SB Nation - Jan Jorgensen

Seven Cougars Selected All-MWC 2009

sroufe — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:12:15 -0000

BYU's Jan Jorgensen tackles CSU's Leonard Mason on Sept. 26th. Jorgensen, the "Hammer from Helper", is the MWC all-time sack leader with 29. He has recorded 6.5 sacks and 56 tackles in 2009. (AP Photo/George Frey)

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Jan Jorgensen, Dennis Pitta, Matt Reynolds, and Harvey Unga were awarded All-Conference First-Team honors today. Andrew George, Max Hall, and Andrew Rich were selected to the All-MWC Second-Team. Additionally, six Cougars earned Honorable Mention status: Coleby Clawson, Brett Denney, Scott Johnson, Brian Logan, Riley Stephenson and R.J. Willing. Johnson and Matt Bauman were named Academic All-Americans last week as well. Congratulations to each of these student-athletes!

It should also be noted that Pitta was one of only three players (Jeremy Kerley and Jerry Hughes, TCU) in the conference to be a unanimous selection. For Pitta and Jorgensen this was their third time on the All-MWC First-Team.

TCU had an incredible 15 selections between the 1st and 2nd teams and nearly swept the player/coach of the year awards. The Utes also finished with six players on the All-MWC First-Team.

2009 ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL FIRST-TEAM
Offense
Pos.	Player	Cl.	School
QB	Andy Dalton	Jr.	TCU
WR	David Reed	Sr.	Utah
WR	Ryan Wolfe**	Sr.	UNLV
RB	Harvey Unga	Jr.	BYU
RB	Eddie Wide	Jr.	Utah
TE	Dennis Pitta**#	Sr.	BYU
OL	Matt Reynolds	So.	BYU
OL	Erik Cook	Sr.	New Mexico
OL	Marshall Newhouse	Sr.	TCU
OL	Marcus Cannon	Jr.	TCU
OL	Zane Beadles*	Sr.	Utah
PK	Ross Evans	So.	TCU
PR/KR	Jeremy Kerley*#	Jr.	TCU
Defense
Pos.	Player	Cl.	School
DL	Jan Jorgensen**	Sr.	BYU
DL	Jerry Hughes*#	Sr.	TCU
DL	Koa Misi	Sr.	Utah
DL	John Fletcher	Sr.	Wyoming
LB	Carmen Messina	So.	New Mexico
LB	Daryl Washington	Sr.	TCU
LB	Stevenson Sylvester	Sr.	Utah
DB	Reggie Rembert	Jr.	Air Force
DB	Rafael Priest	Sr.	TCU
DB	Nick Sanders	Sr.	TCU
DB	Robert Johnson	Sr.	Utah
P	Adam Miller	Sr.	New Mexico
--Two-Time First-Team Selection *--Three-Time First-Team Selection #--Unanimous Selection
2009 ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL SECOND-TEAM
Offense
Pos.	Player	Cl.	School
QB	Max Hall	Sr.	BYU
WR	Vincent Brown	Jr.	San Diego State
WR	DeMarco Sampson	Sr.	San Diego State
RB	Joseph Turner	Sr.	TCU
RB	Jared Tew	Jr.	Air Force
TE	Andrew George	Sr.	BYU
OL	Nick Charles	Sr.	Air Force
OL	Peter Lusk	Sr.	Air Force
OL	Caleb Schlauderaff	Jr.	Utah
OL	Jake Kirkpatrick	Jr.	TCU
OL	Zane Taylor	Jr.	Utah
PK	Erik Soderberg	So.	Air Force
PR/KR	Dion Morton	Sr.	Colorado State
Defense
Pos.	Player	Cl.	School
DL	Wayne Daniels	Jr.	TCU
DL	Ben Garland	Sr.	Air Force
DL	Johnathan Rainey	So.	New Mexico
DL	Cory Grant	Jr.	TCU
LB	Tank Carder	So.	TCU
LB	Mychal Sisson	So.	Colorado State
LB	Brian Hendricks	So.	Wyoming
DB	Andrew Rich	Jr.	BYU
DB	Anthony Wright	So.	Air Force
DB	Tejay Johnson	Jr.	TCU
DB	Chris Prosinski	Jr.	Wyoming
P	Brian Stahovich	So.	San Diego State
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Andy Dalton, Jr., QB, TCU
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Jerry Hughes, Sr., DE, TCU
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR Jeremy Kerley, Jr., KR, TCU
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR Austyn Carta-Samuels, QB, Wyoming
COACH OF THE YEAR Gary Patterson, TCU

