SB Nation Chicago: All Posts by Brett Hein

Top 10 BYU football players, according to EA's NCAA 14

2013-06-15T01:05:33Z

As usual, college football fans are getting a summer pigskin fix as details are revealed from the latest version of the NCAA Football franchise of EA Sports. For the NCAA 14 release, BYU as a team was rated with an 83 overall rating, including a terribly-low 83 on defense.

Thanks to Operation Sports, we now also know the top 10 players for all 126 schools at the FBS level. Which digitally-similar avatars are rated best for the Cougars?

1. ~~Cody Hoffman~~ WR #2 - OVERALL 91
Senior WR #2 checks in with 89 speed and 88 agility ratings, but a strength rating of only 57. Pssh. Don't Hassle The WR #2.

2. ~~Kyle Van Noy~~ OLB #3 - OVERALL 89
Think OLB #3 was sold a bit short here, especially with an 83 speed rating. But ratings of 88 and 87 on acceleration and awareness will do. #OLB3forHeisman

3. ~~Brock Stringham~~ RG #74 - OVERALL 87
What puts a returning offensive lineman into BYU's top 5? An acceleration score of 91. Looks like Bronco should think long and hard about putting an offensive lineman at the goalline to return kicks.

4. ~~Daniel Sorensen~~ SS #9 - OVERALL 86
Heat-seeking strong safety #9 rates in the mid to high 80s in everything but strength. If head-hunting were rated by EA, SS #9 would surely be a 95 or above.

5. ~~Justin Sorensen~~ K #37 - OVERALL 84
Alright, I guess it's unreasonable to think EA can watch every team's real life games or highlights, but this seems off. I'd have to have kicker scores from the other 125 teams to know exactly where this fits.

6. ~~Eathyn Manumaleuna~~ LE #55 - OVERALL 84
Methuselah himself checks in at #6 on the BYU roster due to his old-man strength rating of 86.

7. ~~Ross Apo~~ WR #1 - OVERALL 84
With an acceleration score of 90, it's clear throwing screens to WR #1 is definitely the best way to utilize his talents.

8. ~~Ryker Mathews~~ LT #72 - OVERALL 82
The left tackle checks in with the highest strength rating of BYU's top 10 at 89.

9. ~~Jamaal Williams~~ RB #21 - OVERALL 81
Agility and acceleration are both at 84 for the young running back, but I'll boldly say that a strength rating of 64 is a slap in the face.

10. ~~Jordan Johnson~~ CB #6 - OVERALL 80
With ratings of 90 on speed and 91 on acceleration, CB #6 is easily the fastest of BYU's top 10.

50 days until fall camp, when we can actually discuss real-football-type things!

Taysom Hill knee injury and recovery

2013-06-11T01:17:18Z

The dynamic freshman quarterback was seriously injured against Utah State, and rumors of impaired rehabilitation have proven false.

As BYU was putting the finishing touches on a 6-3 win over Utah State on Friday, quarterback Taysom Hill ran a four-yard draw. It was BYU's final play before opting to kneel the ball and run out the clock. Vanquish The Foe has learned that Taysom Hill is being X-rayed for possible leg injuries following that play.

A problem was noticeable after the play:

Hill has thrown 42-71 (59%) for 425 yards, 4 touchdowns and 2 interceptions on the season, and took over the offense in the third quarter three games ago in Boise. He has also posted 336 yards and 4 more touchdowns on the ground.

The possibility of a serious leg injury on a final, meaningless play certainly brings back memories of Luke Staley. The 2001 Doak Walker Award winner broke his leg on the final offensive play of BYU's 12th game that year while the Cougars were setting up a game-winning field goal. BYU would go on to lose its final two games without him.

Needless to say, the quarterback conundrum at BYU takes on even more intrigue, as the possibility of Hill now missing time becomes a reality. James Lark, come on down?

Video: Taysom Hill wears awesome hat, again puts down knee re-injury rumor

2013-06-10T23:39:27Z

Even the best of us can get bad information sometimes, but time to put this baby to bed.

Record Chasing: Cody Hoffman set to haul in BYU receiving marks

2013-06-06T19:36:12Z

In a yearly tradition that has hopefully tampered itself with the roller coaster ride of the last two seasons, the BYU football offseason prior to the 2010 season was filled with hype and high hopes.

Jake Heaps, five-star recruit and #1 quarterback of the 2010 class according to Scout.com, was preparing to continue the line of BYU quarterbacking heritage. With his arrival came that of four-star receiver Ross Apo, stolen away from a Texas commitment to play with the touted signal caller.

But after observing open scrimmages and practices, DJ Beckett, a good friend of VTF, came away talking about a different freshman: Cody Hoffman. "He's impressive, I think he'll be really good," is to my memory what he reported about Hoffman.

Now, entering his senior season, the two-star recruit with offers from only BYU and do-nothing Big Sky stagnant Sacramento State is set to make school history. BYU all-time receiving records could begin falling as early as the season opener (if the offense really gets cooking early), and should all be vanquished before October is over.

