The Wasatch Whoopin

What do you say after a game like that? I guess we all knew this was a possibility coming into this game. The whoopin' we took in Provo today was eerily similar to the one we took in Salt Lake City last year. I don't even know if there was any silver lining to this game. A blow out loss, injuries galore, and more mistakes than you could shake a stick at.

I'll admit that a part of me (a very optimistic part) thought that the new coaching staff and the Tennessee win meant that humiliating losses like this were a part of UCLA's past. I didn't think we had much of a chance to win this game, but to just get swept aside so quickly... and easily... was outside of my realm of expectations.

Too many mistakes. Way too many mistakes. This was something that could have happened last week if Tennessee had taken advantage of some of those turnovers as well. BYU took our 4 turnovers and turned them into 28 points. The coaching staff has to fix that ASAP. We're not going to win many games if we keep giving up the ball like that.

What hurts the most, though, was the injuries. Reed is out for next week. Carter is banged up but he'll be back. Dean, on his one and only carry, gets hurt. Kyle Bosworth might miss some time. How many more guys can we lose this season? It boggles the mind.

Even Forbath missed an easy one.

Well, I'm going to bed and pretending like this game never happened.

Ugh...

2008 Preview: BYU

I don't have time for a full blown write-up this week, but thought I would put in my two cents for this game up in Provo.

I think our offensive line is in for a tough day against the BYU front seven. Tenneessee didn't hardly blitz during our game. It's a lot easier for 6 guys to block 4 guys than it is to pick up linebackers and defensive backs flying in from different angles. Even with that advantage, we had no running game against the Volunteers. I can see BYU trying to put a lot more pressure on Craft this game; I know I would.

Our run defense wasn't that good against a solid UT O-line and Foster carying the ball. BYU might not be as good, but their O-line is big and they're running back is a big dude as well. They could really wear down our defense over the course of four quarters. Max Hall, the Cougar quarterback, is a much, much better passer than Crompton. Our young secondary will get burned a few times. Heck, our senior-laden secondary got burned by him last season at the Rose Bowl.

With Bronco Mendenhall calling the shots, you know this team will be much better coached than Tenneesee. They're a tough, physical team and it will be a real test for UCLA. I think it will be a close game but home field advantage gives this one to the Cougs.

My prediction: UCLA 20, BYU 24.

Block that Kick

Wow, BYU is making a living off of blocked kicks. Just like they did in the footnote bowl last year against UCLA, the Cougars blocked a kick against the Huskies and won in dramatic fashion. That is probably a good thing for us, as we get a ranked BYU team next week. It stinks for Washington though, as that game really should have gone into OT. Excessive celebration for throwing a ball over your shoulder? Lame-0.

Opponent Spring Practices

Spring practice wrapped up last week and all our opponents have completed their sessions as well. Here is a look at the news stories coming out of those camps and what our boys might expect to face this fall.

Tennessee

The Vols have spent some time retooling their offense as well this April. Like the Bruins, Tennessee heads into the 2008 season with a new coordinator, three other new offensive assistants, a new scheme, new terminology and a new quarterback. Jonathan Crompton, a red-shirt junior, is the likely starter for the fall. He will be out of action for the next month after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his throwing elbow.

There will be more of an emphasis on the running game this time around and the Volunteers have a good one in Arian Foster. The Vols return all five offensive line starters from last season and they will provide a big front for Foster, who's closing in on Tennessee's all-time rushing record.

BYU

The Cougars return a very potent and experienced offense this season. One area to watch is their offensive line. A big and powerful group last season, they've been dinged by the injury bug this spring. BYU returns a lot of players at the skill positions including QB Max Hall who had good games against UCLA last season. Junior wide receiver Austin Collie had a good spring and he'll challenge the Bruin's inexperienced secondary this fall.

