Week 7 - BYU vs USU
Just as you worry things can't get any worse, you come into a rivalry game with an 0-4 record. I'm starting to talk myself into this being a tougher schedule than a C+. I need a lights out performance from my offense this game to have a chance.
We're on the board! It's a 33-27 victory for the first win of the season ... in TRIPLE overtime! Me oh my. Latimer completes a pass to Evans with 2 minutes left to force OT, and then after holding USU scoreless in the third extra period Washington wins the game on a 1 yard TD run.
Latimer looks a bit Culvery with a 36% completion rate. Sheesh. But the much maligned Butler and Young show up big: Butler with 128 yards receiving, Young with 109 yards rushing. By the way, we were +5 in turnover margin. Had we lost with that going in our favor I'm not sure I'd have made it through the season.
We pick up a little recruiting momentum from the win. TJ Sampson, a 79-rated WR out of THE OC loves the Cougs. I must sign him and change his name to Ryan Atwood. If he stays locked on BYU this would be my first five star recruit.
Elsewhere I come in second yet again, this time to Karl Howell, a Riverside CB who picked the Aggies over me.
Week 8 - BYU vs UCF
UCF is 4-1. It's pretty simple. They're ranked ahead of me in almost every single category. They have a marquee win over Missouri. The only thing going in my favor? They're travelling cross country.
AND I HAVE STEVE LATIMER.
Latimer throws TD passes of 6, 25, 44, 31, and 68 yards in a 52-36 win. It's one of the greatest freshman performances in Cougar history. 529 yards, 5 TDs, 1 interception, 64% completion, and 17 runs for 42 yards. He completes passes to eight different receivers on the day.
For the first time ever I think I have a great chance at national player of the week, but I lose to a RB from Air Force who nets 223 yards rushing and 4 TDs.
But that's not dampening my spirits. Somehow we have momentum going into our game against top-25 Nebraska. A loss wouldn't be the end of the world, but a win would put us in position to possibly (though unlikely) finish the season on an 8-game winning streak.
We're not a good team and we've proven that through 8 weeks. But we should be a good offense. We have two elite players at WR and RB, and an offensive line of 85 and above rated blockers. Plus my instinctive and varied play calling of course. And we've shown well on offense the last two games. We're tenth nationally in passing yards per game at 291 per. Another 30+ point performance gives us a chance against the Corn men. C’mon Cougs!
Nope. We lose 30 to 7. Huh. So I guess I jinxed us? I'm honestly more disappointed in the 7 scored than the 30 given up.
To some good news. Brian Harris, the 79-rated DE out of Deer Park, Texas commits! The defensive rebuild is on! At least on the ends ... I'm striking out for DTs. Jonathan Johnson, a 73-rated DT out of Payson signs with the Aggies. The remaining crop of DTs is trash.
Week 10 - BYU at Nevada
A tremendous amount of pressure is on the team now if we want to be bowl eligible. We can only afford one more loss in our last 5 games.
We lose 24-48.
We have to beat Boise, Utah, and Cal plus the throw away game against UNLV to get to 6 wins. Doesn't look promising.
In the post game I get a little tense when asked what we're doing to address the losses. "It's not rocket science. Teams are outplaying us. Teams are outcoaching us. We’re not trying to lose on purpose. We are just not good enough."
In the post game I get a little tense when asked what we're doing to address the losses. "It's not rocket science. Teams are outplaying us. Teams are outcoaching us. We’re not trying to lose on purpose. We are just not good enough."
Gordon Monson writes an article comparing me to Gary Crowton: great at recruiting, supposedly awesome at offense, overall a loser. I take major offense. Not just at the slam on me but also on Crowton, a coach I’d be very happy to see return as BYU’s offensive coordinator and head recruiter in real life.
The #1 MLB and #1 CB in the country who I harassed all season long sign with Clemson and Arkansas. Not a surprise. I have no regrets.
I'm still in first for The O.C.'s own TJ Sampson, despite rating his visit to Provo for the Husker game a C-. He's my highest remaining recruiting target at a 79 overall. He'd be an instant boon to my receiving core.
The #1 MLB and #1 CB in the country who I harassed all season long sign with Clemson and Arkansas. Not a surprise. I have no regrets.
I'm still in first for The O.C.'s own TJ Sampson, despite rating his visit to Provo for the Husker game a C-. He's my highest remaining recruiting target at a 79 overall. He'd be an instant boon to my receiving core.
