SB Nation - Austin Collie

Austin Collie Update

sroufe — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:00:30 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Austin Collie (17) is chased by Houston Texans cornerback Glover Quin after a reception during the first quarter of an NFL football game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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BYU's all-time greatest wide receiver, Austin Collie, was drafted 127th overall last April. The Indianapolis Colts selected him in the 4th round after 19 other receivers had been picked. The Colts drafted Collie after releasing 36 year-old All-Pro Marvin Harrison. Harrison had accounted for over 600 yards receiving in 2008 and the Colts' rookie wideout Pierre Garcon had only made 4 catches all last season. Indianapolis hoped Collie could provide some much needed depth behind All-Pro Reggie Wayne and Anthony Gonzalez.

Not only has Collie provided the necessary depth team President Bill Polian and General Manager Chris Polian were looking for, but he has turned into one of Peyton Manning's primary targets. Collie has scored a touchdown in each of the past two contests and ranks among the NFL's top rookie receivers. You could easily argue that Collie and Minnesota rookie receiver Percy Harvin (drafted 22nd overall) have been the two best rookie receivers in the league this season.

Of course, it doesn't hurt that they are each catching passes from two of the greatest passers in league history. Still, after the Colts lost Gonzalez for the season in Week 1, Collie and Garcon have each stepped in and performed exceptionally well. And now, with the Colts having clinched home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs and possibly resting players like Wayne and TE Dallas Clark, Collie could get even more touches in the last few games.

NFL writer Don Banks of Sports Illustrated released a "Draft Redux" re-projecting the first round of the 2009 draft. Where does Collie fall? How about in the first round, 26th overall (to Green Bay), and as the 4th receiver taken.

Here's a brief look at where Collie ranks this season:

Category*	Total	Rookie Rank	NFL Rank
Receptions	50	1st	40th
Yards	540	6th	56th
Average	10.8	10th	83rd
Touchdowns	6	Tied - 1st	Tied-17th

*Among all players with at least 25 receptions

Here are also some links detailing more of Collie's success as a rookie:

An early take on Colts' No. 3 receiver - ESPN (8/12)
Anthony Gonzalez still not ready to practice ... - Stampede Blue (12/8)
Austin Collie, Colts... - FanHouse (10/12)
Austin Collie makes his move among NFL rookies - The Hazean (10/29)
Collie a pleasant surprise for Colts - Deseret News (10/19)
Collie's TD doom Titans - Indianapolis Star (10/12)
Colts' Collie getting some love from "The King" - Stampede Blue (8/26)
Garon, Collie don't miss a beat in Colts' offense - Indy.com (10/8)
Oak Ridge's Collie running with the Colts - ESPN Radio, Sacramento (10/13)
Rookie of the Year: Austin Collie? - Stampede Blue (11/5)

Collie Highlights from Colts v. Seahawks in October (including Collie's first touchdown reception):

Revisiting a classic

JazzyUte — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 22:37:58 -0000

This was posted months ago and has turned out to be an internet hit. With it being rivalry week - you didn't think I'd pass up an opportunity to bring these images back again do you?

Exactly.

Not much needs to be said about these photos. They speak for themselves.

BYU never fails to not disappoint.

Rivalry Week Moment #3: 4th and 18

Layton — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:00:26 -0000

Things weren't looking good as then-sophomore quarterback Max Hall got under center, staring down 4th and 18 to avoid embarrassment in Provo. But, somehow, Austin Collie got behind Ute corner Bryce McCain for a 49-yard gain and the rest is history. Harvey Unga's run into the end zone is timeless, giving BYU the 17-10 victory!

The 2009 Holy War: No. 21 Utah at No. 19 BYU

Michael Rueckert — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:52:00 -0000

More photos » by Colin E. Braley - AP

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Next Game

Utah Utes
@ BYU Cougars

Saturday, Nov 28, 2009, 2:00 PM PST
LaVell Edwards Stadium

TV: The Mtn HD & CBS College

Holy War Week Brings out the Worst in Fans

posted by Jeremy Mauss about 8 hours ago

9 comments | 0 recs

Complete Coverage >

It's finally that time of year. Marriages are put to the test, friendships pushed to the limits and families become divided; Rivalry week is here. The two Mountain West Conference powers that are separated by just 35 miles are set to square off in what may be one of the most even matchups that we have ever had in the Holy War. Both teams are sitting at (9-2) with BYU ranked 19 and Utah at 21 in the BCS standings battling for bragging rights in the state of Utah. Does it get much better than this?

