-- Covering Week 8 through the offseason
Week 8 #12 BYU vs #13 Arkansas State
Huh? Is this BYU versus Coastal Carolina recreated in the fictional universe? I gotta win this one right? I need another top-25 pelt on my shed so bad. Arkansas lost the toughest game they've played this year (to South Carolina) and swept an otherwise unimpressive slate of conference opponents. But they did make it to the BCS championship game last year, losing against Washington. Kyle Patterson is back at LT and all I gotta say is let's gooooo.
We do go! Win 38-17! Is this the third top-25 win of my career? We stormed to a 21-0 lead and it looked like we would roll all night but State punched back with 17 unanswered and a few in the crowd said "here comes that lead-surrendering defense we know and love so well". Then State never scored again. It was a comprehensive beatdown over what is tied for the highest ranked opponent we've beat (Washington in 2018). Remember when Tommy Nixon transferred from us to them last year? Say it with me Cougarboard! "Nice choice Tommy!"
But a comprehensive victory doesn't mean it was pretty. Lindsey goes 9 for 16 (how???) and when his backup Williamson came in he was just as bad at 2 for 6 with 1 pick. This was the Eric Temple game. Finally we gave our freshman stud some carries and he converted 23 touches into 143 yards and 2 scores. Senior DT Nick Thurman who replaced Townsend at MLB is living a feel good story, as he led the team in tackles for the second week in the row. Previously he was riding the bench due to our outrageous DT depth. I'm glad to see the senior get some key minutes. George Preston picked off another pass, is that a pick in three straight games?
We move up to #11 in the rankings and a few blokes sign in the aftermath of this home field storming. We're rolling and we're not going to lose next week to a 1-5 North Texas team.
Week 9 #11 BYU vs North Texas
It's a 45 to 0 stomping and as free of drama as you'd expect a late season sacrificial lamb to provide. There is bad news though. We have another injury which means a supserstar has gone down, this time RG Steven Stewart, rated a gaudy 91, the best player in our offensive line and our offense as a whole. This sounds heartless but why couldn't one of our 16 DTs jump on the injury grenade instead?
Ah man, just got the news that Jeremiah Nixon will sign with Boise. Recruits are mercurial.
Week 10 #10 BYU vs Hawaii
I just took a look at the end of season awards and this game is on drugs. Lindsey, our sub-50% passer is 10th on the list for the Maxwell trophy. Even crazier, two of the guys ahead of him are from Utah and Utah State.
On the defensive side George Preston is second for the Bednarik award, the trophy given to the best defensive player in college football. This one makes sense at least. Go get it George!
Anyway, Hawaii on the road is our last tune up before Tennessee and Georgia Tech. I hit the sim button, go grab a drink, come back to the couch, and choke. This game is on major drugs.
We lose 17 to 3.
Hawaii rushes 66 times. 66 times. For 377 yards. Against my defensive line. The Rainbow complete 4 passes the whole game. Lindsey only completes 8 himself - on 27 attempts.
Hawaii had lost to Ohio State, Bowling Green, Wyoming, Air Force, and San Diego State. They were 2-5. They have a C+ offense. This game is on drugs. This game is on drugs. I hate this game.
Week 11 #24 BYU at #20 Tennessee
If we can shake off whatever mania befell us last week this could be a good game. The networks don't think so though as this receives regional broadcast billing only. I'm guessing the Hawaii incident has something to do with that.
And it's a bounce back! BYU 41, Tennessee 27. It's the third win over a top-25 team in round two of my career and my second of this season. The embarrassment of crapping our pants in Hawaii is reduced somewhat.
I glimpse at the stats and Jim Snyder is back? Jim Snyder is back!! He hauls in 7 catches for 122 yards and 2 scores and makes Lindsey look good. George Preston records another interception(!), Justin Vincent grabs 2 sacks and 4 tackles for loss. I'm so happy going into next week's break. Coaching is a roller coaster.
Week 12 BYE
I'm well on my way to another monstrous recruiting year. I have my eyes set on potentially three recruits who would join the team with 80 or 81 rankings. I've signed four others in the 77 to 78 range. I even have a 5-star recruit who gave his visit to Provo an A- ranking. Not sure if I've seen someone that highly rated give me a grade that good before.
Also I'm recruiting a guy from a place called Wxahachie, Texas. I know I won't get him -- he's a 5-star and I'm 8th on his list -- but what a city name!