On defense, the Cougars lose standouts Kelly Popinga and Bryan Kehl. Following in their footsteps, junior Matt Bauman has asserted himself as the new leader of the linebacking corps. He had a good spring and the BYU defense is starting to gel despite not returning many players from last year's squad. Their secondary is young and there might be an opportunity for our offense to throw on them this year.


Fresno State

One of the goals of the spring for Fresno State was to add some depth to a team that returns 10 starters on offense. To help fascilitate that, the veterans didn't see a lot of reps during the scrimmage. QB Tom Brandstater only had 5 pass attempts while his backup took most of the snaps behind center. The Bulldogs have a new offensive coordinator his season in Doug Nussmeier and it will be interesting to see if he opens up an FSU offense mainly known for a strong running game. They have a lot of experience along the line, though many of those starters missed time this spring with nagging injuries.

While the offense is mainly set, the defense has some had some holes to fill this spring. The Bulldogs lost Marcus Riley and Trevor Shamblee, two of their best linebackers. In their place, a host of young players are looking to fill those spots. They also have to fill the shoes of Tyler Clutts, one of their best defensive ends. They don't really have any super stars on this side of the ball and they lack a true leader.

Arizona

The Wildcats remind me a lot of our own team. An inconsistent offense. A defense without any big super stars. They're a work in progress that always seems to be rebuilding each and every season and this team is still struggling to learn the air-raid offense installed last season.

One area where the Wildcats will have some experience is at quarterback. Willie Tuitama is back for his third season and he had a decent spring. He threw for 231 yards on 20 completions out of 36 attempts and one touchdown during the spring game. The running game looks decent and their offense could be exciting if it really gets going.

The defensive side is going to struggle this season. They have a lot of new faces and not a lot of a talent. They lose two of the best corners in the league with Antoine Cason and Wilrey Fontenot departing. They do have some guys stepping up in Devin Ross and sophomore Mike Turner; both had good springs. Highly regarded recruit, Robert Golden, is coming in the fall to add some depth in the secondary.

Arizona State

ASU had a break-out season last year, but will they continue with that success in 2008? RB Shaun DeWitty adds some depth to the Sun Devil's running game. Along with Keegan Herring, this team should continue to perform well on the ground. Carpenter was only able to complete 7-of-21 passes for 88 yards in their spring game. They still have a lot of problems with their offensive line and it doesn't look like they've solved those problems yet.

Erickson looks to add more of a spread-element to his offensive strategy. The team practiced with more four and five-receiver sets and tailback screens this spring. ASU might be making a name for itself as a defensive team this season. The defense was impressive throughout spring and dominated the spring game.

USC

Across town, the Trojans are getting ready for another dominating season. They had a battle at quarterback that everyone knew would end in Mark Sanchez getting the starting job. So it was no surprise when he came out of the spring game as the leader. Mitch Mustain and Aaron Corp held their own, though, and the Trojans look loaded at the position for the foreseeable future.

One big piece of news was that Joe McKnight ended up missing the last week of practice because of eligibility problems. Those likely won't translate into him missing time this fall but it did give the other running backs a chance to shine. The leaders at running back for next season would be C.J. Gable, Staffon Johnson, and Allen Bradford.

On defense, junior cornerback Kevin Thomas, who missed the 2007 season because of a shoulder injury, has played well during the spring. He's already worked his way into the Trojans' third cornerback spot and he has the potential to take the job from starters Cary Harris and Shareece Wright.

California

The Bears had a lot of questions to answer this spring. The biggest one is who will be the starting quarterback? Nate Longshore has a lot of experience but he struggled mightily in Cal's downward spiral last season. Kevin Riley had his fair share of struggles as well, but he impressed in their bowl victory over Air Force. Unfortunately, Longshore missed the entire spring because of a pectoral injury. The decision, according to coach Tedford, could come as late as the week before their home opener.

Injures have also set back other skill positions on offense. Running back Javid Best is out with a hip injury. Which hurts because the Bears lost James Montgomery this off season when he transfered to WSU. Wide receiver Jeremy Ross is also sidelined with a sprained ankle. That leaves a lot of inexperienced guys getting playing time this spring and a lot of unresolved questions on the depth chart.

