Defense improving day by day
They started out being fodder but at the end of the second week of spring practice, Jaime Hill’s defense is getting tougher, manning up and making more and more plays.
On Thursday, during a non-tackling 11-on-11 drill at the end of practice, Max Hall completed 5 of 8 passes for 35 yards. But he could not get in the end zone in the indoor practice facility. The second offense could not complete a pass.
G Pittman leveled a huge hit on Michael Reed on a pass play, knocking him to the turf in a huge collision. Vic So’oto looked to jump a lot of plays and collected two sacks, which were really whistles that stopped the play because he was in touch range of the quarterback.
It’s still too early to tell how much improvement the defense has made, replacing two corners and a safety. The reason is there is no live hitting going on. There’s contact, but it’s stand up contact only and the number of reps during 11 on 11 is limited.
On Friday, Bronco Mendenhall hinted there could be a short scrimmage. We’ll have to see how much hitting and tackling is allowed. This is where you can measure how quick the defenders are making reads and getting in position to make plays. By the same token, it will tell us much about the ability of corners and safeties to make stops and actually apply the so-called wood to Manase Tonga, Fui Vakapuna and Harvey Unga. I think Mendenhall will only give his big name players a few plays during the scrimmage and hold them out from extended contact. No reason for Unga to carry the ball 10 times.
If the Cougars were to start today, Scott Johnson and Brandon Howard would be the starting corners and Andrew Rich or Jordan Pendleton would take over the safety spot opposite Kellen Fowler.
Secondary play is crucial to the development of BYU’s defense under Jaime Hill because that’s his position to coach. I’d say he’s got the secondary making significant strides from the start of spring to now. They are making decisions quicker, closing gaps in coverage faster and more are more apt to make plays rather than react late on the field.
Covering Austin Collie, however is a chore. Collie is a load and there isn’t a secondary player on BYU’s team who can consistently keep the ball out of his hands. The times Collie fails to collect the ball are when the defensive front seven applies pressure and rushes the play, and that’s happening more and more this week.