Round 11 Recap
11.1 Luke Ashworth (drafted by Jay Drew)
In 2010 Jake Heaps' freshman season was plagued by a barrage of dropped passes from his wideouts. Greg Wrubell laid into the squad: "BYU QB Jake Heaps could sue his receiving corps for (the number of passes they've dropped)."
Was Ashworth a part of the problem? You tell me.
Most receivers try to catch with their hands and not their elbows, but then Ashworth was always a little unique. His history as a returned missionary who converted to a different church while at BYU is one of a kind. His performance at BYU was not. Here's the stat of note:
Dustin Johnson of 1996 lore caught 68 passes in his career. Ashworth caught 69.
Dustin Johnson was three parts blocker, fullback, and tight end. Ashworth was a receiver.
Dustin Johnson of 1996 lore caught 68 passes in his career. Ashworth caught 69.
Dustin Johnson was three parts blocker, fullback, and tight end. Ashworth was a receiver.
11.2 Skipped (BRoyalBlueCoug)
BRoyalBlueCoug just won a BYU trivia contest on Facebook. WTF???
11.3 John Denney (drafted by Cousin Newt)
I can't read the word Denney and not think of the breakfast diner. Denny's in real life may be struggling, yet Denny's in Animal Crossing is flourishing?
Imagine explaining this to your dad in 1960. "So you know Denny's, the breakfast place? Well, in the future you won't be able to go into the restaurant because of a worldwide virus but you can own a pretend one in a super computer that fits in your hand. Also owning pretend turnips will be more valuable than owning a pretend diner, just a heads up. Also, you can't really own a Denny's in this supercomputer. I was just joking. It was just a publicity stunt that the company illegally beamed to your handheld device via something called a tweet. "
Wait Dennys is also playing Call of Duty? What a time to be alive.
11.4 Ryan Denney (Drafted by Tax Commissioner Danny)
Ok time to talk about the BYU Denneys. Ryan Denney, drafted by Danny, who eats at Denny's, had a solid career in the NFL. Wait, whoops, I'm looking at his numbers from when he played on my Madden 2005 dream team. Let's check the real life NFL numbers ... oh! Totally respectable! Nearly 300 tackles and 24 sacks in 8 years of play. Well done!
NFL success for Ryan makes sense because by the time his senior year came around at BYU, well, just look at the performance. 68 tackles, 7 sacks, 19 TFL, 1 interception, 8 pass breakups, 4 forced fumbles, and 1 touchdown scored. This is a defensive lineman we're talking about.
The only area you can criticize Ryan on is in all-purpose yards. He finished 35th in that category in 2001. How embarrassing.
As for John Denney? His appearance in the Cougar uniform was not as dashing. He excelled in his time before BYU at Ricks College, earning all-region honors on a team that won a bowl game called the Real Dairy Bowl (insert your own USU joke here). And he excelled after in the NFL, where he embraced the John Stockton durability part of his name and played for 224 straight games as Miami Dolphin. Sure it was in the role of long snapper, but hey, still cool!
11.5 Ross Apo (drafted by me)
Blood of my blood! Ross Apo is my favorite BYU player who isn't a legend, if that makes sense. By all accounts the guy was a bust and man it pains me to write that. But! I think he was close to not being one if that makes sense (which I know it doesn't). Let me put it this way.
11.6 Matt Bellini (drafted by Odyseuss)
Let's see ... the first pick of this round was a player with 69 career catches. The fifth pick of this round was a player with 80 career catches. The player picked with this selection had 225(!!!) career catches. And he was a running back.
BRoyalBlueCoug just won a BYU trivia contest on Facebook. WTF???
11.3 John Denney (drafted by Cousin Newt)
I can't read the word Denney and not think of the breakfast diner. Denny's in real life may be struggling, yet Denny's in Animal Crossing is flourishing?