2009 HONORABLE MENTION
Air Force:	John Falgout, Sr., LB; Brandon Geyer, Sr., P; Ryan Gonzales, Sr., OL; Chris Thomas, Sr., DB.
BYU:	Coleby Clawson, Sr., LB; Brett Denney, Sr., DL; Scott Johnson, Sr., DB; Brian Logan, Jr., DB;Riley Stephenson, Fr., P; R.J. Willing, Sr., OL.
Colorado State:	Adrian Martinez, Sr., OL; Nick Oppenneer, Sr., DB; Cole Pemberton, Sr., OL; Shelley Smith, Sr., OL; Tim Walter, Sr., OL.
New Mexico:	Kendall Briscoe, Sr., DL.
San Diego State:	Davion Mauldin, Sr., KR; Jerry Milling, Sr., LB.
TCU:	Evan Frosch, Jr., TE; Antoine Hicks, So., WR; Jeremy Kerley, Jr., WR; Ed Wesley, Fr., RB; Jimmy Young, Jr., WR.
UNLV:	Jason Beauchamp, Sr., LB; Joe Hawley, Sr., OL; Matt Murphy, Jr., OL.
Utah:	Joe Phillips, Jr., K; Sean Sellwood, Fr., P; Sealver Siliga, So., DL; Mike Wright, Sr., LB.
Wyoming:	David Leonard, Jr., WR; Austin McCoy, So., P; Mitch Unrein, Sr., DL.

2009 Mountain West All-Conference Football Team Announced

Jeremy Mauss — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:54:10 -0000

As expected TCU lead the way with all-conference selections, but they ran away with 15 first and second team selections which more then doubles second place BYU with seven spots. The Horned Frogs also took home three of four player of the year awards, and coach of the year -- the one loss was freshman of the year which went to Wyoming's QB Austyn Carta-Samuels.

Some irony in the list is that New Mexico had the first team punter; he did have the most chances to impress. A choice that was not expected when the season started was Utah RB Eddie Wide who ran for over 1,000 yards but was to be the back up before Matt Asiata tore his ACL in the Louisville game.

The offensive player of the year award went to TCU's QB Andy Dalton while the defensive award went to TCU's DE Jerry Hughes. The rest of the awards are after the jump.

2009 ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL FIRST-TEAM
Offense
Pos.	Player	Cl.	School
QB	Andy Dalton	Jr.	TCU
WR	David Reed	Sr.	Utah
WR	Ryan Wolfe**	Sr.	UNLV
RB	Harvey Unga	Jr.	BYU
RB	Eddie Wide	Jr.	Utah
TE	Dennis Pitta**#	Sr.	BYU
OL	Matt Reynolds	So.	BYU
OL	Erik Cook	Sr.	New Mexico
OL	Marshall Newhouse	Sr.	TCU
OL	Marcus Cannon	Jr.	TCU
OL	Zane Beadles*	Sr.	Utah
PK	Ross Evans	So.	TCU
PR/KR	Jeremy Kerley*#	Jr.	TCU
Defense
Pos.	Player	Cl.	School
DL	Jan Jorgensen**	Sr.	BYU
DL	Jerry Hughes*#	Sr.	TCU
DL	Koa Misi	Sr.	Utah
DL	John Fletcher	Sr.	Wyoming
LB	Carmen Messina	So.	New Mexico
LB	Daryl Washington	Sr.	TCU
LB	Stevenson Sylvester	Sr.	Utah
DB	Reggie Rembert	Jr.	Air Force
DB	Rafael Priest	Sr.	TCU
DB	Nick Sanders	Sr.	TCU
DB	Robert Johnson	Sr.	Utah
P	Adam Miller	Sr.	New Mexico
--Two-Time First-Team Selection *--Three-Time First-Team Selection #--Unanimous Selection
2009 ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL SECOND-TEAM
Offense
Pos.	Player	Cl.	School
QB	Max Hall	Sr.	BYU
WR	Vincent Brown	Jr.	San Diego State
WR	DeMarco Sampson	Sr.	San Diego State
RB	Joseph Turner	Sr.	TCU
RB	Jared Tew	Jr.	Air Force
TE	Andrew George	Sr.	BYU
OL	Nick Charles	Sr.	Air Force
OL	Peter Lusk	Sr.	Air Force
OL	Caleb Schlauderaff	Jr.	Utah
OL	Jake Kirkpatrick	Jr.	TCU
OL	Zane Taylor	Jr.	Utah
PK	Erik Soderberg	So.	Air Force
PR/KR	Dion Morton	Sr.	Colorado State
Defense
Pos.	Player	Cl.	School
DL	Wayne Daniels	Jr.	TCU
DL	Ben Garland	Sr.	Air Force
DL	Johnathan Rainey	So.	New Mexico
DL	Cory Grant	Jr.	TCU
LB	Tank Carder	So.	TCU
LB	Mychal Sisson	So.	Colorado State
LB	Brian Hendricks	So.	Wyoming
DB	Andrew Rich	Jr.	BYU
DB	Anthony Wright	So.	Air Force
DB	Tejay Johnson	Jr.	TCU
DB	Chris Prosinski	Jr.	Wyoming
P	Brian Stahovich	So.	San Diego State
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Andy Dalton, Jr., QB, TCU
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Jerry Hughes, Sr., DE, TCU
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR Jeremy Kerley, Jr., KR, TCU
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR Austyn Carta-Samuels, QB, Wyoming
COACH OF THE YEAR Gary Patterson, TCU

