Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Quick BYU Notes (Casey)

Here are a few quick news stories just coming up I wanted to share with you all.





           VS








BYU has just announced a football series with Fresno State! Fresno will come to Provo in 2015 and BYU will play in California in 2017!
http://byucougars.com/m-football/byu-fresno-state-announce-two-game-series

Future Cougar Ryan Andrus


BYU also got a basketball commit today. 6'10" Ryan Andrus out of American Fork has commited to BYU and Dave Rose. Here is an article about the kid in the Deseret news
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865583895/BYU-recruiting-American-Fork-center-Ryan-Andrus-commits-to-Cougar-basketball.html

And then just a gentle reminder that BYU will open up Fall Camp on August 3rd which if my math is right is 3 days from today! Also this little reminder!


Who is the Best? WR (Casey)

So I let the Tight End position marinate a little because there was disagreement on my pick which is awesome! Dialogue is the best and exactly what I would like during this little breakdown I am doing. Today I'm going to do a breakdown of the entire wide receiving corp for each team. There are too many listed wide receivers for each team to break them down person by person. So lets take a look at who will be catching the ball for our local teams.

BYUs WR Cody Hoffman
BYU has quite a stable of Wide Receivers on the roster led by Senior All American Cody Hoffman. In his four years at BYU Cody has become a elite pass catcher and has done it with a quarterback that had a hard time, at times, getting him the ball. Now with a new QB and a new wide receivers coach in Guy Holliday, Cody should continue to flourish. During his career Hoffman has caught 203 passes for 2,718 yards and 24 touchdowns. Cody is on the Biletnikoff Award watch list as well as the 2013 CFPA Wide Receiver Trophy Watch List. Cody is a stud and will be the anchor for this wide receiver group but there is a lot of seasoned and potential talent all around him. The listed Starter for the other WR position is Skyler Ridley. Skyler is a senior out of Murrieta California and made his mark last year, catching the first Touchdown of the year against Washington State and ended the year with 20 catches for 206 yards. He is 6'3" tall and is long with good hands. His is listed as the starter over Ross Apo who is a 6'4" stud that I don't think has reached his potential which could also be contributed to his QB. In the Slot BYU has a 5'8" live wire in J.D Falslev who also returns kicks for the cougars. A player to watch for is 6'6" Mitch Matthews who will be a definite threat in the blue zone.

Utahs WR Dres Anderson
 Utah is also very talented and very very fast at the wide receiver position and should create problems for teams. The Utes are lead this year by Junior Dres Anderson who is the son of NFL star Willie "Flipper" Anderson. Dres is very fast (4.40 Time) and is smart and knows where to position himself to get open. Last year Dres lead the team in receptions with 36 as well as receiving yards with 365 and 3 touchdown. Dres also was used in the run game and was the third leading rusher on the team with 83 yards on 14 carries. Dres will have as partners in crime (as listed on the spring depth chart) 6'2" Quinton Pedroza and 6'3" Kenneth Scott. Pedroza played on special teams a lot last year and didn't see much time at the wide out spot but he is big and will create mismatches with DB's. Kenneth Scott finished last year with the 3rd most receptions on the team with 32 and second in receiving yards with 360. Last Year these Ute wide outs had a lot of issues. First they went through three different quarterbacks who all had different styles. Then for some strange reason every receiver had a bad case of the drops as well. I think under new Offensive Coordinator Dennis Erickson these Wide receivers will produce much more as well as be more of a focal point in the offensive strategy of this Utes team. 

Utah States Travis Van Leeuwen
Utah State is a very interesting team when it comes to there wide receivers and how they use them. With such an amazing number of talented running backs and a quarter back that can run as well, not to mention there amazing offensive line, the Aggies have not used there receivers that often. However that said when they do Chuckie Keeton's  number 1 receiver is fifth year senior Travis Van Leeuwen. Travis is 6'3" stud from Timpview High in Provo Utah. Last year Travis caught 12 passes for 143 yards and one touchdown. Behind Travis as listed on the spring depth chart are sophomore Bruce Natson who as a freshman for the Aggies caught 17 passes for 132 yards. Natson is 5'7" tall and very quick so he is defiantly an opposing team will have to keep there eyes on. The best wide out returning for the Aggies next year is 5'11" senior Travis Reynolds. Travis as a Junior from Lauderdale Lakes Florida and was a good receiver last year. Travis caught a ball in every game except for the Wisconsin game. He finished the year with 25 catches for 244 yards and a touchdown. With the offensive coordinator being the new head coach I'm seeing the Aggies being a run first offense, but do not sleep on these wide outs they are fast and will burn you if your not careful.