On defense, the Bears have been using a three man front during the spring. Redshirt freshman Bryan Anger has been wowing onlookers with his punting ability. He should help their special teams unit this fall.

Stanford

Like so many teams in the conference, the Cardinal are searching for a starting quarterback for the 2008 season. Tavita Pricthard, who lead them to their huge victory over the Trojans in the Coliseum last season, is the front runner at this point. He struggled, however, in their spring scrimmage where he only completed 12 of 28 passes for 106 yards. That leaves an opening for Alex Loukas and transfer Jason Forcier (Chris Forcier's brother).

Oregon

No team in the PAC-10 lost more offensive weapons this past season than the Ducks. The dynamic duo of Dixon and Stewart won't be wearing their Oregon uniforms this season and that has left the Eugene faithful asking a lot of questions about their backfield. They may of gotten at least one answer in LeGarrette Blout. The Duck's running game got a boost from the big, 235 lb running back. He bulldozed his way to 68 yards on just 5 carries during their spring scrimmage and he's drawing high praise and favorable comparisons to Stewart.

Oregon State

Oregon State struggled on offense last year but their defense kept them in a lot of games. Unfortunately for the Beaver Believers, that sturdy defense front seven won't be back this season. They did have some depth at linebacker and it looks like some young talent, including Keaton Kristick, Bryant Cornell, and Dwight Roberson will be an adequate replacement.

On offense, the Orange and Black get back standout receiver and return-man Sammie Stroughter. He'll be a big boost to a passing attack that had it's ups and downs last season under first-year quarterback Sean Canfield. Also back from injury is guard Jeremy Perry who missed all but one game in 2007 because of a broken leg. The rest of the offense was hit pretty hard by graduation, including the loss of running back Yvenson Bernard. They'll have a lot to work out this fall if they want to stay in the top-half of the conference standings.

Washington

The Huskies were delt a tough blow when they lost their best offensive lineman in center Juan Garcia with a foot injury this spring. A 6th year senior, Garcia was a second-team, all-conference selection last year, starting every game at center for the second consecutive year. Their line will be young and inexperienced, so it makes the loss of a seasoned veteran hurt even more.

After missing on hiring DeWayne Walker away from UCLA, the Huskies hired Ed Donatell, who spent 12 of the previous 13 seasons coaching in the NFL. Their defense will likely be a work in progress this season as their defensive line losses many of their starters. The Huskies are hoping to tap into some of their true freshman who enroll this fall at defensive tackle. That's not a good sign for the Dawgs as freshman rarely make an impact on the line.

Washington State

One of the stars of the Cougar's spring scrimmage was Michael Willis. The converted defensive back has been moved to wide receiver for the 2008 season. Willis pulled down 6 receptions for 129 yards and a touchdown during the game and he could be a another big target along with talented receiver Bradnon Gibson. Of course the Cougs still need to find a quarterback who can throw to these guys. Fifth year senior Gary Rodgers is the heir apparent to Alex Brink but he could be challenged by junior Kevin Lopina, who had a solid spring.

Head coach Paul Wulff is also introducing a new no-huddle spread offense this season. He'll run that offense behind a veteran line that returns four starters but no stars at running back. Things are so thin at tail back that when the spring session ended, WSU only had one healthy player available. Chris Ivory missed part of the spring with injury and he has also struggled to stay academically eligible. Dwight Tardy also watched the rest of the team from the sidelines due to injury.

Wulff and his staff switched to a new 4-3 defense moving standout linebacker Andy Mattingly to defensive end. This squad has struggled with depth and injuries in the past and they still need to find players in their two deep after the spring. WSU' returns three returning senior starters at linebacker including Greg Trent but their secondary has a lot of holes.

