The difference in this year's team

[byucougar1]

During a Q/A session with Ethan M. and Michael A. they said something very interesting about team chemistry:

MA: But really, I don't feel like there are cliques. I feel like last year there were cliques on the team, but not this year.

EM: I feel like it's because we have more leadership on the team this year. Riley Nelson has helped a lot, he's brought a lot of leadership.

MA: Last year we had colonies, this year we have a strong central government (laughs).

Q: How does that leadership affect the team?

EM: We all love Riley Nelson. He brings a great atmosphere into the locker room. He's got great leadership qualities and we all love him. It even helps make us want to practice harder.

MA: We all come to practice excited to be with our guys and we work hard together. When you do that, it brings you closer together. So it's just a cycle.

Really disappointed to here that this situation existed. Sounds like part of the reason the team didn't seem to jell or live up to expectations might be due to this internal crud. Nice to see leadership emerging and putting down any tendency to form cliques.

[Cougarbib]

It took the coaches too long to properly acknowledge and reward the team leader. Bronco has known since 2010 who the team leader was. Blinded by potential, I suppose. Potential is just a poor substitute for leadership.

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[frdbtr]

If we are to discuss coaching flaws. The one I see in BYU coaches is too much loyalty to returning starters. Heaps should have been benched as soon as the coaches heard that he never worked out with the team the summer before.

[Cougs_Rule]

It took the coaches too long to properly acknowledge and reward the team leader. Bronco has known since 2010 who the team leader was. Blinded by potential, I suppose. Potential is just a poor substitute for leadership.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

Oh, yes, the grand leader, er, mutineer, who consistently couldn't get IT done in practice while some snotty, entitled, horrible leader was getting IT done in practice. He sure was getting IT done in the locker room. Golly, Beav, why isn't Lark leading a mutiny? Why isn't Hill having secret locker room conversations with teammates to support him?

No fricken excuses this year BIb. Oh, wait, you already have been apologizing, lowering expectations, etc, etc, etc! If he's such a great leader, Bronco being blinded by, what was that, "potential", then there is nothing in the way now, right???!!!

It's Interesting how Jake was known for his "failed potential" and Riley is more known, currently, for overcoming his lack of potential. Credit Riley. But It's going to take more than "leadership" to beat top teams this year.

Riley deserves tremendous respect for preventing a second year loss and horrible blemish on the program with the come back to USU!! And he certainly gets credit for a bowl win and helping eak out a 10 win season that should register one of your famed asterisks.

But to suggest that Bronco was "blinded by potential" what does that same brand of logic suggest now? That is he is blinded to Riley's lack of passing success and easy to defend style against tough teams? That Riley's success against virtual D-II teams is representative of future success against tough teams? If Bronco was "blind" as you suggest, then he certainly could be in denial now as he predicts a top ten team. But then again, as Holmoe put it, "hope springs eternal this time of year." So, why not boast a top ten finish?

I will agree with one thing. It took Bronco too long to do something about what was ripping apart his team behind the scenes. And now there is a clear pathway for Sr stardom. I hope Riley makes that happen for the team, himself, the fans, and his legacy. Otherwise there might follow his name one of the biggest asterisks:

* the guy who won the vaunted QB battle, but couldnt bring home the glory.

*The guy who beat Jake Heaps and the team he turned his back on, but couldnt win A big one.

* (or I guess from Riley lover's perspective) Riley would have had a much better Sr year if he would not have been denied his rightful heir to the thrown during his Jr year by the "blinded" Bronco. Of course, this type of excuse making is ok these days since Obama will, for as long as he needs, blame His predecessor.

***this post has far less to do with bashing Riley and much more to do with over-simplifying myopia wherever it still exists in relation to the above topic.

[hawkwing]

Looks like Heaps' crazy little brother is back.

[Cougs_Rule]

If we are to discuss coaching flaws. The one I see in BYU coaches is too much loyalty to returning starters. Heaps should have been benched as soon as the coaches heard that he never worked out with the team the summer before.

So, should the coaches use similar logic and say, we're going to bench the qb who says he doesn't care what the coaches think and he is going to play the way he knows how to play?? Yep, that's almost verbatim what Riley said in an interview last week.
At best you are living in the past. At worst you are blind to the current faults of the guy who has been given the keys to the offense and is likely to take the majority of the reps this summer and fall but who has a standing appointment with the hospital and the bench because he will run his smashmouth style come hell or highwater.

[Cougs_Rule]

Thanks Hawk for giving me at least the dignity of gender defference. I'd prefer older brother, but won't be picky.

So what does that make Bib? Riley's grandfather? Jk, Bib.

[Cougarbib]

Thanks Hawk for giving me at least the dignity of gender defference. I'd prefer older brother, but won't be picky.

So what does that make Bib? Riley's grandfather? Jk, Bib.

I am OK with grandpa or grandma. At my age, all dignities have long since been stripped.

Bottom line - Riley Nelson, who likely will prove to be a very decent, but not great QB was able to get the team to gel and row in a common direction with Synergy. With Jake, some of them wanted to rise up but did not know what to do. Jake likely would have been and still will be fine with more maturity and experience.

If this Bibster Babble does not make sense, go watch the USU game - after Riley came in. Watch OL and others when Riley takes a busted play or designed play downfield, and the entire team, seemingly, smashes into Riley and the pile and drives it forward into a heap. They knew what to do and did it. They may have even blocked differently to spring him loose to get down field, knowing he would actually go downfield if a hole opened and then they followed him to drive the pile knowing he would not slide before any contact even approached.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[frdbtr]

If we are to discuss coaching flaws. The one I see in BYU coaches is too much loyalty to returning starters. Heaps should have been benched as soon as the coaches heard that he never worked out with the team the summer before.

So, should the coaches use similar logic and say, we're going to bench the qb who says he doesn't care what the coaches think and he is going to play the way he knows how to play?? Yep, that's almost verbatim what Riley said in an interview last week.
At best you are living in the past. At worst you are blind to the current faults of the guy who has been given the keys to the offense and is likely to take the majority of the reps this summer and fall but who has a standing appointment with the hospital and the bench because he will run his smashmouth style come hell or highwater.

I think my meaning was clear, you don't practice with the team during summer workouts, your starting job is not guaranteed. I don't care what player it is. golden boy QB or Grunt on the O or Dline.

Your baseless accusations about riley being the one that divided the team are getting old you know. There is no evidence to back it up. There is plenty of evidence to back up the side of the story that Heaps was someone who thought he was entitled to start at BYU without having to actually be part of the team. I have never been on a team where anyone had any respect for the "leader" who never showed up for work, have you? Oh and by the way, BYU has never actually registered a win with a "practice" qb, only with guys who can actually complete passes in a game.

[hawkwing]

Thanks Hawk for giving me at least the dignity of gender defference. I'd prefer older brother, but won't be picky.

So what does that make Bib? Riley's grandfather? Jk, Bib.

I would not want to be insulting

And I think that Bib would be the crazy ship captain? What with tides and boats and all?