What is missing for BYU football?

Despite having all of the right pieces for a successful team, BYU football is struggling to find an identity and success so far this season.

Ty Detmer won the Heisman trophy and was basically a quarterbacks coach most of his NFL career. Tanner Mangum was the co-offensive player of Nike’s Elite 11 camp alongside Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston. Kalani Sitake has brought more energy to the BYU program since BYU football won the National Championship in 1984. The offensive line is experienced and strong. And yet, it is not working.

I remember watching the Miami Heat play when LeBron James first arrived in Miami in 2010. James alongside Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh made it seem like the NBA may have it’s first ever 75+ win team. The hype was there, the talent was there – and yet they started off the season 9-8. The problem ended up being a combination of team chemistry and coaching.

Could BYU football be going through the same problems? Or has everyone somehow gotten worse over the offseason? I like to believe that it a few issues that could be fixed. Here are three things that might be holding the Cougars back.

A potential lack of leadership

When a drive ends for the Cougars, Tanner Mangum goes straight to Ty Detmer on the sidelines. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing – the quarterback should be constantly chatting with the offensive coordinator.

But the quarterback is a position of leadership. Why isn’t Mangum talking to his running backs, asking his wide receivers what they’re seeing, or firing up his offensive line?

Last year, Taysom Hill always made the rounds. Sure he talked to Detmer, as he should’ve, but he was also firing his offense back up to re-take the field.

Through two games in 2017, it doesn’t seem like Mangum has much fire or energy. The trouble is, some player has to be the emotional leader on the offense. With running backs and wide receivers rotating in, Mangum (or perhaps Tejan Koroma) is the only player that is in the game for every snap.

He needs to step it up, and it needs to happen quick.

Some questionable play calling

Ty Detmer seems to have a hybrid offense. He’s running a pass first offense that is very slow.

Normally, slow offenses rely on running the ball because you are bigger and stronger than the other team. Typically, passing offenses run a no huddle or very fast pace as to keep defenders on their feet and confused. Mixing the two though does not seem to be working very well. Defenses are given plenty of time to adjust their coverage which is leading to a lot of good coverage and no open receivers.

Another issue is that there is no identity to the play calls. This goes for the offense and the defense.

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Kalani Sitake even mentioned BYU football’s lack of identity after the LSU game.

Last week, I thought that BYU was holding onto their playbook so that they would be more prepared for LSU. As it turns out, their playbook did not change much for LSU. No blitzes or disguised coverage on defense and no attack or trick plays on offense. Just very basic play calling.

This needs to get figured out quickly if the Cougars want to find any success this season. Otherwise, it will not be hard at all for teams to scout BYU football out.

Cougars aren’t in attack mode

Against LSU, BYU surrendered the game with about nine minutes remaining.

Down three scores, BYU faced a fourth and one inside their own 15-yard line. Although the odds were stacked against them, Kalani Sitake sent a message to his team that he did not believe in them enough to score three times in eight minutes. Or worse, to convert on a fourth and one against LSU’s backups.

Even though we all know that BYU had a <.01 percent chance of making that kind of comeback, the head coach is supposed to be the last one to admit that. How are players supposed to trust their coach, when their coach does not trust them?

Now I’m not calling for any coaches to be fired. I am not even asking for Tanner Mangum to be benched. What I am calling for is change. And if someone is not willing to make those changes, then this season is going to be a long one.