Arizona game....

[Goatnapper'96]

Interesting game and matchup. Arizona is being lauded for some outstanding recent recruiting classes and a head coach with a famous brother. Recently their teams have struggled or sucked. BYU was a better team last year.

Before I go too much farther, I think this game is BYU's for the taking. Even if Arizona develops into the team some think is possible, I still think BYU wins this game. Perhaps the game would be drastically different in October or November, but I like BYU's chances in game 1.

Principally, I think BYU's offense will move the ball and score on anyone. I don't think Arizona is a top notch defense, it is better than 6 or 7 MWC defenses but even if it hits on all cylanders it will be a top 40 at best. I think BYU's offense will score between 24 and 38 points. That is a wide margin, but wide margins are my thang...bown bicha bown bown.

I think that defenses are usually ahead of offenses early in the year and most pronounced in game 1. Therefore there are some consistent advantages for U of A's D. However, with the amount of returning players at BYU this advantage will be negated to some extent. I think BYU will be able to move the ball through both the air and on the ground. In the end I think the Y runs up 425-450 yards of total offense and scores about 31 points. If BYU wins the turnover battle and does not shoot itself with piss poor special teams play it could be as high as 41 points, but I doubt the Y scores more than 34 on this defense.

The question then is whether or not BYU's bad defense can hold U of A below 31. I think they can. Not because BYU's defense is good, I think it will be average at best, but I just like the circumstances of this game.

U of A has no idea how BYU will play. Bronco is a historical blitz happy guy, but he has installed a new base scheme. I think it will take U of A coaches a quarter to get comfortable with what it is the BYU defense does. They have no tape or idea how this defense will be implemented. It is difficult enough to adjust a game plan when one has some clue on what the opponent is going to do, but even more difficult with young players. If what I read recently about the U of A OL is true, in that their present 1's are comprised by 3 freshman and one sophmore, I believe their hugest advantage in this game is negated appreciably. If their OL cannot dominate our young and innexperienced DL, I think the most points they will score is 28 unless BYU helps them extensively in special teams and with turnovers. If BYU can get any pressure on Tuitama, the Y could force some turnovers and get ahead by a lot early. Once again I think if U of A has any film on this defense and its capabilities my prediction would be different, but I think they are trial and error for the 1st quarter. It will take time for the creases in the zone coverage and the blitz tendencies to become apparant.

Additionally, BYU is historically big and slow. While I am not about to proclaim BYU as a "fast" team, I will predict that the University of Arizona offensive coaching staff will be very surprised by the BYU defensive team speed. For BYU this will be a very fast team. Last years team was slow, slow, slow. I still think U of A will have more team speed than BYU, but it will not be the gaping advantage that I think they presently believe they have.

This will not be a defensive struggle, but I think that U of A's offense will not be comfortable for quite some time. I also do not accept that they are that great of a team, and even if they become a solid team they will not be one in this game.

[OhioBlue]

sounds good to me. Hope you're right.

I think the Arizona fans are going to be surprised by the quality of our backs and tight ends. I think they'll be surprised, relatedly, by our capability to earn yards the hard way when we need to by riding the backs of a big o-line, a coupla mean blockers, and very talented hard-nosed RBs.

I expect them to pee themselves the first time Harline gets wide open on a simple slant against an LB and goes 60. Which should happen sometime in the first quarter.

That said, I think the Arizona coaches are well aware of all of the above, at least they should be. I wouldn't want to have to gameplan against the Cougar offense. But then again I'd love to gameplan against the Cougar secondary.

I think this one comes down to the usual suspects: big plays, turnovers, special teams play. If BYU's D can be average at best, and if BYU wins the turnover margin, I think we win going away. If not, it's a tossup and the home advantage becomes very significant.

[tooblue]

This game worries me for exactly the same reasons last years BC game worried me.

U of A has obviously underperformed based upon the available talent they have over the past several seasons ... is that due to coaching or are they finally getting rid of the bad element that was there and prompted Stoops' hiring?

