-- Covering Week 5 through year-end
I'm continuing to write about Climps Hansen's quest to lead BYU ... to something great. Either a NCAA title, a promotion to the P12, or 30 straight wins over Utah. For a more thorough explanation of what this is, click here. Credit to Ricky O'Donnell for the idea. Remember all games are simulated. I just manage recruiting and coaching strategy.
Week 5 - BYU at Colorado State
A rematch of our bowl game from two years prior! I sure hope Van Pelt isn't walking through the door for Colorado State tonight. I check the Rams stats and (gulp) they average 37 points a game. Whoa, maybe his son is. The Rams put up 43 on Colorado and 28 in a loss to Minnesota.
The day before the game bad injury news arrive. Matt Anderson, our starting LT who in addition to being rated an 85 was on a "hotstreak" (not sure what that means lol) tore his MCL and is out 7 weeks. Mr. BYU Name (aka Dan Nelson) will slide from RT to LT, and Dominique Riley will backfill Dan Nelson's RT spot.
All told I'm less confident than I was two minutes ago.
Courage, Cougs.
We score 34.
The Rams score 35.
Heartbreaking! We hit a field goal with 2:56 left to go up 34-28, but the Rams drove the field for a TD with one minute left to drop us 35-34. Remind me why our DC got extended a couple years back? But what really killed us was only scoring 3 TDs on 6 redzone drives. Argh.
I didn't mention it before because I didn't want to jinx anything, but there goes my chance at a top-25 ranking. We're now 2-0 against P5s and 1-2 against G5s. Odd.
Week 6 - BYU vs Rice
Well let's start with the bad news. This was supposed to be an away game to take care of all the dudes I promised a game in Texas to. Freak, I set it as a home game. The good news is we eat rice for dinner.
We post a season high 59 points to win 59-21. It feels good to be 4-2. Despite the positive record I'm still hovering at 39% job security. That should be second worst in the country, based on the in-game list, but my name isn't on it. Maybe the game knows BYU is an extra patient institution?
Eric Gates is the big story this season. A redshirt freshman RB, he's getting all sorts of touches in lieu of our senior RB Bernard Washington (Bernard is rated 84, Gates 82). He's 12th in the nation in rushing yards. Latimer is 3rd(!) in passing.
In recruiting I've moved up to first on Tony Wilson's list. Tony is what TJ from The OC would've been last year had he not abandoned us for Auburn, which is to say, Tony's a 80 rated WR prospect out of California (San Luis Obispo). I hope we can hang onto him.
Week 7 BYU vs Cincinnati
I didn't even write a preamble to this game, so confident was I in victory. So of course we lose 37-31. It's yet another overtime game and this time our clutch gene fails us. Cincinnati scored with 2 minutes left to force the extra period, and man our defense just can't stop anyone can they?
I waste all my scouting minutes on three quarterbacks, hoping I can find a gem for the future, but none of these early targets moves more than a single spot above their original grade.
Week 8 BYU at Louisiana Tech
A bit of a road trip after a couple consecutive home games. I hold the advantage over Tech in everything except turnover margin, where I'm 105th in the country. It's not an issue today though. We win 45-24 which moves us to a 5-3 record on the year.
Eric Gates stat line?
23 carries, 156 yards, 1 TD
3 receptions, 71 yards, 1 TD.
Goodness.
In recruiting we get a commitment from Terrence Brown from Park City, a 73-rated tackle prospect. This marks the first Terrance I've known since the Terrance who dumped out his gas can in the woods to avoid working at West Ridge Golf Course.
I still lead for George Preston and Tony Wilson, two players rated 80 at CB and WR. Last year I got cocky with Mr. OC after leading all year and let up a little as signing day approached. Not this time. I devote sixty minutes the hard way every week with these two. They're potential ceiling lifters.
I'm also busting my butt for Marcus Ford, a 72-rated safety who is leaning in the direction of Oregon State. Oregon State must know what I know - that Marcus is actually a 78-rated talent after you scout him.
Overall I've really skimmed down the number of recruits I'm targeting this year. I have about ten 73 and above players that I desperately want. Almost all will be redshirt candidates which gives them a chance to be rated near 80 when they hit their sophomore seasons. For the first time ever I hang up the recruiting phone with thirty minutes left over.
Week 9 BYU at UNLV
I set this game up in the preseason with the idea that it would be an easy rivalry win. Unfortunately UNLV is 4-1 on the year, and picked by Herbstreit to defeat me. I'm ranked significantly better than the Rebels; they're a D+ while I'm a B. But they've won, plain and simple.
Today they don't.
My team puts together it's best defensive performance in as long as I can recall with a 32 to 3 victory. We are bowl eligible! UNLV actually scored first but we claimed the next 32 points. Freshman FB Antoine Underwood scores his first career TD in mop up duty. Washington rushes for 102 while Gates chips in 96. Nine players catch passes - wow! Latimer is playing amazing considering he only has nine or ten starts to his name.
The big recruiting news is that I've fallen to second for two prospects. One, a bit of a pie in the sky kicker, Demarcus McCollum, the other a must-sign OLB named James Vincent. The Utes lead for his services. Barf.
I also may have my quarterback of the future? I've spent some time with Joseph Bradford (no relation to Sam) and he's a 72-rated prospect who wants to be a Cougar. He's a little below the threshold that I want to target but I've got a feeling ...
