This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Provo • How good is this BYU football team that is 4-0, ranked No. 20 in the Associated Press Top 25 and winning games against rather average opponents by an average of 18.7 points?
It's a debate that rages nationally, and will continue to make headlines as long as the Cougars keep winning — although there should be a bit of a reprieve this week because BYU has a bye before facing Utah State on Oct. 3.
One theory: BYU is an average football team with a great quarterback.
Last Saturday against Virginia, the Cougars were efficient on offense with fringe Heisman Trophy candidate Taysom Hill running the show and spectacular on special teams. But they were below average on defense, at least according to defensive coordinator Nick Howell.
That was good enough to beat an also-ran from the ACC, but Howell spoke candidly Monday about the defensive effort that gave up 519 yards to an offense that was 98th in the country needing to improve, and quickly.
"Personally, I am glad we won," Howell said. "You smile for a second, but my smile was fake. I am not happy about how we played. Man, I don't think our defensive guys are happy about how we played. We are happy we won, but I am not happy with how we performed."
For the first time since four awful defensive performances the first half of the 2010 season caused coach Bronco Mendenhall to fire defensive coordinator Jaime Hill and re-take the reins of the defense, BYU has allowed opponents to score 24 or more points in consecutive games. Virginia rushed for 192 yards and passed for 327 while going 10-for-22 on third down and 2-for-4 on fourth down.
"There is not anything [the defense] really did besides get two turnovers that we are happy with," Howell said. "We are not happy with how we executed. We are not happy with how we played. It is a one-game season. We overcame that obstacle. Let's learn from what we have to learn and now all the focus is on Utah State and really nothing else but us getting better."
Both Howell and Mendenhall said the defenders played hard for all of the 100-plus plays they were on the field. But execution was sorely lacking.
"The execution part in critical moments is really what allowed Virginia to stay in the game," Mendenhall said. "And so most of our work right now defensively is just mastering assignments and execution. … Right now, they are flying around, but not as masterful as what they are supposed to do."
No opponent in the Mendenhall era had rushed for more than 150 yards and passed for more than 300 yards in the same game until Virginia did it Saturday, and the Cavaliers continued to do it when backup QB Matt Johns took over when Greyson Lambert was shaken up and removed from the game.
"A win is a win. It is good enough, as long as we get better," Mendenhall said.
But Howell was less forgiving — and he wasn't making excuses, either.
The second-year DC said all five pass interference penalties called on his defensive backs were legitimate, and the right calls, detailing each one for reporters Monday.
"Those are fixable mistakes right there," Howell said. "I would agree with every single one of [the penalties], and we have got to fix them."
As for all the missed tackles, Howell said his guys were trying too hard to deliver big hits, knockouts, and weren't using proper techniques.
"What we have to do is clean up our assignments and dumb penalties," he said.
Mendenhall said starting outside linebacker Bronson Kaufusi, who suffered a sprained ankle in the Texas game after getting two sacks against UConn, should be back for Utah State to bolster a weak pass rush that didn't record a single sack against UVa.
Twitter: @drewjay —
Leaky vessel?
BYU has allowed opponents to score 24 points or more in consecutive games for first time since 2010:
2010 season
Date Score
Sept. 11 Air Force 35, BYU 14
Sept. 18 Florida State 34, BYU 10
Sept. 25 Nevada 27, BYU 13
Oct. 1 Utah State 31, BYU 16
2014 season
Date Score
Sept. 11 BYU 35, Houston 25
Sept. 20 BYU 41, Virginia 33 —
Utah State atNo. 20 BYU
P Friday, Oct. 3
TV • ESPN