PROVO -- BYU head football coach Bronco Mendenhall discussed the Cougars' season opener, his first game as a head coach, against No. 22 Boston College.
"Good afternoon. It's my pleasure to be here at the first media luncheon. I hadn't quite known what to expect, but I know a little better now looking out and seeing you. It's my honor to be head football coach at BYU and I'm humbled daily by the opportunities I have to deal with these young men and other situations that test my readiness in every way, and I look forward to the first significant test regarding our football team in regards to the playing arena. There have been many other tests to this point through the offseason. However, all those have served to shape our football team and I'm hopeful now that as our team plays on Saturday they play in a manner that represents the principles that they've been taught all the way up to this point. We have a quality opponent coming in Boston College, and I know you're very aware that they're ranked in the Top-25, and deservedly so with five straight bowl wins. They are a very mature football team, a very confident football team, a team that's seasoned and experienced in every way. I would say if you looked at the leadership, it would probably be the exact opposite of what you'd view BYU's program at this point. However, we look forward to the game, and what I'd like to see from our young men by the time the game is over is for them to be completely invested and spent when they walk up the ramp at the end of the day having given their best. Having said that, I hope that's something we can say each and every week about how we play. Concluding with that thought, I'd like to now open it up to questions. Anything you might ask I'd be glad to answer for you."
Q: Is your depth chart solidified at this point?
BM: "Our depth chart is solidified other than our corner position. At the corner position opposite Nate Soelberg, Kayle Buchanan is questionable still. And behind Kayle, Chris Hale and Justin Robinson are both slightly injured as well, and we haven't named a player in that spot yet."
Q: Has this team come together the way you expected, or have you had some surprises along the way with perhaps personnel or the development of a certain unit?
BM: "I've been surprised at every turn, not necessarily regarding personnel, but I think this team has been pushed very hard, and I've been surprised at their continued willingness. Even through yesterday's practice, the amount of volume and the amount of work that this team is getting and their ability to sustain that pace has been something I've been surprised with. But I think I have a lot to learn about this team and I've been testing them every step of the way. More specifically about position development, I've been impressed with our offensive line. When you look at the scheme that they've been asked to learn, with the splits as they are, and then developing a mindset of toughness as well when most of what they do is reactionary in terms of picking up blitzes. I've been impressed with them. I'd also say that I think if you look at the end of spring practice and where John Beck was as our quarterback, and then where he started fall camp and where he is now, that progression has happened faster than what I'd expected as well. And I speak from a defensive perspective in defending him, and that's been a surprise to me."
Q: You're familiar with both Texas Tech's offense and your own offense now. Are there tweaks to this one that may or may not be recognizable when looking at game film of Texas Tech?
BM: "Yes, I think one of the tweaks is some of the two-back focus that we have. When you defend Texas Tech, very seldom do you see two backs in the backfield. And their running backs are small, more scat-type running backs, and so the nature of how they're given the ball is different than with us and Fahu (Tahi) and Curtis (Brown) where they both might be in at the same time, and there's a two-back element that I don't remember ever defending in my three years at New Mexico against Texas Tech. In addition to that, the way the ball is being dispersed is similar to Texas Tech. However, our tight ends, Jonny Harline and Daniel Coats, being in at the same time as well is probably at a higher percentage than what you'd see at Texas Tech. Those are both personnel issues that have been tweaked within the scheme."
Q: It seems Boston College is quite solid on both sides of the ball. Is there anything in particular that concerns you most about them?
BM: "Just the experience ... the experience and seasoning of their program. When you watch them play, they're very confident and they expect to win. When they take the field they expect to win, and that's based on years and years -- in fact, the past six -- of bowl games. When you have that reference point that immediately in your past, that expectation allows you to carry that more as a badge of what they're going to represent and an expectation that's closer than having to go back three years to hold it to. I think they'll show up expecting another bowl game, expecting to win, and expecting to perform at a high level, and that's been shown over time."
Q: How personally do you take rebuilding BYU's legacy as opposed to just simply winning the next game?
BM: "I take it completely personally, and I don't think it's possible to do this job without a complete investment. At what expense? I'm still learning the balance of family and everything else. But I've learned this: this job is larger than what I thought originally. The demands and the time commitments in every area are phenomenal, and to be completely devoted with this opportunity is something I don't intend to squander. It matters to me, not only in terms of this football program, the former coaches and players, but it matters to me in terms of my reputation. I would like to be viewed as someone who has given his all and his complete best in this pursuit of returning this program to what it once was. I don't ever want to be viewed as one who is lukewarm or halfhearted in his attempt to do something. So it's under that premise that I'm operating."
Q: You've talked a lot in the past months about the legacy of this program. Has much been talked about the motivational effect of past struggles, at home games particularly?
BM: "It's been addressed from the first day of our fall camp. I took our team to the stadium in an intimate setting and talked about what my perception was of what it meant to play in this stadium. And then at the last day of fall camp I brought Coach Edwards in, and he was gracious enough to accept an invitation to speak to our team about what it meant to him for our team to play in that stadium. And when you talk about being 4-8 at home in the past two years, there has to be something done. And I've done everything possible, with my experience and my knowledge to this point, to address that. I think you'll also notice that all the major scrimmages this fall camp were in the stadium as well."