My gut tells me Arizona is going to be a 'good' football team and that simply put BYU is going to have to play a better than good game to beat them ... we only have one season opener to judge Bronco's teams ... I think it will be a struggle and will not be surprised if BYU loses.

[tooblue]

Originally Posted by tooblue

This game worries me for exactly the same reasons last years BC game worried me.

U of A has obviously underperformed based upon the available talent they have over the past several seasons ... is that due to coaching or are they finally getting rid of the bad element that was there and prompted Stoops' hiring?

My gut tells me Arizona is going to be a 'good' football team and that simply put BYU is going to have to play a better than good game to beat them ... we only have one season opener to judge Bronco's teams ... I think it will be a struggle and will not be surprised if BYU loses.

To add to my thoughts I think BYU will commit a couple of key turn overs that will cost them a close game.

[Goatnapper'96]

Originally Posted by tooblue

To add to my thoughts I think BYU will commit a couple of key turn overs that will cost them a close game.

Why you believe that?

IIRC, BYU rarely turned the ball over towards the end of the year. Until the Utah game I thought BYU had gone a significant number of games with very few if any TOs.

The Utes stripped Tahi once and there were the two tipped passes or JBs arm being hit against Cal. Perhaps you are banking that the Y will be surprised and unprepared for U of A's speed? I could see that.

I really think that if BYU ties or wins the turnover battle they win the game. I think U of A will turn the ball over at least twice. So I think BYU has two miscues before they play themselves out of a win.

[jay santos]

Originally Posted by Goatnapper'96

Interesting game and matchup. Arizona is being lauded for some outstanding recent recruiting classes and a head coach with a famous brother. Recently their teams have struggled or sucked. BYU was a better team last year.

Before I go too much farther, I think this game is BYU's for the taking. Even if Arizona develops into the team some think is possible, I still think BYU wins this game. Perhaps the game would be drastically different in October or November, but I like BYU's chances in game 1.

Principally, I think BYU's offense will move the ball and score on anyone. I don't think Arizona is a top notch defense, it is better than 6 or 7 MWC defenses but even if it hits on all cylanders it will be a top 40 at best. I think BYU's offense will score between 24 and 38 points. That is a wide margin, but wide margins are my thang...bown bicha bown bown.

I think that defenses are usually ahead of offenses early in the year and most pronounced in game 1. Therefore there are some consistent advantages for U of A's D. However, with the amount of returning players at BYU this advantage will be negated to some extent. I think BYU will be able to move the ball through both the air and on the ground. In the end I think the Y runs up 425-450 yards of total offense and scores about 31 points. If BYU wins the turnover battle and does not shoot itself with piss poor special teams play it could be as high as 41 points, but I doubt the Y scores more than 34 on this defense.

The question then is whether or not BYU's bad defense can hold U of A below 31. I think they can. Not because BYU's defense is good, I think it will be average at best, but I just like the circumstances of this game.

U of A has no idea how BYU will play. Bronco is a historical blitz happy guy, but he has installed a new base scheme. I think it will take U of A coaches a quarter to get comfortable with what it is the BYU defense does. They have no tape or idea how this defense will be implemented. It is difficult enough to adjust a game plan when one has some clue on what the opponent is going to do, but even more difficult with young players. If what I read recently about the U of A OL is true, in that their present 1's are comprised by 3 freshman and one sophmore, I believe their hugest advantage in this game is negated appreciably. If their OL cannot dominate our young and innexperienced DL, I think the most points they will score is 28 unless BYU helps them extensively in special teams and with turnovers. If BYU can get any pressure on Tuitama, the Y could force some turnovers and get ahead by a lot early. Once again I think if U of A has any film on this defense and its capabilities my prediction would be different, but I think they are trial and error for the 1st quarter. It will take time for the creases in the zone coverage and the blitz tendencies to become apparant.

