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PROVO — Now that summer is coming, it’s time to start worrying about the BYU defense.
Under Bronco Mendenhall, BYU has been a defensive powerhouse in college football. But the past two seasons under defensive coordinator Nick Howell, the BYU defense did not live up to expectations. In the 2014 season, BYU gave up 27.5 ppg, the second highest during Bronco’s 10-year tenure. The only time a Mendenhall-led BYU defense gave up more points was 2005, Mendenhall’s first year as the head coach in which BYU surrendered 29.2 ppg.
Due to last year’s poor defensive results, Mendenhall is back leading the defense as the defensive coordinator. After Mendenhall’s first year at the helm, he led the BYU defense for the next two years, holding opposing offenses to 16.6 PPG.
In 2008, BYU hired Jaime Hill as the defensive coordinator, lifting some of the defensive responsibilities from Mendenhall. Hill’s first two seasons went well, only giving up 21.7 ppg. But Hill’s third season did not go as smoothly. Five games into the 2010 season, BYU was 1-4 and allowing 28.8 ppg. Hill was immediately terminated and Mendenhall resumed responsibility of the defense. BYU ended the 2010 season winning six of its final eight games due largely to the defense only allowing 17.1 ppg.
Mendenhall continued to lead the defense the next two seasons, only giving up 17.2 ppg.
In 73 games as the defensive coordinator since 2005, Mendenhall’s defenses have allowed only 19.1 ppg. Many speculate that is due to an easier schedule. There may be some truth to that. Out of those 73 games, 27 were against teams currently in the Power 5 conferences. In those 27 games, Mendenhall’s defenses gave up 26.3 ppg. With four road games on 2015’s schedule against Power 5 teams (Nebraska, UCLA, Michigan, Missouri), there is reason to be skeptical about BYU’s chances this upcoming season.
There’s no doubt that Mendenhall is a defensive specialist. He’s able to take average athletes and mold them into playmakers for his defensive schemes. The big question going into the 2015 season is: how will Mendenhall manage with the current roster?
BYU lost many defensive standouts to graduation and the NFL. Skye PoVey, team leader in tackles (78), signed a free agent deal with the Green Bay Packers. Alani Fua, tied with PoVey and Kai Nacua for the team lead in interceptions (two), signed a free agent deal with the Arizona Cardinals. Robertson Daniel, team leader in fumble recoveries (two), and Harvey Jackson signed deals with the Oakland Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars respectively. Team captain Craig Bills graduated after a shortened senior season due to a concussion. Vocal leaders Michael Alisa and Zac Stout also graduated after productive senior seasons.
BYU returns defensive standouts Bronson Kaufusi, team leader in sacks (7.0), and team captain Remington Peck to a defense void of leadership. Kaufusi will transition back to his natural position of DE after playing a season at OLB. BYU also returns Manoa Pikula, Jherremya Leuta-Douyere, Travis Tuiloma, Fred Warner, and Kai Nacua (pending a suspension from his involvement in the brawl at the end of the Miami Beach Bowl). Even with returning experience, only Kaufusi and Peck have proven to be productive starters.
There are a lot of unknowns when it comes to the BYU defense. Will Kaufusi prove to be the on-field leader that Mendenhall needs? Will Fred Warner and Manoa Pikula be able to replicate the production left by Fua and Stout? Will the BYU defense provide enough of an effort to make the offense’s job more manageable? Or will Mendenhall work his magic and turn this group of unknowns into another elite defense?
With little to go off of during the offseason, BYU fans can only wait for Mendenhall’s newest experiment to blossom or wilt under the pressure of one of the toughest schedules in BYU history. Nathan Harker is a sports writing intern currently enrolled at Brigham Young University majoring in broadcast journalism.