Imagine explaining this to your dad in 1960. "So you know Denny's, the breakfast place? Well, in the future you won't be able to go into the restaurant because of a worldwide virus but you can own a pretend one in a super computer that fits in your hand. Also owning pretend turnips will be more valuable than owning a pretend diner, just a heads up. Also, you can't really own a Denny's in this supercomputer. I was just joking. It was just a publicity stunt that the company illegally beamed to your handheld device via something called a tweet. "
Wait Dennys is also playing Call of Duty? What a time to be alive.
11.4 Ryan Denney (Drafted by Tax Commissioner Danny)
Ok time to talk about the BYU Denneys. Ryan Denney, drafted by Danny, who eats at Denny's, had a solid career in the NFL. Wait, whoops, I'm looking at his numbers from when he played on my Madden 2005 dream team. Let's check the real life NFL numbers ... oh! Totally respectable! Nearly 300 tackles and 24 sacks in 8 years of play. Well done!
NFL success for Ryan makes sense because by the time his senior year came around at BYU, well, just look at the performance. 68 tackles, 7 sacks, 19 TFL, 1 interception, 8 pass breakups, 4 forced fumbles, and 1 touchdown scored. This is a defensive lineman we're talking about.
The only area you can criticize Ryan on is in all-purpose yards. He finished 35th in that category in 2001. How embarrassing.
As for John Denney? His appearance in the Cougar uniform was not as dashing. He excelled in his time before BYU at Ricks College, earning all-region honors on a team that won a bowl game called the Real Dairy Bowl (insert your own USU joke here). And he excelled after in the NFL, where he embraced the John Stockton durability part of his name and played for 224 straight games as Miami Dolphin. Sure it was in the role of long snapper, but hey, still cool!
11.5 Ross Apo (drafted by me)
Blood of my blood! Ross Apo is my favorite BYU player who isn't a legend, if that makes sense. By all accounts the guy was a bust and man it pains me to write that. But! I think he was close to not being one if that makes sense (which I know it doesn't). Let me put it this way.
If you could replay one BYU player's career we of course would all choose Taysom. A healthy Taysom changes the legacy of Bronco and the entire destiny of BYU football.
But ... if there's another player I'd love to roll the dice on again it would be Ross Apo. If you replay this guy's career 10 times I think there are 5 or 6 timelines where he becomes the 4th player in BYU history to reach the 3,000 yard receiving mark. There's a timeline where this pass -- the most beautiful touchdown throw and catch from a BYU duo in 24 years -- is repeated game in game out, a move as unstoppable as Jimmer's crossover three.
For Ross, the talent was there; the quarterbacking was not.
The passion was there; the health was not.
The measurables were there; the offensive coordinators were not.
In reference to the coordinators, here's one of the craziest things from the Ross Apo era. BYU played USU in 2012 and while driving to the game I tuned in to the pre-game show. A member of the USU defensive staff was interviewed and he said this, in reference to Ross Apo and Cody Hoffman. "BYU has two tall, fast, strong wide receivers. Fortunately for us they don't use them very much."
That's how it felt during Apo's sophomore through senior years. Like he wasn't used. Wasn't targeted. Like he was being punished for having the Heaps stink on him. As a freshman with Jake at the helm he posted his best season with 34 catches, 453 yards, and a BYU freshman record 9 TDs. His next three years put together add up to 528 yards and 4 TDs.
Somewhere, in another world, it's much, much more.
Somewhere, in another world, it's much, much more.
11.6 Matt Bellini (drafted by Odyseuss)
Let's see ... the first pick of this round was a player with 69 career catches. The fifth pick of this round was a player with 80 career catches. The player picked with this selection had 225(!!!) career catches. And he was a running back.
If you're confused by those figures, so am I. Did Matt line up in the slot? Or was he exclusively used out of the backfield? Another question: what were his actual stats? The BYU record book credits him with 204 career receptions. Meanwhile his BYU athlete profile credits him with 225.
I need to know what his real stats are, because if we go with his athlete profile Bellini gained over 3,800 yards in his BYU career and that's a big deal if true!
