Bronco--cougjunkie's post

[jay santos]

http://www.cougarboard.com/nologin/m...tml?id=2588289

Cougjunkie upset a few people with this post. I agree but also disagree.

What I don't give Bronco any credit for:

1. Winning with a senior Beck, Brown, Harline (anyone could have done it)
2. Hiring a good offensive coordinator (Anae was not Bronco's choice, he was forced to hire him)
3. Winning the "right" way, i.e program is more spiritual (don't believe it, I think it's mostly all talk and the part that's not all talk, any decent coach would have come in and fixed anyway)
4. Improved organization, attitude, discipline, focus, etc. other intangibles. (I think these are generally a result of winning not the cause of winning. Lose a few games and the wheels usually come off: you have accusations of undiscipline, quitting, disunity, etc. Win a few games and the opposite.)
5. Bowl season his first year. (That team didn't improve much at all on Crowton's last season though they had more experience--only difference was schedule got easier)

What I do give Bronco credit for:

1. Making key defensive changes in 2006, i.e. 3-4, less blitzing, Hill hire. 2006 defense was stellar and came out of nowhere. That was huge.
2. Developing a BYU offense that is different than TT offense and incorporates more of the TE pass and the running game. Anae wanted to go straight TT offense. But the offense evolved that first season, and now looks more like a Chow offense than a TT offense. I credit Reynolds and Bronco for that.
3. Great recruiting class this year. Includes most of the great LDS recruits but also some non-LDS including two black non-LDS high school corners. A rare find for BYU.
4. Recent comments that he plans to go more conservative this year and rely more on the running game.
5. His coaching hires are getting better as he learns what he wants in a staff.
6. Dumbed down his over-the-top spirit/church talk and changed his approach to recruiting non-LDS.

What I blame Bronco for:

1. Worse D in 2005 than we should have had given the talent, resulting in underachieving as a team.
2. Mediocre to bad recruiting classes his first two years.
3. Marginal coaching hires his first year.
4. Over-the-top language tying the church and spirit to his football team which includes and targets in recruiting less active LDS and non-LDS.

The good thing is that all four of the blame for Bronco items have since turned into credit items as he's adjusted.

[RockyBalboa]

Originally Posted by jay santos

http://www.cougarboard.com/nologin/m...tml?id=2588289

Cougjunkie upset a few people with this post. I agree but also disagree.

What I don't give Bronco any credit for:

1. Winning with a senior Beck, Brown, Harline (anyone could have done it)
2. Hiring a good offensive coordinator (Anae was not Bronco's choice, he was forced to hire him)
3. Winning the "right" way, i.e program is more spiritual (don't believe it, I think it's mostly all talk and the part that's not all talk, any decent coach would have come in and fixed anyway)
4. Improved organization, attitude, discipline, focus, etc. other intangibles. (I think these are generally a result of winning not the cause of winning. Lose a few games and the wheels usually come off: you have accusations of undiscipline, quitting, disunity, etc. Win a few games and the opposite.)
5. Bowl season his first year. (That team didn't improve much at all on Crowton's last season though they had more experience--only difference was schedule got easier)

What I do give Bronco credit for:

1. Making key defensive changes in 2006, i.e. 3-4, less blitzing, Hill hire. 2006 defense was stellar and came out of nowhere. That was huge.
2. Developing a BYU offense that is different than TT offense and incorporates more of the TE pass and the running game. Anae wanted to go straight TT offense. But the offense evolved that first season, and now looks more like a Chow offense than a TT offense. I credit Reynolds and Bronco for that.
3. Great recruiting class this year. Includes most of the great LDS recruits but also some non-LDS including two black non-LDS high school corners. A rare find for BYU.
4. Recent comments that he plans to go more conservative this year and rely more on the running game.
5. His coaching hires are getting better as he learns what he wants in a staff.
6. Dumbed down his over-the-top spirit/church talk and changed his approach to recruiting non-LDS.

What I blame Bronco for:

1. Worse D in 2005 than we should have had given the talent, resulting in underachieving as a team.
2. Mediocre to bad recruiting classes his first two years.
3. Marginal coaching hires his first year.
4. Over-the-top language tying the church and spirit to his football team which includes and targets in recruiting less active LDS and non-LDS.

The good thing is that all four of the blame for Bronco items have since turned into credit items as he's adjusted.

Back up the mediocre two bad recruiting classes his first two years comment.

[Indy Coug]

Originally Posted by RockyBalboa

Back up the mediocre two bad recruiting classes his first two years comment.

Yeah, I'm not sure how you determine the quality one way or the other this quickly.

[jay santos]

Originally Posted by RockyBalboa

Back up the mediocre two bad recruiting classes his first two years comment.

2006 there were 21 LDS athletes rated with three stars or above by Rivals or Scout. We got 7 of them. That's not a good hit rate. 2007 we did much better. The 2006 class, KW wasn't accurate with his 9/10 or whatever, but he could have made a case he outrecruited BYU in state and for LDS Polynesians.

Combined 2005 and 2006 we recruited four non-LDS. Howard, Robinson, Bolden, Saulsberry. Pretty pathetic bunch.

Recruiting's hard to measure, but compared over a ten year time period, 2005/6 were two our worst years and 2007 was one of our best.

[RockyBalboa]

Originally Posted by jay santos

2006 there were 21 LDS athletes rated with three stars or above by Rivals or Scout. We got 7 of them. That's not a good hit rate. 2007 we did much better. The 2006 class, KW wasn't accurate with his 9/10 or whatever, but he could have made a case he outrecruited BYU in state and for LDS Polynesians.

Combined 2005 and 2006 we recruited four non-LDS. Howard, Robinson, Bolden, Saulsberry. Pretty pathetic bunch.

