This article reminds of my days back at the Y. I was serving up some pretty mean pancakes blcoks that these youngin's couldn't even shake a stick.

I remember some of those blocks Billybob, as I was a victim of them. I still have trouble getting out of bed on account of them pancake blocks you was serving out.

Nice article Tricky Dicky Harmon!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How long must we even have to read these brainless articles from Dick? Get some insight man! The whole "if we" sounds like someone in grade school...If BYU had not of made a play here or got a call there, in a couple of games, they could have been 8-5 or 9-4 instead of 11-2. What I'm saying is, dont give me this "if we" crap. The players can try and learn from last year and mistakes but so can other teams learn this. Things happen on the field that make a team win or lose, these are facts! One more thing Dick, if your going to do a brainless article like this, include the other side of the "if we's" and "what ifs."

Are you saying it's Anae's resposibility when Hall gets blindsided or when they don't kneel down right before the half and lose a fumble that costs them the score.
Another area that cost us against Tulsa was getting burned deep by our secondary. Hopefully that's corrected also. If they are it could be a great season!

The NFL has known for years that turnovers are the single most significant factor in determining the outcome of NFL games. It shouldn't be a surprise that the same applies to College.

To that end, Andy Reid hired a statistics professor from BYU to establish a computer model to analyze every play the Eagles ran for three years. The result of the model clearly revealed that the blind side tackle was the 2nd most critical position on the football team (after the QB) because most turnovers come as a result of the blindside rush (sacks, fumbles, hurries, etc. are more often caused by the blind side.)

It's good to see the Cougars addressing these issues. Too bad they didn't listen to one of their own faculty two years ago when the data was offered.

If BYU can eliminate the blindside hits on Hall, minimize the turnovers, and attack more agressively on run blocking, they will have an outstanding year offensively.

Nice work Coach Anae on working hard to polish the only weaknesses in an already very good BYU offensive.

What a worthless article. I couldn't agree more with "How Long". There is no substance to an article of "if we" and "if that".

Sounds like nothing but wishful thinking. The Kewgs weren't even close to a perfect season last year and certainly won't be this year either!!!

tds won't ever go undefeated. we only TRAILED once for 8 minutes THE ENTIRE SEASON.

But don't forget the third factor - luck (or divine intervention, depending on your interpretation of things). Every team that finishes unbeaten has some lucky bounces and calls along the way.

When is Unga going on his mission?

will you be so dumb as to continue reading articles from a sportswriter you obviously despise?

I, and many, many other readers, enjoy Dick's articles.

If you don't like his articles, why do you continue reading them?

Stop whining and just read articles on the U of U blog that won't offend your BYU-hating sensibilities!

You didn't even score against Vegas, and you lost four games, so no matter how many minutes you trailed you still had a so-so season.

I know it's sports, but it's fewer fumbles, not less. If Dick can't get it right, the copy editor should, even though you are now officially very understaffed at the D-News.

Call it: Pads and Hands R Us.

We're a month away from our first game and Dick Harmon is already talking about "perfection"? I don't like what our fan base has become. Pride cometh before the fall.....

if if and buts were candy and nuts we would all have a merry christmas

Guess what doesn't matter - you're still behind. To say that you only trailed for 8 minutes all season exposes your idiocy - the only score that matters is at the END. Just proves you couldn't "hold on"...

Dick, if you are going to assume that, with a couple of good breaks, BYU might have won at UCLA and Tulsa, then you also must assume that, with a couple of bad breaks, BYU might have lost against New Mexico, TCU, Utah and UCLA. Instead of 13-0, they could have easily been 8-4 or 7-5.

One "lucky" 4th and 18 and an unblocked field goal and the Cougars sit with 4 losses.

Come on Dick.

If BYU can run the ball this year then all of Robert Anae's wishes will come true.However, right now all BYU has for sure is Unga and that won't be enough. Fia is too injured to be dependable and they booted the other back out of school for not washing his socks or some other ridiculous team rule violation. Better hope that some other running back steps up in the next couple of weeks.

