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BYU 1-on-1: Changes coming for Cougar football, volleyball heads to postseason

By Darnell Dickson and Jared Lloyd - | Dec 1, 2022

Marci Harris, Special to the Herald

BYU wide receiver Puka Nacua runs the ball up the field during the game against Arkansas at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022.

BYU sports experts Darnell Dickson and Jared Lloyd address five of the big questions facing Cougar athletics this week:

1. Now that we’ve reached the end of the football regular season, who are your offensive and defensive MVPs for BYU?

DICKSON: There are really only two candidates in my mind, and I’m going with the most explosive and talented, wide receiver Puka Nacua. While his numbers won’t earn him any All-American honors (48 catches for 625 yards and five TD’s, 25 carries for 219 yards and five more scores), remember that he did that in just nine games. He took the first play from scrimmage against South Florida 75 yards to the house and pretty much saved the season with his toe-tapping masterpiece in the final seconds against Boise State. He’s likely to go pro and it’s a shame that Cougar fans never really got to see him at full strength for an entire season. He was the best high school receiver I’ve ever seen and certainly is one of the most talented ever at BYU.

On defense, injuries kept some of the Cougars best players limited this season. The most impactful player for me was strong safety Micah Harper. When BYU lost free safety Malik Moore after just four games, Harper was paired with a lot of young, inexperienced guys. Harper is such a hard hitter and never shied away from launching his body to make a big tackle. He finished with 58 tackles (33 solo), two forced fumble and three pass breakups. I guess my criteria for the defensive MVP is how much I liked watching him play.

LLOYD: I think Jaren Hall probably edges Puka Nacua for BYU’s offensive MVP since he played in more games and had a lot more responsibilities, but Nacua was certainly the most explosive player for the Cougars.

I think choosing a defensive MVP is more difficult, since once again a number of BYU’s best players (Malik Moore, Max Tooley, Payton Wilgar, etc.) went down with injuries. I’m going to go with the stats, which indicate it should be linebacker Ben Bywater. He had 87 total tackles (25 more than anyone else on the team) as well as six tackles for a loss and two interceptions. He was probably the most consistent performer on defense for the Cougars throughout the entire season. I think defensive linemen Tyler Batty and Lorenzo Fauatea as well as defensive backs Micah Harper and Gabe Jeudy-Lally should also be in the conversation because they were also key to BYU’s defense.

2. Was it the right move for BYU and defensive coordinator Ilaisa Tuiaki to part ways?

LLOYD: All indications are that this was Tuiaki’s decision, one that he considered during the season, and that tells me that he felt like things weren’t heading in the direction he wanted them to go. But is this good for the Cougars? That’s not nearly as easy of a question to answer as so many fans seem to think it is. This will be the third coordinator transition since Kalani Sitake became the head coach with the other two taking place on offense. Ty Detmer didn’t have long enough to truly get his guys in place before BYU moved on to Jeff Grimes. Grimes had a clear vision and was generally successful, then left for Baylor and Aaron Roderick slid in almost seamlessly because he was already on the Cougar coaching staff. But everyone knows coaching is a results based business and BYU needs better defensive results. There will likely be a significant cost, however, as the Cougars go through the transition period to having someone else in charge of the defense.

DICKSON: Us old timers remember when LaVell Edwards kept his staff together for decades, making very few changes and remaining successful. But even at the end of Edwards’ career, those assistant coaches probably needed shaking up. In today’s college football it’s really important to keep things fresh and innovative. Tuiaki had some pretty good defenses over his career at BYU but the past two seasons have been difficult. You can blame injuries (which a coach can’t control) or talent (which a coach can control) but something had to change on the defensive staff. Tuiaki remains a fine person and a good defensive line coach, but heading into the Big 12 the Cougars need some fresh ideas on the defensive side. And better recruiting, as well.

3. Who will BYU head coach Kalani Sitake hire to replace Tuiaki?

DICKSON: There are plenty of candidates, from on staff to former Cougars to coaches he worked with at Utah and Oregon State. Kevin Clune (on staff) is an option and I would expect Jan Jorgensen to move up to full-time defensive line coach. I think former Cougar Kelly Poppinga would be a terrific defensive coordinator. He was at BYU from 2009-2015, Virginia from 2016-2021 and is now at Boise State. He’s never been the full-time defensive coordinator but remember that Jeff Grimes had never been an offensive coordinator until coming to BYU. Derrick Odum, who previously coached with Sitake at Oregon State, is a DC at San Jose State. Whoever becomes the new guy, coaching moves are often built on previous relationships. Whoever Sitake is most comfortable with will get the job.

LLOYD: People can toss out names and speculate but the reality is there are two vital characteristics the next Cougar defensive coordinator needs to have: Knowledge of the realities of being at BYU and understanding of how Sitake thinks the Cougar defense will be best. While the first is something most BYU fans recognize (although they often underestimate exactly how big of a challenge it is), the second is the most intriguing to me because most of Sitake’s coaching background is on the defensive side. Remember during the season when Sitake took over the defensive play-calling? Did it change how the Cougars were approaching stopping their opponents? Not really. I think Sitake is potentially open to different approaches but whoever coordinates the defense is going to have to have Sitake on board with the schemes.

4. Why has the BYU men’s basketball team suddenly been raining in 3-pointers after such a slow start from the arc?

LLOYD: Shooting long-range shots is so much about feel and confidence. The more you believe when you start your shooting motion that the ball will go in, the more often it does. I also think the Cougars have been doing a good job finding the right shots with their ball movement and transition game. Anyone can fire up a contested shot at any point in the game but the odds of scoring increase when you can get the shots you really want. BYU has done better at that in the last couple of games and the results have been evident. This is a team that has guys who are capable of bombing away successfully, but it comes down to decision-making and creating the best looks.

DICKSON: The game of basketball is pretty simple when you shoot the ball well. Any team will be hard to beat when that happens. The Cougars are on a pretty good two-game run with 32 3s in wins vs. Dayton and Westminster. Guys are shooting with confidence and that’s good to see. But everyone knows that shooting prowess doesn’t happen every game. For every 19 of 37 performance, there’s a 3 for 20 night lurking in the distance. BYU has to recognize that when you’re shooting is off you can still play lockdown defense, rebound and drive to the basket. You can’t just have one way to win a game. This team is still learning about each other and there will be frustrating nights ahead, but they can overcome those with intensity and teamwork.

5. What’s the path for the BYU women’s volleyball team to the Sweet 16?

DICKSON: The Cougars open with James Madison, a good mid-major team who won the Sun Belt. BYU’s postseason experience should give them an edge in that first round matchup. A win would set up the Cougars to likely meet host Pitt, who beat BYU in four sets at Provo in August. The Cougars are a better team now, but the Panthers are as well. BYU needs to serve receive and stay in system as much as possible against Pitt, something they didn’t do in August. It’ll be a huge task, but Heather Olmstead’s tournament experience might be just enough to pull off the upset.

LLOYD: The only way this Cougar squad gets through the first two rounds is if it really elevates all aspects of its game. BYU is a good team this year but it has yet to prove to me it can be elite for three sets against a really good opponent, which is what it will have to do. James Madison is good enough to beat the Cougars if they are sloppy and Pitt is even better. BYU has to be excellent at the start of points, making serves that get the other team out of system while passing the ball well enough when the other team is serving to have options on the attack. The Cougars also have to hit a high percentage and limit the errors or the season will be over. It’s a tall task, but BYU has the talent and experience to be dangerous. It just needs everything to click.

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