Winner: BYU

 Its hard to argue against a squad that has an Pre-Season All American leading them. Cody Hoffman is by far the best wide out in the state and one of the best in the entire country. Watch for Ross Apo to have a great season this year because he finally has a quarterback that is smart enough to look off his first read and with all the attention being shown to Hoffman Ross or Skyler will be in single coverage most of the time. I do thing Utahs wide outs will have a much better year, they have had all year to work with one quarterback and that will help them a ton. As long as they can hold on to balls Dres Anderson could have a very special year for the Utes. As for the Aggies, I think it will be business as usual, run run run till they creep up then either Chuckie will beat them with his feet or will find one of his wide outs open. 

Friday, July 26, 2013

BYU and Utah State!





BYU and Utah State have worked out a new agreement for an extension of there football series! Check out the link!
http://byucougars.com/m-football/byu-utah-state-announce-changes-extension-football-series

Facts about BYU (Casey)




There are a lot of really cool things you can find out about BYU and there football program. I love to gather as much information about BYU as possible and when I do I wanna share it with people. So as i was searching the Internet this morning I came across some very interesting (at least to Me) stats about BYU and its football program as a whole. So here is a little water cooler fodder for everyone!
  • Did you know that BYU's home winning record is 289-131-6 (.685) and there Cougar stadium record is 216-66 (.766) and since the expansion of the stadium in 1982 BYU is 147-41 (.782) AND since the name change to Lavell Edwards Stadium BYU is 56-18 (.757).
  • BYU has been to 31 Bowl games but only hold a record of 13-17-1 in those games. However BYU is on a current streak of 4 bowl wins (09-Las Vegas vs Oregon State, 10-New Mexico Bowl vs UTEP, 11-Armed Forces Bowl vs Tulsa and 12-Poinsettia Bowl vs San Diego State) and have been to 8 straight bowl games.
  • This year BYU will be returning 8 offensive starters from last year and only lost 3. They are also returning 6 offensive players with starting experience. On the defensive side of the ball BYU will be returning 6 players from last years stellar squad but they are also losing 6 starters and only bringing back 1 player with starting experience.
  • Under Bronco Mendenhall, BYU has gone 74-29 (.718). However Bronco is 4-14 against ranked opponents and only 3-16 against opponents who finish in the top 25.
  • The Longest Tenured coach on the coaching staff at this date are with 13 years, Inside Linebackers coach Paul Tidwell and Strength and Conditioning coach Jay Omer with Defensive Line coach Steve Kaufusi coming in right behind them with 12 years. 
  • BYU's newest coaches are all on the offensive side of the ball. Outside Offensive Coordinator Robert Anea BYU will have 4 coaches on the offensive side of the ball in there first year at BYU (RB coach Mark Atuaia, QB coach Jason Beck, OL coach Garett Tujague and WR coach Guy Holliday)
  •  Against the Big 5 Conferences (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, PAC 12, SEC) BYU sits at a 43-63 against those opponents (This includes the 2 years Utah has been in the PAC 12)
Anyway so there are some of the interesting little things I found out about BYU football this morning . I hope you enjoy them. Also Here is a little reminder that we are getting very close to the beginning of football.



Thursday, July 25, 2013

Who Is the Best? TE (Casey)

So I've decided to break down the Tight Ends and the Wide Receivers separate because I think that the two groups are different dependent on which team they are on. The State of Utah has produced many really good Tight ends that have made an impact on the NFL. So lets see who has the best set of Tight Ends this year and why.

BYU's Kaneakua Friel
BYU has a long standing tradition of having great Tight Ends and this year they could have another very special Tight End in Kaneakua Friel. Friel is a 6' 5" 250lb beast from Kaneoha Hawaii. This year he will be a senior and one of the leaders on the offensive side of the ball. So far this year he has been named to the 2013 CFPA Tight End Trophy Watch List as well as the John Mackey Award watch list. During his Sophomore year, Friel caught seven passes for 55 yards and one touchdown. He became a bigger part of the offense during his Junior year where he started all 13 games and finished the year with 30 catches for 308 yards and finished with 5 receiving touchdowns which was second most on the team! Friel is fast and big and is a physical player, the only knock on him was the fact he dropped a lot of balls last year (which could have been a product of the Quarterback last year). BYU has other Tight Ends that could be real good. The listed backup out of Spring  Ball is Brett Thompson. Brett is 6'3" tall and 220lbs but Played sparingly last year but during his Freshman year he caught 6 passes for 95 yards in 12 games played. Also listed for the Cougars at Tight End are Senior Richard Wilson, Junior Devin Mahina, Sophomore Stehly Reden and Freshman Michael Edmunds.

