BYU Offense:
Called Plays: 70
Called Passes: 57
Called Runs: 13
Number of Read Options (kept/given/pass):
BYU cut down on running the read option with only being called 5 times, all in the first half, by cutting down on the number of times that it is called, it minimizes the opportunities the QB’s have to take an unnecessary hit. BYU only ran the ball 26 times in the game and only 4 of those came from the option, this is a huge contrast to what they did with Hill last year.
1st:
Give (Brown -2 ), Give (Hine 0), Keep (3 TD)
2nd:
Pass (Thrown away), Give (Juergens 7)
3rd:
N/A
4th:
N/A
Time Hill/Mangum had in pocket on passes:
1st Q: 31.8/10 = 3.18 seconds
2nd Q: 47.1/14 = 3.36 seconds (Hill)/4.1/1 = 4.1 seconds (Mangum)
3rd Q: 22.7/7 = 3.24 seconds
4th Q: 3.7/1 = 3.7 seconds (Hill)/40.3/10 = 4.03 seconds (Hill)
Game:
Hill: 105.3/32 = 3.29 seconds
Mangum: 44.4/11 = 4.04 seconds
Time Hill/Mangum had in pocket before scrambling (avg gain on scramble):
1st Q: 7.7/2 = 3.85 seconds
2nd Q: 6.7/2 = 3.35 seconds (Hill)/2.8/1 = 2.8 seconds (Mangum)
3rd Q: 12.1/3 = 4.03 seconds
4th Q: 4.8/1 = 4.8 seconds (Hill)/ 17.1/4 = 4.275 seconds (Mangum)
Game:
Hill: 31.3/8 = 3.91 seconds for 8.63 yds
Mangum: 19.9/5 = 3.98 seconds for 5.2 yds
How many man rush on scrambles:
1st Q: 8/2 = 4
2nd Q: 9/2 = 4.5 (Hill)/4 (Mangum)
3rd Q: 15/3 = 5
4th Q: 4 (Hill)/11/3 = 3.67 (Mangum)
Game: 4.25 man rush
Offensive Stats:
1st Q:
Taysom Hill: 6/11 for 116 yds, 3 rushes for 5 yds and 1 TD; Algernon Brown: 2 rushes for 1 yd; Adam Hine: 1 rush for 0 yds; Terenn Houk: 2 rec for 33 yds, 3 tgts, 1 drop; Nick Kurtz: 1 rec for 53 yds, 1 tgt; Mitch Juergens: 1 rec for 14 yds, 1 tgt; Colby Pearson: 1 rec for 8 yds, 1 tgt; Mitch Mathews: 2 tgts (1 oob);
2nd Q:
Taysom Hill: 11/16 for 115 yds, 1 TD, 2 rushes for 32 yds and 1 TD; Tanner Mangum: 1/1 for 9 yds, 1 rush for 9 yds; Nate Carter: 2 rushes for -2 yds; Adam Hine: 1 rush for 1 yd; Mitch Juergens: 1 rush for 7 yds, 1 rec for 6 yds, 1 tgt; Devon Blackmon: 3 rec for 36 yds, 3 tgts; Terenn Houk: 2 rec for 26 yds, 2 tgts; Colby Pearson: 2 rec for 20 yds, 2 tgts; Algernon Brown: 2 rec for 9 yds, 3 tgts, 1 drop; Mitch Mathews: 1 rec for 15 yds and 1 TD, 3 tgts; Nick Kurtz: 1 rec for 12 yds, 1 tgt;
3rd Q:
Taysom Hill: 4/8 for 37 yds, 1 INT, 3 rushes for 27 yds; Nate Carter: 2 rushes for -9 yds; Mitch Mathews: 1 rec for 12 yds, 2 tgts; Devon Blackmon: 1 rec for 4 yds, 1 tgt; Nick Kurtz: 1 rec for 11 yds, 1 tgt; Moroni Laulu-Pututau: 1 rec for 10 yds, 1 tgt; Mitch Juergens: 1 tgt; Colby Pearson: 1 tgt; Terenn Houk: 1 tgt (INT);
4th Q:
Tanner Mangum: 6/10 for 102 yds, 1 TD, 4 rushes for 17 yds; Taysom Hill: 1 rush for 8 yds; Adam Hine: 2 rushes for 36 yds; Aglernon Brown: 1 rush for 0 yds; Nick Kurtz: 2 rec for 47 yds, 2 tgts; Mitch Mathews: 1 rec for 42 yds, 1 TD, 5 tgts (2 oob); Mitch Juergens: 2 rec for 10 yds, 2 tgts; Devon Blackmon: 1 rec for 3 yds, 1 tgt;
BYU played very well on offense, given the circumstances. The game plan was to throw, throw, and throw some more and they did that very well going for 379 yds between the two QBs and being able to spread out the ball with 9 receivers getting the ball. Nick Kurtz and Devon Blackmon led in receptions with 5 each, followed by Terenn Houk and Mitch Juergens who had 4 receptions a piece
The play of the running backs is concerning, but it’s not time to push the panic button. On the ground, BYU rushed for 132 yds, but only 34 of those yds came from the backs. Adam Hine was the most impressive, with two clutch runs in the 4th Q and finished with 4 carries for 37 yds averaging 9.25 ypc. Nebraska’s strength was in their DL so BYU game planned to focus on the pass, throwing the ball 45 times compared to running it 26. Going forward, BYU has an opportunity to prove that they can have an efficient run game.
