Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
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Back from the breakfast buffet at the team hotel here in Dallas, and let me say that BYU fans are doing a good job of "representing." There are lots of OU fans in their crimson and cream in the lobby and restaurant, but as many if not more BYU supporters.
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A few quick reads on today's game:
...BYU has put all of its backfield eggs in Harvey Unga's basket, and if he can't go (or can't go hard), BYU will be forced to rely on a back with 13 career carries and a 3.7 yard average (J.J. DiLuigi), joined by a fullback with a 3.9 yard career average (Manase Tonga) and a former walk-on combo back with 12 career carries (Brian Kariya). And that's about it.
The way Harvey's offseason and preseason have gone, there is no reason to believe he is game-ready for one of the biggest challenges in BYU Football history, and that's really too bad. The question then becomes, what kind of season lies ahead for a back who has battled injury in much the same way defenders have traditionally battled to bring Harvey down.
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...back to DiLuigi, who remains a SoCal high school legend, but a college enigma. As a senior at Canyon HS in Canyon Country, CA, DiLuigi was a two-thousand yard back who averaged 8.1 yards every time he was handed the ball. At BYU, he is to this point more known for fumbling the ball than running with it--and if that sounds harsh and unfair, well, it is, but he clearly took himself out of last season's mix with ball security issues. The time may be now for DiLuigi to show that the effort BYU invested in securing his early high school commitment was really worth it.
If Unga can't carry the load against OU, DiLuigi could end up being "the man," and he showed signs in camp that he is ready to tote the rock, and roll. Here's hoping that if he's needed, he's ready.
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...if BYU players or coaches are worried about any backfield issues, they're doing a great job hiding it. I have sensed nothing but confidence coming out of Cougar camp.
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...for BYU to have a shot, the Cougars simply cannot give OU the ball with short fields. In the Cougars' three losses last season, BYU had only four takeaways to 13 giveaways, and the Sooners will make you pay for carelessness with the ball: last season, they turned 22 of 34 takeaways into touchdowns. Two of the 22 were returns into the end zone; of the other 20 "takeaway/touchdowns," the average drive length was 33.5 yards in 3.9 plays, with 1:36 coming off the clock.
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...I'll reiterate a point I made earlier in the week: there are ways to score besides offense, and since Bob Stoops arrived at OU in 1999, the Sooners have 53 touchdowns on defense/special teams. BYU may need to find an unusual way to score, to have a shot today--or at least limit the Sooners to Sam Bradford-led scoring drives.
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...you know how football games are when there's a heavy favorite: all it takes is an early score by the underdog, or a tight game at halftime for Goliath to get nervous. BYU should be totally loose, while the Sooners have a lot to live up to--including practically every national experts' expectation that OU is going to crush BYU. There are benefits to being the huge underdog in this kind of game, especially when you have the kind of talent BYU has on its roster.
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...I talked with a Dallas Cowboys official who estimated that with the roof closed, Cowboys Stadium is worth "two touchdowns" for the home team, due to the noise level generated within the enclosed surroundings. While there will be upwards of 15-thousand BYU fans in the stands, the Sooners will own the homefield advantage, and it is going to get loud tonight; even with no fans in the stands, regular audio tests yesterday were extremely noisy.
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...for the definitive word on Harvey Unga's status and any other last-minute personnel considerations, hear Bronco Mendenhall's exclusive pregame remarks on the Cougar Pregame Coach's Show, at 4:25pm MT, as part of our coverage on KSL Newsradio.
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...our studio crew (Andrew Adams, Alex Kirry and Randolph Fairbairn) will maintain a live blog during BYU games this season. Check out what they have to say at ksl.com.
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...you can e-mail or text the broadcast team (Marc Lyons, Nate Meikle and me) as we introduce "Play-by-Play Q and A" during games this season as well. I'll try to take a question or two per quarter, and I'll be looking for things Marc and Nate in particular can address, using their expertise. Try not to use the feature to vent or celebrate--rather, see if you can isolate tactic- or strategy-related issues the guys can break down.
Text your questions to 57500, or e-mail them to cougarradio@ksl.com.
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...also new this season, I'll be letting "texter nation" determine our weekly "Macey's MVP." In the fourth quarter, I'll give you a few options of BYU player names we are considering for the MVP, and I'll allow texters to decide who gets the gameday honor. Again, you will text your selection to 57500.
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Am I the only guy who thinks "The Most Interesting Man In The World" isn't really that interesting? Most Annoying, perhaps.
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