Utahs Jake Murphy
When it comes to the Utes, recent history hasn't been very good with Tight Ends. However it the past few years the Utes have began to utilize the Tight End position much more and with a Talent like Jake Murphy on the field i can see why they would. Jake Murphy is a 6'4" 252lb Junior and is a monster from Alpine Utah. Jake has been a great addition to the Utes and has produced right out of the game. BYU signed Jake out of high school but changed his mind on his mission and came to Utah. During his freshman year Jake played in 10 games and got 2 starts before he hurt his knee. He had five catches for 64 yards and a touchdown. During his Sophomore year he really became a prime target. He played in 12 games and got 5 starts. In those games Jake caught 33 passes for 349 yards and caught four touchdowns which was the most on the team. Jake was named honorable mention PAC 12 last year and is one of the best Tight Ends in the PAC 12 this year, He has also been named to the John Mackey award watch list. The listed Backup for the Utes is 6'4" 252lb Westlee Tonga. Tonga is a blocking stud and makes up for the lack of blocking that comes with Jake. Although Jake is the prime target, Tonga caught four passes for 39 yards last year and caught a touchdown and is dangerous in the red zone. The Utes are very young behind the startes with 3 Freshman listed as well as 2 Juniors.

Utah States D.J. Tialavea
Utah State is coming in with a very interesting group of  Tight Ends on there roster. The listed Starter coming out of Spring is Senior, 6'4" 266lb D.J. Tialavea. D.J. is from West Jordan Utah and is a big Tight End, in fact in two games last year he played Offensive Tackle for 22 snaps. When he was playing tight end he caught 6 catches for 31 yards and one touchdown. During his Sophomore year he caught seven passes for 74 yards and a touchdown. Utah State just does not go to there tight ends that often and why would they need them to do more that just block for the Studs in the backfield that they have had in the past. The Other listed Tight End on the spring depth chart is a coaches son in Keegan Anderson. Keegan is Gary Andersons son, he is 6'2" 231lbs and could become a weapon if needed. Last year he only caught two passes for 21 yards. But as a coaches son he should know how to get open when called upon. But as blockers those two guys are really really good.

Winner: Utah
  
  As far as I'm concerned I think Utah has the best pair of Tight Ends in the State and one of the best in the West. Jake Murphy can catch anything that is thrown around him and is just so big and fast its hard for any Inside Linebacker to keep up with him. Also Tonga is just a blocking machine and can be a real danger when it comes to goal line situations. I'm Not gonna say they are the deepest squad, that nod goes to BYU, but when it comes to the starters I have to go with Utah.

Sweet (Casey)

This is why BYU is so awesome!

Andy Reid mentions BYU!

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Wet the Palette (Casey)

So today got a little crazy with all the things that needed to get done before the 24th of July Holiday, but I didn't want things to go stale here on the blog so I thought I would put up a video of last years BYU highlights. Cougar fans enjoy!


Remember everyone there are only 39 days till BYU vs Virginia.

                            Also here is an amazing photo I came across that just needs to be shared


Monday, July 22, 2013

Who has the Best? RB (Casey)

So now that you have had a look at the Quarterbacks for our local teams, lets take a look at the guys that are going to be in the backfield with them, the Running Backs.

BYU's Jamaal Williams

BYU's Michael Alisa



BYU has an amazing stable of Running Backs coming back this year for first year coach Mark Atuaia and they will be one of the strengths of this BYU offense. The listed starters as of spring camp were Sophomore Jamaal Williams and Senior Michael Alisa. Alisa is from Laie Hawaii and played for Kahuku High school before coming to Utah and there he played two years for Timpview High.  As a freshman Michael Alisa played mostly on special teams and was a solid contributor. He is recorded as having 11 tackles as well as a Tackle for loss, a forced fumble, and a blocked kick. As a Sophomore Alisa began seeing a lot more time in the backfield. That year he recorded 455 yards rushing with three touchdowns as well as 55 yards receiving and one touchdown. Alisa was the clear starter last year. He was named to the Doak Walker award watch list as well as the All-State AFCA Good Works Team. He played in five games before breaking his arm against Hawaii. In those games he gained 222 yards and one touchdown with 23 yards receiving. But that broken arm cleared the way for the freshman phenom Jamaal Williams. Jamaal came to BYU as an 17 year old from Fontana California. In High school Jamaal was the CIF Offensive MVP, League MVP, All CIF First Team, and All League First Team. When Jamaal got his chance was after Alisa got hurt in the Hawaii game and in that game Jamaal rushed for 155 yards which was his season high. At the end of the year he finished with 166 carries for 775 yards and 12 touchdowns which are all freshman record at BYU. He also had 27 receptions for 315 yards and one touchdown. His breakout game came against Georgia Tech where he finished with 161 total yards of offense and 4 Touchdowns (3 rushing 1 receiving).