This will be just the third time that both teams have been ranked at the same time in this rivalry. Each of the last two resulted in victories for Utah, with the most recent being Utah's 48-24 beat-down over BYU. I wouldn't expect either team to blow the other out however. 10 of the last 12 games between these two bitter rivals as been decided by seven points or less.

Revenge, like always, will be a key in this game. BYU senior quarterback Max Hall is looking to make up for his lackluster performance in 2008 when he threw 5 interceptions and fumbled, without throwing a single touchdown pass. Utah meanwhile is looking for revenge from their last trip to Provo when BYU completed a 4th and 18 pass on their final game winning drive. All Ute fans will always remember Austin Collie's "magic happens" quote after that loss.

BYU is looking to win through their run game. The Cougar's power back, Harvey Unga is having a dominating season and needs just 100 yards rushing against the Utes to reach 1,000 on the season. BYU will try to pound the ball inside and use their size as an advantage. Lets see if BYU offensive coordinator Robert Anae sticks to the run this year.

The Utes have showed weaknesses in the run defense this season but they have also had great moments. They are allowing 142 yards rushing per game but more importantly struggled against the two teams that beat them, Oregon and TCU. The Utes allowed 217 yards rushing to the Ducks and 342 to the Horned Frogs

BYU must utilize their advantage in the run game. In last years loss Harvey Unga was averaging 7.7 yards per carry, but was just given the ball just 15 times. It is going to be very important for BYU to get an early lead so that they don't have to rely too much on passing, putting pressure on Max Hall. If they fall behind early, Max Hall will have to make make plays for BYU, which in his history against the Utes suggests that he isn't fully capable of doing so.

Utah is going to try to beat BYU with their many offensive weapons. The Ute offense is fairly diverse which can pose problems for a less athletic Cougar squad. With Jordan Wynn the Ute offense added an important dimension, the deep ball. Bronco Mendenhall will likely take this away, so Wynn must complete all type of throws, importantly the middle of the field throw. He had nice words to say about Wynn in his press conference:

"He does throw the ball accurately, he throws the deep ball especially well. He has certainly enough mobility to run their offense in addition to that . If the game ends up being one where they choose to protect and attack our back end, then we'll have to modify our zones so that they cant be outrun as they were against San Diego State.

Earlier in the season, BYU's passing game would give the Utes all sorts of problems. That may not be the case Saturday. Utah's secondary has vastly improved improved throughout the season. Kyle Whittingham noted that in his press conference:

"Seems like on a weekly basis they have taken a step forward... And relative to their experience they have played very well."

Dennis Pitta is going to be the guy that the Utes key in on. He is Max Hall's favorite target and is one of the the top Tight ends in the country. Last season Pitta played injured in the game and was a non-factor catching just two passes for 33 yards. He will be looking to put together a good performance for his final game against the Utes.

This game, like all between BYU and Utah, should be a great one. It is the only game this week featuring two Top 25 football games. The game is being played at BYU in Provo, but historically that is not a factor. The visiting team has won 12 of the last 20 games in the Holy War.

With BYU's program finally getting back to the level that they were at in the Lavell Edwards era, and Utah establishing themselves as a BCS Busting powerhouse, this game seems to be getting bigger and bigger. Kyle Whittingham agrees:

"I think it keeps getting bigger and bigger. When both teams are doing well that adds a different dimension to the game, where as in a lot of years past it was one team up and one team down. Recently it has been both teams up which is healthy, and positive for the rivalry."

You can certainly expect this game to go down to the wire and possibly overtime. The matchup is dead even, but I think Utah does has a slight edge. Offensively I think the Utes are too diverse for the Cougars to stop, and I think the Utes will do a decent job of stopping the BYU run. If BYU falls behind early and Hall panics, the margin of victory could be even larger for the Utes.

Holy War Week Brings out the Worst in Fans

Jeremy Mauss — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:46:15 -0000

I know we should be pumping out more Holy War articles with this game being one of the biggest and most hated rivalry games in the country, go ahead and ask Mississippi State head coach, former Florida offensive coordinator, and former Utah quarterbacks coach Dan Mullen -- he agrees. Myself I grew up in Houston and the Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies was the huge rival game and was very heated between the two schools. Personally I liked both but hedged toward the Longhorns just to tick off my brother who went to Texas A&M.

