Three things BYU football must overcome to beat Fresno State
By Ron Jensen
BYU football takes on the Fresno State Bulldogs this weekend. But to beat the Bulldogs, the Cougars will need to overcome these three things.
So many times, we hear of how BYU football is at a disadvantage to the Power Five programs in terms of resources and recruiting. The Cougars are not the only ones that struggle, though.
This is a burden the Group of Five teams have to deal with as well. That especially includes those members of the Mountain West Conference.
Arguably, besides Boise State, no Mountain West team can keep up with BYU football when it comes to resources or recruiting. With Fresno State coming up, Cougar fans should be mildly optimistic.
Yet, BYU football finds itself an underdog going into the game on Saturday. How, might you ask, can a superior program lose to a lesser one?
Well, it happens all the time. When a greater entity does not utilize its advantages, it levels the playing field.
In the case of BYU football, there are few opponents that stand in the way of exploiting this advantage.
Here are three:
No. 1: Self Doubt
It is simple psychology. Every time an attempt to do something fails, a sliver of doubt enters the minds of those who tried it.
It could be the fault of the action chosen to accomplish the task, or the individual’s failure to execute the action. Either way, the doubt arrives.
The Cougars need to start doing things that work on a regular basis, if they are ever going to overcome this mindset of doubt. The win over San Jose State was helpful, but did in means solve the problem.
These issues must be resolved on the practice field and in team meetings. They need to be addressed in the weight room and during film sessions. What goes on in the locker room, and even the classroom is relevant here.
These athletes must find success in executing their plans.
No. 2: Lack of Execution
It doesn’t matter how great a scheme might be. If a team does not carry out the intended plan the way it was designed, the desired result will not come about.
Just like the lesson we learn from the children’s story, The Tortoise and the Hare. A fool-proof plan only works if it is executed properly, even if the opponent is inferior.
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We saw glimpses of better execution last Saturday against the Spartans, but there will need to be more. Both the offense and defense have work to do to shake this foe.
No. 3 Loss of Faith in Team
To a certain extent, this has happened on the field and off for BYU football.
When an athlete chooses to not fulfil their responsibility, it creates a loss of trust from his teammates. This may require them to possibly neglect their responsibilities to compensate for their rogue teammate.
Concerning off the field issues, recent run-ins with the law have created a real concern for player compliance to the Honor Code. Undoubtedly, this attributed to many of the on the field problems this season.
Whether such actions are wrong may be debatable outside the BYU sphere, but within it there is no question. When someone commits to something, the expectation is to deliver.
It is evident, that when individuals of any organization are doing things they shouldn’t, everything goes south. Co-workers determine that these people are untrustworthy. Without that trust, disaster is immanent.
BYU football needs to fix these issues to beat the Bulldogs. More importantly, dealing with these problems will help avoid them next year.
Players and coaches need to make sure that in no uncertain terms, teammates know that such behavior is unacceptable for this program.
Can the Cougars defeat these vicious rivals? From what I saw against San Jose State, it looks like they’re already in the process.
If they do, I believe they will be victorious against Fresno State.