Utah's Kelvin York

Utah has always had a good stable of running backs that have been bruisers at times (Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala) and finesse like John White last year. But this year Utahs backfield is going to be kind of a mystery. They have a clear cut starter in Kelvin York but I'm not sure who they are going to back him up with. They have listed on there post spring depth chart Sophomore James "Bubba" Poole and Senior Karl Williams as backups. But York is a stud and I think as long as he stays healthy he will produce for the Utes this year. York is a senior from Prairieville Louisiana and is a transfer from Fullerton College. He is 5'11" tall and 220lbs. In his senior year of  High school he rushed for over 1400 yards while splitting time with Alabama's stud Eddie Lacy. During his first year at Utah he played in 8 games before injuring his ankle and while sharing touches he had 60 carries for 273 yards and three touchdowns. York is a beast, he is physical and low to the ground. If either Poole or Williams can step up this backfield could be good. They have four Running backs that signed to offers and will be at fall camp so that backup spot could be pretty interesting.


Utah State's Kelvin Lee

Utah State's Joe Hill











Utah State has a very interesting back field this year. The Last couple years have seen the Aggies putting running back after running back in the NFL. Well this year the Aggies are going to have two relative newcomers to the field in Joe Hill and Kelvin Lee. Joe Hill is a Junior but has been behind NFL backs in Kerwynn Williams, Robert Turbin and Michael Smith these last few years so this will be his first year as a possible starter. Joe Hill is from Fullerton California and is 5'11" 185lbs. He played a little as a Redshirt freshman and ran the ball 7 times for 24 yards and a touchdown. As  a Sophomore he saw a lot more playing time. He played in 12 game and started three of them. He finished the season with 43 carries for 269 yards and seven touchdowns and caught 10 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns. Kelvin Lee is a Sophomore from South Daytona Florida and is 5'10" and 183lbs. During his freshman year Lee saw action in 11 games and ran the ball 29 times for 130 yards. His college experience is limited but from what I understand coming out of spring camp, if Hill slips any Lee is ready to take over and move the team forward. The Aggies also have four Running Backs coming into the program come Fall Camp, But in my mind its Hills Job to lose.

Winner: BYU

BYU just has the depth this year to be the best Running Back corp in the State. Jamaal Williams in my mind is going to have his actual national breakout year this year. He has put on weight and is finally an adult (turned 18 this summer) and hasn't lost any speed. If Jamaal and Michael Alisa can stay healthy they could rack up the yards this year and really make this team very very good. Also keep and eye on BYU's depth, Adam Hine is no slouch and walk on Khalil Bell is a quick, strong running back out of Georgia that will make BYU that much deeper.
 

Friday, July 19, 2013

2013 NFL PREDICTIONS!!! (TYLER)
PLAYOFFS BABY!!!

Now that my 2013 NFL Predictions are finished, let's take a look at each division and how their overall records played out.                         = Tie Breakers

AFC EAST                 AFC NORTH                     AFC SOUTH                    AFC WEST 
NEW ENGLAND   13-3                CINCINNATI  14-2                            HOUSTON          14-2                       DENVER              13-3
MIAMI                    6-10               PITTSBURGH 12-4                           INDIANAPOLIS  8-8                        KANSAS CITY  10-6
BUFFALO               3-13               BALTIMORE   8-8                             TENNESSEE         8-8                       SAN DIEGO         4-12 
NEW YORK JETS  2-14               CLEVELAND   4-14                           JACKSONVILLE 2-14                     OAKLAND          4-12



NFC EAST               NFC NORTH             NFC SOUTH                NFC WEST
WASHINGTON           11-5          CHICAGO          11-5                       ATLANTA         12-4                       SAN FRANCISCO 13-3
NEW YORK GIANTS 10-6          GREEN BAY       11-5                      NEW ORLEANS 10-6                      SEATTLE                13-3
DALLAS                       6-10          DETROIT            9-7                        TAMPA BAY      7-9                       ST. LOUIS               5-12
PHILADELPHIA          2-14          MINNESOTA    4-12                      CAROLINA          5-11                     ARIZONA               2-14


According to my predictions the Playoff seeding would look like this:
                  AND                 = Tie Breakers                                                              

                 AFC                                                                       NFC                      
1st: CINCINNATI            14-2                                        1st: SAN FRANCISCO       13-3
2nd: HOUSTON               14-2                                        2nd: ATLANTA                   12-4
3rd: NEW ENGLAND      13-3                                        3rd: CHICAGO                   11-5
4th: DENVER                    13-3                                        4th: WASHINGTON           11-5
5th: PITTSBURGH            12-4                                        5th: SEATTLE                      13-3
6th: KANSAS CITY          10-6                                        6th: GREEN BAY                11-5



Wild Card Round plays out:                                                                      WINNER
KANSAS CITY will play in NEW ENGLAND                                             NEW ENGLAND
PITTSBURGH will play in DENVER                                                               DENVER

GREEN BAY will play in CHICAGO                                                              GREEN BAY
SEATTLE will play in WASHINGTON                                                             SEATTLE