How many BYU players have eclipsed 3,800 receiving/rushing yards in a career?
I need to know what his real stats are, because if we go with his athlete profile Bellini gained over 3,800 yards in his BYU career and that's a big deal if true!
How many BYU players have eclipsed 3,800 receiving/rushing yards in a career?
Curtis Brown, Harvey Unga, Jamal Willis, Jamaal Williams, and Lakei Heimuli. That's it. Matt, if you're out there reading, send me some of your stats cause I need to know if you're part of this group or not.
(Either way, this will likely turn out to be the value pick of the draft. The latest any of those guys up above went in the draft was round 6.)
11.7 Chris Smith (drafted by Brian Henderson, he who once helped me get a ticket to the 59-0 UCLA game)
The best season for yardage gained by a tight end in BYU history belongs to Chris Smith.
The second best season for yardage gained by by a tight end in BYU history belongs to ... Chris Smith.
Interesting.
The sixth best season for yardage gained by any pass catcher in BYU history belongs to Chris Smith.
The eighth best season for yardage gained by any pass catcher in BYU history belongs to Chris Smith.
Huh.
Cody Hoffman leads the BYU record books with 18 games of over 100-yards receiving. Austin Collie had 17. Eric Drage had 12. Next up? You guessed it. Chris Smith had 11.
Ok, so maybe this will be the value pick of the draft?
11.8 Algernon Brown (drafted by Andrew Metcalf)
I thought we talked about this last round! No more comparing islander running backs to Harvey Unga! It's lazy and more importantly, it's blasphemous!
Yet here's lawlessrepublic: "Brown has some deceptive speed on the edge similar to former BYU Running Back Harvey Unga."
Here's vanquishthefoe: "Brown, while being a fantastic short yardage bulldozer who can get loose and do some damage downfield, is not exactly explosive. He's more reminiscent of Harvey Unga."
Here's random BYU fan Jason Nelson chiming in on Utahvalley360: "This video (of Brown) reminds me of Harvey Unga in his prime."
Here's CaliWG on Cougarboard: "Early last season (Brown) looked a lot like Harvey Unga catching passes out of the backfield. "
Here's even the freaking University of Utah: "At 6-1 235lbs, Brown, the junior from Magna runs with a punishing style reminiscent of former BYU great, Harvey Unga."
So how close did this comparison come to fruition? Well, let's take a look at these two mystery profiles.
Player A: 294 touches, 1,595 yards, 16 touchdowns
Player B: 288 touches, 1,882 yards, 17 touchdowns
Who is player A? That's Algie Brown's entire career, which is absolutely respectable. Algie was solid in 2015 and he valiantly became a blocking machine in his senior season, paving the way for the Jamaal Williams annihilation tour. So please don't get me wrong, I like Algie Brown. It's not his fault people compared him to maybe the best running back in the 100-plus years of BYU existence. It's just that I have a duty as a sworn defender of the BYU faith to pay respect to those who have earned it.
So who is player B? That's Harvey Unga's 2007 season. Yes, Harvey did more in 13 games than Brown did in 46. Put some respect on that man's name.
11.9 Paul Walkenhorst (drafted by Devon “Lasersheep” Smith)
This write-up on Walkenhorst shocked me a bit. I thought the guy graduated in 2002, not departed the team because of injuries and pain pills. I was in Chile when he made his return in 2005 so someone else will have to confirm this, but I assume his comeback was in part driven by Bronco the Builder?
From the Desnews: "I can't express how pleased I am to see Paul work his way back," BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said. "Paul has worked diligently to get to this point. Right now, we're not even talking about the season and what kind of impact he will make. Right now, we're focusing on what we can do as a coaching staff, as a team, to help Paul accomplish the things he hopes to accomplish. He knows he has our full support. We're extremely glad to have him back with us."
Ah, Bronco. You didn't care much for game planning, but when it came to helping people you're the tops.
