver, but also with some concentration plays where if your eyes go here, before you know it someone is behind you.”

The Cougars’ ability to hold Chuckie Keeton in check ultimately led to the victory. BYU limited Keeton to 22 of 38 for 202 yards and just 23 rushing yards on 10 carries in the contest at LaVell Edwards Stadium. BYU hit Keeton seven times, recording three sacks and knocking Keeton out of the game for a brief period of time.

“There’s an old adage when we were playing Air Force that you always wanted to play them later rather than earlier because of the volume of runs the quarterback has had and the number of hits he’s taken,” Mendenhall said. “What I think is happening is Chuckie’s certainly still capable, but you don’t want him to be the primary ball carrier and the primary offensive producer every single game, otherwise that’s hard to sustain.”

Keeton’s elusiveness prompted Mendenhall to question how long he has been at Utah State.

“When (Keeton’s) out there on the field each play seems to go for about 20 seconds. You never know if you can get him down. He’s scrambling all over the place and then you think you have him down and you don’t and then someone else you think has him and you don’t and he’s running, he’s navigating, he’s extending the play. I think he’s jammed four years of eligibility into two at this point.”

Mendenhall knows that the Cougars must contain Keeton’s mobility if they hope to pick up a win in Logan, but noted that Utah State uses erratic schemes to keep the opposing defense off balance.

“There’s a ton of deception in Utah State’s offense; movement, shifting, a lot of eye control issues where there’s a lot going on and they hope defenders will just take their focus for a second on where guys are moving to,” Mendenhall said. “In the meantime, where their eyes are is not where the play is going and the ball comes out very quickly; timing throws, possession throws and accuracy throws that just happen methodically, but methodically at a super-fast tempo. They move very quickly.”

While the emphasis of BYU’s defensive game plan will be to slow Keeton, quarterback Taysom Hill is gearing up to attack an Aggie unit that ranks No. 22 in the nation in total defense, one spot ahead of BYU.

“We’re pretty familiar with Utah State’s defense because a lot of what they do is what our defense does,” Hill said. “We feel pretty comfortable in that regard. The thing that Utah State is good at is disguising their coverages and mixing it up so well. We’re going to see a lot of odd, a lot of even fronts and a lot of different coverages. We’re primarily expecting cover one.”

When (Keeton's) out there on the field each play seems to go for about 20 seconds. You never know if you can get him down. He's scrambling all over the place and then you think you have him down and you don't and then someone else you think has him and you don't and he's running, he's navigating, he's extending the play. I think he's jammed four years of eligibility into two at this point.

–Bronco Mendenhall

Though he’s focused on winning the final in-state game on BYU’s schedule this season, Hill can’t help but remember the season-ending injury he suffered at the hands of the Aggies a year ago.

“I thought about that last year this was the time and game where I got injured,” Hill said. “Obviously that was a tough time in my life. It’s allowed me to reflect and I know that I haven’t done a good job of sliding and protecting myself. It’s my competitive nature, and I guess it’s allowed me to think back to that game and I need to be better at that. That will be one of my focuses going into it.”

Utah State beat BYU last time the game was played at Romney Stadium to snap a 10-game losing streak to the Cougars and secure the first Aggie win in the series since 1993.

“I don’t remember much about that game,” Mendenhall said. “I remember talking to Gary Andersen after. He waited for a long time to visit with me after the media stuff and it was fun to congratulate him and wish him success and see their program take a positive turn. I knew there were some tough decisions I had to make, but I don’t remember the game as much as just that conversation afterwards.”

BYU’s dominant defensive effort in the 2012 showdown overshadowed the Aggies' inability to convert on the four trips they made into Cougar territory. USU missed a 38-yard field goal that would’ve tied the game, and backup quarterback Cameron Webb threw an interception with the offense at the BYU 30-yard line. Webb had just entered the game to spell a shaken-up Keeton.

Mendenhall knows that two straight losses to the Cougars by three points will have USU fans amped up in hope of revenge.

“We already know from playing in-state teams that there’s no love lost for BYU,” Mendenhall said. “We expect an amazing environment — a hostile environment — but loud and a lot of the kind of college pageantry that goes on. It’s a different setting playing at Utah State. They do a great job of supporting their team.” Kyle Spencer is a ksl.com intern. He is studying journalism at Utah Valley University and is the sports editor of the UVU Review. Follow him on twitter @kyledspencer.