Bronco Mendenhall said Monday he would insert his opinion into the quarterback situation with a "big picture" approach in wake of how offensive coordinator Robert Anae and quarterback coach Brandon Doman have utilized Riley Nelson and Jake Heaps the past month into a 1-1 start.
Mendenhall described Nelson's leadership, grit and command of the offense as beneficial traits that cannot be overlooked. He described Heaps as a traditional passer, a guy who fits the mold of what BYU's offense has had in the past.
Now, said the coach, after alternating series with the duo, it could be more situational depending on the opponent's strengths and weaknesses.
I hope he was saying BYU is going to run a passing offense and not continue to overhaul the system like the one we saw Saturday.
After two games, in key BYU offensive statistics, this team is scoring 54 percent (34.2 to 18.5 ppg) from a year ago, is producing 56 percent of the passing yardage (175 to 310.4 ypg), 86 percent of the total offense (385.5 to 444.8 ypg) and just 62 percent (35 percent conversion) of last year's nation-leading 56 percent third-down conversion rate.
You could liken this BYU quarterback issue to a famous hamburger joint. In this regard, it's simple and clear what you have to do.
You have a famous maker of hamburgers known throughout the country for the special taste of the recipe that takes ground up meat, mixes it up with garlic, special spices and seasonings and sauce. Aged and prepared just so, the owners set this slab among a slice of onions, tomatoes, lettuce and pickles and it's a doggone good brand.
A couple of weeks ago, an expert connoisseur of this brand, ESPN vice president of programming Dave Brown, told a world wide audience that this BYU brand was famous, heck it was down right renowned, respected, celebrated and legendary. He said this BYU tradition of QBs was appealing, attractive and delicious and his company wanted to hook up with that kind of reputation for eight years.
Now, this brand, this burger, isn't a wrap. It isn't a taco. It isn't even a foot-long hotdog. No matter how you substitute other ingredients, it fails to be The Burger, if it leaves the recipe.
No matter how you tweak BYU's quarterback position to fit one particular guy on the roster, it cannot become the brand if it doesn't have the same basic ingredients and recipe.
For the better part of two months, Anae and Doman have tried to deliver the consumer and the company employees a hybrid brand, one-part traditional burger and one part taco.
It doesn't meet the taste test.
It's ended up making the French fries taste stale, the pickle is out of place and the employers are as confused and frustrated as the consumer. Mr. Brown must wonder what he signed up for, that famous burger or a wrap-co.
If Mendenhall is looking for the bigger picture, he's got to be looking to prop up the brand. He must put to work a kitchen that is designed for a specific product, a drop-back pocket passing game that utilizes pass-catching backs, consistent tight ends and receivers who run routes on time.
That cannot happen with a hybrid brand. That is not BYU football.
BYU can utilize parts of an option attack like it did with Brandon Doman and Luke Staley back in 2001. But it cannot get away from the main attraction, a specially designed and fitted prototype pocket quarterback who is trained to execute one of the nation's most consistent passing games the past three decades.
And there is no Doman or Staley on this roster.
If BYU continues to do what we saw the past two games, it has a salad, not a sandwich, certainly not a burger.
It is time for Doman and Anae to look at the recipe and get back to basics of the brand.
That will require Heaps to step up more than he has and do what he was recruited to do — throw the football in the system. That takes practice reps and timing only significant repetition can provide. Riley can have a role, a huge role, but after seeing his 20 run attempts at Air Force, it should be something like Utah did with Eric Weddle and not the main dish.
And that doesn't mean Riley can't start, if that's important to somebody.
If Mendenhall doesn't insist BYU get back to the big picture, the traditional offense he inherited from LaVell Edwards with a little detour with Gary Crowton, BYU's brand will become another fast-food drive-up window just like UNLV, New Mexico or Colorado State.
It's not too late and nobody's crying for the extras, like a shake.
Just the brand, the main deal, please.
We'll take it to go.
e-mail: dharmon@desnews.com