This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

I can't imagine BYU athletic officials ever divulging how much money the school is getting to play a football game, but apparently a West Virginia official told this newspaper that each school is getting $2.25 million to play in that game in 2016 at FedExField in the Washington, D.C., area. Yes, that's almost twice the amount the Cougars get through their current TV deal with the Mountain West Conference's television affiliates. Of course, with inflation, $2.25 million in 2016 might isn't the same as $2.25 million right now. More links for you on this beautiful Friday along the Wasatch Front: * In this fine piece of reporting, the Tribune's Bill Oram writes about a Bingham High football player who has committed to play for Utah. The player — who absolutely tore apart Alta if you watched that game at Rice-Eccles Stadium — is facing felony charges for armed robbery, yet is still being allowed to play for the nationally ranked Miners. * Here's a look at former BYU defensive end Jan Jorgensen's big fight tonight at Utah Valley University's arena. * Funny what perspective does. Here's a piece in the Reno Gazette Journal that lists the supposed tension between the BYU and Nevada football programs. Bring up Nevada to a BYU follower, and about the only thing they will mention is the 2002 game in which then-coach Gary Crowton chose to fly his team into Reno the day of the game. The Cougars started slow and never recovered in a 31-28 loss. Since the announcement that it is bound for the WCC in non-football sports, I haven't heard a single BYU player, coach or fan mention they are upset with Nevada for reneging on the deal it agreed to that would have put BYU's non-football sports in the WAC. Nevada has a fine football team this year, but it apparently just doesn't move the needle in Provo, either way. * Here's my main offering today, an analysis piece, of sorts, on why the Cougars are struggling. Maybe the quarterback mess has masked a bigger problem: lack of playmakers on both sides of the ball. * And here's a notebook, with a lead about BYU LB Kyle Van Noy, who's from Reno.——————————— BYU's secondary is banged up, which is never good, but especially troublesome for the Cougars with the high-powered Wolf Pack offense in town. Safety Steven Thomas won't play (concussion) and will be replaced in the lineup by junior Travis Uale, who started his career at Utah. Cornerback Brian Logan (shoulder) will be a game-time decision. Safety Andrew Rich has missed practice time with a stomach virus. "It is tough, because you consider now our starting free safety is out," coach Bronco Mendenhall said. " We already know his role, and he's been out. Then we have moved some secondary players around to fill that. But then Andrew Rich was sick, and Brian Logan hasn't practiced yet. It is an amazing experience right now. The kids who are filling in are doing a nice job, but who is actually playing for us on Saturday [is still unknown]." The coach said he considered moving corner Brandon Bradley to safety, but scrapped the idea. "We thought about it until Logan went out. And so that kind of changes it, because that leaves you with just two experienced corners, and to train the third one, in relation to the uniqueness of playing each spot, or two cross-train them this week is difficult. So we went in another direction."—————————- Jake Heaps will become the first true freshman right out of high school to start at QB for BYU since 1997 (Drew Miller). But Mendenhall said Wednesday he hasn't spent a lot of time watching Heaps or the offense this week. "To be honest with you, I have spent most of my time watching the defense this week. I have watched him on film, and the biggest advantage so far in regards to who it is is they are getting every practice rep. And you can just see kind of the growth and progress happening period by period, just with the volume of plays, which is probably the biggest plus. I can't really talk about his play in particular, but I can see continuity developing whether it shows this week a significant difference [is unknown]. But I think it will show over time." Asked whether Heaps will get an average script of plays to run this week, Mendenhall said, "I would say average to less [than average], erring on the side of less." ——————————— What happened to McKay Jacobson? The junior receiver has caught just four passes for 39 yards in three games. He's probably the Cougars' only big-play threat at receiver, especially with the two-game suspension of O'Neill Chambers. Here's Mendenhall's take: "There are probably three reasons: the duality of quarterback, and not having just the consistency of reads and progressions, and who they feel the most comfortable throwing it to, and in what situation. Receivers being covered pretty well, and not getting off the routes they need to, and a combination of both those happening, and protection not holding long enough to have the ball delivered cleanly. So it is a combination of things, all stemming from the fact that I chose to play two quarterbacks, so it is not any one thing, other than a key reason is that decision."