This is why BYU is expecting success this year. Veteran O Lines and blocking at a high level are always good predictors of success in football.

He is forgetting about another important factor...LUCK!! Luck was on BYU's side last year. They finished 11-2 but could have just as easily finished 9-4 and nobody would be making as a big of a deal about BYU this year because they wouldn't have even finished in the final top 25 polls from last year. Every BYU fan (if they're honest with themselves) has to realize this. They won some that they could've just as easily have lost (Utah and UCLA).

Did you already know that blocking and turnovers was the OC's primary focus? I doubt it. This article does offer some new insight, idiots (How Long & Dave).

I'm just mad it's not on DISH TV......again.

I enjoy reading your article very much. Keep up the good work. Your articles are engaging and informative. I look forward to reading them each morning. Go cougars! I cant wait for the magic to happen this year!

Harmon's only parroting what he's hearing from the coaching staff and the fan base. To many Y fans, the BCS is a foregone conclusion. Which will only make Utah's win on Nov. 22nd that much sweeter!

And for those such as Re How Long?... @ 8:11 who don't like it when Utah fans post on BYU articles, it's called a "rivalry" and this is what rivals do, especially when one paper covers both schools. If YOU don't want to offend your sensibilities, just stick to the article and don't open up the comments.

Reminds me of when Paul James called the games, "If Matt Belini was not tripped up at the line of scrimmage that would have been a beutiful touchdown run".
For that matter even Hot Rod pretends not to be rooting all the time.

Seems to me that a lot of Utah fans have been making similar "if" statements about last year's injuries, so the ball is rolling both ways.

Why on earth shouldn't BYU and its fans be hoping for a perfect season? The team returns nearly its entire offense, plus two key playmakers on defense, a stronger kicking game, and what could be a stronger secondary. The team could and should improve over last year's games, so what should they be shooting for?

"Only lose once" Wow, that gets me motivated.

"Lose less than twice" Go team.

"Play better than last year" That would look great on banners and shirts.

Although, there is one that I don't mind...

"Convert on 3rd and 18 this year"

all depends on running game | 9:22 a.m. Aug. 7, 2008
"...and they booted the other back out of school for not washing his socks or some other ridiculous team rule violation."

Yeah, it was something ridiculous... like poor academic performance -- three semesters in a row. With all the soft treatment and perks that student-athletes get, that's absolutely inexcusable.

The BYU O-line is just too fat, thats good for run blocking but you have to be more agile to pass block. Look for hall to have a lot of turnovers as a result of poor pass blocking.

I LOVE YOUR ARTICLE ON THE 2 KEY factors to BYU success yet they are far from the most imortant factor. Very few players at Byu have gotten this and that is why the best teams we play in the bowl games beat us. Here it is !!!!! IT IS A MIND SET IN OUR DEFENSIVE BACK FIELD THAT THE OPPONENT COACH FEELS AND EVERY PLAYER ON THEIR TEAM KNOWS THAT IF YOU THROW THE FOOTBALL IN MY SPACE I'M NOT GOING TO KNOCK IT DOWN OR TACKLE YOU BUT I'M GOING TO PICK YOUR POCKET AND GO FOR A TOUCH DOWN EVERY TIME!!!!!
HOW MANY TIMES OVER THE YEARS HAVE WE SEEN OUR TEAM HOLD THEIR OFFENSE TO A HAVE A 3RD DOWN AND 14
( WE'VE SACKED THEM ONCE) AND WE PLAY A SOFT PREVENT AND THEY GET A FIRST DOWN AND THEN DO THE SAME THING AGAIN TO ULTAMATLY ALLOW THEM TO SCORE!!!!!!!!
MANY WILL SAY WELL IF WE PLAYED LIKE THAT WE'D GET BURNT! WE GET BURNT ANYWAY AND IT WOULD HAPPEN SO MANY TIMES LESS OFTEN BECAUSE THE OTHER DEFENSIVE PLAYERS WOULD PICK UP THE SLACK BECUASE THE PRESSURE OF THE AGGRESSIVENESS! STAN

Too injured??? it's a hamstring pull that he's almost recovered from. I don't plan on him being a major contributer to the offense anyway, he may touch the ball 5 times per game. Unga will carry our run game with Latu or DiLuigi backing him up.

