Photo courtesy of BYU
BYU players take the field before the Big 12 game against Oklahoma State at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma, Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023.
Daily Herald sports editors Darnell Dickson and Jared Lloyd weigh in on the hottest BYU sports topics this week:
1. Now that BYU’s 2023 football season is over, what do you think is your biggest takeaway from covering the Cougars this season?
DICKSON: BYU wanted access to a power conference. Now that the Cougars are part of the Big 12, they are discovering just how much of an upgrade is needed to compete. We saw in the last two games of the season that BYU could play ranked Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, but the consistent effort needed to do it week in and week out wasn’t there this year. I really felt like the Cougars weren’t up to par on both lines, and that’s where the biggest improvement has to come. This will be done through recruiting, both secondary players and transfers. Then the trainers must train everyone to be ready for a dog fight each week. The Cougars weren’t ready every week and that was evident in some of the biggest losses.
LLOYD: The clearest lesson for BYU this season is that quick fixes are not the answer. The Cougars attempted a transfer-heavy rebuild after losing quite a few players from last year’s team and frankly, it didn’t work.
I’m not completely anti-transfer, but I think the numbers and level of interest in such movements are vastly overrated. Just because a player did well or struggled in another situation doesn’t mean it will happen again.
The problem becomes a lack of cohesion and continuity. If you’re bringing guys in from all over every year, they all need to understand exactly what’s in store for them in their new situation.
If, on the other hand, you have a great core of athletes who have developed through the system, adding a few more pieces to the well-oiled machine is feasible and even beneficial.
Players need to recognize this too. The grass (and NIL money) may be greener from a distance, but the cost of getting it may be far too high.
2. It was confirmed Monday that BYU offensive line coach Darrell Funk and tight end coach Steve Clark would not be retained. Was it the right decision and do you think the Cougars should make more personnel changes?
LLOYD: Although I have personally enjoyed all my interactions with both coaches over the years, everyone in the industry and those who follow it closely know that performance is crucial.
It’s hard to argue that the offensive line has underperformed this year. I think part of this was due to the failures of the plug-and-play approach of attracting new players and part of it was not finding the best way to showcase the skills of the athletes themselves .
While I wish Funk all the best, I can’t say I’m surprised he’s moving on.
I’m more surprised by Clark, who has seen high-profile additions choose to come to BYU. No, the tight ends haven’t been great this year and Masen Wake has been sorely missed, but the newcomers have needed time to develop. I think he will also do a great job wherever he ends up.
I am not in favor of major changes. They often delay a program more than they fix it. I want to see what this group can do with another year together and greater familiarity with the challenges of the Big 12.
DICKSON: I think a college football assistant coach is one of the hardest jobs in sports. You may be fired for poor performance or if the team does really well your head coach might get a better job and not take you with him. It’s brutal but all of these men know what they’re getting into when they choose to go down this path. Sure, the offensive line’s performance was poor this season, but the offensive failures were everywhere, not just on the line. It’s up to Kalani Sitake to take the steps he believes will help improve this coordinated effort in 2024. Funk was recruited because he was a veteran that BYU could afford on its limited budget. Clark, one of the most popular coaches among players, has had some good tight ends to work with and it’s possible he already has another job lined up. My point is, who an assistant coach is depends on what your next move is.
3. What is one thing on offense and one thing on defense that BYU football needs to do differently in 2024?
DICKSON: On offense, the Cougars must find a system that takes advantage of their player’s strengths. With so many new players and transfers in the system, I think the coaching staff has struggled to find the balance between managing what has worked before and managing what will work best with in-house talent. The offense lacked consistency and that was a critical factor. On defense, I think Jay Hill is moving things in the right direction. He just needs more players of his type to make it work more cohesively. With an almost entirely new defensive staff and so many new players, it will take longer to get the defense to where it needs to be.
LLOYD: I’ll start with the offensive side of the ball, because that’s the area that I think needs the most improvement.