11.10 Manase Tonga (drafted by Magathisll)
Tonga's claim to fame is his name -- it's one of the funnest names of any BYU player to yell out loud. Like KO Kealaluhi, the combination of sounds just feels right coming off the tongue. And I probably don't even pronounce it right.
"Muh-nah-say Tahn-guhhhhhhh"
A look at Tonga's stats surprises me, not that they were better than I expected, but that he was way more involved than I remembered. Manase got 70 or so touches in both '06 and '09, and went all the way up to 115 in '07. He vultured 8 rushing touchdowns that year and Harvey Unga fantasy owners were pissed.
His 553 receiving/rushing yards in '07 was 4th best on the team, which put him ahead of peers like Matt Allen and Michael Reed. He never broke the career 1,000 yard barrier in receiving or rushing, yet he did score 22 times which is a huge amount -- Dennis Pitta only had 21 -- and tells us a little something about how effective he was in short-yardage situations.
Parting Thoughts from Round 11
Thought #1
This LA Times story about BYU fans investigating Chris Smith's shopping cart and questioning his eating habits is something. The dude was a consensus all-american. I think he'll be OK with a pudding pop or two.
Thought #2
I challenge anyone to find a prettier catch and throw than the Heaps-to-Apo strike in the last 25 seasons of BYU football.
Thought #3
Ross Apo started his career with jersey #11, my favorite number in sports. After his promising freshman season he switched to #1 and things fell apart.
Zach Wilson started his career with jersey #11, my favorite number in sports. After his promising freshman season he switched to #1 and ... well, things didn't fall apart but they're not looking great.
Let this be a warning to the next Cougar to don my favorite number. Do not abandon it.
Thought #4
In a world where Harvey Unga is selfish he could've laid to rest all the BYU TD records. In '07 he lost 10 TDs to his backfield mates (8 to Tonga, 2 to Vakapuna), in '08 he lost 10 more (4 to Hall, 3 to Vakapuna, 2 to Latu, 1 to Kariya) and famously in 2009 he simply took himself out of a play so a walk-on freshman could score. The lesson is this -- Harvey is the man.
Thought #5
That walk-on that Unga let score in 2009? He later transferred to Utah. That's how you return Harvey's gratitude? Shame! SHAAAAAME!
(Either way, this will likely turn out to be the value pick of the draft. The latest any of those guys up above went in the draft was round 6.)
11.7 Chris Smith (drafted by Brian Henderson, he who once helped me get a ticket to the 59-0 UCLA game)
The best season for yardage gained by a tight end in BYU history belongs to Chris Smith.
The second best season for yardage gained by by a tight end in BYU history belongs to ... Chris Smith.
Interesting.
The sixth best season for yardage gained by any pass catcher in BYU history belongs to Chris Smith.
The eighth best season for yardage gained by any pass catcher in BYU history belongs to Chris Smith.
Huh.
Cody Hoffman leads the BYU record books with 18 games of over 100-yards receiving. Austin Collie had 17. Eric Drage had 12. Next up? You guessed it. Chris Smith had 11.
Ok, so maybe this will be the value pick of the draft?
11.8 Algernon Brown (drafted by Andrew Metcalf)
I thought we talked about this last round! No more comparing islander running backs to Harvey Unga! It's lazy and more importantly, it's blasphemous!
Yet here's lawlessrepublic: "Brown has some deceptive speed on the edge similar to former BYU Running Back Harvey Unga."
Here's vanquishthefoe: "Brown, while being a fantastic short yardage bulldozer who can get loose and do some damage downfield, is not exactly explosive. He's more reminiscent of Harvey Unga."
Here's random BYU fan Jason Nelson chiming in on Utahvalley360: "This video (of Brown) reminds me of Harvey Unga in his prime."
Here's CaliWG on Cougarboard: "Early last season (Brown) looked a lot like Harvey Unga catching passes out of the backfield. "
Here's even the freaking University of Utah: "At 6-1 235lbs, Brown, the junior from Magna runs with a punishing style reminiscent of former BYU great, Harvey Unga."