Then I came to Utah and realized that the Texas/Texas A&M rival had nothing on the Holy War. In my opinion a reason that the BYU and Utah rivalry is so big --after the religious aspect-- is that Utah only have the Utah Jazz and then Utah and BYU. While in Houston there are fans of the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, Houston Astros, and the Houston Rockets; so there are more rooting interests. With only two major football universities (sorry Utah State) and one pro team the state is divided on the only other major sports action. Having lived across the country I feel that I have a good pulse on how big this rivalry is nationally.

For those who are unfaimilar with the schools BYU is an extension of the LDS church where they have an Honor Code that all football players -- and students -- must follow such as no drinking alcohol, having girls over at certain hours, certain length on hair and facial hair, plus other guidelines that are not the norm at Utah and nearly every other college campus. The religion aspect that goes along with BYU is that they feel they are superior to Utes because as Austin Collie most eloquently put it:

"When you're living right and doing the right things on and off the field, and when you’re doing those things, things come together. It’s not a coincidence that you’re successful when you’re doing things right, but [it is] from being blessed by the Lord’s hands. That’s the type of faith we have and play with, and it’s nothing different than any other team or athlete who puts their faith in God."

That might be the best quote from the rivalry and the good folks at SB Nation's BYU site Vanquish the Foe are counting down the most memoribal quotes this week leading up to the game. Utah fans hate that quote and feel that is the arrogance of BYU. Thanks to Collie, that quote is often used when BYU loses a game because fans twist it by saying that someone from the BYU squad is not living by the BYU honor code standards.

For full disclosure, I did graduate from Utah and that is my team I cheer for, but do not have the hatred toward BYU as some Utah fans posses (check the comments and a response post). I do think that some BYU fans feel they are better then Ute fans in general because BYU had an amazing run under LaVell Edwards and their national title in 1984 -- which oh by the was 25 years ago.

The LaVell years were amazing but it has been just about a decade he was the coach and that national title was so long ago, and sounds lame when Cougar fans mention that national title. Now, I am not down grading their title that year but I do not hear TCU fans keep proclaiming their 1938 AP national title when comparing themselves to their rival SMU who have been crowned national champions but none by the AP poll.

To me that sounds crazy to hang onto and mention a 25 year old national title and Cougar fans need to finally relinquish their feeling that they are the dominant program and acknowledge Utah is the top team in the state. The past decade the Utes have had two undefeated seasons while BYU has had only one in the past eighty years.

Here is visual proof of the goofiness of BYU fans, and this is taken after the BYU win over Oklahoma:

Then there is the wackiness of when a BYU fan jumped a male Utah cheerleader who then got various punched thrown their way:

Both sides go crazy, and even myself who wants BYU to do well in big games and generally tolerate BYU fans, but this week is different. While I nitpick what people say from BYU and usually feel what they say toward the Utes is a slight. This week is the greatest week of smack talk from all sides and this rivalry can stand on par with any college football rivalry in the country.

Since I am not previewing this game my prediction is that Utah's defense will be the difference and expect this game to go down to the wire as have so many the past six years with a Utah win.

Response to Block U's "I Really Hate BYU"

Layton — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:57:39 -0000

More photos » by Donna McWilliam - AP

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I'd love to leave this blog post alone from Block U, but I just can't. So, in an attempt to logically dismantle our friend's claims (in italics), or at least explain why I called it "absurdly general" and "ridiculous", I'm writing this. It won't matter to him, but at least it will put my mind at ease...Keep in mind, most of what he writes is self-explanatory in its ridiculousness. Any post that states the word "douchebag" seven times says something about the writer...

"You'd think hate could be considered too strong of a word when describing a group of people I've never met and know little about. But you're wrong. I actually think it's not harsh enough. In fact, I'd like to tack on an f-bomb somewhere (probably after the really and before the hate) to signify just how much I hate those pricks. Maybe you can call me classless and emotional and pathetically ridiculous - but that's what makes this rivalry so great, right?"