Week 13 #15 BYU vs #5 Georgia Tech
No National TV for this game? Did we get sent back to the mountain network? Bah, who cares, this is the biggest game of the season. Georgia Tech has the #2 rushing offense in the country. I allow 304 total yards per game and believe it or not that's #1 in the country. Georgia Tech's pass defense is fifth in the country. They should roast my 91st ranked passing offense. We're both top ten in turnover differential. Let's see what the sim pops out tonight for our season finale.
We lose 28 to 7. A truly disappointing performance. Let's see if Tech goes on to the National Championship cause that seems to be the rule of any team I play that's highly ranked right? The score was 14 to 7 at the half but we never got anything going in the second portion of the game. Tech runs for 310 on 54 carries and I guess our defensive line was overrated all season. There's nothing worth talking about on the offensive end. We fall to #23 in the ranks. Our postseason plans will take us to the ...
Armed Forces Bowl #20 BYU vs Air Force
This has trap game written all over it. People say bowl games are all about motivation and I'm not sure how motivated my team is feeling. We just got ran to bits by a triple option team. We hoped to get a shot at a P5 in the bowl and instead face an old MWC rival. And in terms of accolades, everyone in Provo was counting on George Preston receiving a first team all-american nod. Not only did he fail to secure 1st team, he lost 2nd team to a Utah Ute. Eric Temple and Kevin Lawrence surprise by making the freshman all-american team as a consolation prize.
Despite all my shortgivings we play well, beating Air Force 35 to 13. George Preston ends the year with one more interception, giving him 8 for the season, one shy of the BYU season record. Eric Temple dislocates his knee because no one average can get injured. Hopefully he gets all healed up over the offseason. We end the season 9-4, ranked #17. Taking a look at the wins and losses makes me feel a little bit better about the season.
Our wins, ranked from best to least impressive
vs 10-3 Arkansas State (finished #11)
vs 8-5 Tennessee
vs 7-6 Air Force
at 7-6 SDSU
at 6-7 Colorado
at 4-8 Wazzu
at 4-8 Boise
at 3-9 North Texas
vs 3-9 Texas State
Our losses, listed from most to least impressive
at 11-2 Georgia Tech (finished #5)
vs 11-3 USC (finished #9)
vs 10-3 Utah (finished #17)
at 4-8 Hawaii
I realize that a chunk of our wins came against some definite subpar teams, the 4-8 Wazzu and Boise brothers in particular stick out as wins I was impressed with at the time but probably shouldn't have been. By the same token, three of my four losses came against teams that finished in the top-17. I shouldn't feel too bad about those either. But that Hawaii game will stick in my craw for a while.
Tom calls me into his office for the year end review. I failed to beat a rival for the first time ever in my career, losing to Hawaii and Utah, which hurts my prestige a little bit, but I think Tom is giving me credit for Boise as a rival even though the video game doesn't. In fact thanks to winning a bowl game and killing with recruits my job security is up to 68%. Not sure it's ever been that high as a head coach before.
I'm surprised when UCLA offers me the offensive coordinator job over the Christmas holiday. Sheesh, just like they did with Bronco did am I right? Like Mendenhall before me I politely decline. Western Michigan also dangles an OC position in my face. I am insulted.
This shouldn't shock me but we have two juniors declaring for the draft early. This time it's Josh Grimes, a 89 rated DE, and James Vincent, an 86 rated OLB who gobbled stats at a rate that suggested he was better than an 86. He'll be missed. They join graduating seniors LE Brian Harris (94 rating), DT George Wheeler (94 rating), legendary CB George Preston (91 rating), RG Steven Stewart (91 rating), WR Jim Snyder (90 rating), DT turned LB Nicholas Thurman (90 rating), OLB Shawn Manning (88 rating, team's leading tackler), and LT Kyle Patterson. Every single one gets drafted. You heard me right. Ten Cougars join the pros and yeeeeeeehah is my NFL factory rating in recruiting going to explode.
Brian Harris goes in round one and he's the first guy I believe I've had drafted as a first. (wrong - a look at the archive shows Kevin Mason from the 2014 class was a 1st rounder as well. Forgive me for forgetting you Kevin!) There are a few other valuable contributors who graduate but those are the biggies. We've also got one freshman transfer request from Demetrius Sanders, a DT who we were counting on moving forward. The game says my chance of persuading him to stay is very low. He's headed to Troy. Let's hope his fate is as sad as Tommy Nixon's.
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