PROVO -- BYU head football coach Bronco Mendenhall addressed media during his Monday morning press conference. His remarks focused on the team's focus as it resumes conference play.
Opening Comments
We're anxious to resume conference play. Our football team came out of the game relatively healthy.
Garrett Reden had surgery this morning and from what I understand it went well.
It was a critical week in terms of our quest for a conference championship and regaining both conference momentum and playing on the road, both of which will be critical as we finish out this season. This week also set the stage for the stretch run with five conference games remaining.
How much of the struggles during Saturday's game might have to do with trying not to show too much for the rest of the conference season?
Our offense changes and our whole team changes very little from week to week. The program and the motto we put in place is without much change week to week. The idea is the execution; the position mastery and the consistency can increase. We're really not too concerned on any given week about showing or not showing anything. We simply hope to get to the point where we can execute the level where even if the opponents know what we are doing we can execute it at a higher level than maybe they can. I don't think that it plays into it very much in terms of our overall performance.
There were uncharacteristic execution problems on offense on drops. As you met with staff today have they given you reasons why that may have happened?
There really aren't solid reasons at this point, just speculation. Granted these are not excuses, these are just simply considering just what might have happened. We still are relatively youthful offensively in terms of players that touch the football when you consider Dennis Pitta, Max Hall, Austin Collie and Harvey Unga. But those are some of our very best players on the football team. If there is anyone at fault, most likely it is myself as the head coach. I will look at myself, of how we place the focus, knowing there is going to be a natural growth and progression to both players touching the ball as often as they are going to in different situations with a mistake or two to be made. I would rather have a mistake or two with a balance and diversity offensively then us becoming conservative to the point of the balance we would not hope for.
Looking at the layout of the schedule, there are a lot of away games trickled into the home games. Do you like for your younger players to get a lot of extensive experience on the road early in their college career?
It's a matter of perspective. I try to make each game and each situation positive in terms of what we can gain from it. Whether you are playing on the road or playing your first time at Lavell Edwards Stadium, you can learn a tremendous amount. I know it has been questioned whether a I-AA team was appropriate, especially mid-season which was a unique challenge in an of itself. There are still valuable lessons to be learned in terms of your weekly preparation, the maturity of your team and really the mindset and focus. I think every opportunity you have a chance to play a football game you learn a lot. I don't have any control over what games are on the road, at home or the sequence. We simply try to leverage to the best of our ability for our team and then try to move forward.
Can you give us your take of San Diego State's offense and defense and then follow up?
If I were to start with their offense, it starts with Kevin O'Connell, their quarterback who is a confident passer. His ability is to create with size and speed and when he gets out into the open field, and they are running a little bit more, he is one that is difficult to catch. I think that is where there offense starts. The formations are similar to UNLV where they make you defend the field with quality athletes. By nature, the most difficult thing is their athleticism in the way they spread the field. I think their program has moved forward but still haven't taken that next step in terms of confidence when you watch what they are capable of what I would describe.
Could you elaborate on your defensive performance? You talked about the Tulsa game being an aberration and putting together the rest of the games very well, what have they done to keep other teams off the field?
Third down defense has been critical. If you look at the number of plays, there are two contributors to that. Our offense in terms of time of possession is doing a great job but that is complimented by the defense play more on the third down. Those things are limiting the number of plays the offense has. When you limit the number of plays, it certainly contributes to scoring. It is all how we prefer to win football games. Our offense has the ball and defensively there are a lot of three and out third down stops. That lends for the offense to have more plays.
The aberration of the play at Tulsa was completely my fault. I underestimated what Tulsa and didn't predict the nature of their offense. I think if you view the other games of what you are mentioning, that is probably the best indication of who this particular is. I think we are tackling fairly solidly with leverage. I think it is mostly a collective at this point. I don't pay much attention to the numbers other than scoring and that part right now and if we are able to maintain that if will be a great chance for us to win the league.
It has been two years since you have lost a conference road game, since you last went to San Diego, can you talk about the streak and the keys to success?
I didn't even realize it until it was mentioned in the post game. It hadn't really ever crossed my mind. I do remember sitting in Qualcomm after the loss and searching as what I needed to do to be a more effective head coach. I don't remember how many others we have won in a row, but that was a defining time for our program and for myself as a person and a head coach. The streak is irrelevant to me. I would like to give our team the best chance each and every week to be prepared and to show what they are capable of. For the majority, each week since that time I think we have done that, not being perfect but the majority.
Concerning Corby Hodgkiss, given what happened during fall camp with the injuries will you talk about his performance during the season?
What I think is attributed to him is no one has noticed. Not to take anything away from Dustin Gabriel or David Tafuna, but if he wasn't playing well everyone would know. Because he is playing well no one has made a point of it and it just simply him going in and doing what he is supposed to do and helping our football team. The highest compliment that could be paid to him is that no one has written about him.
With Harvey Unga getting so many reps as a freshman do you worry about him getting tired or worn out?
I worry about any player getting tired or worn out. Maybe more importantly with his relative youth what I would worry about is an over exaggeration of his self worth. So many young players when they have success it is very easy for them to not handle it with maturity and to this point he has done a great job in staying grounded. Certainily there are the physical demands but I actually focus on the other part and that is making sure he stays humble and grounded and as a team player, which he is.