You call yourself classless, emotional, and pathetically ridiculous...I don't have anything else to say. Wait, yes I do. Calling opposing players, coaches and fans "pricks" is not only unfounded but also childish and in no means is what makes this rivalry so great; you must have known some really mean--wait, you mentioned you've never met one--BYU fans to want to drop f-bombs on us...

"You see, nothing beats watching those pompous blowhards hang their heads in shame after an embarrassing defeat. It's an image I will take delight in this Saturday when the Utes go down to Provo and pound their conceited asses into the ground."

Um, so are you saying the Utes jumped around the field with giant smiles on their faces after getting shellacked by Oregon or TCU? If you watch TV on Saturdays, I think you might find most teams hanging their heads after defeats...it's certainly not unique to BYU.

"It's just this fake imagery Bronco has created and it leads to their players acting like complete tools when they win a game in the final seconds."

Again, how does BYU react any differently than any team in the nation when they win in the final seconds? You may not remember 1993, but it's when Utah beat BYU in Provo. The Utes stormed the field, and the PLAYERS tried tearing down the goal posts...is there a better description of being a tool than that, or a better example of "little brother" syndrome? That's when classless started...

On Bronco Mendenhall: "He just screams douchebag. He looks like a douchebag. He sounds like a douchebag and he acts like a douchebag. Every time Bronco opens his mouth, I want to stick knives in my ears and gouge out my eyes. He's arrogant. Bronco is just so creepy. Maybe it's the blonde hair that doesn't quite fit or the fact he looks like he was plucked right out of Madame Tussauds. Maybe it's the overbearing religious extremism. Whatever the reason - I just do not like the guy."

I've been following BYU football for a long time (as a fan and journalist), and I've heard Bronco scream only once--at a closed practice in August in 2006. He doesn't scream, and if he does, he certainly doesn't sound like a woman's sanitation device. Now, since when is a football coached judged by the color of his hair? No matter the argument, that is so completely off-topic. And when was the last time he mentioned anything about religion? Hard to say he's extreme when he's always talking about football...

Speaking of Austin Collie's comments about living good off the field translates to good things happening on the field: Collie's comments aren't new and I'm sure you'll hear a variation of them this week from some other poor BYU soul that doesn't get it.

If this kind of thing happens so often, why are you still stuck on something that was said more than two years ago? Surely you must have more examples than just this one!

It seems every time Utah does manage to knock off the Cougars, they're quick to point out this is our bowl game (except when we're actually playing for the BCS) and this is just another game on their schedule (except when their players are crying at the end).

I've never heard a player or coach from BYU say this game is their bowl game. And about the "just another game comment", here's Kyle Whittingham's response from Monday:

"You anticipate it and you look forward to it," he said. "But you've got to keep it in perspective. Every game counts as one. It doesn't count any more than one. As soon as they start counting rivalry games as two, then they'll become more important. But right now every game counts as one."

Call me crazy, but that sounds like your coach is saying exactly what you're criticizing BYU for...

Cougar fans have proven to be some of the weirdest and most myopic fans in all of college football. They also have an innate ability to live in the past.

That's only because we have a past to be proud of...

You know you're on an entirely different level of douchebaggery when your douchebag coach calls you out for being too big of douchebags.

Again, any sentence that has "douchebag" in it three times is beyond ridiculous. By the way, champ, he said a vocal minority of fans are the few who are heard most loudly complaining.

Until they do, I don't think many fans will like 'em. It's not just Utah fans, either. I'm sure Wyoming and Colorado State and Air Force fans are sick of this shtick as well.

That's just because BYU owned every one of those schools for a couple decades. Trust me, Wyoming fans have more respect for BYU than they do for Utah, after Kyle Whittingham's d-baggish actions two years ago--running up the score on a lowly team, and then onside kicking when the game was already won. Stay classy, Kyle!

Peyton Manning and Austin Collie Featured in Sports Illustrated

Layton — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:52:05 -0000

Sports Illustrated's king, Peter King, has written a really nice cover article about the relationship between Colts' QB Manning and his receiver, Austin Collie. It's a great 10-minute read, and very complimentary of the former BYU standout...

Saturday's BYU Football Milestones

Layton — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 17:28:02 -0000

More photos » by Denis Poroy - AP

BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall watches from the sideline as his program beats the Aztecs and becomes bowl eligible for the 5th consecutive year. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

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I certainly wasn't expecting a 10-point game, but it was entertaining. SDSU is improved and should be a team to worry about in the forthcoming seasons--they have everything in place to be great in the MWC...

