BYU football: How does the offense get the ball moving?
By Ron Jensen
BYU football’s offense has been… not so great. But while some are calling for coaching changes, the answers may be much simpler than that.
I’m not going to sugarcoat this. BYU football’s offense has been terrible, in every sense of the word.
The last month was frustrating and downright depressing. Fans want answers, and they are running out of patience.
Analysts mention many solutions. Changes in plays, players, and formations are all in the mix. The remedy, however, may lie in the old saying, “less is more.”
There is something everyone is forgetting. BYU football has some athletes on the offensive side of the ball. The predicament lies in using the right people in the right situation.
Here are some suggestions on how BYU football can get the ball moving:
Throw the ball to playmakers
I’m using the term playmakers a little loosely. What I mean here, is get the ball to players who have proven they can get open, and catch the ball.
This is not a long list. Matt Bushman tops the group with 14 catches for 158 yards. Talon Shumway has 12 for 130 yards. Micah Simon sneaks in with 6 grabs for 92 yards.
The rest have simply not done enough to garnish any confidence from anyone.
I realize that this sounds a little harsh, but we’re four games into the season. The jury has been out long enough, and it’s time for judgement.
Wide receivers coach Ben Cahoon has said that he doesn’t have a problem with letting his best receivers take the lion’s share of the snaps.
It’s time to go with the best, and only the best.
Offensive possessions and plays are precious. They can’t be squandered. This is the only way to raise the probability of getting the ball to the rights hands.
Of course, some substitutions are necessary. From here on, these need to be used as sparingly as possible.
Run with the power backs
Ula Tolutau has run the ball 19 times for 86 yards. Kavika Fonua is at 18 rushes for 87 yards.
Those aren’t jaw-dropping numbers, but it is an unrecorded statistic that stands out here. I’m talking about yards after contact.
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Tolutau at 6-foot-1 and 250-pounds, and Fonua at 6-foot and 215-pounds, provide sturdy builds that can pound on defenses. They will be needed, to get the Cougar offense to 3rd and short, and then to convert in these situations.
These are the type of runners the offense needs right now. They are by far the best the Cougars have to offer this season.
Though others supply a variety of different wrinkles to the offense, these options have proved to be ineffective. Furthermore, their usage has got in the way of finding an offensive identity.
Use Beau Hoge’s legs
It is no secret that Beau Hoge is a dual threat quarterback. Like Taysom Hill, his greatest weapons are his legs.
Of course, I’m not saying to create more quarterback designated run plays. That is how you get the kid hurt, and inevitably give the third sting quarterback the job.
I am suggesting to have a run option as one of the check downs in his pass progressions, more frequently. If it’s there, train him to take it.
Getting 6+ yards, four or five times a game, would give the offense a huge boost. Once Hoge is trained to make that read on the fly, I’m pretty positive he’ll get at least that – if not more.
These changes are simple in theory, but pay large dividends. Some onlookers may disagree, but all are in agreement on one issue. It’s time to get the ball moving.