It’s the most intriguing factor about BYU’s season opener on Saturday in opposition to Sam Houston in LaVell Edwards Stadium: Jay Hill, defensive coordinator and affiliate head coach.
Hill, and what he does with BYU’s protection this season, is the first story of this system heading into membership within the Huge 12.
Whereas the Sam Houston recreation might not give a whole story of the tape for what Hill is attempting to perform, it undoubtedly is a curious attraction.
What’s the scheme?
What does it appear like?
How aggressive is it?
How does it regulate in opposition to an offense from possession to possession and at halftime?
What number of compelled turnovers will there be?
How will the gamers react to all of the adjustments Hill implements? How will they carry out? What depth surfaces?
How good are new acquisitions like linebacker AJ Vongphachanh, nook Eddie Heckard and others?
How a lot of an influence has Hill, Kelly Poppinga, Justin Ena and Sione Po’uha had on BYU defensive fundamentals — staple items like tackling and controlling the sting, stopping the run?
Hill is an fascinating man. He exudes confidence. His monitor file teaching at Utah and Weber State exhibits his data is high-level, as is his skill to impart what he is aware of.
It’s only a compelling story. A neighborhood child from Lehi involves Provo. A man who performed and coached at Utah and now has devoted his skilled life to getting BYU’s protection to achieve the potential he believes is there.
What’s all of it going to appear like — even in opposition to Sam Houston?
Hill defined on BYUtv’s “Coordinator’s Nook” Monday that what people will see is what he realized was vital teaching with Utah’s Kyle Whittingham, a disciple of his father Fred, who helped BYU create a few of its finest defenses ever again within the early ’80s.
“It’s all about being hole sound and being aggressive,” stated Hill. “I believe the best way he likes to blitz is the best way I do. It’s an analogous philosophy of placing gamers ready the place they are often profitable and it’s vital to defensive soccer. It’s a must to have the suitable items, so you need to be good recruiters and get the suitable guys in the suitable locations. These are issues (head coach) Kalani (Sitake) and I see eye-to-eye on.”
Whether or not Hill has the suitable items to do what he needs to do in 2023 is one other partaking thriller to this recreation.
In case you had been to single out what to search for in Hill’s protection, the primary could be to have a look at tackling, the artwork of the takedown, which entails assured aggression and physicality.
Second, and it ought to stand out both manner, is hole management.
Hill stated he doesn’t need a vagueness to exist in post-game movie critiques about who ought to have been the place, when or why. He senses final 12 months’s staff had a scheme and philosophy that the linebackers would fill in relying on what the line of defense was doing. He needs linebackers to be “far more aggressive” in attacking gaps, maybe with out hesitation or considering, however with decisive motion that’s productive.
“I need to know what occurred and it was this man’s mistake or he did a extremely good job. I don’t need vagueness in what we’re doing and so that you’ll see these guys rather more project sound, rather more definitive in what they’re doing and in what they’re seeing.”
I took this to imply Hill needs his line of defense and linebackers to do much less guessing and present extra exactness in who is meant to fill gaps alongside the road. When there may be blame or reward due, he’ll be certain there’s accountability.
In different phrases, you possibly can’t simply shuck off errors as a participant, accepting unclear, nebulous play, which is the alternative of precision.
Hill needs to restrict opponents to underneath 120 yards dashing and have the opposing QB effectivity score round 100. “In case you permit greater than 120 dashing and the QB has an effectivity score of 150, you most likely misplaced the sport.”
A 12 months in the past, we noticed lots of performances — granted, with younger gamers as a result of accidents — that regarded awkward, confused and something however exact.
Sure, this can be an fascinating debut.
We’ll know immediately simply how Hill’s work has paid off.
It received’t be absolutely interpreted till Fayetteville, however you’ll seemingly have the ability to get a learn and a sense of what he’s been as much as with BYU’s defenders, even in opposition to Sam Houston.
Jay Hill, BYU affiliate head coach, defensive coordinator and safeties coach, watches gamers apply throughout opening day of BYU spring soccer camp on the BYU Indoor Follow Facility in Provo, on Monday, March 6, 2023.
Kristin Murphy, Deseret Information