Round 1 then plays out:                                                                             WINNER
DENVER will play in CINCINNATI                                                                  DENVER
NEW ENGLAND will play in HOUSTON                                                        HOUSTON

GREEN BAY will play in SAN FRANCISCO                                                   SAN FRANCISCO
SEATTLE will play in ATLANTA                                                                       ATLANTA

Round 2 then plays out:                                                                              WINNER
DENVER will play in HOUSTON                                                                       DENVER
ATLANTA will play in SAN FRANCISCO                                                   SAN FRANCISCO


That means i predict that my 2013 SUPERBOWL CONTENDERS will be! 
DENVER BRONCOS VS SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

I can see this SuperBowl going both ways. Each team has a stellar defense, potent offense, and very good coaching. The biggest difference i see is at Quarterback, Peyton Manning vs Colin Kaepernick is kind of a no-brainer to me, obviously Manning is the more polished quarterback that has the best history. This game will be played in New York.....OUTSIDE!!! That does not bode too well for Manning compared to Kaepernick. Peyton Manning has been known to struggle in cold weather games compared to Domes and Warm Weather. However, i think this year along with last year in Denver should be enough for Manning to figure out a way to win in cold weather games and i see the 2013-2014 NFL SuperBowl Champs being.....                                                THE DENVER BRONCOS! 

Whether or not this really plays out like i predict we will see. Now i want to get your thoughts. Who do think will make a splash in the Playoffs and contend for/win the Super Bowl?

Who has the best? QB's (Casey)

College Football season is getting closer and closer. Fall camps will be opening here in the state in about two weeks and I for one can't wait! So as the teams are going through there summer conditioning and have made it through spring camp I wanted to do a little breakdown of each FBS team here in the state, and I wanted to do it position by position. But this isn't just me breaking them down and everyone agreeing with me, I want to know what all of you think as well, So as I break each position down using the listed starters from Spring (So after fall things could change) I wanna know what your thoughts are. So lets start with the Quarterback position.

BYU's Taysom Hill

Taysom Hill is a Sophomore out of Pocatello Idaho, He is 6' 2" tall and comes in at 218lbs and is mobile. During Taysom's Senior year In High school he was a 5A(Idaho) All-Idaho Player of the year and racked up 2,269 yards passing with 18 touchdowns. He also rushed for 1,491 yards and 24 touchdowns and averaged 123.4 yards per game. During his freshman year at BYU Taysom went 2-0 as a starter leading the Cougars to wins over Hawaii and in state rival Utah State before injuring his knee on the last play of the game against the Aggies on a stupid miscommunication with the BYU sideline. Before his injury however Taysom played in 6 games overall and went 42 of 71 for 425 yards and 4 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He also rushed 55 times for 336 yards and 4 touchdowns. After Spring ball, Taysom is ready to be BYU's starter and lead the Cougars forward during what is going to be the hardest schedule any Cougar Quarterback has ever faced.


Utah's Travis Wilson
Travis Wilson is a Sophomore out of San Clemente California, He is 6' 6" tall and weighs 240lbs and is mobile. Coming out of High school Travis was ranked the 11th best QB by rivals.com. In high school he also set school records in passing yards (4,375) and total offense (5,244). His Senior year Travis threw for 2,289 yards and 24 touchdowns, he also ran for 467 yards and 9 touchdowns. It was a mess up on the hill at the quarterback position and as a freshman at the University of Utah Travis played in twelve games and started the last seven and went 3-4 overall. In his 12 games played Travis went 128 of 204 for 1,311 yards and 7 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. He also rushed the ball 64 times for 40 yards. But this year as the clear cut starter and with a new Offensive Coordinator I think Travis should do just fine for the Utes.

Utah State's Chuckie Keeton
Chuckie Keeton is a Junior out of Houston Texas, He is 6' 2" and weighed in at 200lbs and is a mobile threat. Since Chuckie has been around for a while now we don't really need to go into his High School accomplishments. Chuckie played in nine games as a freshman for the Aggies and started 8 before being injured. In those nine game Chuckie threw for 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also rushed for 293 yards and 4 touchdowns. He only threw 2 interceptions all year and was the last FBS quarterback to throw a pick that year. That year as well Chuckie almost beat the defending BCS champs in Auburn on there home field and only lost on a late touchdown by Mike Dyer with 30 seconds to go to lose 42-38. Chuckie only got better after that and during his sophomore year he started all 13 games and went 275 of 407 for 3,373 yards and 27 touchdowns with nine interceptions and rushed for 619 yards and eight touchdowns. He was named to the First team all WAC and ranked 17th nationally in total offense. As of now Chuckie holds the Utah State records for completion percentage with .656%, and is fouth all time in total touchdown with 38. There is no doubt in Logan who will be starting and how good he will be even with a new head coach because that head coach used to be his Offensive Coordinator.

