PROVO -- BYU head football coach Bronco Mendenhall addressed media during his Monday morning press conference. His remarks focused on the teams focus during the bye week.
Opening Comments
Our football team is anxious to play. The bye week, we believe came at an appropriate time. We got a lot accomplished, but it also seems like quite a while since we played football. So, we are anxious to resume our preparation for an opponent and we're anxious to play a conference opponent, especially. We look forward to the game.
Can you talk about the difference between preparing for an opponent with more time as opposed to the normal amount of time?
We had four things to work on going into the bye week. The first thing was to get healthy. The second was to work on position mastery and some fundamentals--things that sometimes slip as the season goes on as you are thinking only about scheme and preparing for opponents. The third thing was to get some self-scout work done that maybe was the most beneficial of anything. The fourth thing was to work on execution--in terms of our own schemes.
So, we were able to touch up on some of those kinds of things for three of the four days that we practiced. We used Thursday basically as another Monday practice; it was their first exposure to UNLV. So we gained one day, specifically, versus an opponent, but the other three days were basically focusing only on ourselves.
Our primary focus is on our execution, our program, and then the scheme and presentation of UNLV. Our focus again this week will still be a lot on ourselves.
What is the health of the team?
I wish I could update you more. The three that are in question coming out of last week were Ben Criddle, Austin Collie and Bryce Mahuika. Bryce did practice after his concussion against New Mexico. I haven't heard from our trainer, nor have I seen our report this morning regarding Ben or Austin.
What kind of challenge does the Running Back, Frank Summers, from UNLV present?
I think, in general, UNLV is a better football team. I think they are more competitive and they are trying harder, they are being coached at a higher level in terms of precision. I think their team is a tough and competitive football team as they have demonstrated in the games they have played this year.
Summers, I would say is one of the catalysts of that. When you get to third-and-three and third-and-four situations, you're not positive if the ball is going to go outside to the perimeter. You certainly aren't sure it is going to be a pass because he is rushing for over 140 yards a game. They have the ability to give it to him in almost any situation and get positive yards. You have a different dimension now having to defend receivers spread across the field and running back in the back. It puts you in a unique dilemma.
With an off week I'm not sure if you got a chance to see any college football, but with Stanford beating USC what are your thoughts of that impact on your team and the way you approach things?
First, I never mention to our team the point spread. It is similar to the way that I view pre-season rankings. There is very little validity or merit going into any of those things. Aside from the USC game, I think there have been five or six games where the rankings were maybe a bit premature and right now, there is a lot of season left and no one really knows who is the best in the country. We're anxious, just week-by-week, to determine where we stand rather than be concerned with the outside world.
This weekend was the first time I have watched a Mountain West Conference game. My wife wanted to watch it. It was Air Force vs. UNLV and I would have never done so unless Holly was up for it. She made some popcorn.