OL coach explains ULCA breakdowns

Most BYU fans have spent many months wringing hands over the break down in pass protection against UCLA in the Las Vegas Bowl.

You may remember, Bruin DE Bruce Davis looked like Batman, zipping past blockers, diving for Max Hall’s head as his teammates sprinted past BYU offensive linemen like they were freeway pylons.

Well, it was ugly.

And preventable.

Offensive line coach Mark Weber said you’ve got to give UCLA coach Dwyane Walker credit for his game plan but it wasn’t what UCLA was doing as much as what BYU was not doing.

And what would that be?

Coming up with a game plan that would have given the Bruin defense more to worry about than they did in that game for starts.

Weber said BYU could have done some things to give the Cougar offense more help. But it didn’t happen.

My comment here: That’s a pretty good admission that the staff blew it and were under-prepared and out-coached, a similar admission by Bronco Mendenhall, put to himself after the loss at Tulsa.

So, what could have been done?

BYU could have used some tweaks in their formations, etc., and playcalling to give UCLA some trouble and make them pay for their game plan. Things like sprint out action, motion, shifts, screen passes. My comment, not Weber’s.

Weber said BYU’s offensive coaches will be better prepared the next time around and he doesn’t expect the same issues to crop up.

Really?

Really, he said.

Here is his quote”

“I think we can make it harder for them, doing a better job with some things. Given the things to wory about, things to defend, making it easier for us. I credit them, they did a very nice job and they have some very talented players. But there were some things we could have done better to ehlp our guys.”

So it didn’t have to come down to a blocked field goal?

Anyway, I respected Weber’s candor in admitting BYU blew it in that game, a contest counting that Harvey Unga fumble at the goal-line just seconds before half time, that should never have been as close as it was.

There has been some question as to if BYU has done away with the wide splits taken by O-linemen. No, said Weber. “The splits are the same as we’ve taken before I got here.”

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More than 800 former players and family members and guests are expected to return to Provo to spend Friday afternoon in the football facilities and watch scrimmage, part of the annual alumni day spearheaded by Bronco Mendenhall.

The former players will be able to tour the facilities and sit in position meetings with players and coaches. They will also be treated to a meal provided by Ruby River Steakhouse.

While the public may not feed on this opportunity, I can tell you from hanging around former players, they eat this stuff up. Vai Sikahema, a TV sportscaster in Philadelphia has made it an annual trip to come for this alumni day and mix it with the LDS conference. Others have followed from as far away as Hawaii. Last year 300 attended this event and that number is expected to more than double this year.