So how close did this comparison come to fruition? Well, let's take a look at these two mystery profiles.
Player A: 294 touches, 1,595 yards, 16 touchdowns
Player B: 288 touches, 1,882 yards, 17 touchdowns
Who is player A? That's Algie Brown's entire career, which is absolutely respectable. Algie was solid in 2015 and he valiantly became a blocking machine in his senior season, paving the way for the Jamaal Williams annihilation tour. So please don't get me wrong, I like Algie Brown. It's not his fault people compared him to maybe the best running back in the 100-plus years of BYU existence. It's just that I have a duty as a sworn defender of the BYU faith to pay respect to those who have earned it.
So who is player B? That's Harvey Unga's 2007 season. Yes, Harvey did more in 13 games than Brown did in 46. Put some respect on that man's name.
11.9 Paul Walkenhorst (drafted by Devon “Lasersheep” Smith)
This write-up on Walkenhorst shocked me a bit. I thought the guy graduated in 2002, not departed the team because of injuries and pain pills. I was in Chile when he made his return in 2005 so someone else will have to confirm this, but I assume his comeback was in part driven by Bronco the Builder?
From the Desnews: "I can't express how pleased I am to see Paul work his way back," BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said. "Paul has worked diligently to get to this point. Right now, we're not even talking about the season and what kind of impact he will make. Right now, we're focusing on what we can do as a coaching staff, as a team, to help Paul accomplish the things he hopes to accomplish. He knows he has our full support. We're extremely glad to have him back with us."
Ah, Bronco. You didn't care much for game planning, but when it came to helping people you're the tops.
11.10 Manase Tonga (drafted by Magathisll)
Tonga's claim to fame is his name -- it's one of the funnest names of any BYU player to yell out loud. Like KO Kealaluhi, the combination of sounds just feels right coming off the tongue. And I probably don't even pronounce it right.
"Muh-nah-say Tahn-guhhhhhhh"
A look at Tonga's stats surprises me, not that they were better than I expected, but that he was way more involved than I remembered. Manase got 70 or so touches in both '06 and '09, and went all the way up to 115 in '07. He vultured 8 rushing touchdowns that year and Harvey Unga fantasy owners were pissed.
His 553 receiving/rushing yards in '07 was 4th best on the team, which put him ahead of peers like Matt Allen and Michael Reed. He never broke the career 1,000 yard barrier in receiving or rushing, yet he did score 22 times which is a huge amount -- Dennis Pitta only had 21 -- and tells us a little something about how effective he was in short-yardage situations.
Parting Thoughts from Round 11
Thought #1
This LA Times story about BYU fans investigating Chris Smith's shopping cart and questioning his eating habits is something. The dude was a consensus all-american. I think he'll be OK with a pudding pop or two.
Thought #2
I challenge anyone to find a prettier catch and throw than the Heaps-to-Apo strike in the last 25 seasons of BYU football.
Thought #3
Ross Apo started his career with jersey #11, my favorite number in sports. After his promising freshman season he switched to #1 and things fell apart.
Zach Wilson started his career with jersey #11, my favorite number in sports. After his promising freshman season he switched to #1 and ... well, things didn't fall apart but they're not looking great.
Let this be a warning to the next Cougar to don my favorite number. Do not abandon it.
Thought #4
In a world where Harvey Unga is selfish he could've laid to rest all the BYU TD records. In '07 he lost 10 TDs to his backfield mates (8 to Tonga, 2 to Vakapuna), in '08 he lost 10 more (4 to Hall, 3 to Vakapuna, 2 to Latu, 1 to Kariya) and famously in 2009 he simply took himself out of a play so a walk-on freshman could score. The lesson is this -- Harvey is the man.
Thought #5
That walk-on that Unga let score in 2009? He later transferred to Utah. That's how you return Harvey's gratitude? Shame! SHAAAAAME!
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