Recruiting's hard to measure, but compared over a ten year time period, 2005/6 were two our worst years and 2007 was one of our best.

That was your defense right? How exactly are you taking 05/06 into account based on a 10 year time period when not many of these kids have even seen the field yet?

[Archaea]

I am worried that the weak 2005, and I am uncertain that 2006 was as weak will harm the program in a few years.

[Goatnapper'96]

Originally Posted by jay santos

2006 there were 21 LDS athletes rated with three stars or above by Rivals or Scout. We got 7 of them. That's not a good hit rate. 2007 we did much better. The 2006 class, KW wasn't accurate with his 9/10 or whatever, but he could have made a case he outrecruited BYU in state and for LDS Polynesians.

Combined 2005 and 2006 we recruited four non-LDS. Howard, Robinson, Bolden, Saulsberry. Pretty pathetic bunch.

Recruiting's hard to measure, but compared over a ten year time period, 2005/6 were two our worst years and 2007 was one of our best.

Bolden is LDS and I think the jury is still out on both Howard and Saulsberry. Robinson was fine this past year.

You are stretching to find fault and thus appear objective.

Personally, I think the guy has done a bang up job. I thought he did a good job even in that 6-6 year.

He makes my nipples hard.

[RockyBalboa]

06 signees:

CB -Brandon Bradley: Injured, redshirted, did not play

DL -Matangi Tonga: Contributed significant minutes on the D-line as a true freshman. Now at UVSC, then likely a mission and who knows if comes back to BYU after or not.

DL - Jordan Richardson: Redshirted, headed on a mission.

LB - Brandon Ogletree: Went directly on mission.

DL/JC - Mosese Foketi: Injured, redshirted, did not play.

CB/JC - Andre Saulsberry: Ended up getting Special Teams duty on occasion. Battling for a spot in Spring football right now.

DL - Romney Fuga: Contributed significant minutes on the D-line as a true freshman. Participating in Spring Ball and leaving on a mission after.

OL - Braden Hansen: Redshirted, sat out due to injury. Now on a mission.

DL - Ian Dulan: Contributed significant minutes til knocked out with leg injury. Will play 07' and then leave on mission.

CB/JC - Tico Pringle: Played sparingly back up corner duty, saw signifcant reps in the Utah game. Left school after the season.

DL/TE - Mike Muehlman: Left directly on a mission

OL - Walter Kahaiali'l - Redshirted

OL - Rick Wolfley - Redshirted

OL - Tom Sorenson - Hurt knee after returning from mission. Redshirted.

QB - Max Hall - Ruled ineligible, had to sit out 06 season. Ran the scout team.

OL - Ryan Freeman - Contributed significant minutes on the Offensive Line as a true freshman.

K - Riley Stephenson - Left directly on mission

S - Michael Moore - Sat out the season due to severe neck injury. End of season, decided to quit the team, get married and focus on studies. Still at BYU for school.

CB - Robbie Buckner - Redshirted, left on mission after season.

QB - James Lark - Redshirted, is leaving on mission later in the summer.

WR - Rhen Brown - Left directly on mission

LB - Nate Moncur - Never enrolled in school due to many physical problems, will likely never play D-I football. Also has other issues outside of schoolwork and physical problems.

QB - Sam Doman - Redshirted after coming off of mission

WR - McKay Jacobsen - Contributed significantly as a true freshman. Gone on mission now.

RB - Mike Hague - Played Special Teams consistently and back up carries in blowouts. Gone on mission.


It's pretty ridiculous to label the 06' class as bad or mediocre depending on what was put above.

[jay santos]

Originally Posted by Goatnapper'96

Bolden is LDS and I think the jury is still out on both Howard and Saulsberry. Robinson was fine this past year.

You are stretching to find fault and thus appear objective.

Personally, I think the guy has done a bang up job. I thought he did a good job even in that 6-6 year.

He makes my nipples hard.

I don't think my opinion of his recruiting classes is that unorthodox. It's obvious in the rankings that 2005 was weak. It's reasonable to say by looking at the amount of great LDS talent in 2006, that we didn't get our usual share. I think a number of factors contributed to the recruiting success in 2007, but I believe at least part of that was Bronco's subtle shift in his church/spirit aggressiveness. Remember when part of the 2005 or 2006 big recruiting weekend was Bronco blessing the sacrament? You didn't hear a repeat of that this year, thankfully.

My post was pro-Bronco. It shouldn't get the homers upset unless their objective is to stamp out any and all opinions that are not consistent with "everything about BYU is super dee duper awesome!!".

[Goatnapper'96]

Originally Posted by Archaea

I am worried that the weak 2005, and I am uncertain that 2006 was as weak will harm the program in a few years.

As you reminisce on BYU's great year this past year never forget that glory is fleeting. I want you to stay grounded Archaea and ensure you don't enjoy the highs too much as certainly the downs will follow....

If a team needs 48 good football players to be successful a good class must start with 12 kids who end up as serious contributors. At least 9 must be 4 year players. 2006 had Tonga, Fuga, Dulan, and Jacobsen contribute already. That is 4 as true freshman. I expect Bradley to step in and contribute this year as a rs freshman. That will be 5 solid contributors.

In time I think Buckner, Freeman and Lark will be solid contributors. I also think at least two out of Wolfley, Hansen and Kahailalii will as well. I am not so convinced on Hague but he certainly has a shot. That is 10-11 solid contributors from that group and I also think Foketi and Saulsberry will break into the two deep this upcoming year.

2005 has some solid individuals I think, but lacks the depth but that was the transition year.

But with how good the classes preceding were and how good 2006 and 2007 were I don't forsee a talent hole in the future like was present in 2002-2003.