PROVO -- Following is a brief transcript from today's football press conference at Legends Grille.
BRONCO MENDENHALL:
At this point our team is optimistic and excited about playing our first game. We're also anxious to continuing performing the way we established last year at LaVell Edwards Stadium, with the precedent of winning at home.
We know that is critical to our success and the direction the programming is going to need to maintain in terms of our sustainability. This particular team is anxious to claim their place in how they play in the stadium. We expect a very difficult contest.
I think we prepared our team well. I think they are anxious to play. There certainly is and are question marks concerning key positions. We are anxious to find exactly where we stand after we play Saturday, because there is no way we'll know for sure through practice, through the scrimmages. I know our team will try hard and I know they'll play with great effort. I believe they'll execute well. I know there will be lessons learned through the process of the game that will help us as a program.
To this point in camp our team has done everything we have asked them to do. I couldn't have asked for it to go any better other than a few key injuries here or there.
As far as preparation for Arizona, offensively, has most of your focus been on Texas Tech?
We have split our preparation. We are fortunate in that our own offense has a coach that came from Texas Tech, with a similar philosophy. The benefit, simply, is that we understand the strengths and weaknesses of that system. We are not sure of what we are going to see. We know, as I have heard different things, they are patterning their offense after BYU as much as Texas Tech, so I am not sure which offense we'll see; maybe a combination of both. The real key will be the execution of our system and then making adjustments as a coaching staff as the game goes on. We're not sure of how their personnel will be used either. Even though there are returning players from last year, different positions and different systems require different concepts. So, there will be much determined as the game goes on.
What level do you expect to see from your own offense, compared to the last two years?
My hope is that my third year we will expound upon last year and maybe have a stronger showing. I am not acknowledging a new quarterback, I'm not acknowledging the different positions that may be touching the ball for the first time in game situations as a lowered standard. What we're hoping as a program is we are better in our first game, regardless of personnel changes.
Against the Arizona defense they will blitz you if you don't run the ball, but they are tough to run against, how patient will you be with the running game?
What you have touched on could be the story line in the game--our effectiveness in running the ball. We hope to catch them a little bit off guard and make them multidimensional in defending the outside, inside and the occasionally deep.
If you don't care about margin of victory, what do you look for in a terms of scoring margin?
I've learned after losing, 50-51, that it doesn't really matter -- one point is one point; no matter if it is 6-7. We are looking for wins. It is my duty to be mindful about how that might happen in terms of managing the game, how we prepare and come to assess our current state of readiness in all parts of the game and how we might get it done this year.
You talk about making adjustments defensively according to what Arizona is going to be doing. Can you make those adjustments on the fly or is that something you are going to have to wait until half time to address?
I think they can be made on the fly, with the number of returning players we have this year and the system weire running now. It simply could be a call emphasis change.
I know on your list of factors that affect a game, penalties are pretty far down the list. But in both your openers you've got penalities in the double-digits. Is it a meaningful number in terms of a reflection of team discipline?
I don't know if it is necessarily discipline, I think coaching staff focus certainly could be a part of it. I have been frustrated this year through fall camp because we had only two scrimmages where we had officials there. Certainly as the head coach, I'm not capable of calling the defense, managing the team, and calling penalties as well during scrimamge situations. I'm still looking for the correct strategy and the more officials I can get to each and every practice the more I hope for. I wish I could say confidently there won't be a higher level of penalties this opening. But that is something I wouldn't put on the team, in terms of discipline. I would put that on myself as the head coach in managing and organizing practice in a way that prepares better in that area. I'm still not confident what I have done this fall camp will address that.
Do you think it is harder to get to this point in the program or harder to maintain it?
There seems to be some conflict already as to where we are already in the program. I've heard as the general sentiment from most people as they have approached me since last season, "We had a great team, we had a great season." I haven't heard very often, "You have a great program." Great programs are established with consistency. I've been the head coach for two seasons. I think there are many who are waiting to see if this is real or was it just personnel driven, with the special group of young men. I acknowledge they were special. I do believe we have a chance to win the conference championship, I do believe we have a chance to even improve from what we were last year. I'm realistic on what that is going to take. It is going to be very difficult, but that is where I think we stand. I'm confident even though there are new faces that it can be done. They're expected; we made it very clear that is our expectation.
Can you touch on the running back situation and the reports of who is running the ball effectively?
The pecking order right now is that Harvey Unga will actually carry the ball more the Fui in the opener. As Fui is kind of building his way back into condition and confidence with his ability to cut on his leg, I would anticipate that might be the way it happens for the first couple of games.
Each of your first two season have opened 1-2, do you guys face early rallying points early treading points in your season. What is the key excelling without a negative emphasis from putting out in the games without having to worry about adding losses to shape your team?
I really view each season independently. The first season as I said, I made many mistakes in fall camp. I was learning a lot. I mismanaged some football games and the team suffered because of it. Last year, as I have said many times, I don't think our season and our win streak would have occurred if we wouldn't have lost a very close game in our opener and in double over-time to Boston College. I think those shaped our team and shaped our program. The lessons we learned the hard way in those games, set the precedent and stage of how we preformed from then on out. This team, where they stand and the lesson they'll need to learn, I'm not sure. I would much rather do it with wins than losses. Maybe that conclusion will be drawn, if it hasn't already, that I haven't been effective teaching our team to start fast. At some point, if this season doesn't start appropriately, then that will be a responsibility I will bear. I've viewed each team separate and independent and this one as well. I think we've prepared them very well, I think they're ready to play and play at a high level. I'll be accountable if they don't.
There were some key injuries to your defense during fall camp, how comfortable are you with the nose tackle position?
The nose tackle position is unfolding even as we speak. We have another week of practice. Right now a true freshman is the most consistent player we have there, Eathyn Manumaleuna. We have two other players who are kind of situational. We moved offensive lineman Rick Wolfley, who we feel very good about as a run stopper because of his size and strength. If we happen to play teams that have a two-back set or a heavy runner, I'm really encouraged by what he can provide in that role. And then we have Mosese Foketi. He is kind of a quick, active, wider pass-rush specialist and he has a place as well.
At the safety position I feel for both Dustin Gaberial and David Tafuna. We are lucky that we have Corby Hodgkiss. He has been with us for a long time, he is trustworthy and I think he has the ability to make plays at this level. I'm not concerned there. I have confidence in Corby and what I am concerned about at the safety position is depth. If you look at Quinn Gooch at free safety and Corby at strong safety, Kellen Fowler is basically the third safety, he could play either or. From there, there is a quite a drop off to number four.
The first game is a sell-out, as a head coach do you take note on games days of the situation of the crowd and what type of benchmark is that for your program?
Coming from being booed in my first game as a head coach in that stadium, I think it is progress.
What do you expect from Matt Allen on Saturday?
Hopefully he might catch a few passes today with the cast on, but we're going to take it all the way to the end. We'll make that decision on Saturday. We'll see how it progress through the week. We think we have enough options to manage and move the football.
How comforting is it to have an offensive line that can give Max time more time?
I think it is critical. I think our offensive staff has done a great job formulating a plan based on that. I think that if we weren't to center our attack around our offensive line both in protection and the run game then we would be making a mistake.