Q: Over the past couple of years you've used a lot of personnel defensively. Has some of that moved over to the offensive side based more on the fact that you have guys who can play in addition to the starters?
BM: "It's based on the nature of the scheme, number one. When I first talked to Coach Anae, he talked about listing two players at every receiver and skill position because of the fast tempo we'd like to play at. It just so happens we have a solid depth at most of those positions, and there's also an alignment between the scheme and our personnel. I feel strongly, as you've seen in the past number of years defensively speaking, when a player knows he's going to have a chance to play, the way he invests in practice is much different than if he doesn't. I think that's allowed for a different chemistry defensively in the past, and now offensively I see it being very similar. When you talk about players watching a play on the sideline, knowing they're going to have a chance to run the next one, they're invested at a higher level, and I think it's great for team chemistry. That doesn't mean we're giving away playing time. They have to know what to do, play at a very high level, and be able to make a play. Those same three criteria are in place, but it's much more effective when it's team-wide rather than unit-specific."
Q: Could you address Boston College's defense, especially Mathias Kiwanuka?
BM: "I believe he was voted as the preseason defensive player of the year in their conference -- a new conference they haven't even played in. His reputation precedes him. He's very fast and athletic, and what endears him to me is he plays hard. So many times when players have sack totals and are active players, they don't play well when a play comes right at them. And they seem to take plays off when the play goes away. What I like about that young man is he plays the game the way it's supposed to be played in terms of his effort and intensity. He's earned my respect just from that aspect, not in terms of his ability, which is exceptional, but I like the way he plays the game. The defense itself is zone based, mostly collisioning and underneath routes and fairly conservative, yet they do a nice job keeping points off the board. They're very sound in terms of leveraging the football."
Q: Do you have a morning routine on gameday that you like to stick to, or do you feel like everything will also be altered because of your new role?
BM: "I used to have a morning routine, but I don't know what the new one is yet. Every day I'd show up, as I've talked before, and I'd have the Franklin Planner set with what's going to happen, and I haven't followed it yet, other than maybe the starting window from 6 to 7 (a.m.). But after that, there hasn't been a day that's been the same, and I anticipate changes on gameday as well. As I sort through practice right now and what I'm supposed to be doing and where and watching, etc. ... I've never coached a game as head coach. I've never prepared for one. So when I get up that morning I have an idea about what it's going to be like, but I'm seasoned enough already to know it's not going to be as I predicted. The way that goes, I don't know."
Q: Could you talk about Quinton Porter, Boston College's quarterback? Have you seen film on him from two years ago?
BM: "Certainly, and I view him as a starter. So much has been made, at least when it gets back to me, when you have a new quarterback. He's not a new quarterback -- he started 10 games. And he's big at 233 pounds, and he's listed at 6-foot-5. Their quarterback last year was very mobile with a lot of bootleg and play action, and very difficult to keep in the pocket. This quarterback's mobility isn't the same, but it's experience. We're preparing for him as if he were a returning starter. I think he's capable of leading their team within the scheme they use at a very high level."
Q: How will the game-time play-calling be handled as far as who will be in the booth and on the field?
BM: "Upstairs will be Coach Reynolds, Coach Higgins and Coach Mitchell. From our entire staff we'll have more coaches on the sideline than what we've had before. Coach Anae and Coach Reynolds will have a direct link in terms of their headset communication. Coach Anae will call every play, and he'll do that from the sideline. He feels much like I do when you're calling defense. What you sacrifice in terms of being able to see the field, you gain in terms of the feel and the emotional component, being able to look in a player's eye and see who needs the ball. I'm in full support of that because I operate under that same premise myself. If you look at the balance upstairs, we have a special teams coordinator, who sees the field very well, and Lance Reynolds, the most experienced coach on our staff, who also has a great sense for quick adjustments. In fact, when I was a coach at New Mexico, we used to come in and play BYU, much like Air Force. The most significant thing was how quickly they would adjust to what you were doing. I think Coach Reynolds is the best on our staff with that in mind. He'll be able to assess very quickly what approach, if any, is different than what Boston College has done before. He can communicate that information to Coach Anae and he'll apply it and then call plays reflective of that. And so that relationship, I think, is a critical one. Coach Mitchell, to me, is also a critical link upstairs. Because of some of the injuries we've had in the secondary, he'll play close attention to match ups and exactly how we look there. It controls a lot of the aggression that we'll come with based on how those initial match ups look."
Q: Can you talk about John Beck's progression from spring to fall and right up to this week?
BM: "There are two things. The idea behind naming a starter at the end of spring wasn't necessarily that there was a clear starter, but it was establishing someone to lead the team through the summer and leadership at that position is a critical thing.