A few numbers to throw out: Max Hall is now BYU's second-winningest quarterback of all time, with 27 wins he trails only Detmer and Wilson by two wins. Say what you (and I) will about his turnovers and chaotic decision-making, Max Hall can win games. And it seems that he's finally put the interception bug behind him...

As you know, Dennis Pitta became BYU's all-time leading TE in receiving yards. What you may not know is that with 23 more catches he'll hold the record for most catches by ANY receiver at BYU, which Austin Collie holds with 215.

As fans, we shouldn't be taking such great days for granted. With Unga, Hall and Pitta currently driving the offense with seeming ease and individual talent these days may not happen again for some time. Sure the system has something to do with their success, but their God-given talents and work ethic are superb.

As for Bronco, he became BYU's only coach to have his team bowl eligible in his first five seasons. Again, and we can ask New Mexico fans about this with the Rocky Long departure, but we can only hope that Bronco decides to stay at BYU for a long, long time

One last thing, it's fitting that on the day the BYU football program won its 500th game, the Utes beat UNLV for program win number 600. But, their 600 should have an asterisk by them because football just wasn't the same when they were dominating teams in the late 1800s and early 1900s...I'm kidding...kind of.

Of Mice and Men - and Max

sroufe — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:48:21 -0000

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

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"A guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody. It don't make any difference who the guy is, so long as he's with you. I tell ya...I tell ya, a guy gets too lonely, and he gets sick."

It's a good thing Max has friends like Matt Reynolds that can pummel Hall's vilifiers. Apologies for beating the proverbial horse here, but this is too polarizing and interesting of an issue to ignore. Many Cougar fans, much to Mendenhall's dismay, continue to criticize Max Hall's performance - both this year and cumulatively. Of course, Hall has thrown ten interceptions already this season and several were primarily his fault despite the best efforts of his coaches to state otherwise. His clutch play against Oklahoma has been negated to some extent by subpar games against Florida State and Colorado State. These results have caused critics to reminisce on Hall's poor finish to 2008 and his struggles against defenses that play above the MWC average.

Still, Hall is presently 6th in the nation in quarterback efficiency with a 162.6 rating. Only Clausen (Notre Dame), Moore (Boise St.), Tebow (Florida), Bill Stull (Pitt) and Riley Skinner (Wake Forest) are higher. He has led the Cougars to fairly consistent national recognition during his tenure, including the program's greatest regular season win in well over a decade. He has generated 26 wins as a starter - behind just Ty Detmer and Marc Wilson (T-29) in school history.

Even if Hall (9, 528 career passing yards) were to have a Derek Anderson-esque disaster on Saturday, he will pass Jim McMahon (9,536) to become 3^rd all-time in passing yards among BYU quarterbacks. Hall currently trails John Beck (11,021) by 1,493 yards. To catch Beck, Hall has to average 213 yards passing for the remaining seven games. That appears very attainable considering the Cougars still have San Diego State, New Mexico and Wyoming on the schedule.

To give you an idea of how far out there Ty Detmer (15,031) is in first place, Hall would have to average 786 yards passing per game for the remainder of 2009 to catch the Heisman winner.

Here's a breakdown of Max's current standing:

Player, Years	Psg. Eff. Rtg.	Psg. Yards	Yrds./Attmpt.	Comp. %	TD	INT
Ty Detmer, 1988-91	162.74	15,031	9.83	62.61%	121	65
Steve Sarkisian, 1995-96	161.96	7,464	9.46	66.92%	53	26
Jim McMahon, 1977-78; 1980-81	157.50	9,536	9.03	61.84%	84	34
Brandon Doman, 1998-2001	152.03	4,354	8.64	62.10%	35	14
Steve Young, 1981-83	149.82	7,733	8.52	65.20%	56	33
Max Hall, 2007-Present	149.53	9,528	8.26	65.30%	74	36
Robbie Bosco, 1983-85	149.39	8,400	8.43	63.99%	66	36
John Walsh, 1991-94	147.60	8,390	8.60	60.25%	66	35
Gifford Nielsen, 1975-77	145.23	5,830	8.24	58.62%	55	29
Ryan Hancock, 1992	143.17	2,586	8.98	57.29%	17	13
John Beck, 2003-06	141.29	11,021	7.77	62.41%	79	34
Kevin Feterick, 1996-99	141.05	8,065	8.05	61.18%	53	26

Some might argue, Hall's success is largely due to having BYU's greatest WR (Austin Collie), TE (Dennis Pitta) and RB (Harvey Unga) as targets for the past couple seasons. But Detmer had Eric Drage and Chris Smith. Young had Gordon Hudson. Essentially that's a hard argument to make because as good as these weapons were/are, Hall is part of the reason they've been so productive.