 Winner: Utah State and Chuckie Keeton

 In my mind there is no argument, Chuckie Keeton is by far the best! He has the speed, poise, arm, and smarts to make it to the NFL in my mind and should help this Utah State team to another possible 10 win season and another Bowl victory. Not to say that Taysom Hill or Travis Wilson couldn't have a special season its the simple fact that Keeton is seasoned and ready to make an even bigger name for himself in a better conference (Mountain West) and with a tougher schedule.

So let me know what you think and if you agree or disagree. Lets hear an argument on why the QB you picked is the best in the State!


Thursday, July 18, 2013

Locals in the NFL (Casey)















Here are some of the Local college players that are currently on rosters for teams in the NFC West!


Arizona Cardinals:
 There are no Local Players that are on there current roster at this time. However Ute corner Reggie Topps signed a free agent deal with the Cardinals but is not listed on there roster!


St Louis Rams:

                        Name                    Pos           H             W           Exp           College  
  • #69 Braden Brown              OL          6'6"         300            R              BYU 
  • #79W  Al Lapuaho              DT          6'2"         301            R              Utah State

San Francisco 49ers:

                       Name                Pos           H             W           Exp           College  
  • #1 Chuck Jacobs                WR         6'0"          178           R              Utah State

Seattle Seahawks:

                        Name                    Pos           H               W           Exp           College  
  • #22 Robert Turbin                RB         5'10"        222           2             Utah State
  • #67 Paul McQuistan             OL         6'6"         315            8             Weber State
  • #54 Bobby Wagner              LB          6'0"         241            2             Utah State
Utah State WR Matt Austin signed a free agent deal with the Seahawks and BYU's DB Preston Hadley was invited to Seahawks Summer camp but neither of them show up on the current roster at this time!
    
 











2013 NFL PREDICTIONS!!! (TYLER)
THE 12TH MAN

For Day 32 of my 2013 NFL Predictions i will break down the SEATTLE SEAHAWKS!

Last year Seattle burst onto the scene under the direction of rookie QB Russell Wilson, Wilson beat out QB Matt Flynn to take over this team and lead them to an 11-5 season, a postseason victory over Washington before losing by 2 to Atlanta.  Hopes are high in Seattle where the 12th man is going strong. RB Marshawn Lynch has proven that he can handle the workload, TE Zach Miller is a solid passing option, but the most hype is coming around newly acquired WR Percy Harvin, Harvin will be playing along side Sidney Rice in the starting role with Doug Baldwin and Golden Tate fighting for that third receiver spot. Defensively Seattle was one of the best in the NFL. And it all starts up front with Chris Clemons and Bruce Irvin who had 19.5 sacks between the two of them, plug in new addition Cliff Avril who had 9.5 sacks on his own with Detroit last year and you have one of the most imposing defensive lines in the NFL. LBs  Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright led this young linebacking core with 140 and 98 tackles respectively, 3 sacks and 4 interceptions between them. The Seahawk defensive backfield is probably of the best in the NFL and they aren't afraid to tell you that too, Led by DBs Richard Sherman, Antione Winfield, and Earl Thomas this group had 14 INTs last year and pushed more teams into a one dimensional offense. I don't see too many holes on this team, so lets see how Head Coach Pete Carroll and the Seahawk organization drafted.

ROUND 2: Christine Michael RB (Texas A&M)
ROUND 3: Jordan Hill DT (Penn State)
ROUND 4: Chris Harper WR (Kansas State)
ROUND 5: Jesse Williams DT (Alabama)
ROUND 5: Tharold Simon CB (LSU)
ROUND 5: Luke Wilson TE (Rice)
ROUND 6: Spencer Ware RB (LSU)
ROUND 7: Ryan Seymour OG (Vanderbilt)
ROUND 7: Ty Powell DE (Harding)
ROUND 7: Jared Smith DT (New Hampshire)
ROUND 7: Michael Bowie OT (NE Oklahoma State)

Apparently Seattle believes it needs some help at the Defensive Tackle spot since they drafted 3 of them along with a Defensive End. Seattle's first pick RB Christine Michael will be put into rotation with Marshawn Lynch and Robert Turbin. Most everyone else on this list will either not make it out of training camp or will solely be depth players. That's a good thing though right? Having enough talented players on both sides of the field that you don't have to worry so much about getting the right players in the draft. Let's take a look now at how i predict the Seahawks season going.