Week 11 - BYU at Boise State
We travel to Boise, a stadium where the home team has won 99% of their games over the last decade and we have never recorded a victory. Until tonight.
Our bowl dreams are alive! Barely! Latimer actually gets knocked out of the game with a concussion, which gives the fans a nice reminder of what life was like with CC So-bad-thia. But Young, Butler, and senior CB Quentin Holley, with a huge pick-six, carry us.
A ho hum DT named Jack Nicholson signs with us. Wait, check that. Alas, his real name is John Nicholson.
Week 12 - BYU at UNLV
The Rebels are 2-6, aka my type of opponent! Shoot I've jinxed it again haven't I? UNLV is ranked a D+ overall. I counter with a B+, which is pretty good right? How have I lost six games with a B+? Anyway, the point is I can't lose this game.
We don't, but OMG it gets more than a little tight. We win 23-17 in overtime. At least our team is getting used to playing in extra innings I guess. The winning play is a 25 yard TD pass from Latimer on our first play in OT. Latimer throws for 292 yards, 2 TDs, and 0 interceptions. Billy Butler hauls in 118 yards in a solid performance. Very surprisingly my job security has climbed to 72% in this horrific season. I wonder if this is because I've beat three rivals? (USU, Boise, and UNLV)
Or maybe the athletic department and boosters are impressed that Latimer is up to 17th nationally in passing yards as a freshman with 2,346. Billy Butler has bounced back in the latter half of the year as well, he's up to 16th nationally in receiving yards with 960.
Also, I think I'm going to schedule UNLV next year because they count as a rival and I've promised a lot of kids that we'd have winning records against our rivals next season. I need to pad those stats.
In recruiting my defensive tackle outlook is so sour that I start recruiting some fatsos who are listed as athletes. I imagine I'm too late in the game for these studs but I have to try.
Week 13 - BYU at Utah
Well, it hasn't been a good year, but the year aint over yet. Utah is 5-5, and 2-5 in the P12. They only beat USU by 2 and they lost to smelly Oregon State. Comparing our statistic profiles, I'm actually rated better at a B+ compared to their B-. But they've outperformed me in points per game, total offense, rush offense, total defense, rush defense, and pass defense. I hold the edge in passing offense and turnover margin. You never know what can happen in a rivalry game. I press the simulate button and ...
AHHHHHH YEAAAAAH. 26-21 victory! And that's with Latimer getting benched in the second half!
The win gives us two in a row over the Utes, a 4-0 sweep of rivals this year (Utah, USU, Boise, UNLV), and my bowl hopes have gone from life support to a 50/50 proposition. Unbelievable!
We went up 13-0 before Utah scored two TDs to go up 14-13 as we headed into the fourth. Suddenly our backup QB, aka the Culver Coaster, subbing in for Latimer who was 9 for 28 with 3 interceptions, took a turn for the best as he hit Sanders on a 46-yard TD pass. He led another scoring drive to put us up 26-14 (missed extra point -- lol, this game knows BYU well) before Utah scored to cut it to 26-21. Their onside kick attempt failed and we prevailed.
Sanders only caught three passes in the game, but one was the 46-yard TD, one was an 85-yard gain, and the other was a pedestrian 6-yard gain. He'll be our best receiver next year so it's nice to see him ending the season on a high note. And how about Culver? He's taken a lot of abuse from the fan base and the media but what a huge performance in the 4th quarter. I'm happy for the guy.
Week 14 - BYU at Cal
Two HUGE contract goals are on the line as we travel to face Cal. A win completes the contract goal of getting 6 wins in a season and it gives us a chance to make and win a bowl game. Failure to reach these incentives will nuke my already abysmal D+ coaching prestige.
It's a pretty even matchup. As with Utah, I'm ranked higher overall than the Bears. I hold the edge in 5 stat categories, they hold the edge in 3. This should be a good game. Time to finish this season strong. I press simulate and ...
Sorrow. We lose 36 to 20.
The kids are heartbroken in the locker room. I let them know how proud I am of how they fought back all year, winning two games in a row after starting 0-4, then again winning three games in a row after sitting at a 2-6 record.
As bowl invites are passed out, I languish on the recruiting trail. Somewhere Gordon Monson is planning his next hit piece on me.
Til next time.
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