2009 HONORABLE MENTION
Air Force:	John Falgout, Sr., LB; Brandon Geyer, Sr., P; Ryan Gonzales, Sr., OL; Chris Thomas, Sr., DB.
BYU:	Coleby Clawson, Sr., LB; Brett Denney, Sr., DL; Scott Johnson, Sr., DB; Brian Logan, Jr., DB; Riley Stephenson, Fr., P; R.J. Willing, Sr., OL.
Colorado State:	Adrian Martinez, Sr., OL; Nick Oppenneer, Sr., DB; Cole Pemberton, Sr., OL; Shelley Smith, Sr., OL; Tim Walter, Sr., OL.
New Mexico:	Kendall Briscoe, Sr., DL.
San Diego State:	Davion Mauldin, Sr., KR; Jerry Milling, Sr., LB.
TCU:	Evan Frosch, Jr., TE; Antoine Hicks, So., WR; Jeremy Kerley, Jr., WR; Ed Wesley, Fr., RB; Jimmy Young, Jr., WR.
UNLV:	Jason Beauchamp, Sr., LB; Joe Hawley, Sr., OL; Matt Murphy, Jr., OL.
Utah:	Joe Phillips, Jr., K; Sean Sellwood, Fr., P; Sealver Siliga, So., DL; Mike Wright, Sr., LB.
Wyoming:	David Leonard, Jr., WR; Austin McCoy, So., P; Mitch Unrein, Sr., DL.

Holy War: All the Audio One Could Want

Jeremy Mauss — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 00:00:12 -0000

This is your place for all the audio from the Utah vs. BYU game aka The Holy War. Check out all the interviews by coaches, players and former players as they weigh in on the game.

Utah WR coach Aaron Roderick

Former BYU QB John Beck

BYU TE Dennis Pitta

Former BYU QB Charile Peterson

Former Utah LB Tommy Hackenbruck

BYU LB Matt Bauman

BYU DE Jan Jorgensen

BYU HC Bronco Mendenhall Press Conference

Former Utah WR Travis Latendresse

Pre-Game Poll: TCU vs. BYU

sroufe — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:11:49 -0000

More photos » by George Frey - AP

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There are all kinds of intriguing match-ups and anticipated strategies going into Saturday's contest with the Horned Frogs. Which Cougar's performance is the most vital to BYU tomorrow at LES?

Poll

Who must have the biggest performance in order for BYU to defeat TCU?

Nick Alleto

8 votes

Max Hall

28 votes

Jan Jorgensen and the D-line

16 votes

Harvey Unga

12 votes

Other (Leave Comment)

0 votes

64 votes | Poll has closed

Friday Night Lights

danbyu1 — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 22:46:10 -0000

More photos » by George Frey - AP

2 months ago: BYU's Dennis Pitta, left, catches a touchdown pass as Utah State's Adrian Bybee looks on during a NCAA college football game at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah, Friday, Oct. 2, 2009. (AP Photo/George Frey)

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I love football, and like many of you, played in high school where it was tradition to wear your jersey to school and walk around with your chest puffed out eager for the school day to end, the lights to come on and game time to appear. I think that is why we love night games. There is so much we can relate to, because many of us have been there. Here is a list of who shined under the lights Friday night...

Harvey Unga with 118 yards on 21 carries and a TD. Harvey is back, and ready to roll. Rain or shine, light or dark Harvey is as dependable a running back as you can get. The guy broke his finger and just shook it off to go play ball. That is a man!

Dennis Pitta had 5 catches for 83 yards and 2 TD's. The thing that I have come to admire about Pitta is how he makes himself into a big target. If you watch him catch the ball he will always try to catch it with both hands right in front of his chest. At 6'5" he creates quite a target making him an easy favorite for Max Hall.

Luke Ashworth has shown what he can do. His 48 yard TD catch was not a flash in the pan, but a start of what can be a great career for the Jr. receiver. He is finding favor with Hall and has shown that he can run good routes and get open.

Jan Jorgensen welcome! Five games in and he got a sack. Hopefully this wakes the beast formerly known as Jan Jorgensen. Heaven knows we need him.

Andrew Rich's praise is long overdue. He has played well in all five games, causing 3 fumbles against OU! I would suggest for anyone who wants to learn how to play safety and how to tackle correctly to watch Andrew Rich. Rich has been a steady defender amongst a sea of defensive turmoil that has been the first five games of the BYU football season.

5 Questions with Vanquish The Foe

bhsmarine — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 20:59:01 -0000

With the Brigham Young vs Colorado State game this week I tossed five questions at the BYU bloggers, Layton and sroufe from Vanquish The Foe. The replies are below and you can catch my response to their questions over at Vanquish The Foe here.

1. What hurt you more in the FSU game, their athleticism or your mistakes?

Layton: I've got to go by what I saw in the game, which mimicked what Bronco Mendenhall has been saying this past week: BYU's mistakes were the problem. He said the BYU defense committed 27 assignment mistakes which they had not make the previous two weeks, not to mention, any time your offense turns the ball over 5 times you aren't going to win the game, nor do you deserve to win the game.

sroufe: You could make solid arguments for either FSU's athleticism or the BYU's mistakes. It's obviously a combination - but when any team commits five turnovers and forces none themselves it's nearly impossible to overcome. The most disappointing aspect of those turnovers was that almost all of them could have been avoided. WR O'Neill Chambers' fumble during the Cougars' opening drive was a bad omen and set a tone for poor execution. Jan Jorgensen's fumble on the kickoff just before half was equally inexcusable. Max Hall's three picks were all bad - but the last one was under heavy pressure with him desperately trying to get his team back in the game. In my view that was the least worrisome of the interceptions - the earlier two were simply atrocious. Mendenhall said early this week that the team's defense committed at least 27 assignment errors.