Week 10 - BYE
The troops rest and prepare for the arrival of the number one team in the country. Last time we played the number one team in the country at home ... we got creamed by USC. But the time before that, well, everyone remembers what happened. #TyDetmer
Week 11 - BYU vs #1 Notre Dame
The week starts off with amazing news. George Preston signs on as the highest rated commit of my tenure, and even better he plays a position of utmost need. It’s a great omen for the week to come. Corey Ostrander, our injured defensive tackle might make a surprise appearance in the game as well. He's listed as a game time decision.
That’s the good news. The bad is Notre Dame rates out as an A+ in offense, A+ in defense, and A+ in special teams. Ok then. All I can do is remind my team the game isn't played on paper.
But they beat us on the field, too. 59 to 0.
I have no words. On to USU.
Week 12 BYU at USU
I'm hoping for no funny business against a 2-7 USU team who has managed victories against only Wyoming and New Mexico State this year. How will my guys react after losing by a thousand on NBC last weekend?
We win 27 to 14, wrapping up another great year against rivals. Our offense performed very diplomatically in the win, and with a 200 yard advantage in total offense the 13 point difference was actually a favorable outcome for USU.
In recruiting, there will be no "the one who got away" this year as Tony Wilson commits to the Cougars. With a 81 ranking he surpasses George Preston who set the record as my highest rated recruit just a couple weeks ago.
DeMarcus McCollum who was 1) a highly ranked kicker and 2) an unholy amalgation of Demarcus Cousins and CJ McCollum, cuts me loose. Bummer.
I feel dirty as I recruit Justin Hansen out of Oregon. He's rated, umm, 40 overall. My hope is he's so sucky that with a call or two he'll sign with me. And why would I want trash you ask? Signing one more guy from Oregon will keep my pipeline status for the state, meaning I'll have more success recruiting there and people from Oregon will automatically be more interested in me every year. And yes I plan to sign him, gain the pipeline status, and dump him. College football is a cruel world.
Week 13 BYU vs Tennesse
Let's beat a SEC team at home to end the season. Who's with me?!? I wonder if my actual locker room speech was that short and crappy because we lose in uninspired fashion, 14 to 10. The game was a butt-ugly punting fest, featuring 290 yards of offense for the Cougars and 280 for the Volunteers. Our one visiting recruit rates the weekend a C- (better than I expected lol). Latimer played poorly, the whole team played poorly, and I'm stuck at 7 wins. At this point I'm not sure if I will or will not be retained in the offseason by computer controlled Tom Holmoe.
During the weeks between conference championships and bowl game assignments I take shot at three hail marys: Ben Moore, a 81-rated OLB, Joshua Grimes, a 79-rated DE (and relative of Buy More Hall-of-Famer Morgan Grimes), and Jon Robinson, a 76-rated DT. I'm moving up the ranks for each as we approach bowl week, but I've got a lot of ground to make up.
The Gildan New Mexico Bowl - BYU vs Nevada
Well, well, well if it isn't our old foe from the last couple of years. The fans have never been as harsh with me as after we got blown out by Nevada in 2013 and 2014. Will this make three straight Wolfpack whoopings? Is it macabre to wonder if a win or loss in this game determines if my contract will be renewed?
My job security is at 41% and my prestige a D- as we prepare to battle. My team is at full strength, as Ostrander is recovered from injury and back in at DT.
Nevada is 6-6. I hold the advantage in most categories, including overall where I pit my B versus their C+. Herbstreit is on my side. I hit simulate ...
We're up 20 to 7 as we enter quarter four. Our defense has failed us in these spots before. There's a nervousness on our sideline that I can't fully describe. Somehow we're up 13, have held our opponent to one score in 45 minutes of gametime, and yet collectively I can tell we fear a loss.
Nevada scores with 3 minutes left. It's a 6-point game. One sustained drive will win us the bowl, toss the Nevada monkey off my back, and likely ensure I am the coach of BYU in 2016.
We go three and out.
Nevada drives with method. There's 38 seconds left and they're on our 20-yard line. A pass to endzone is broken up by Jeff "Area 51" Hagen. 33 seconds left. A scramble by the quarterback is stopped short of the first down marker by Kevin Mason. The clock is ticking. 19 seconds left. A third down pass is nowhere in range of the intended receiver. 4th down with 14 seconds left.
The Nevada QB bounces to the sideline, casually sends a text to his girl, signs an autograph for a child in the stands, and strolls into the endzone without a Cougar defender mounting a degree of resistance.
Final: Nevada 21, BYU 20.
Fans are angry. Players are angry. I am angry. And I can't imagine how angrier I'm going to be if I get fired. I was hired with hopes to elevate the program beyond our peers Boise, TCU, and Utah, who all in different ways had "left us behind". Instead we've become Nevada's bitch.
Elsewhere in bowl land Notre Dame slaps Oregon silly to win the national championship. Poor Pac 12. That's back-to-back titles for the Irish and once again I manage to play a team in the regular season who goes on to play in and win the championship.
RB Eric Gates makes the freshman All-American team. He's the second of my recruits to achieve this honor following in the footsteps of Latimer. I need all the good news I can get cause I'm worried about my year-end review.
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