OPPONENTS                                       W/L
@ CAROLINA                                         W
SAN FRANCISCO                                    W
JACKSONVILLE                                       W
@ HOUSTON                                           L
@ INDIANAPOLIS                                  W
TENNESSEE                                            W
@ ARIZONA (THURSDAY)                    W
@ ST. LOUIS (MONDAY)                       W
TAMPA BAY                                           W
@ ATLANTA                                           L
MINNESOTA                                           W
BYE WEEK
NEW ORLEANS (MONDAY)                   W
@ SAN FRANCISCO                                L
@ NEW YORK GIANTS                          W
ARIZONA                                                W
ST. LOUIS                                                W

FINAL RECORD                                   13 - 3

Analysis: I see the 12th man being to much for opposing teams. Seattle won't lose any games at home, but will get hung up on a couple tough road games. I see improvement coming Seattle's way from last year's 11-5 season and they will make the playoffs. I actually have them tying San Francisco for the Division Championship and having it go to a tie breaker. Could this be the year Seattle pushes it's way deeper into the playoffs. Ask Richard Sherman and he will give you a definitive YES. Now we just wait and see.

Do you think Seattle makes it back to the playoffs? Or do you have QB Russell Wilson taking a step back in year two? Let me know in the comments section.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

SI mock College Distribution Draft! (Casey)



Have you ever looked at College Football recruiting and thought, I wonder what it would be like if there was a draft for college players and every player was available to be drafted onto another team? Well Andy Staples does that and has a Distribution draft in his Sportsillustrated.com article and its a very interesting read. So where do our favorite BYU player go? And who do our local teams pick up? Take a read and see!http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-football/news/20130715/college-football-mock-draft/?sct=uk_t12_a7
2013 NFL PREDICTIONS!!! (TYLER)
NINERS NINERS FORTY NINERS

For Day 31 of my 2013 NFL Predictions i will break down the San Francisco 49ers!

Last year the San Francisco 49ers made it to the Super Bowl only to fall short to the Baltimore Ravens, this team is extremely talented on both sides of the ball and has great coach starting with Head Coach Jim Harbaugh. Let's look at who San Fran has on offense, starting of course with QB Colin Kaepernick a very talented young quarterback, RBs Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter, WRs Michael Crabtree, Anquan Boldin, and Mario Manningham, TE Vernon Davis, and even offensive lineman Alex Boone, Mike Iupati, and Joe Staley. Just a side note WR Michael Crabtree is out for probably all season with an injury. Defensively the 49ers boast the talents of Defensive Backs Nnamdi Asomugha, Carlos Rogers, and Perrish Cox. LBs Patrick Willis, Navorro Bowman, and Aldon Smith even though Aldon Smith is more of a DE and works along side DT Justin Smith to wreak havoc in the trenches. On paper this team may be the most talented in the NFL. How could they possibly improve? Lets take a look at their draft.

ROUND 1: Eric Reid FS (LSU)
ROUND 2: Cornellius (Tank) Carradine DE (Florida)
ROUND 2: Vance McDonald TE (Rice)
ROUND 3: Corey Lemonier DE (Auburn)
ROUND 4: Quinton Patton WR (Louisiana Tech)
ROUND 4: Marcus Lattimore RB (South Carolina)
ROUND 5: Quinton Dial DE (Alabama)
ROUND 6: Nick Moody OLB (Florida State)
ROUND 7: B.J. Daniels QB (South Florida)
ROUND 7: Carter Bykowski OT (Iowa State)
ROUND 7:  Marcus Cooper CB (Rutgers)

In my opinion it's almost unfair that a Super Bowl team could have so many draft picks, but you have to give credit where credit is due, the 49er front office did a great job building this team and still being able to add depth to an already talented team. FS Eric Reid will see playing time along with Tank Carradine. Due to the injury to Michael Crabtree my sleeper of this draft is Quinton Patton, he is a very good WR and will push for Offensive Rookie of the Year awards. My steal of this draft is RB Marcus Lattimore. Lattimore was projected to be a 1st round RB until his injury, falling all the way to the 4th Round and being able to sit behind a quality group of running backs and provide depth at the position. Unfortunately for most in this draft class they aren't going to see a lot of playing time but they are on the fortunate side to be able to learn from some of the best at their position. Now without further ado lets take a glance at my predictions for the 49ers.

OPPONENTS                                          W/L
GREEN BAY                                              W
@ SEATTLE                                               L
INDIANAPOLIS                                          W
@ ST. LOUIS (THURSDAY)                       W
HOUSTON                                                W
ARIZONA                                                 W
@ TENNESSEE                                         W
@ JACKSONVILLE                                    W
BYE WEEK
CAROLINA                                               W
@ NEW ORLEANS                                    L
@ WASHINGTON (MONDAY)                 L
ST. LOUIS                                                 W
SEATTLE                                                   W
@ TAMPA BAY                                        W
ATLANTA (MONDAY)                              W
@ ARIZONA                                             W

FINAL RECORD                                      13 - 3

Analysis: Last year the 49ers finished 11-5, i see them improving to 13-3 with this schedule. I have them sweeping both St. Louis and Arizona in division and splitting the series with Seattle. A tough road challenge looms in weeks 11 and 12 and the Niners will buckle under those games before getting back on track heading towards the playoffs. This team is just too talented to lose too many games especially under Jim Harbaugh's tutelage. Playoff Bound? YES. Super Bowl Bound? We will see.