(Photo Credit: AP Photo/Wade Payne. Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

The Footnote Bowl

We have a game today? Oh yeah. The Vegas Bowl, or as I like to call it, the Footnote Bowl. I gave it that name because this is really just a final footnote to the story of Karl Dorrell's last season.

When these two teams last met, it was the second week of the season. I was at the Rose Bowl that day and it seemed like the Bruins were poised for a great season. The 20-0 lead near the end of the first half was proof that UCLA was a team with conference championship potential. But then the Cougars came storming back. We held on for a victory that day, but it felt like we escaped with the win instead of earning it.

The Bruins left that game with a #13 ranking and a 2-0 record. Since then, this team has gone 4-6, fired the head coach, and today is starting their 4th-string quarterback-turned-receiver turned-quarterback in Osaar Rasshan. The Cougars went 9-1, captured a second straight WMC championship and are ranked #19. Their quarterback, John Beck, had the best season of any sophomore signal caller in the country. My how things have changed.

We have little chance for victory today. Our offense is still terrible and, to make matters worse, Rasshan hasn't been practicing with the first string much because Olson was taking all the snaps. He hurt his knee again in practice just this week. That might give UCLA a surprise advantage since the Cougars were likely preparing for Olson. I doubt it will make much of a difference.

It is the debut of Walker as the interim head coach. I don't know how much of a difference that will make today, but maybe these players will gain an extra ounce of effort to help Walker win his first game. Defensively, they should play well and I'm expecting the battle between BYU's offense and the UCLA defense to be pretty entertaining. It could get painful watching the last performance of Dorrell's WCO.

I guess that is the silver lining to today's Footnote Bowl. This will be the last time we get to see Dorrell's offense in action. It has sputtered and struggled for the better part of five years and I won't shed a tear when it walks off the field for the last time. Maybe in some strange twist of fate, these guys will figure it out and churn out some yards. A guy can dream can't he!?!

With Bruin fans almost 100% focused on Basketball and the coaching search, today's game probably wont garner much interest. But I'll be parked in front of my TV, cheering on this team. I hope they win for the seniors and all the guys who put in so much time and effort for this team. I'm sure they never imagined they would be playing in Vegas back when the season started in September. But they can still go out winners. That would be a Christmas miracle indeed.

Head Coach Walker

Well, at least for one game. It looks like Coach Walker will take over the head coaching reigns for the Las Vegas Bowl. I'm not going to expect a dramatic make-over on offense in just a few weeks. With Jay Norvell and the WCO still firmly entrenched in Westwood, it should be more of the same on December 22nd. Hopefully, Walker brings a more aggresive game-decision process and is quicker to switch things up if they aren't working.

Perhaps the bigger question is who will be quarterback? I think there is an NCAA rule on the number of times an injured player can return for the season... or at least there should be. Pat Cowan has done his part for God and Country and after a pulled hamstring, torn ACL, concussion, collapsed lung, and another leg injury against USC, I think it is safe to say he should sit this one out. Hopefully Ben is ready to take the reigns.

Betting on the Bruins: BYU

So, I broke even last week with my fictitious wager on the Stanford game. I correctly picked the Bruins with the spread but was way off on picking the under. UCLA almost covered the 46 point over/under all by themselves! Moving on to this week, Vegas is giving the Cougars 7.5 points. I like UCLA minus the points. The BYU win over Arizona wasn't all that impressive and I think UCLA's newly re-tooled offense will be able to score at least a few touchdowns. The over under is 47 and I think that is an easy pick. I'm going under with both defenses looking very stout this year. I think it will be a low scoring affair but ultimately go to our boys. I'm going to say, UCLA 24, BYU 13.

2007 Preview: BYU Cougars

BYU had a stellar 2006 season. They finished with 11 victories, won the Mountain West Conference, and laid a beating on the Oregon Ducks in the Las Vegas Bowl. They ultimately finished the season ranked 15th in the AP poll, harking back images of those high-flying Brigham Young squads of the 80's and 90's. The bad news for the Cougars, and good news for us Bruins, is that a lot of the players that made last season so successful have graduated and moved on.

