BYU beats Weber, preps for Utah; The Good and Bad from Saturday afternoon

It was in the afternoon and it went as anticipated. BYU moved to 2-0 on the young 2012 campaign with a workmanlike victory over in-state rival Weber State on Saturday afternoon at Lavell Edwards Stadium. Riley Nelson played just one half of football but amassed 244 passing yards and a touchdown as the Cougars grabbed a 21-0 halftime lead. James Lark played most of the snaps in the second half, throwing his first career touchdown pass, as well as rushing for a TD. The Cougars finished with 532 yards of total offense. Weber State scored two touchdowns in the second half.

Bullet Point Analysis Time! The Good and the Bad from Saturday in Provo:

The GOOD:

• Yes, it was just an FCS opponent, but redshirt Freshman QB Taysom Hill looked every bit the future star that his pedigree and fall camp news have led us to believe. He is supremely athletic, has punishing physicality, and a great arm, touch included. The 2013 schedule is going to be a celestial fire for BYU, but Hill's potential has given hope that the club may just be worthy of the shine.
• Bronco Mendenhall's defense continues to impress. BYU had six sacks on the afternoon, and could have had many more had the game been more competitive. Kyle Van Noy continues to affect the game in large ways, even when he doesn't necessarily dominate a stat sheet. I continue to be impressed by the play of Spencer Hadley. Seems strange to think he was fighting with Alani Fua for his starting spot. I think that may have just been a psychological ploy by the defensive coaching staff to get a little more out of #2. Whatever it was, it worked. The defensive backfield continues to be one of the best in school history.
• Weber State averaged less than three yards per carry. The 3-4 scheme employed by Bronco Mendenhall relies heavily on the defensive lineman to maintain gap integrity and allow the linebackers to flow. The defensive line was strong again on Saturday and the highly-touted recruit Bronson Kaufusi showed a glimpse of the monster player he could become.

The BAD:

• The Cougars came out flat against Weber. Lackadaisical effort on the offensive side of the ball was a problem for the majority of the first quarter. Is this a sign of overconfidence? Hopefully not. Playing an FCS opponent does not generate the heart-pumping action that say, playing Utah would. But that should not matter. Every down is the most important, no matter the opponent, and BYU cannot afford to come out slowly against Utah next weekend. BYU regained its focus early in the second quarter. That effort needs to carry over to week 3.
• It seems that the BYU offensive line has been ready for a breakout season since the days of John Tait. And it never seems to come to fruition. The front five looked mediocre at best on Saturday against an undersized and talent-deficient Weber State club. This a week after a similarly uneven performance against equally situated Washington State. Well, the time for underperformance has past. The Utah defensive line is one of the best in the country. BYU better get things together up front.
• Can Riley Nelson make the correct decisions against an upper-tier team on the road? The last drive of the second quarter brought back some bad memories of the TCU game. Can Riley stay within himself while still keeping his playmaking abilities? We shall find out on one week from today.