BYU Football: Pinpointing What's Ailing the Cougars

It's never easy to identify exactly what is keeping a football team down. And there are so many variables and storylines this season that make that effort a monumental challenge.

But regardless of the causes, it has all added up to poor performance against lesser competition.

Here are three of those variables that stand out as major impact items on the Cougars' success, or lack thereof.

The Turnover Plague

There is an interesting stat that can be very telling about a team.

It’s called giveaways per game. It’s a measure of how many possessions you simply give away to the other team.

And BYU is one of the worst in the country. They Cougars rank 105th in that category (of 120 1-A teams), giving away 2.5 per game. Oddly enough, Utah is worse—karma being a bitch and all.

But looking at this stat, I couldn’t help but wonder—would we have major worries about this team if it weren’t for the awful turnovers?

They’re a part of the game, and you can’t just remove them. But can we isolate TOs as the key catalyst to the Cougar’s problems?

If not for turnovers, the Utah game is probably close. The Texas game is a win. The San Jose State game is a blowout.

Growing Pains (Especially in the Red Zone)

Let’s face it—right now Brandon Doman isn’t a good play-caller.

I repeatedly warned that this was a big unknown heading into the season and would affect the Cougar’s ability to win games.

Six games in and Doman is growing, but he’s still not close. It took Robert Anae a long time in 2005. It will take Doman a lot more time.

Play-calling isn’t mathematical. You can’t plug in some inputs and get the right play.

It’s art. It’s science. It takes practice and experience. And there’s no way to learn but in live-game situations.

The lack of prowess in the signal-calling is especially evident in the red zone this season, where the Cougars have been downright dreadful. BYU shouldn't be needing drives with field goals against San Jose State.

It’s going to take some time, and it’s going to be painful for BYU fans to watch. There may be lots more second halves like San Jose State.

Putting It Together

Regardless of quarterback, BYU has yet to put together two halves of good football.

The Cougars have been excellent at times. They have been awful at times. And they’ve been very mediocre in between.

That, more than anything, is probably what has BYU fans complaining. There’s no consistency and a lack of execution at crucial times.

Putting together a full game of solid execution, play-calling and lighting up the scoreboard is a critical step in gaining player confidence and winning over fans.