Oklahoma was every bit as athletic, if not more so than the Seminoles, but it was FSU's approach and BYU's miscues that caused them to have such resounding success. Where FSU's athleticism visibly hurt the most was with a mobile QB like Christian Ponder. Still, if the Cougars don't fumble the ball twice in the first half they'd have been in less of a hole during the second half. Consequently Hall may not have been forcing ill-advised passes and BYU makes it a competitive game. If the defense makes fewer assignment errors as Mendenhall indicated the Cougars could have kept it close despite Ponder's athleticism and the Seminoles' dominance in the trenches - and the home field would have been a greater advantage to BYU late in the game. So following these inferences, the Cougars' mistakes were the most costly but their lack of athleticism didn't help either.

If the Cougars commit 5 turnovers and 27 defensive assignment errors against any team, including Colorado State, they'll be in trouble. Florida State is a very good football team and certainly deserves to be ranked in the Top 20 nationally. But because of BYU's myriad of errors the Seminoles appeared like they should be competing for the National Championship this season.

2. How will BYU stand up against the deep ball and will they be ready for the gadget plays of CSU?

Layton: This is a great question, and one the BYU defense is still unproven in answering. However, the 3-4 defense BYU runs is designed, when done correctly, to keep everything in front of them. The exciting thing about this year is the cornerbacks and safeties this year are quick enough to actually make that happen.

I've heard that CSU's new offense is patterned after the teams of the 90s, which could spell trouble for the Cougars. If CSU is able to establish the run early it will open up that deep passing game.

sroufe: BYU hasn't been burned significantly thus far with deep balls. Brian Logan is a major upgrade in terms of athleticism despite his lack of height at field corner. Brandon Bradley has been solid as well. Actually, the corners were really the lone bright spots against FSU. Bradley led the team in tackles and Logan was second. Overall the secondary is much improved this season from last. Of course they'll be tested by Rashaun Greer and Dion Morton - but they aren't any better than Jarmon Fortson (FSU), Jeremy Williams (Tulane), Brandon Caleb, or Ryan Broyles (OU). In terms of gadget plays - we're expecting Jaime Hill and the defense to be well prepared and play hungry following their embarrassment last weekend. The linebackers in particular should play with something to prove against the Rams.

3. Does the CSU defense scare you at all with their improved play? Almost halfway to their turnover total of last year (10 in 2009 to 22 in 2008) and 2 away from their sack total last year (7 to 9).

Layton: It's still too early to be scared by a defense. Even in BYU's loss to FSU, Max Hall and Co., were able to drive down the field pretty easily. CSU's statistics are impressive so far, but they haven't played an offense the caliber of BYU. I expect the Cougars to put a lot of points on the board Saturday.

The one component of that that does scare me is their ability to create turnovers. Being turnover prone is one of the most frustrating things about Max Hall. If he continues to turn the ball over like he has through three games, it could get scary for BYU.

sroufe: I'm not sure there are too many defenses, if any, that could "scare" the Cougars' offense this season. They put up 28 on the Seminoles despite fumbling deep in FSU territory, throwing three interceptions and only having the ball for 20 minutes. The concerns with BYU's offense have almost exclusively been in terms of injuries. The Cougar O-line is thin due to season ending injuries to projected starter Jason Speredon, and Dallas Reynolds. Now Braden Hansen is expected to miss several weeks as well. Against FSU the O-line got worn out by midway through the second half - and because the Seminoles knew BYU had to pass to get back in the game they started to blitz more and everything folded in terms of execution for the Cougars.

If the Rams want to keep the game competitive they'll have to pressure Hall and his supporting cast to make more mistakes. If Hall has time to throw he'll find someone, whether it's Pitta, Jacobson, Unga, Chambers, George, Kariya, Tonga, DiLuigi, Ashworth or Hafoka. All of those players have proven they can be playmakers if given the right opportunity. The Rams simply have to force turnovers the way they did against the Wolfpack. If they don't, BYU's offense can put big numbers up in a hurry.

4. Harvey Unga is playing hurt, but still getting yards. How would you approach his injury and how do you think he impacts the game against CSU?

Layton: Harvey Unga is fine. He's better than anything BYU has, and he'll probably leave school the all-time leading rusher. Not only that, but he has the ability to play through pain. In his first game of the year last week, he was able to tear up an ACC defense. I suspect he'll have over a hundred yards rushing and a couple touchdowns against CSU.

sroufe: Unga has played in each of the last two contests and then exited early because of aggravating his hamstring injury. Before leaving against the Seminoles he proved to be the Cougars' best offensive weapon. If it were me however, I would sit Harvey out completely against Colorado State this week and against Utah State the week following. I wouldn't let him play until the Cougars travel to UNLV on October 10^th. BYU was able to beat Oklahoma without him and Kariya and DiLuigi impressed against Tulane as well. Of course, neither can perform on the same level as a 100% healthy Unga - but for BYU to move the ball and score against the Rams (and the Aggies) they shouldn't need Unga.