The BYU coaches have to replace most of their big names and almost the entire offense this season. They have some talented players in the wings, but they're going to have to gain some experience before they're truly ready to compete with top-25 programs. The Bruins couldn't have asked for a better time to take on this team, as we get them in the second week of the season here at the Rose Bowl.

Offense

The Cougars have so many holes to fill on offense, I hardly know where to begin. They lose their star quarterback, their leading rusher, their 3 leading receivers, the starting right tackle and their starting tight end. In fact, BYU returns only one player at a skill position, Matt Allen (WR), who started in 2006. It would be hard to replace two or three key players, but they will have to replace pretty much every offensive weapon they had in their arsenal.

The biggest loss for the cougars is all conference quarterback John Beck who was picked in the second round of the NFL draft. He threw an astonishing 32 touchdown passes and racked up almost 3,900 yards last season. He finished his career as the 2nd most prolific passer in BYU history, which says a lot considering how many great quarterbacks have come out of Provo. It will be extremely difficult for his successor, Max Hall, to come even close to those numbers.

Hall is a transfer from ASU and his story is very similar to that of Ben Olson. Big talent, spent one year at Arizona State, went on a Mormon mission, and now he is back in Provo and tagged as the starter. He hasn't played a down in 3 years, so you know the rust is going to take some time to shake off. Expect Walker to send a lot of delayed blitzes and different packages to try and confuse and shake the inexperienced quarterback.

The other big name the Cougars need to replace is running back Curtis Brown who set the mark as BYU's all time leading rusher. An excellent rusher, Brown lead the team on the ground and put together a 1000 yard season. He was almost a bigger threat receiving the ball as he racked up 500+ yards in receptions to complement the rushing yards. Taking his place is junior Fui Vakapuna who had 92 carriers last year for 445 yards. He's been dinged by injuries and spent the better part of last season with a bum ankle. We'll see how much that will slow him down against UCLA. He is a big bruiser coming in at 234 lbs and has decent hands. This is his first year starting at tailback and he'll be facing one of the best run defense in the nation with the Bruins. If Hall struggles, I don't think the Cougars will find much help in this department.

The receiving corp losses a big target in tight end Jonny Harline who packed his bags for the NFL this spring. They also have to replace the top wide receiver from last season, McKay Jacobson ,who is off on a mission this year. The good news for the Cougars is they get back a talented receiver in Austin Collie. He was the MWC Freshman of the Year back in 2004 before he departed on his mission. He'll have to shake off some rust and get back into football condition this summer and fall. The Bruin's experienced and talented secondary should be all this group of receivers can handle. UCLA has arguably the best foursome of any team on BYU's schedule.

The one squad that isn't feeling the pinch from graduation and mission work is the offensive line. They get back four players from a unit that propelled BYU to the 4th best offense in the nation. Sete Aulai, a 6'0" 290lb senior, will anchor the line at center. He is an all-conference player and a leader on the team. The other big uglies are pretty darn big. They're all around 320lbs each and they look to be one of the best group of lineman in the MWC. UCLA gives up a lot of size to these guys, so the speed of the defensive ends will be crucial if we're going to pressure Hall. We'll also need to use a rotation of players to keep quick, fresh bodies on the field. That will prevent our guys from being worn down by this mammoth offensive line.

Defense

Things look a lot better on the other side of the ball for BYU fans. The cougars return 7 players with some really athletic and talented guys in the mix. The Cougars moved to a 3-4 last season after using a less orthodox 3-3-5 back in 2005. The 3-4 works if you have good linebackers and BYU has some very good ones. Against that defensive configuration, running the ball can be easier; however, blitzing linebackers can come from all directions and that can cause a lot of confusion for the quarterback. Ben got thrown-off last season when the Bruins played the Rice Owls because they used a defensive scheme with a lot of DBs and LBs. The Bruin O-line will need to be well prepared and make sure they don't miss their blocking assignments.

