BYU’s Offense Has Performed Well In First Year Under Jeff Grimes

PROVO, Utah – The first regular season under first year offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes has wrapped up. BYU’s offense made strides and played well in some games and others they were non-existent.

How does the Jeff Grimes offense compare to the two seasons under former offensive coordinator Ty Detmer?

Ty Detmer Era

Detmer’s first season as the offensive coordinator at BYU was 2016 and he had two dynamic play makers in quarterback Taysom Hill and running back Jamaal Williams. The Cougars didn’t score over 20 points until the fourth game of the season when the lost to West Virginia 35-32. Many will remember the following game when BYU beat Toledo in an offensive shootout 55-52. Toledo racked up 692 yards of total offense with BYU countering with 586 yards.

That was BYU’s second win of the season but they picked up their second straight when they scored 31 points at Michigan State in a 31-14 win. Their third straight win came with a 28-21 overtime win against Mississippi State. The Cougars still played well in their 28-27 loss to Boise State in Idaho and then rattled off five straight wins including their Poinsettia Bowl win over Wyoming. During that streak, BYU scored 20 points or more in all five games.

BYU averaged 29 points and 399 yards per game on offense in the first season under Detmer.

Offensive coordinator Ty Detmer of the BYU Cougars looks on from the sideline during the Cougars game against the Wisconsin Badgers at LaVell Edwards Stadium on September 16, 2017 in Provo, Utah. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr/Getty Images)

The 2017 season was a different story as the Cougars finished the season with a 4-9 record. BYU scored 20 points or more in just five games and averaged 17 points and 325 yards per game. To be fair, Detmer had to deal with four quarterback changes during the season as BYU went to their fourth-string quarterback. Later that offseason, Detmer was relieved of his duties.

Jeff Grimes Era

BYU scored 20 points or more in eight of their 12 games and over 30 in four games. The offense averaged 21 points per game and 354.5 yards of total offense per game.

The future is bright for BYU as it appears that they have found their quarterback in Zach Wilson as well as their running back with Lopini Katoa. A lot of the questions on offense for the Cougars lies in the wide receivers and if they have enough weapons for Wilson to throw to.