Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
PROVO — Cries for change won’t be anything more than background static for Bronco Mendenhall, who plans to stay the course based on his experience.
Reflective of his personality, the BYU coach won’t alter much despite another disappointing 1-2 start. After Monday’s practice, he reiterated his belief that BYU belongs among the best programs in the country based on consistent Top 25 rankings.
“We all acknowledge that we’ve been here before at 1-2,” Mendenhall said. “I’m not setting off any flares or hitting the panic button. We’ve been 1-4 before and have yet to be excluded from a bowl game. And we always just find a way to be resilient and win. I think we are a consistent winner. I think we are a program, and a head coach, that is expanding his scheme and strategy with the hope to be better than we have been.”
So far, the wholesale changes that Mendenhall authorized to the offensive coaching staff - which included firing offensive coordinator Brandon Doman and assistants Joe DuPaix at and Ben Cahoon – haven’t made a difference. Actually, if the statistics matter, the change has been for the worse.
Of course, it’s not fair to dump all the blame on the coaches. Ultimately, the players have to make plays, but the coaches have to put them in the position to succeed.
Right now, both sides are falling short of their responsibilities.
Somebody has got to do something to fix BYU’s alarmingly inept passing game. The once-vaunted aerial attack ranks dead last in Div. I passing efficiency. It literally can’t get any worse.
As uncomfortable as it is to criticize a college player, Taysom Hill is completing only 35 percent of his passes. It’s one thing to point out Hill is an experienced sophomore, but the numbers are bad enough to wonder if the talent is sufficient enough.
But apparently his job security rivals that of Republican senators from Utah. Despite throwing 30 incomplete passes in the 20-13 loss to Utah Saturday, Hill is in no danger of getting replaced. By comparison, Utah’s sophomore quarterback, Travis Wilson, has thrown 41 incomplete passes after four games this season.
“I thought he gave us a chance right until the end,” Mendenhall said after the game. “That’s all I can ask from any quarterback. He’ll continue to learn and grow as well as our team, but I like him a lot.”
What’s that line about beauty in the eye of the beholder?
Mendenhall couldn’t be more wrong. The defense, not the quarterback, gave BYU the chance to finally beat the Utes. The offense was the very reason Mendenhall’s record against Kyle Whittingham fell to an unacceptable 3-6.
Is it time for a change? There are two schools of thought here.
With Middle Tennessee State next on the schedule, theoretically Hill could take advantage of the lesser competition to work on his deficiencies. On the flip side, BYU could give Ammon Olsen a shot.
Throughout spring and preseason practice, Mendenhall repeatedly stated the competition was close between Hill and Olsen. After losing out to Hill, the sophomore from Alta High hasn’t been heard from since.
The argument against changing quarterbacks is Hill has made only five career starts. For Hill to develop, he needs more seasoning and the opportunity to play through mistakes. The last thing Mendenhall wants is to juggle quarterbacks, leaving both to press during limited playing time.
At the same time, BYU is playing for keeps here and can’t afford to stick with an ineffective player. Remember, offensive coordinator Robert Anae had no problem re-opening the competition along the offensive line after the season-opening loss against Virginia. Those changes immediately helped BYU rush for 550 yards in the next game against Texas.
If some players get only one game, maybe others shouldn’t get several. But change in personnel likely isn’t coming. Same goes for the frenetic pace, which often seems to be a hurry-up style for the sake of hurrying up.
At the least, Anae could call a few more screen passes or something that would build Hill’s confidence and the receivers’ confidence in him. Until then, or for who knows how long, BYU will likely to play to Hill’s strength of running the ball.