Still, if Unga does play against CSU, expect more of the same. He ran for 97 yards on just 10 carries against FSU. He's also a terror for linebackers to cover out of the backfield and he likes to punish any DB that will challenge him with an attempted open-field tackle. If Unga plays against CSU he won't be 100%, but he would still make enough of an impact on the game that he'd have to be accounted for by the Rams' defense on every single down he's out there - and that would open things up for the passing game even further.

5. How much do the missions that players go on effect recruiting and the athleticism that BYU puts on the field? Does it help in anyways?

Layton: I want to be clear that LDS missions are optional, not required.

Onto the question, BYU's recruiting situation is incredibly unique in college football. Under Mendenhall, a system has been established to get the best LDS athletes to BYU, and as a result, they have a constant influx of good talent. They already have 25 commits for 2010, and 4 for 2011. That's remarkable, especially when considering the talent and hype of Jake Heaps (top-rated high school QB), Ross Apo (Texas WR who spurned the Longhorns), Zac Stout (Texas linebacker), etc....

As for the athleticism factor, BYU's team this year is more athletic than any team since 1996, when they went 14-1. What Bronco likes to have is a nice blend of JC transfers and athletic players at skill positions (i.e. Brian Logan and Lee Aguirre at corner) and big, smart players at other positions.

Having said that, BYU's overall team speed must still improve if they want to compete with really fast teams like Florida and Texas...

sroufe: In terms of the school's athletic programs dealing with two-year deferrals for missions, it can often create some major logistical hurdles in terms of recruiting. Every individual is different, and while most leave soon after their 19^th birthday for two years, that isn't always the case. There are many intangibles. However, the BYU athletic department has been dealing with these issues for decades and the coaches (i.e. LaVell Edwards) have created recruiting specifications and strategies to incorporate missions into their programs.

In terms of eligibility, the student simply receives a two-year deferral from school and the student has to plan accordingly to when they want to leave and come back. For example, BYU WR McKay Jacobson left on a mission to Sapporo, Japan soon after his freshman season was completed in December of 2006. He returned earlier this year and is currently a sophomore in terms of NCAA eligibility.

In terms of athleticism, again it's different for every individual. Many don't touch a football at all for 24 months. So not only is athleticism diminished but the skills developed through years of practice dwindle as well. Still, many players, like Jacobson, are able to return from the missions with several months before the football season begins so that they have time to get back into shape. If you have further questions regarding LDS missions and their effects on BYU athletics feel free to start a discussion over at VTF...

Keys to a BYU win?

Layton: Minimize mistakes and turnovers and stay healthy. BYU clearly has superior talent in this matchup, and they'll be hungry playing at home after last week's humiliating loss.

Prediction: BYU 42, CSU 20

Florida State's Offensive Line Powers Upset of #7 BYU Cougars

FSUncensored — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 05:09:18 -0000

Florida State's Offensive Line Coach Rick Trickett is considered one of the finest coaches in the country at any position.

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Going into their game against the 7th ranked BYU cougars, Florida State had many doubters. Most national pundits predicted that FSU would lose by a minimum of two touchdowns. Outside of the Nole's questionable defense, they also faced doubts about their offensive line. Thought of as the best in the ACC and one of the best in the country headed into the season, the Noles OLine didn't dominate Miami in the run game, though they did pass protect very well, allowing only 2 sacks on 43 pass plays. Against Jacksonville State, they struggled, like the rest of the Nole team did off of only two days of practice and the Miami loss still lingering. Writers wondered where the Seminole's vaunted run game had gone? Coming into BYU, few thought the Noles would remedy their run game problems, particularly because the Cougar defense had been so dominant, or so they seemed.

Last week I broke down the BYU-Oklahoma film and thought that it wasn't that BYU's defense was so amazing, but that Oklahoma beat themselves with repeated dumb penalties and a silly gameplan. Check the link, I called it. People often underestimate the importance of offensive line play and thus fail to account for it when evaluating a team. But offensive line play can make an average running back look like a world-beater, or make a talented quarterback look below average. OU's offensive line was the country's finest last year, but this year, replacing 4 starters, and having to move a tight end to center after an injury, they cost Oklahoma the game against BYU with 10 offensive penalties including 5+ false starts. I profiled it in that article, but if FSU was to beat BYU, they would have to avoid 3rd and long situations and silly offensive penalties, because BYU plays great team defense but they struggle when having to defend both the run and the pass because of their lack of athleticism.

But FSU Offensive Coordinator/ Head Coach in Waiting Jimbo Fisher said that he was was not worried about the run game or the offensive line. Florida State's legendary Offensive Line Coach Rick Trickett guaranteed that his unit would get things worked out. He unilaterally denied all interview requests for his linemen, stating that they were going to "stop talking and start blocking."