In attempting to rank these QB's, Hall has the numbers to objectively be ranked among the Top 10, if not the Top 5. Yet, others look at last season's let down and this year's loss to FSU and feel that Hall doesn't deserve to be so highly regarded by Cougar fans. In the end, it probably depends on what you feel a Top 5 QB at BYU demands.

What is your opinion?

Finally, Hall is coming off his most efficient game in 2009. His passer rating against UNLV was 201.8. Of course, that was against the Rebels. But, he was without McKay Jacobson as a target. Nine different players caught passes - and Unga wasn't even one of them. And Hall is expected to dominate again this weekend. However, possibly the most significant games to Hall's "prestige" or legacy at BYU are what follow thereafter. TCU. Utah. His third bowl game. Time will tell...

Poll

Do you approve of Max Hall’s body of work thus far in 2009? Where will he rank among all-time BYU quarterbacks?

No; But he still makes the Top 10

9 votes

Yes; Top 5

17 votes

Yes; Top 10

27 votes

No; And he doesn't even make the Top 10

3 votes

56 votes | Poll has closed

Dennis Pitta: Greatest BYU Tight End?

sroufe — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:04:05 -0000

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With his fourth of five receptions last Saturday, Dennis Pitta surpassed Gordon Hudson to become BYU’s all-time leader in receptions for a tight end. Pitta currently trails only Hudson and Chris Smith in receiving yards for tight ends. He is also behind only Jonny Harline and Clay Brown in touchdown receptions for tight ends. By the end of October, Pitta could very well possess all these records. Here’s a breakdown:

Player, Years	Rec. Yards.	Receptions	Yards/Catch	TD Rec.
Gordon Hudson, 1981-83	2,484	178	13.96	12
Chris Smith, 1987-90	2,367	137	17.28	8
Dennis Pitta, 2004, 2007-Present	2,328	180	12.93	14
Jonny Harline, 2005-06	1,788	121	14.78	17
Itula Mili, 1991, 1994-96	1,763	125	14.10	11
Tod Thompson, 1976-78	1,722	84	20.50	15
Clay Brown, 1978-80	1,691	88	19.24	17

In summary, after this season, the former Cougar with likely the best argument for being better than Pitta will be Hudson. Hudson was recently inducted into the NCAA Hall of Fame. Hudson still holds NCAA records for most passes caught per game by a tight end (5.4), most career yards per game by a tight end (75.3) and most yards in a game by a tight end (259 vs. Utah). He was also a unanimous All-American twice (1982, 1983).

Pitta, meanwhile, will almost certainly make his third All-MWC 1st team in 2009. He was a Rivals 3rd Team All-American last season and an Honorable Mention All-American by both Sports Illustrated and College Football News. Not bad for a former walk-on, with no scholarship offers out of high school in Moorpark, California.

Prior to this season, The NFL Draft Scout rated Pitta as the sixth-ranked tight end available for the 2010 NFL Draft. They projected him as being selected in the 3rd or 4th round.

Smith's best argument would be that his yards per catch average was far greater than both Hudson and Pitta - but he scored far less and was playing with the greatest quarterback in school history. Harline's best argument might be that he amassed his totals in just two seasons. Mili? Had to share touches with Chad Lewis. Thompson? Highest yard/reception average AND a fantastic mustache. Brown? Perhaps the first truly phenomenal tight end in Provo - and he punted!

Still, Pitta's recent productivity is undeniable. We should continue to recognize his tremendous contributions to the program just as BYU fans did with Austin Collie in 2008. It doesn't get much better than this.

Poll

Who is the greatest tight end in BYU football history?

Gordon Hudson

3 votes

Dennis Pitta

24 votes

Other (i.e. Chris Smith, Jonny Harline) - Leave Comment Below

0 votes

27 votes | Poll has closed