Hill, passing game coming into their own


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PROVO — The BYU football team reaches the midway point of the 2013 season on Saturday, with the Cougars' riding high on optimism and feeling like they've got a little bit more figured out.

A 2-0 win streak — the first of the year — will do that to anyone. But so, too, will finally being able to look at game film and fix the chinks in the armor that BYU's offense developed over the first few games.

"We really went back, saw where we were successful in previous games, and we stuck with those things," sophomore quarterback Taysom Hill said on Tuesday. "We built off the good, and threw out the ones we weren't successful with."

In his eighth start as the BYU signal caller, Hill said he is getting more of a handle on the offense, which includes timing and comfort with his receivers, as well as making the right decisions on the field. The second-year Cougar from Pocatello, Idaho, is averaging more than 200 passing yards per game at a 43.3 percent efficiency, while also contributing a team-high 115.8 yards on the ground.

But Hill's receivers are also coming into their own. Mitch Mathews, who broke out for 112 yards and three touchdowns against Utah State, has 234 yards on only 13 receptions — an average of 18 yards per grab. His three touchdown catches also lead the team, while standout senior Cody Hoffman has compiled 212 yards on the opposite side of the field.

"I feel that our timing with our wideouts has gotten a lot better," Hill said. "It's been evident, and has shown at the end of the game. That's been really big."

Hill also credited a few schematic changes brought by offensive coordinator Robert Anae and his staff. But having an easy target like the 6-foot-7 Mathews lining up opposite preseason All-America Hoffman has hurried the rate of growth.

"What you'll find is teams won't be able to focus on one guy, because we have so many that will make plays," Hill said.

Still, don't take any credit away from the quarterback, wide receivers coach Guy Holliday said.

"Taysom's a playmaker," he said. "What's the difference in a 70-yard run and a 70-yard pass? It's still 70 yards. We don't want to be one dimensional. A good football player will do what it takes to win."

The improvement of Hill, as well as the wide receivers has propelled the Cougars' latest run.

"Your quarterback does well when the 10 guys around him are moving at a high level, and he's spotty when they're not there," Anae said. "I'm 100 percent confident in our quarterback, in his abilities to run and be productive in the scheme. My intent is to get the 10 guys around him executing at a higher level. I think we're starting to see signs of that."

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Offensive lineman Terrance Alletto was held out of practice Tuesday, focusing on drills and rehabilitation with the athletic training staff. Anae didn't know the cause of Alletto's yet-unknown injury, but he raised the possibility of Alletto not being available for Saturday's game against Georgia Tech.

"We're just going to have to wait and see," Anae added. "The doctors weren't definitive, but we'll wait and see. I'm hoping he can rejoin us as soon as possible."

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Saturday's game will be BYU's Homecoming, a time when large numbers of alumni and other fans pour into Provo to see the current crop of Cougars.

But don't expect the extra attention and spectacle surrounding the game to take Hill's focus off the Yellow Jackets.

"The homecoming celebrations are something I don't really think about," Hill said. "It's fun to get school spirit involved, but I approach every game the same. Homecoming isn't anything different for me. My preparation is big, and I'm going to do what I've done all year."

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After a video and subsequent GIF of coach Holliday spread virally around the Internet, the first-year BYU wide receivers coach explain his reaction to a Kurt Henderson 60-yard pass that causes him to fist pump, hoot and holler in the Utah State press box.

"I have a reputation like I'm not a caring person, but I care about my players," Holliday said. "Every one of those guys is special to me; it's no different than your son bringing home an ‘A.'"

Holliday added the big plays by the receiving corps made him more excited than usual because of the increase criticism his players had been receiving in recent weeks.

"Sometimes I don't think people realize what your players read. These are young people; I try to tell fans, ‘what if that was your son?'" Holliday said. "These are not NFL players, but college players. They aren't perfect, and my job is to get them as good as their athletic ability allows."

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You can listen to audio from Robert Anae, Guy Holliday and Taysom Hill by clicking on the links in "Cougar Cuts," above left.

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Sean Walker is a KSL Newsradio BYU intern

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