Florida State's offensive line could not have performed better. Their play was the antithesis of Oklahoma's offensive line. Not only did the Nole's offensive front not lose the game for Florida State, they absolutely won it. While OU committed 10 offensive penalties, the Noles had only 1 enforced against their starters (FSU pulled their first team offense once the score got to 54-21. At the time they were pulled, FSU starters were gaining 7.2 yards per snap of the football). BYU was shellshocked. "We didn't think they would be so physical," said BYU Coach Bronco Mendenhall. It started from the opening play. FSU would not punt until the end of the 3rd quarter, with the game already well in hand. The Noles marched for touchdown drives of 60, 70, 80, 82, and 86 yards the first three quarters. FSU dominated BYU. Everyone wants to assume that FSU's speed made the difference, but the Nole's offensive line was much, much stronger than BYU's defensive front. BYU's linebackers could not get off the blocks of FSU's offensive line. Florida State's likely All-America guard Rodney Hudson took home ACC offensive lineman of the week honors.

After the jump, see just how dominant they were.

The Noles run game was excellent. The offensive line did not allow a tackle for loss (though one did come on a reverse where an FSU wideout made an ill-advised juke by the sideline.) It started on 1st down. The Noles had 21 1st down runs. The results were as follows: 12, 12, 9, 9 (touchdown), 6, 5, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1 (touchdown). Florida State did not have any runs stopped for no gain or loss. Zero. They also dominated short yardage. On 2nd and 3 or less, FSU ran every time and picked up the first down, every time: Down-Distance (Gained) 2-2 (6), 2-1 (4), 2-2 (4), 2-1 (4). Third down was the same story, 3-1 (6), 3-1 (4), 3-1 (2). The announcers were stunned, calling the offensive line "velcro" because BYU's defensive linemen and linebackers could not shed the blocks. Want another crazy nugget? BYU's leading tacklers were their cornerbacks, who had 10 and 11 respectively. BYU's cornerbacks had more tackles than the defensive line and linebackers combined, mostly because Florida State's line denied them any penetration and consistently put them on their backs.

"We showed great efficiency on a down to down basis. Constantly stayed ahead of the sticks. Were always in manageable downs, we executed with great consistency, we were very physical up front, were very multiple, distributed the ball a bunch (8 different Seminoles carried the ball), we won 1st down consistently," said Florida State Offensive Coordinator and Head Coach in Waiting Jimbo Fisher, who coached the Noles to the ACC's top offense last season and won the ACC Offensive Coordinator of the Year award. Florida State held the ball for 40 minutes, compared to just 20 for BYU.

It wasn't just the run game. Christian Ponder was an incredible 21-26 passing for 195 yards, 2 TD's and no interceptions. His quarterback rating was a preposterous 170. But the credit also needs to go to the offensive line. Ponder was not sacked. He was hurried only twice, and was hit only three times. Florida State had an incredible 30 1st downs. They started out a perfect 10-for-10 on third downs, and the starters were 11-of-13 overall. Ponder had time to go through all of his reads. When BYU blitzed, FSU picked it up and FSU isolated the single coverage. When BYU played a conservative zone, Ponder sat back and read all five players in the pattern.

Perhaps the best way to judge their performance is to ask BYU's coach, Bronco Mendenhall:

"I thought they played hard, I thought they played physical and I thought they sustained it from beginning to end. I was very impressed with their preparation. A frustrating loss for our football program. Our inability to make critical stops on third down, due to the way Florida State was playing. They won the physical matchup in terms of being able to run the football, and run it effectively from the beginning of the night through the end of the night. I thought those factors were the biggest difference in the game -- prohibiting our offfense from having enough snaps and being on the field frequently enough to give us the balance we were hopeful for. Florida State played more physical tonight. I think they played with more hunger, meaning more desire. Many plays were stopped at the point of attack, but I think hey continued to play longer and harder than we played.

I was impressed through the week with their line's athleticism. I was impressed today that they were more physical than I anticipated. They were very athletic in the first two football games in terms of getting downfield on their screen passes, and cutting. Their size is more like defensive linemen, as you watch them. So they are very athletic. I didn't think they would be able to move us off the line of scrimmage. And not only did they do that, they did it consistently, beginning to end. And that was the biggest surprise to me of the game. And I have to give them credit."

[On the difference between FSU and BYU's front, and why Bronco expected to have success against FSU]: "Because I believe Oklahoma's offensive line was a very good front, and I think that we were capable of more. Yet, they, from beginning to end, ran the football and it wasn't a lot of elaborate schemes. It was basically zone blocking which was their men against our men."

[On Halftime Adjustments]: "Really, when it comes down to the adjustments made -- and this will sound maybe less than what you hoped to hear, it really comes down to gap integrity, and each player doing exactly what they are supposed to do. And when you run zone schemes, someone is losing at the point of attack, or someone is getting cut off, and losing their gap. And that is where seams develop."

"Basically, man for man, Florida State's run offense was better than our run defense this evening. And when you start taking chances and bringing pressure -- and we brought more today than probably in any of the previous two games, maybe all of last year, in trying to help them make plays, but even then Florida State handled that well. Everything we had planned and prepared, we used. And none of which was very effective. Our zone pressures weren't working in terms of getting to the quarterback. We had some man pressures that also weren't effective. And base zone and even dropping eight [wasn't effective]. So execution ultimately was their execution was better than ours."