First, free of historical context, here are Hoffman's three seasons at BYU -- with the most inconsistent QB play in a decade working against him:

	Receiving
	No	Yds	TD
2010	42	527	7
2011	61	943	10
2012	100	1248	11
TOTAL	203	2718	28

Hoffman's best games are an impressive list, but everything else reads like I should seek him out to sign a copy of Keyshawn Johnson's Just Give Me The Damn Ball. The Hoff had only three touchdown catches last season through nine games. He touched the ball only three times in the excruciating loss at Boise State. He had three receptions for 20 yards through the first two games of 2011. I have a suspicion that Hoffman would have already blown away the records if he had a Max Hall to his Austin Collie.

So while it is true that Collie accomplished his marks in three seasons, Hoffman was perhaps climbing up a steeper hill. So both receivers should be regarded highly.

The all-time marks for touchdowns and receptions could fall within the first three games:

		TD
1	Austin Collie	30
2	Eric Drage	29
3	Cody Hoffman	28
4	Phil Odle	25
5	Mark Bellini	23

		Rec
1	Dennis Pitta	221
2	Austin Collie	215
3	Matt Bellini	204
4	Cody Hoffman	203
5	Margin Hooks	189

I feel fairly confident this can happen very early, since the home opener against Texas is likely to see one million plays run before the final gun (you see, Texas is doing GOFASTGOHARD down in Austin, too).

A fun exercise is to consider Hoffman having already tied the touchdown mark with game winners against Utah and Notre Dame had the man under center been something other than a wiffle-balling midget. (That's a troll for all of us. It still stings.)

Hoffman sits 537 yards behind Collie for the all-time yardage mark.

		Yards
1	Austin Collie	3,255
2	Eric Drage	3,065
3	Dennis Pitta	2,901
4	Margin Hooks	2,841
5	Cody Hoffman	2,718

I wouldn't entirely object, however, if it took Hoffman deeper into the season to break some of these marks because a finally-emergent Ross Apo gave Taysom Hill the most powerful one-two punch in the country. A man can dream.

As it stands, Hoffman is the clear stud of BYU's offense and it will be a pleasure to watch him break these school records.

Tip of the hat, as always, to CougarStats.

Vote for the 2013 BYU football game day shirt

2013-05-01T06:01:41Z

Sometimes making game-day t-shirts is difficult. We all cheer for a school who gave 10 good years of mocking to its rivals over a game-day shirt.

2012 saw the super-motivational "Every Day Is Gameday" t-shirt, marking the first time in five years I didn't spring for the official shirt.

This year, BYU wants your input and has rolled out four options on its Facebook page. First impression: BYU hit .750 with these offerings, but with one bad option in play, your vote is needed! Here are the shirts:

Full Speed Ahead? Yikes. Perhaps if we were rooting for the BYU Titanics or the BYU Locomotives, but even then .......

My preference lies with options B and C. Any school can have words on a shirt like design A. It looks more like a form shirt, a design with a ready-to-plug catchphrase. I like B because "Go Fast, Go Hard" became the unofficial slogan of this year's team, so "GO" incorporates that. In one word and a helmet, it kind of says "Go fast, go hard, go Cougars."

Something about the simplicity of C really speaks to me, though. No catchphrase needed.

According to the photo album description, votes will be counted until Wednesday, May 1 at 5 p.m. MT. Wherever your loyalties lie, hop into the comments and at least ensure that option D doesn't become a reality.

BYU volleyball falls short of NCAA title

2013-05-01T05:29:14Z

After finishing the regular season at 22-4, BYU is still ranked No. 1 in the nation and 25-4 after winning the MPSF tournament. UC-Irvine, Loyola-Chicago, and Penn State, join BYU in the volleyball Final Four in L.A.

March Madness is over, but let's not start the passage to baseball, spring sports and the end of the winter season on college campuses everywhere just yet.

It's volleyball time.

The BYU men's volleyball team opens up the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament Saturday, April 20 at 7 p.m. MT with a home match against Hawai'i. The Cougars (22-4, 21-3 MPSF) cruised through the regular season, wrapping up the title and No. 1 seed — not to mention, a No. 1 national ranking — a few weeks ago, and need only a solid showing to be regarded for a berth in the four-team NCAA tournament.

The Warriors (10-14, 11-16 MPSF) come into the match riding high, capping a dramatic rally to down UC San Diego and clinch the final spot in the MPSF postseason. Hawai'i also got help from Cal State Northridge, which lost its final five matches to bow out of playoff consideration. The Warriors' Brook Sedore was named MPSF player of the week for his 50-kill, 13-dig, nine-block effort in the sweep of the Tritons.

But don't expect BYU to take it easy on the Warriors (10-14, 11-16 MPSF). The Cougars are well aware of what it means to roll through the regular season, only to get knocked off early in the postseason and miss a shot at the national title early. Remember, this is the same team that lost to Jeff Menzel and UC Santa Barbara before the Gauchos made their improbable run to the title match in 2011.