What I've noticed most is how quickly the ball is being delivered and where it's going. The accuracy of where he's delivering the ball and on time reminds me exactly of playing Texas Tech and being frustrated not being able to get to the quarterback on time, even with unblocked players, and that only happens when the quarterback understands the scheme well enough and knows where the ball is to be delivered and delivers it accurately. I think he's on track that way in comparison to what I've defended before in this offense. And that's a relevant baseline to start from."
Q: Can you talk about being a defensive coordinator and head coach and how you foresee that on the sidelines?
BM: "I see it being exactly as it has been other than I might be asked if in four-down territory, 'Are we going for it, or are we not?' There is a challenge component on instant replay, but I don't plan on being involved in the offense at all. Number one, I wouldn't know what to call, and number two, I'm not qualified to do it. But there will be game decisions. There might be one or two specifically per game. I think a lot is made of that, but really, when it comes down to it, I don't think that will be that significant in terms of my involvement in that regard."
Q: Can you talk about attacking their offense with your defense, specifically with their experienced offensive line and their propensity for the play-action pass?
BM: "The play-action pass is really the key to it. They don't want to be a team that drops straight back and throws the football. They'd like to run the football and they'd like to play-action pass. What they hope then is that slows you down. It will be interesting to see as you watch the game unfold if they continue all the bootleg and play-action pass with the edge pressure that we bring. That will be a critical determinate. If our edge pressure is effective early, the bootleg, which is one of their key core concepts, becomes ineffective. If our edge pressure isn't effective then that could allow them to continue doing what they're doing. But all that is predicated on if they can run it or not. They have their offensive line back and they have two exceptional running backs. If they can run it, they can play-action it. If they can't run it, then play-action isn't nearly as effective. So just with that progression in mind, I think you'll watch the game unfold with that being the underlying factor."
Q: What are three or four key elements to determining the outcome of the game?
BM: "I think there are some key pillars we've talked to our team about from the beginning of fall camp. The biggest determinate of whether you win college football games or not is how many points you score. We've done everything possible with a blue-zone emphasis daily to ensure that we're getting our players a chance to frequent the end zone as many times as possible. And the same defensively. The same can be said as if you're giving up 14 or under per game. That ensures you the next most wins after how many you score. And turnover margin: plus one, the statistics show, will win you nine games a year. And so points and turnovers are key. And what I would say overarching all that, tying those things together, is that I would like to have a football team out there that executes at a high level, that's precision-based and is very consistent regardless of circumstance, and I think we've been up and down for quite some time. The quality programs are the ones that are consistent, execution-based and have precision throughout the game. I'm anxious to see exactly where we are in that regard on Saturday."
Q: Is this a must-win game? If it doesn't come out the way you want, how do you look at that?
BM: "I don't believe in must-win games, but I believe in games you try hard in. As I mentioned earlier, at the end of the game I'd like those players to have been fully invested and completely spent in our cause. And then I'll assess exactly how we played from there. If they're not willing to do that or don't do that, then we're not as far along as I would have thought."
Q: What are your emotions like? Are you nervous?
BM: "I feel the exact same as I did as a defensive coordinator other than I'm nervous now about other things as well. I'm nervous or have anxiety not only about the offense we're getting ready to face, but I'm talking now about the preparation model for our team. What we're doing, today's practice, tomorrow's practice, Friday's format, our run-through. Are the meeting schedules on time? How do I manage making sure there's no one in the locker room who I don't want in the locker room. Are the tickets handled correctly? Where are the players going to park? How do we get the bus from here to there? All those things, even though they're delegated, reflect how you prepare. So now, besides getting one specific unit ready with a very clear idea, I'm responsible for all of it. And even though it has been delegated, that level of trust and those I delegated it to will be developed over time, just like the relationships I have with my players. I don't work very well in an unstructured environment, and I'm hoping that those people who have been given charge of different things do their jobs right so it doesn't take away from my preparation and our team's. But there is some uncertainty regarding that. So the direct answer to the question is that I feel the same other than there are other areas now that I have anxiety about as well."
Q: Can you talk about your depth at linebacker and how strong that is?
BM: "We have three deep at linebacker and the same criteria will apply there. Anyone who will play hard, can make a play and knows what to do will play, so you might see nine different guys out there on Saturday. I like the idea of fresh infantry. When you're a pressure-based team it allows you to impose your will on someone with fresh bodies more than someone just trying to endure the game and play 70 plays. We have experience, we have athleticism, and we have a blend of both. I might, based on how the game goes, apply those players differently based on situation, and I'm not going to know until the game starts to be played how we'll do that."
Q: Will it be Justin Luettgerodt, Cameron Jensen and Paul Walkenhorst?
BM: "That's how it will start."
Q: How deep can you go on offense compared to your defensive scheme?
BM: "That's Coach Anae's decision, but he just so happens to have chosen the same approach. On the offensive line, there might be a guard position between Dallas Reynolds and Brian Sanders where you might see a rotation, but the rest of the positions you'll see the exact same approach. And that was his choice, not mine, but I'm glad he chose it.
"I appreciate it. Thanks for your time, and I look forward to talking to you again next week."