“Imperiously he leaps, he neighs, he bounds, and now his woven girths he breaks asunder.” — Shakespeare, "Venus and Adonis"
PROVO — In a matter of two weekends, BYU football and its junior quarterback have taken a real leap. The 2-0 Cougars jumped to No. 25 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll. Individually, Taysom Hill entered discussions nationally for his playmaking and athleticism. Both are adequately represented by one frozen moment in the young season’s first 159 plays: Hill’s iconic jump over a Texas safety in Austin.
First, the 2014 leap by Hill.
“He does so many things so well,” said ESPN analyst and former BYU center Trevor Matich, who claims Hill deserves a close look as a Heisman candidate. Matich describes Hill as three players in one: a sprinter, a strong, powerful fullback, and then a passer. Matich notes Hill “assumes a different role” as a play dictates and that makes him dangerous.
Hill is not your BYU quarterback of a year ago when he started in Charlottesville — a loss to Virginia with a new offensive staff, a makeshift offensive line, a suspended Cody Hoffman and unimpressive timing and execution.
In 2013, Hills completed just 32 and 34 percent of his passes against the Cavaliers and Longhorns, respectively, to open the season with pass efficiency ratings of 72.5 and 68.6. I’ve maintained that Hill needs to have between a 60 and 65 percent completion percentage with an efficiency rating around 155 to 160 to effectively impact BYU’s offense.
Through the first two games of 2014, Hill is completing 70 percent and has an efficiency rating of 150.76. His rating at the end of 2013 was 118.1. But again, it is his versatility with the run, better protection and more athletic targets that have contributed to improvements this year.
Hill’s run ability has made everything about BYU’s offense very dangerous.
“How will he triumph, leap and laugh at it.” — Shakespeare, "Love’s Labour’s Lost"
“He is a phenomenal player,” said BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall. He’s more poised than a year ago. He’s better at leadership and the game is slowing down for him. There are some sheer athleticism things that aren’t coachable.”
Those abilities were certainly on display in a win over Texas. If you include a 66-yard TD that Hill had, which was called back on a penalty, the junior ran for 134, a net of 99. In two games against the Longhorns in two seasons, Hill ran for 393 yards and six touchdowns with lost yardage of only 35.
In the past 10 years, Hill’s average rushing at 89 yards per game ranks No. 3 in the country over that span.
BYU’s leap parallels that of Hill in many regards.
After a summer where Mendenhall openly campaigned for Big 12 membership, last Saturday was a put-up-or-shut-up football game in the gut of Big 12 territory.
On Wednesday, Oklahoma radio hosts Jimmie Tramel and former Oklahoma State coach Pat Jones declared their show to be the official campaign headquarters for BYU’s inclusion into the Big 12. “There isn’t a good reason this hasn’t happened,” said Jones.
Standing 2-0 heading into a crucial home game against the University of Houston, many of the country’s top prognosticators are looking hard at the Cougars, their schedule and momentum.
ESPN’s Power Football Index, a computerized analytical tool that amasses 10,000 simulations, ranks BYU No. 1 in chances of going undefeated (20.8 percent), followed by Oklahoma (18.5), Florida State (13.7), Oregon (10.1) and Baylor (7.5). So whether or not BYU wants that pressure, its leap to 2-0 has brought on that discussion in the first year of a national playoff. Ironic it comes on the 30th anniversary of BYU’s national championship of 1984.
And this comes to a program under Mendenhall that is notorious for 1-2 starts. Only once in his tenure have the Cougars started 3-0 and that came in 2008 when a Max Hall squad started 6-0.
This is BYU’s third game of 2014. Mendenhall’s teams are a paltry 1-8 since 2005 in third games. Those losses have come to TCU at home in 2005; at Boston College in 2006; at UCLA in 2007; to Florida State, at home in 2009 and in Tallahassee in 2010; and against rival Utah in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
The lone BYU Game 3 victory in Mendenhall’s career was the 59-0 blowout of UCLA in 2008.
Chatter of a national ranking came this week when the Cougars made the leap into rankings that include a No. 16 spot in Jeff Sagarin’s power matrix. The Cougars are the first non-Power 5 team to be included. Discussions about an undefeated season are premature and a distraction heading into the Houston game and BYU’s ominous Game 3.
But in talking to BYU folks after the Texas game, there is a feeling of momentum, chemistry and confidence. It’s a team with swagger.
In the Marsee computer rankings of Sept. 7, which consider rating, record and schedule strength, BYU is ranked No. 1 ahead of Florida State and Texas A&M.
That’s a computer. I don’t think you can find a flesh and blood analyst that says BYU is better than FSU, A&M, Oregon, Oklahoma, LSU or Alabama.
But from where the Cougars were in mid-August, as they stand the day they play Houston on Thursday, it has been a significant leap of perception by Mendenhall’s crew.
And for these Cougars, in the poetic words of the famous bard, phrases seem appropriately applied today.
“It is more worthy to leap in ourselves, than tarry till they push us.” — Shakespeare, "Julius Caesar"
“The wall is high, and yet I will leap down. Good ground, be pitiful and hurt me not.” — Shakespeare, "King John"
This week’s picks:
Missouri 37, Central Florida 14: The Tigers have too much depth.
Boise State 34, Connecticut 7: Sadly, BYU already took out the UConn QB.
Oregon 48, Wyoming 10: If Michigan State, absolutely why not the Cowboys?
Duke 31, Kansas 14: A basketball school is learning football.
Georgia 28, South Carolina 21: The Bulldogs make a case for No. 1.
Penn State 17, Rutgers 14: The Lions patiently return a program.
South Dakota State 21, Southern Utah 17: Thunderbirds need more punch.
USC 34, Boston College 21: Long road trip for Trojans but talent prevails.
UCLA 28, Texas 21: Longhorns still reeling from Cougar beatdown.
Sacramento State 17, Weber State 14: Wildcats face another tough road trip.
Nebraska 53, Fresno State 10: USC and Utah dined on the ‘Dogs, 'Huskers will too.
Arizona 28, Nevada 21: Wolfpack tougher than a year ago but fall short.
Utah State 24, Wake Forest 21: Aggies gain some momentum.
BYU 38, Houston 21: BYU more than happy to be home after 7,000 air miles.
Last week: 10-2; Overall 20-6 (.769)