The offensive line did a great job in pass blocking and one player who had an outstanding game was Ryker Mathews. His footwork was excellent and he did a great job keeping his man in front of him, giving up no sacks. Tejan Koroma also held the interior against two phenomenal defensive tackles in Maliek Collins and Vincent Valentine. The rotation on the offensive line was kept pretty tight with only 6 players being rotated in in Ryker Mathews, Kyle Johnson, Tejan Koroma, Ului Lapuaho, Brad Wilcox, and Tuni Kanuch. Tuni was a player who struggled a bit as he is getting back into the swing of things but he will eventually get to where he needs to be.
BYU Defense:
Defensive Stats:
Manoa Pikula: 7 tackles (3-4)
Michael Davis: 6 tackles (5-1), 1 PBU
Micah Hannemann: 6 tackles (4-2), 1 INT, 1 PBU
Harvey Langi: 6 tackles (3-3), 1 sack, 1 TFL (-2 yds), 1 QBH
Logan Taele: 6 tackles (2-4), 1 sack, 2.5 TFL (-12 yds)
Fred Warner: 5 tackles (3-2), 1.5 TFL (-8 yds), 1 FR
Michael Wadsworth: 5 tackles (2-3), .5 TFL (-1 yd)
Sae Tautu: 5 tackles (0-5), .5 TFL (-1 yd)
Bronson Kaufusi: 4 tackles (3-1), 1 sack, 1 TFL (-14 yds), 1 QBH
Most Targeted Player:
Micah Hannemann: 7/9, 1 INT, 1 PBU
complete, PBU, complete, complete screen, complete zone, complete, complete, INT, complete
Jordan Preator: 2/4, 1 PBU
complete zone (Pikula), incomplete, PBU, complete zone
Mike Davis: 1/2, 1 PBU
PBU, complete
Manoa Pikula: 4/6, 1 TD
complete zone, incomplete zone, incomplete zone, complete zone, complete zone TD, complete
Matt Hadley: 2/3
complete, complete, incomplete
Michael Shelton: 1/1
complete
Bronson Kaufusi: 1/1
complete
What impressed me was the pressure that the front seven was able to generate on Tommy Armstrong and hold down the run game. Bronson Kaufusi, Travis Tuiloma, and Harvey Langi consistently were putting pressure in the backfield and pushing back offensive linemen. The loss of Travis was detrimental for the Cougars, Tuiloma didn’t make a lot of noise on the stat sheet but his play set the tone for the defense to be able to be successful and make plays on the front seven. The two series after he left with an injury, Nebraska generated 55 of their 126 rushing yds. Kesni Tausinga, while he impressed in fall camp struggled to hold the interior. Logan Taele came in and was able to make some plays for the defense and do his role in clogging up holes and manipulating the direction of running backs.
Nebraska threw the ball a lot and Armstrong was 10/12 for 156 yds and 2 TDs in the 1st Q. They threw a lot of screens, and targeted the field side because of the space in coverage on that side of the field and the way that Micah Hannemann struggled tackling off of screens. This was his first game playing since returning from his mission in February, he also missed 2 weeks of fall camp and is still playing catch up. As he gets more experience under his belt he’ll get to where coaches and fans expect him to be. Part of the reason he was picked on was because he was just a step behind, there were plays where the ball was being snapped and he was still trying to communicate with the linebacker to get the call. Also, part of the reason that it appeared that he played worse than he really did was because of the way that Field Corner is played, he plays off the ball and focuses on forcing receivers outside and not being beat deep which gives the receiver and QB more space to be able to get open. Hannemann was targeted with screens and come back routes to his side, he was able to keep the receiver in front of him. The biggest improvement he needs to make on these routes is understanding where the first down line is and playing the receiver tighter when trying to convert on 3rd and long.
After some adjustments were made by the defense, Armstrong only complete 3/15 passes for 35 yds in the 2nd Q. BYU had to reach deep into the depth chart with Jordan Preator leaving the game with an injury, and he was backing up starting FS Kai Nacua who missed the game due to suspension. Michael Wadsworth came in and played very well for the Cougars late in the 4th Q coming up with two big TFL’s to stop Nebraska late in the game. Mike Davis impressed in coverage coming up with a clutch PBU late in the 4th Q but struggled in playing physical when coming up to make plays on screen passes and the run game.
The Cougars struggled in basic fundamentals, tackling, wrapping up, and taking correct angles. The defense will see their biggest improvement after game 1 now that they are used to playing live. Harvey Langi was consistently in position to make plays but was unable to wrap up and finish plays. He’ll improve throughout the season and as he does, the overall performance of the defense will.