Get your facts straight if you're going to bring it up too. Tonga wasn't kicked off the team for violating team rules. He was declared academically ineligible.

And anonymous, no one should complain about not being able to see the games anymore....it's on directv. If you want to see the games just switch, that will send them a message faster than anything I know. And if you sell Dish, apply for a sales job at directv so we don't have to listen to anymore whining on this subject.

You two yewts are ridiculous. First of all, what are you talking about utah only trailed for 8 minutes the entire season? utah trailed BYU for over 24 minutes, that's only ONE GAME!

And as far as the running game, Unga is more than enough. Just ask Tate why he is still in the fetal position lying in the endzone. Tonga was not academically eligible. Everyone knows that at utah if a player is academically ineligible it's to embarrassing because their standards are so low, so they have to make up a reason like not washing your socks.

Writing 101: What is the subject of the article? (Improve blocking and turnovers) Why should BYU focus on this? (It was a problem) If it was not a problem, what might have occured? (fewer losses)

I agree. Those who don't are mistaken. Although, if BYU was 12-0, they would have lost to Georgia and ended up 12-1, not 13-0 in the LV Bowl.

Back off the beat writer! There are always what-ifs to counter past outcomes.

'how long...' is a trojan, not a ute. It's so funny to see so many Utah based BYU fans assume every critical anti-BYU remark is from a ute. We are hated everywhere. I live in Vegas, and they hate us more than any other team.

I am glad that Anae, Harmon, Mendenhall, and WHOEVER realize that the O-line was the great weakness of this football team last year. They looked big, slow, and clumsy which translated directly into turnovers and holding penalties. I don't disagree with the fact that the line is extremely talented, they just didn't seem to play with any real passion last season. I agree with Dick though, had the line played up to potential, the Cougs would have finished unbeaten last year. So with a better team this year and more experience, let's make this BCS thing happen.

Yes, there were two main reasons we didn't go undefeated last year: UCLA and Tulsa.

Dick, you are a good read. Keep up the good work.

It surprises me not that these brain dead Cougar fans like these brain dead articles from Dick. The respone to "just not read them" is also a brain dead response. They are posted so I read them and always hope that Dick will write an article that has some insight and not just sugar for the brain dead Cougar fan. So you all go with your "what if" fantasy and watch your season go south with some "what if" wishes when you fumble here, throw an interception there and lose 2 or 3 games again. Then you will vry about the "what ifs" but totally forget that you also won 2 or 3 games that you could have lost but the other team fumbled here or threw an interception there. So BYU will end up with 2 or 3 losses again but could have 5 or 6 and if luck prevails good have zero. Not matter, it wil be a disapointing season for Cougar fan as they all think that zero losses is what its going to be but reality is that it will be 2 or 3 losses at least!

Nice article Dick. Be certain to write about the Utes also so the dreary Utah fans have something to blog about.

"Where there is no vision the people perish." Proverbs -

If BYU wants to go undefeated this season, they had better set the goal for it or their efforts are in vain. We could expend limitless energy, but if it isn't aimed toward something then we might as well run around in circles like a lot of other programs in the country.

I like really like this article about perfection, because it gives us all insight into the reasons why BYU lost two games last year. If we want to go 13-0 then the cougars will need to improve their turnovers and blocking. We have had a hard time rushing against PAC 10 foes because of our blocking schemes. Heaven forbid a team actually is focussing on fundamentals. Most of the greatest coaches focus on the most minute details. You may say it is boring, but it brings championships!

Thank you for the info DH! All of these haters are just jealous that you have the position we desire!

I agree with those who enjoyed the article. Good work, Dick. It was insightful and informative.