While All-America Candidate Left Guard Rodney Hudson took home ACC Offensive Lineman of the week honors, other starters played at an extremely high level as well. Left Tackle Andrew Datko is following up his Freshman All-America campaign with a great outing, dominating the Mountain West Conferences's All-Time Sack Leader Jan Jorgensen. Center Ryan McMahon improved his performance immensely from the Miami game and importantly, kept the line abreast of the various blitzes BYU was running from their uncommon 3-4 alignment. Right Guard David Spurlock and Right Tackle Zebrie Sanders both played extremely physical and did a great job maintaining their blocks, allowing the runner to find the hole.

It seems obvious now that the running game wasn't dominant against Miami because Miami schemed to take away the run and allow the pass, if Ponder could throw it, because FSU couldn't throw well last season, and because Miami has an excellent defensive tackle tandem which played well against Rodney Hudson while Hudson had an injured foot. But Ponder showed FSU can and will throw the ball, and now that teams have to respect both the run and the pass, they are in a bind. Florida State is averaging more than 450 yards against ranked teams. No school is averaging more (minimum 2 games). Starting last season when they were the youngest offensive line in the country with three true freshmen and two sophomores as part of FSU's Undercover Youth Movement, this unit has steadily improved. If a team is going to stop FSU's run game, they better have an elite level front-7, of which are only found at Clemson, UNC, and UF, on FSU's schedule, or they are just going to have to gamble and risk being shredded by the pass. With no Seniors and everyone expected to return in 2010, this offensive line has a serious chance to be the clear cut top unit in the country next season. The offense could follow a similar path. While It's not yet the best in the country, it should be the ACC's best again this season and has a real chance to be the best in the country in 2010.

Florida State Crushes BYU and ends any hope of National Title Chatter

Jeremy Mauss — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 06:20:37 -0000

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Final - 9.19.2009	1	2	3	4	Total
Florida St. Seminoles	7	23	14	10	54
BYU Cougars	0	14	7	7	28

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BYU was walloped by unranked Florida State which ended BYU's 18 game home winning streak. Max Hall returned to his old form from 2008 where he threw for eight picks and only one score when he played Utah, TCU, and Arizona. Hall threw three interceptions then there were the two fumbles with Jan Jorgensen fumbling a kick off and then WR O'Neill Chambers also fumbled after a catch.

This game was gong back and forth until Florida State scored 24 straight points which came by BYU fumbling a kickoff and an interception return for a touchdown. BYU's defense was able to hold QB Christian Ponder to 100 yards under his average on the year which was just over 300 yards.

The real killer for the game was the running game which was able to gain 313 yards which in turn made the time of possession well in the favor of Florida State -- 40 minutes to 20 minutes.

BYU's offense was not terrible Max Hall did throw for over 300 yards and RB Harvey Unga was back for his first full game action with 97 yards. The stalled drives and turnovers hurt any chances for BYU in this game. Their defense was decent by forcing third downs however FSU was able to convert 12 of 15 third downs.

All throughout the game it seemed that FSU was able to get that key first down or big pass play to keep the chains moving. WR Jarmon Fortson who is 6-3 was able to leap over the shorter BYU defensive backs and made a few impressive plays for FSU. This game just seemed that FSU was playing the perfect game with making key plays and not making mistakes-- well there was the nine penalties for 74 yards.

This loss essentially takes BYU out of the running for a BCS game, but not entirely. The odds are slim because Boise State just beat up on their toughest opponent in Fresno State and Nevada does not look as tough as thought. Also, TCU is on a good start to the season and will be ranked ahead of BYU. The only hope is for BYU to win out which would include good wins against Oklahoma, TCU, and Utah all who will be ranked at some point in the season; plus they will need Boise State to lose a game. So, the odds are slim of a one loss BYU team to make their first BCS game.

Recap: BYU disintegrates in 54-28 loss to Florida State

sroufe — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 05:48:38 -0000

As a law student I'm continually expanding my vocabulary. One of the legal terms I learned this week was: "Surplusage, a superfluous and useless statement of matter wholly foreign and impertinent to the cause."

For an example, the following quote is from our preview of today's contest between BYU and Florida State:

"...BYU has the advantage of being at home, an experienced QB that plays even better at home, they should have a healthier Harvey Unga, and both their O-lineman and D-lineman have some size advantages..."

So much for those projections. Something I'm trying to keep in perspective, after such a devastating defeat, is that just two weeks ago BYU was ranked below the Seminoles. Bobby Bowden's team is excellent this season. I couldn't put it any better than Tomahawk Nation has already done tonight: "Florida State is a dropped 4-yard pass against an excellent Miami team away from being a top ten team. It's really perplexing how the pollsters drop a team so much for losing a game that was evenly played. Pollsters need to look at the play and not just the score."

