This always seems to be a problem for the cougs. so I am wondering who we have back that will start? what are there situations? and back ups? I just feel this is always a concern for us, because lets face it we all don't want another tulsa on our hands and we don't get a ton of black athletes to BYU.( where a majority of black athletes play....secondary) I have faith in Jaime Hill but only he can coach and do so much. Someone make me feel more at ease with our secondary situations.


gmoney

Fisher Deberry, is that you?

Seriously, I think that coaching and focus are key in any backfield. Coaching: to instruct players on defensive schemes and strategies to limit speed discrepancies (Tulsa Game ), and focus: to be in position every single down (Utah, 4th and 18 ).

LOL, no i just know that most of college football have black athletes in the secondary. And was wondering what our situations was.

Hmm, I didn't actually answer your question, sorry. I don't think we'll know how good their focus is until after the Washington Game. There is no room for error however, by the time we all see how mature they are, it may already be too late. I think you have every right to be worried. That's what the offseason wait is all about.

We will get a look at how well the coaching is taking effect during fall scrimmage though. I hate trying to judge how good a team is when they are playing themselves. Either the offense will suck or the defense will suck, or the both will. There's no real win-win for anyone.

gmoney wrote:

This always seems to be a problem for the cougs. so I am wondering who we have back that will start? what are there situations? and back ups? I just feel this is always a concern for us, because lets face it we all don't want another tulsa on our hands and we don't get a ton of black athletes to BYU.( where a majority of black athletes play....secondary) I have faith in Jaime Hill but only he can coach and do so much. Someone make me feel more at ease with our secondary situations.

If you are in position to come to some of the practices you will be a bit relieved, practice can't guarantee actual play, but with some fast players stepping in (Bradley, Pittman, Howard, Tafuna just to name a few) these names will become household names in LES just wait and see!

BlueRhyno wrote:

Fisher Deberry, is that you?

Seriously, I think that coaching and focus are key in any backfield. Coaching: to instruct players on defensive schemes and strategies to limit speed discrepancies (Tulsa Game :( ), and focus: to be in position every single down (Utah, 4th and 18 :) ).

Kudos for the Fisher DeBerry reference and link!

I agree about coaching and focus. Without any slight to the ability of the players, I'd guess that in the last two years, Coach Hill has had more production in the secondary relative to athletic talent than possibly any other program.

In 2006, fans were concerned because speedy but small Justin Robinson and walkon Ben Criddle, in place of injured Kayle Buchanan, started at CB. Backup safety Quinn Gooch and returning starter Dustin Gabriel were expected to be solid at safety, but Gabriel required surgery part way through the season. The results? BYU ranked 16th in pass efficiency defense in the nation that year.

In 2007 BYU had recovered Ben Criddle and mostly recovered Kayle Buchanan at CB with secondary leader Quinn Gooch and plugged-in former walkon Corby Hodgkiss at the other safety when Gabriel was unable to play. With various dinged up players and leader Quinn Gooch unable to play, another walkon stepped in at safety in his place, to merely finish 18th nationally in P.E. defense. This was true even though the first priority of the defense was to stop the run.

BTW, coaches and players have said that the reason for the secondary meltdown in 2007 vs Tulsa was not the speed of the Tulsa receivers but the fact that BYU's secondary players were trying to overcompensate and take on more than their assignments. As a result, they left gaps which the scheme was designed to handle. The benefit was that they learned from the experience and played within the system the rest of the way.