What are your thoughts on this team? Let me hear it.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Meet 2 of my new favorite BYU players (casey)


There is a story out on one of my favorite web sights lawlessrepublic.com about one of the two incoming freshman that I am excited to see. JonRyheem Peoples is a stud defensive lineman from Idaho that is going to come in and TAKE a spot on the D-line right away. He is 6'6" tall and over 300lbs. He reportedly ran a 4.7 40 which to give you an comparison, Ziggy Ansah at the combine ran a 4.6 40 at 271lbs. The fastest time by a D-Lineman over 290 lbs was 4.87 by Sharrif Floyd! Peoples is a beast, his weight room numbers are crazy and he also played basketball and track in High school. He also is warmly loved in the hearts and minds of BYU fans for the way he told BYU that he was coming. So check out this highlight video of Peoples and enjoy the ending cougar fans!
 





 The Other player I am excited to see dress up in the BYU blue and white is O-lineman Brayden Kearsley from Beaverton Oregon. Brayden was a 4 star recruit that was being recruited by many Pac 12 schools and almost changed his mind from BYU to Oregon State until Coach Robert Anea came up and talked to him about his major roll he will be playing on the O-Line at BYU. Brayden is 6'4" and 298lbs. I think he will be playing center for the Cougars this year and be a starter as a freshman. Kearsley brings an attitude that this BYU line really needed and he will fire up this line to break faces and open holes for BYU's talented RB's and QB. Here is a little video of him as well as a picture he took that again will endear him to all BYU fans!

                                    

2013 NFL PREDICTIONS!!! (TYLER)
RAMA LAMA DING DONG

For Day 30 of my 2013 NFL Predictions i will break down the ST. LOUIS RAMS!

Last year the St. Louis Rams finished 7-9 under the leadership of QB Sam Bradford and RB Steven Jackson. Now that Jackson is gone this is officially Bradford's team however he hasn't be given much of a safety net to work over, Lucky for Bradford this Rams team acquired the services of offensive tackle Jake Long from Miami and he will be a huge relief on Bradford's blind side. However, Bradford is going to have to work with probably the youngest offense in the NFL as far as skill positions go, with the longest tenured player at RB and WR being Austin Pettis out of Boise State who has been in the league 3 years. Even adding the TE positions adds Jared Cook and Zach Potter who have 5 yrs each under their belts. Defensively, this team lines up well at each position. Newly added CB Cortland Finnegan and S Matt Giordano help to shore up a weakened secondary, while LB James Laurinaitis leads the linebacking core, and DE Chris Long will be looked at to lead the defensive lineman. Overall this is a very young team that has a solid core of players and just needs a little bit of help some places along with time/experience. How did the Rams draft this year you say? Well lets take a look see shall we?

ROUND 1: Tavon Austin WR (West Virginia)
ROUND 1: Alec Ogletree ILB (Georgia)
ROUND 3: T.J. McDonald FS (USC)
ROUND 3: Stedman Bailey WR (West Virginia)
ROUND 4: Barrett Jones OG (Alabama)
ROUND 5: Brandon McGee CB (Miami)
ROUND 5: Zac Stacy RB (Vanderbilt)

I can't tell you how much i love this draft. I mean, the Rams lost their #1 WR in Danny Amendola but replaced him with speedster Tavon Austin and his teammate Stedman Bailey. Alec Ogletree will start next to James Laurinaitis at LB, T.J. McDonald will get his shot start at FS. Even the final three picks of Jones, McGee, and Stacy will get a viable shot to start. This draft is going to go a long way for this team in the future. But how soon can they gel with Bradford on offense and figure out the defensive scheme of Head Coach Jeff Fisher? Let's see how i predict their season.

OPPONENTS                                           W/L
ARIZONA                                                   W
@ ATLANTA                                              L
@ DALLAS                                                 L
SAN FRANCISCO (THURSDAY)                  L
JACKSONVILLE                                          W
@ HOUSTON                                             L
@ CAROLINA                                            L
SEATTLE (MONDAY)                                 L
TENNESSEE                                               L
@ INDIANAPOLIS                                      L
BYE WEEK
CHICAGO                                                  W
@ SAN FRANCISCO                                    L
@ ARIZONA                                              L
NEW ORLEANS                                         W
TAMPA BAY                                              W
@ SEATTLE                                                L

FINAL RECORD                                     5 - 12

Analysis: I have the Rams stepping backwards a little bit from last year mainly due the production loss of Amendola and Steven Jackson. I really like the directions the Rams are headed but i think it's going to take a couple more years for this super young team to get the game time experience that they need. Keep your heads up Rams fans, even though this year won't be what you think it will be, the future is very bright for this team, even in a tough division.

What do you think?