Up front the Cougars have a lot of young faces. All three lineman are sophomores but Russell Tialavea and Jan Jorgensen were starters last season. Jorgensen is the biggest threat here as he was a Freshman all American and recorded five sacks last season. Containing him will be a priority for Bob Connelly and the revamped Bruin line. The Bruins are also going to need to establish a running game as there is a natural advantage at the line of scrimmage with only 3 down lineman. This threesome isn't huge, so our guys should be able to move them around.

Really, the biggest obstacles in the BYU front seven is the line backers. Two senior linebackers, Bryan Kehl and Kelly Poppinga, are fast and strong. Poppinga is pretty beefy tipping the scales at close to 240lbs. He is also switching from outside to inside to give some experience and size in the middle and he should make that transition fairly easily. Junior David Nixon is also a returning starter and he was a big contributer all over the field last year recording 37 solo tackles, 3 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. The big loss was star linebacker, and defensive leader, Cameron Jensen who graduated last year.

The Cougar secondary is chocked full of experienced Seniors but this was a unit that struggled at times last season. They return a good free safety in hard hitting Quinn Gooch. The corners are not a strong spot and I think UCLA can take advantage in this area. Former walk-on Ben Criddle started last year as a junior, but he stands at 5'11" and a mismatch exists there with 6'5" receivers like Joe Cowan, Ketchum, and Johnson. He is also coming off an ankle injury that sidelined him for the Las Vegas Bowl. Kyle Buchanan will likely be the other corner and he will be taking on the starting role for the first time this year. He is an impressive athlete but he also has seen a lot of injuries in his tenure at Provo. Expect Jay Norvell to call in some deep passes to try and stretch and test this secondary.

Special Teams

Like the offense, the special teams unit will see a lot of new faces. They lose their starting kicker and punter and red-shirt freshman Mitch Payne will be taking on both of those duties this year. If their offense can't get the ball into the end zone then a lot of pressure will come down on Payne's shoulders. The other big loss is punt returner Nathan Meikle who helped rank the Cougars second in the MWC in return yards. That was a big boost to their offense and they will have a hard time replacing that kind of productivity.

The Verdict

BYU looks like a solid team and they have some young, talented players taking over the reigns this season. I'm sure most Bruin fans will write them off as just another team from a non-BCS conference, but I think the Cougars could make some noise this year. They have excellent coaches, an awesome offensive line, and a tradition of winning.

All that being said, I can't see too many scenarios where BYU can beat the Bruins. They just have too many players to replace on offense and special teams and they lost a couple key defensive players as well. If this game was being played at LaVell Edwards Stadium in November it might be a totally different outcome. However, it is being played in September at the Rose Bowl, a place where the Bruins have gone 12-1 over the last two seasons. Considering that UCLA has a large number of returning starters and a formidable defense, I think that's a pretty good recipe for a Bruin victory.

CalPoly's prediction: UCLA victory. Record: 2-0 (1-0)

Cougar Calculus

Recruiting rankings for the last 4 years (Scout.com is the first number, Rivals.com is the second):

2007: #42, #56, 27 commits
2006: #46, #67, 25 commits
2005: #53, #63, 18 commits
2004: #55, #79, 28 commits

2006 statistical rankings (National ranking is the first number, WMC rank is the second):

Total Offense : 4, 1.
Scoring Offense: 5, 1.
Rushing Offense: 53, 3.
Passing Offense: 4, 1.
Total Defense : 38, 3.
Scoring Defense: 10, 2.
Rushing Defense: 31, 4.
Passing Defense: 65, 5.

Game info:
September 8, 3:30 pm Pacific Time. Televised by Versus (aka The Outdoor Network).

More Reading

• BYU Preview by Mitch Harper.
• CFN's BYU Preview.
• NCAA Stats for 2006.

(photo credit: Ghetty Images)