My change would be to carefully consider what opponents expect and strive to not be so predictable. It felt like the Cougars were trying so hard to impose their will on their opponents (certain running plays, tendency to run the ball if the first pass was incomplete, trying to go really fast on short yardage plays, etc. .) that this made it easy for the defense to know what to expect.
I want to see BYU play loose, confident, aggressive and unpredictable. We saw flashes of it in the first half against Oklahoma State and it was much more effective.
On defense, I want to see the Cougars regain their composure. It’s very important for defenders to be able to play because they are confident that the other guys will too.
Eddie Heckard said he felt like the returning players would do much better next fall because they would understand the big picture and thus know when to play better, and I think he’s right.
4. How does the BYU women’s soccer team achieve an epic victory over North Carolina in the NCAA quarterfinals?
LLOYD: How about a four-goal comeback? OK, that’s asking a lot and shouldn’t be necessary, but the Cougar rally after a three-goal lead in the final 30 minutes last Friday was a moment BYU fans should cherish like the Miracle Bowl and Ainge’s sprint.
Honestly, the only way the Cougars can top this thrill is to make it all the way to the national championship. It won’t be easy, but this BYU team has what it takes to get it done.
A legendary high school basketball coach with many titles once told me that most of the time any team in the semifinals has the chance to heat up and win it all, and I think that that’s right in this year’s University Cup, because Good.
So why not the Cougars?
DICKSON: I’m not sure they can. It was one of the most incredible sporting events I have ever covered. My analytical sportswriter’s mind thought BYU was done with 30 minutes left and losing 3-0 to a very good North Carolina team. It’s crazy that the Cougars found a way to win this game. The players all said they never thought they would make it, and that’s what you’d expect them to say. But that belief carried them along, as did the frenzied South Field crowd, which held on despite the snow and cold until the very end. One way to keep this victory memorable is to keep winning, which is a formidable task with Stanford on Friday and perhaps with Florida State or Clemson beyond. I know I will never soon forget North Carolina’s victory.
5. How far do you predict the No. 4 seed Cougar women’s volleyball team will go in the 2023 NCAA Tournament?
DICKSON: It’s a shame that super freshman Claire Little got hurt so early in the season, because I think she was the Cougars’ best chance for success in the NCAA tournament. Erin Livingston is a fantastic outside hitter and BYU has other great parts of the game, but Livingston needs more help on the pins offensively. When really good teams focus on stopping Livingston, I’m not sure the Cougars have enough offense to make it past the third round (Sweet 16). I really think Whitney Bower is an all-time passer and I would love to see her get past BYU in the Sweet 16. But there has to be good play from others, including her sister Eden, for that to happen. produce.
LLOYD: It’s been a very good year for BYU but I wouldn’t put it in the elite category – at least not yet. I love watching Erin Livingston play, but the Cougars need to be more balanced to beat their top opponents.
When I look into my cloudy crystal ball, I see BYU takes care of business against Weber State in the first round, then will likely need four or five sets to get past No. 5 seed Arizona State in the second round. Anywhere else I could give the Sun Devils a chance, but I think Smith Fieldhouse will push the Cougars to victory.
But I think that’s where the race ends. BYU might be good enough to upset No. 1 seed Stanford in the third round, but I don’t see that happening this year.
Still, I wouldn’t mind being wrong and seeing the Cougars make a deep run.
Bonus question: The BYU men’s basketball team is ranked for the first time in almost two years. How important is this for the Cougars?
LLOYD: For a team that everyone doubted before the season started, it must really feel good to get some national recognition, right? Talk about a little vindication.
As for what that means in the long run, well, the answer isn’t much at all. It’s a long season and we have over three months of hoops left. This means BYU is off to a good start, but there are a lot of tough games ahead.
DICKSON: It’s really good for the players and the program to get off to such a good start. The Cougars had a tough time last season with some very tough losses. They have worked very hard all summer and have shown so far that they deserve to make some noise in the Big 12. It will be tough, that’s for sure. Already, a few injuries have slowed down their progress. But I think a healthy BYU team can ride the wave of such a strong start and find themselves in a position where the playoffs are a real possibility. Getting off to a good start is just the first step.
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