by Corso » Sun Sep 26, 2004 3:24 pm
Not so fast, my friends!
OK, I'm with you all the way. I would lose my mind if we should pull off the upset. (I just woke up at 2PM, if you catch my drift.) I will sing the Ponies' praises to anyone who will listen, and also to those who won't listen.
However .... Boise State is a seriously talented team. Even more than that, they are a team with fantastic coaching. They execute their plays on offense and defense, they don't commit many penalties and they do not make a lot of mistakes. They haven't lost at home since before Idaho was a state (or thereabout), they have a large, enthusiastic fan base and they play on the goofiest field on earth.
BYU's defense had some success when it ran its 3-3-5 alignment (3 DLs, 3 LBs, 5 DBs). I don't know if we have the bodies or the ability to run a similar alignment or not -- if we haven't done it before, this isn't the time to start learning new schemes.
To win:
- We must avoid a letdown. Remember that for more than half the Mustangs, Saturday was the first win of their collegiate careers. The coaches and upperclassmen will be there to remind them of the long road ahead, but will some of the young'uns think that beating SJS is akin to winning a BCS bowl? To even contemplate an upset, we need to crank up the level of play more. A lot more.
- Foy Munlin must have another huge game. Strong, powerful running. Hit the defenders before they hit you. Wrap up the ball and blast through folks.
- We MUST create pressure on the QB and force BSU turnovers. Preferably several of each.
- Our DBs need to play the game of their lives. The BSU receivers aren't going to resemble a sprint relay team like some other teams, but they are a fantastic group. They run exact routes, they have good hands, they run well after the catch. And the new QB up there is accurate and tough.
So .... I'm not betting on a win. I want one in the worst way, but it's a monstrous task. If we win, it's party time -- and then some. If we don't win, let's have a good showing to offer further evidence of the improvement in our program. Here's to a perfect game by the Ponies!