During the 80's and mid 90's when we were both much younger men and sitting in the BYU press box for game after game, it seemed that there were five of us who always DID get CHOW back then and we still get Robert ANAE now! Never turn the offense over to a former Offensive lineman. Well Dick doesn't say that, but I have been saying it for years, although I truly had high hopes Anae would break out of the O-Line mentality mode when calling plays. He never has. In today's pre-game story about BYU vs. Savannah State, Harmon makes the following statement...

"I’d like to see BYU trend away from run plays on first downs. It’s a mentality built from the speed option, establishing the run to free up the QB and tailback and pass. But with this offense, it seems like calling runs on first down is getting BYU a lot of second-and-nines or second-and-10s."

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865616167/Utah-tries-to-break-out-of-close-game-mold-while-BYU-closes-out-home-slate.html?s_cid=Email-5

He goes on to prove the throw first methodology has worked this season. Everyone who is an Anae or a Bronco supporter needs to read Dick's excellent article. Because Dick is NOT iterating something NEW. BYU from Edwards first developments of the WCO which began back in 1974 started with a "pass on first down" mentality. You passed to establish the run and it worked. In fact all of today's WCO derivative passing offenses would never have been possible without the blocking development genius of Roger French and the change in pass blocking rules that allowed the use of extended forearms back in 1972. In all of college ball, it was Edwards, French, and his friends Scovil, Coryell and Walsh that realized the tremendous potential in establishing wide open, pass on any down offenses. Prior to the change, offensive lineman had to mainly use their bodies to block rushing lineman, so the passing game was firmly stuck in "play-action mode" for the most part. French, Edwards and the golfing buddies all realized the tremendous potential and set about to devise the WCO which was based on two philosophies:

1) Use the pass on first down enough (50% of the time) to spread the linebackers out and break the front seven, putting immediate pressure on a defense, take what the defense leaves unguarded...and

2) Use the pass to make space for a running game.

It was an aggressive "me first" approach to attacking a defense. It required a pre-snap read and a reaction by all parties, as well as a smart quarterback who could decide where the progression was before the snap. Inasmuch as defenses countered with motion and the disguising of coverages as a counter, the WCO continued to evolve so that formations included automatic post snap reactions based on what the defense did. that was in essence combining the use of both pre-snap and post snap reads. Guys like Wilson, McMahon, young, Boscoe, Detmer and later Sarkesian all proved that a cerebrally minded QB with smart receivers could tear up a field against somewhat better opposing athletes. Nothing has changed from those days except BYU gets better athletes today than back then. By all rights, BYU should be tearing up the turf with the players it has today, but it isn't. WHY?

Because Anae has mixed in the silly passive aggressive spread option into the program and lost his way. Tradition is as tradition does, except at BYU, tradition has been tossed in the trash bin of history by Robert Anae. To me, that is heresy of the greatest nature when it comes to BYU sports. Harmon (and I) are right when we say, you have to throw the ball on first down at least 50% of the time to be effective. Furthermore, with Anae's spread, if you do run on first down, it has to be a read-reaction dive because most teams believe BYU will do that first under Anae and so they take away the B-E gaps from the QB forcing the play inside. You need one disciplined MLB to read the Center and he'll know which gap to plug when facing Anae today. He has done NOTHING to persuade teams he's abandoning the A-Gap on first downs in the last two seasons back from Arizona. BYU averages a paltry 2.1 YPC on A gap runs and that includes tremendous runs in the 3rd and 4th quarter as well as the long TD runs by Hill and Williams off A-Gaps to the left later in the game. Anae might argue that getting 1 yard per carry on 1st down is worth it when you finally spring the big one, but I content when you rarely do something, you are far more likely to get the big hitter when least expected.

One last thing about throwing on 1st down. Those can be equally wasted if your OC is calling for back shoulder fades 20 yards down-field, or deep crossing routes, basically LOW PERCENTAGE COMPLETION passes. It's not that you never want to do that, but Anae's QB's have been terrible throwing all the intermediate to deep passes on 1st down and he has them do this a lot. Someone please STOP ANAE, because he is just stop being so pigheaded and stupid. Edwards offenses were wide open because he took 3-7 yards on 1st down most of the time. He got it by going to the TE over the middle on a little set down and curl. Edwards got it by using the wheel route and he got it by using quick slants. The thing is, he got it. By getting the defense to look shorter he opened up the deeper routes. By getting them concerned about deeper routs he made it easy for backs to get 75-100 yards. In BYU's hay-day, it never averaged more than about 185 YPG rushing. It didn't need to because it was averaging over 300 YPG passing. BYU was dominant because it threw on first down about half the time. When it ran, it utilized a lot of misdirection, the jet/fly sweep and under Crowton, included the read option pitch. But it was always the WCO. It was always a "Pass to establish the run" offense.

If Anae EVER figures that out, eats crow, humbles up and gets back to the roots BYU taught him, he could be a very good, maybe even a great OC. My sad expectations are that he'll never learn. But Harmon nails it in his article. Everyone should read it. It is exactly what i have been saying for two years.