This is also the team that swept Hawai'i during the regular season, though. The Cougars down the Warriors, 25-18, 25-22, 25-17 on Jan. 4 behind 14 kills from junior phenom Taylor Sander, then Sander helped complete the homestand with a 25-21, 25-21, 24-26, 25-20 with 18 kills on a .500 hitting percentage.

BYU hasn't won an MPSF tournament title since 2004, and a No. 1 seed has never fallen in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament. Hawai'i has only won a match in the tourney once in the past decade. BYU, meanwhile, is 13-3 when it plays at home in a postseason match.

Fans can purchase tickets through BYUtickets.com. General admission is $10 for adults, and $5 for students.

The MPSF quarterfinals are as follows, as outlined by the MPSF's official website:

Quarterfinal No. 1

No. 8 Hawai'i (10-14) at No. 1 BYU (22-4). 7 p.m. MT

Quarterfinal No. 2

No. 5 Seed Pepperdine (14-11) at No. 4 Seed UCLA (20-10). 7 p.m. PT

Quarterfinal No. 3

No. 6 Seed Stanford (15-12) at No. 3 Seed Long Beach State (22-7). 7 p.m. PT

Quarterfinal No. 4

No. 7 Seed UC Santa Barbara (15-15) at No. 2 Seed UC Irvine (22-6; defending national champion). 7 p.m. PT

NFL Free Agent Signings: Kaveinga, Ogletree, Brown, Hansen all sign with NFL teams

2013-04-28T04:43:34Z

The annual post-draft flurry of NFL free-agent signings has begun, and BYU players have begun to find teams.

In a signing that will likely have the most crossover with BYU fans, given the team's proximity, is the signing of Uona Kaveinga by the Denver Broncos. The USC transfer tallied 106 tackles and four forced fumbles in his two seasons at BYU. Kaveinga didn't rack up as many tackles as Brandon Ogletree or chase people down like Kyle Van Noy, but when he hit someone everyone in the stadium knew it.

Speaking of Ogletree: the tacklemaster (102 just last season) signed with the Miami Dolphins. Ogletree was often overshadowed by more electric players, but bringing the proverbial lunch pail has at least earned him a shot at an NFL roster.

The first free-agent signing to come across the wire was of offensive lineman Braden Brown signing with the Saint Louis Rams, while fellow hoss Braden Hansen signed with the Oakland Raiders.

Players we hope to hear news about soon include Preston Hadley (DB), Romney Fuga (DL), Riley Stephenson (P), and Reed Hornung (DS).

UPDATE - 4/28

Romney Fuga tweeted Sunday he will be joining Kaveinga in Denver, while Preston Hadley received a minicamp invite with the Seattle Seahawks where he'll have an opportunity to earn a contract.

Detroit press, blogs react to Lions' selection of Ziggy Ansah at 5th overall

2013-04-26T18:09:43Z

Here are some of the reactions from last night and this morning to the Lions' selection of Ziggy Ansah:

Lions pick Ezekiel Ansah - Pride of Detroit
The addition of Ansah fills the Lions' biggest need, meaning they can turn their focus to the offensive line and other areas that need help going forward. While Ansah will need some time to develop and truly reach his potential, this pick instantly upgrades the Lions' defensive line.

Lions get Ziggy with it, take BYU DE No. 5 in draft - Fox Detroit
"He's the best player available," Lions general manager Martin Mayhew said ... The Lions' poor season put them in a position to coach a team at the Senior Bowl and they took advantage, getting to know an intriguing player in a way no other team in the league could've this offseason.

For Lions, 'phenomenal' Ziggy Ansah a risk worth taking - The Detroit News
"We didn't draft him as a project," Schwartz insisted. "We wouldn't take a project there." No offense, but they did. And that's fine, I guess, as long as Ansah ... [is] as quick a study as they seem to think he is.

Curious Pick For The Lions, Again - CBS 62 Detroit
This guy has a job writing and talking about sports.
Ansah racked up a freakish amount of tackles in 2012, with 62. How many tackles did he have in 2011? 7. It's impressive and it shows a certain level of commitment, but if he improved by 55 tackles through sheer grit and determination, wouldn't the converse be true? Did he not want to play particularly well in his junior season?

Don't let nickname fool you: Ziggy is all business - The Detroit News
"This is a production-based business, all that matters is how you play," he said in a teleconference Thursday. "It doesn't matter the experience I got. I know I have to produce. I know I have to work on my technique and I know the Detroit Lions are willing to work with me."

Lions believe Ziggy Ansah gives them another answer for Aaron Rodgers - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"We saw the way he can learn, how quickly he can pick things up," Mayhew said. "And we saw the impact he can have in the game, so we felt very comfortable in him."

Ziggy Ansah's lensless 3D glasses? New Lions DE just goofing around - Detroit Free Press
A native of Ghana whose mother came in from Africa for the draft, Ansah said he "had a lot of people dare me to wear" the glasses Thursday, including BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall. "I just did it so he could smile right now," Ansah said.