For those of you who appear to hate everything Dick writes, I suggest you trundle yourselves up to the front desk of any of the major newspapers in Utah, or elsewhere, and inform them you're ready to go to work as a sportswriter. I'm quite sure the editors will just weep with excitement that you have graced their doorstep with your presence and without a doubt every last soul who reads your work will tingle and twitch and sing the praises of such a wordsmith, whose every last keystroke will be read and read again by the angels in Heaven.

We'll assume your bylines will be gracing the media by noon tomorrow.

I especially enjoy the insane clown and his posse who keeps referring to the BYU football team as "the TDs."
At least it's a tag that is offensively applicable for an unstoppable Cougar unit. By that token, I guess we could give the little brother Utes their due and gloss them as "the FGs." Sakoda, at least, is money.

TDs vs. FGs. Thanks for the confidence, Ute honks.

We'll score 7, you'll score 3 and you'll still have some Bozo come on here and claim you only trailed 8 minutes the entire season.

So'to is on defense now so that gets rid of about half the turnovers from last year. If he can create a couple as a linebacker then we should be fine!

Fewer blindside hits would be nice though...

Isn't Fui Vakapuna back this year, and injury free? Last year he was hurt and showed, but we all saw him in '06....

I am SO glad to hear that coach Anae has put such emphasis on blocking. I was hoping that the two UCLA games last year would be taken as a personal challenge to the manhood of every lineman on this team! I know that the speed of any Pac 10 team is going to be a notch above the MWC teams we play, but our blocking made those guys look all-world. I just checked the awards list -- no UCLA players. Bruce Davis was second team all conference, not Outland Trophy winner.

Hall didn't help matters, holding onto the ball too long. Hopefully, with experience, he's learning to feel the pressure better.

I just hope the experiments with the line come together. I know you want your five best linemen on the field, whatever the positions. But moving Dallas Reynalds to center and replacing him with Matt means that you're replacing an all-conference LEFT TACKLE with a red-shirt freshman who hasn't played a game (and then it was highschool) since 2004. "One Who Knows" points out that blind-side tackle is the second-most important position on the field. Scary stuff. Still, I'm filled with optimism.

Go Coach Anae, and go Cougs!

"Take a Knee" Anae needs to add a third and fourth. Third: More aggressiveness with the passing game. With defenses cheating (LB's playing close to the line with little intention to cover), BYU failed to take advantage of open receivers who were deep, instead passing short. In some cases BYU went for 10-12 plays without trying to even "fake" a deep pass.
Fourth: Coaching, all the untimely penalties DID cost the Cougs a win at UCLA, and gave teams opportunities to stay in games BYU won. Bronco says "don't worry the top penalty teams are the most successful" BUNK, don't mouth off, don't hold, show some discipline.

Hey Harmon,

Where did you go to J school?

And who's your editior?

"He wants less fumbles and interceptions..."???

Proper grammar is, "He wants fewer fumbles and interceptions".

Remember: The word "fewer" applies to that which can be counted (like fumbles and interceptions). The word "less" applies to that which cannot be counted (like love or water).

Hope you got it now.

And yes, I did attend the University of Utah.

BA in JMC, 1977

Agree with all of your comment, especially concerning the cougars ignoring the deep ball opportunities. Hopefully, the staff will be sucessfull in teaching Chambers one route: Go Deep! Reed and Collie both a seriously under utilized on deep routes. For all the hoop-la concerning the cougar offense, (I see it as basically individual effort by unga, collie, pita, and hall, the offensive coaching staff is under talented and shows a total lack of imagination and basic engineering. Tracking the play calls, appears to be like throwing darts rather than a solid plan that the players believe in. Heartless, best describes the Offensive line..."Here we are, we are big, and we will win, even if we have to hold you because we can not block you" Raise the bar, hire some coaches that matach the talent level of the players that place their career into the hands of BYU. BRONCO, Here's the next Tee Shirt: INVEST in SUCCESS, maybe a BCS Bowl will provide the cash required.