Additionally, BYU is historically big and slow. While I am not about to proclaim BYU as a "fast" team, I will predict that the University of Arizona offensive coaching staff will be very surprised by the BYU defensive team speed. For BYU this will be a very fast team. Last years team was slow, slow, slow. I still think U of A will have more team speed than BYU, but it will not be the gaping advantage that I think they presently believe they have.

This will not be a defensive struggle, but I think that U of A's offense will not be comfortable for quite some time. I also do not accept that they are that great of a team, and even if they become a solid team they will not be one in this game.

I agree that I think we should be able to handle Arizona. A good MWC team should handle a bottom half Pac 10 team, and that's what we should be looking at.

I don't think they'll be surprised at our speed but they'll probably be surprised by our physicality. Position by position we're probably as big and strong as anyone in the country but when it comes to speed we're just not there.

[The Borg]

UoA is kind of scary game for me. I think they've underperfomed too. Having said that, my heart tells me BYU wins this one. With BYU, you never know what is going to happen. We could blow them away ala Tulane 2001, we could win a squeaker, we could lose a close one or we could get blown out. BYU is so hard to predict. Kind of some of the fun/excitement of being a BYU fan. (and also why I've got an inordinate amount of gray hair!)

One thing that always lurks in the back of my sporting soul, is the "LDS Achilles Heel" to winning.

It may be just me...but non-LDS players have this "kill" mentality when it comes to athletics. I mean the big, nasty, killer instinct. Kick them when they are down, leave no mistake about who is the best, run up the score if you can...mentality.

I think that in the minds of post-mission athletes, the bane for LDS athletes has been seeded. The 'killer' instinct is gone. There is now always this perspective of "there is something more important than winning a game" mentality...which I feel, negates LDS athletes (most) not to dig deeper and pull out that "extra something" to rise above their normal abilities and win the big game. Finding a way, or excuse to lose rather than reaching whatever level to win. Sort of an "anti-mo jo".

Historically, I think that is why BYU struggles in the 'big games' vs. teams that they should win.

Just my thoughts. And that is why I am rarely super confident of a BYU victory in big games...because I never know how 'deep' the players are willing to go in their desire to win.

Having said that...I think that the 'killer instinct' can be learned. But it comes only through winning and kicking some serious butt doing it, so pervades the younger players on the squad...

Ramblings of a crazy mind...

[The Borg]

I also feel that BYU can, and should win this game. I've predicted a close one with BYU on top.

Turnovers will be the key...BYU wins the turnover battle...we win.

[tooblue]

Originally Posted by Goatnapper'96

Why you believe that?

IIRC, BYU rarely turned the ball over towards the end of the year. Until the Utah game I thought BYU had gone a significant number of games with very few if any TOs.

The Utes stripped Tahi once and there were the two tipped passes or JBs arm being hit against Cal. Perhaps you are banking that the Y will be surprised and unprepared for U of A's speed? I could see that.

I really think that if BYU ties or wins the turnover battle they win the game. I think U of A will turn the ball over at least twice. So I think BYU has two miscues before they play themselves out of a win.

I feel Arizona's offense will be very conservative in a similar way that BC's offense was conservative. They will control the ball, keep our weaker D on the field, which is to thier advantage.

BYU's O and coordinator will press, get out of it's game plan, forsake the run (which will get stuffed at first) and a stable of very good backs to try and score quickly ... that's when the turn overs will happen ... UofA wins a close one.

[RockyBalboa]

I think this will turn into a game of attrition.

It will also be more high scoring than people are expecting.

A few things:

BYU cannot afford to play from behind. A jack up AZ team opening at home feeling after a few bad seasons that they have an emphatic point to make. I'm hoping BYU can overcome this wave. I think they will.

BYU must win the turnover battle. Tuitama may be talented, but I still think we can goad him into making some mistakes.

BYU must have stellar special teams play. If a turnover is caused by a bad snap flying over John Beck's head then hooo boy.

I think AZ will try and chew up as much of the clock that they can to prevent BYU's O from being on the field very much.

I think BYU must score 31 points minimum to win. My guess is BYU 37 Arizona 33.