COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW: #39 BYU

OFFENSE

BYU’s Riley Nelson is known as a scrambler and a playmaker, but offensive coordinator Brandon Doman says those labels do not give the former transfer from Utah State enough credit as a quarterback. “I need to give this guy a chance to really see how he can succeed in this offense,” Doman says. “So we are running the (traditional) BYU offense right now.”

That’s the classic West Coast passing scheme, requiring a quarterback’s timing, decision-making and accuracy. Nelson, who replaced Jake Heaps (since transferred to Kansas), ranked 16th nationally in passing efficiency, completing 57 percent of his passes with 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions. The offense’s improvement coincided with Nelson’s insertion at quarterback and Michael Alisa’s emergence as the primary running back. 

Cody Hoffman concluded his sophomore season dramatically, with a game-winning touchdown catch against Tulsa in the Armed Forces Bowl, his third score of the game. The coaches want more consistency from him after he caught 61 passes for 943 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2011. 

READ MORE: http://www.athlonsports.com/college-football/top-25/byu-2012