The Cougars were beaten thoroughly - no matter if you look at the play or the score. The Seminoles racked up 512 yards (313 on the ground!), did not turn the ball over once and controlled the ball for approximately twice the amount of time as BYU. And while BYU certainly had the offensive tools to compete with FSU, three interceptions and two costly fumbles generally nullified everything.

This was a beatdown if almost every sense. It's hard to take a lot of positives out of tonight's game. The worst part however came when several BYU players acted inappropriately late in the game and instigated some highly unnecessary altercations, including a personal foul call on the Seminoles. Mendenhall acknowledged FSU's emotional fortitude as well as their preparation after the game as it vastly overshadowed that of his team's.

In all, an exceptionally disappointing loss - not just for the program's 2009 hopes, but for the MWC as well. Combine it with the Ute's loss today in Eugene and the conference took a major step backward after accomplishing so much this past year. The non-BCS now can only rely on TCU and Boise State this season.

More after the jump...

Where do we as fans lay the blame for this result? The defense was obviously as atrocious in this game as they were phenomenal against the Sooners. What gives? Linebackers Matt Bauman, Shawn Doman and Grant Nelson combined for just three tackles. Jan Jorgensen and Brett Denney each had just one. Incredibly, the starting corners led the team: Brandon Bradley with nine and Brian Logan with 8. That's incredible because the Seminoles rushed the ball 49 times. Part of it might be the loss of starting nose tackle Russell Tialavea who suffered an ACL injury early and never returned. But realistically that's only a small reason why the Seminoles - specifically Ty Jones, Christian Ponder and Lonnie Pryor - ran at will. BYU, despite their experienced D-line and LB core, simply couldn't keep up athletically and FSU's Offensive Coordinator Jimbo Fisher (apparently called "Jumbo" on Versus) exploited all their flaws.

On a side note, speaking of the Cougars' defensive flaws, or even more specifically their ineffectiveness at stopping mobile QB's like Ponder - look at today's upset in Seattle. USC has a stellar defense and they amazingly held Jake Locker to -15 yards rushing. However, one of Locker's eight carries was a six yard TD. Also, Locker's athleticism enabled the Huskies to score three second-half FG's in their upset over the Trojans. It was just that kind of day.

Whether it's Locker, Ponder or Brian Johnson - when opposing offenses are able to overpower the Cougars athletically from the QB position it opens up all kinds of weaknesses. Oklahoma did not spread BYU out defensively and tried to run the ball up their throat with DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown. Consequently BYU was not held accountable for being a less athletic program. FSU did the opposite. The Seminoles mixed it up with plays that worked to their strengths against BYU: bubble screens, QB draws, short yardage quick corner, drag and hitch routes. FSU's strengths became the Cougar's weaknesses as players like Grant Nelson and Matt Bauman are simply not good in coverage. Another obvious manipulation of a major mismatch was pick your BYU corner - against 6'3'' Jarmon Fortson. What are your thoughts on BYU's mediocre defensive performance?

Moving to the offense, there are fewer cons. Say what? That's right, obviously the turnovers were severe - but if BYU is able to touch the ball more in the first half then the results would be different. Of course it's complicated because O'Neill Chambers' opening drive fumble forced an already exhausted defense back on the field after just a quick breather. Credit has to go to the Seminoles for executing their game plan and keeping Max Hall and co. on the sideline.

The major area of concern from the offense has to be on the O-line. Without Braden Hansen, Jason Speredon and Dallas Reynolds that unit is depleted and by the 4th quarter it really showed. Of course FSU understood that the Cougars had to throw the ball in the second half so they started to bring everyone at Hall and confide in their secondary. The Seminoles were able to regularly rotate players on the D-line and BYU's line was forced to deal with that along with an increase in blitzes and fatigue. As Hall's pocket began to collapse more and more he tried to prevent sacks as well as make big plays to get his team back in the game. And it cost him. Hall's gambles came with terrible costs and it only exacerbated the Cougars' predicament.

This isn't an excuse for Hall. He made some serious misjudgments in the second half. But if you look at his first half he was playing very efficiently. I merely saw it as him trying to do too much while his protection was starting to fade. I have to comment on Greg Reid's interception however. That was just horrific. When I saw turn and try to chase Reid I actually laughed out loud and was thinking something along the lines of, "You fool! Do you know who that even is? You might as well try to race Usain Bolt while you're at it." Sickening. Just sickening...

I'm not going to get much into Unga's seemingly second reaggrevation of this hamstring injury. Why did he play against Tulane again? He's glaringly not 100% and if I were in charge he wouldn't play again until the UNLV game on October 10th. Wouldn't it be nice to have him carry the ball more than ten times? Especially with the type of production he demonstrated tonight. The Cougars are going to need him if they're going to beat TCU and make a run for the MWC championship - I don't care how good Kariya and DiLuigi have been.

The best part of this game was that it was on Versus and presumably less people (hopefully pollsters) saw the game apart from ESPN highlights (which I've ignored by the way). Still, in terms of BYU's BCS aspirations and the program's continued ability to fall just short, this one hurts.

In the words of Elvis Presley, "so close and yet so far from paradise..."

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Florida State Crushes BYU and ends any hope of National Title Chatter

Recap: BYU disintegrates in 54-28 loss to Florida State