PROVO -- BYU head football coach Bronco Mendenhall addressed media during his Monday morning press conference. His remarks focused on the team's recent, unscheduled bye week and getting the team ready to resume conference play against Colorado State.
OPENING COMMENTS
It's good to be back in game mode again. It seems like a long time since we played a game. As a program we consider this the home stretch, similarly to last week when we anticipated playing five conference games. A lot of our season and the goals that we still have established are obtainable.
I believe we were able to take advantage of the bye week, in terms of preparation for Colorado State. I believe our team is relatively healthy, anxious and optimistic to play. We look forward to it.
What was your reaction to the Colorado State game last week and how do you break them down as a team?
I watched CSU's game (against Utah) this morning. From an offensive perspective, the University of Utah did a good job--in terms of pressure. When they were playing conventional defense, CSU had some success, but Utah--in terms of their blitzing--gave CSU a lot of protection problems. From a defensive perspective, the scheme is exactly the same as they have been running. Their personnel is slightly different and statistically they have struggled in terms of yards. On special teams, I think they are solid and certainly well coached. If you look, just from the statistical analysis, to see what one area really jumps out, it is more just a collection of solid performers.
Is there a right way to ask your team to perform for these next games, and is there anything different you will tell them?
It is simply a matter of asking them for their best game. There isn't anything different about asking that from what I ask each and every week. I know they are eager to play. My only concern is monitoring the amount of work we do leading up to that. I know they are fresh, I know they are excited and what I hope to do is have them play the best they have played the whole season.
If you look at the conference race, I think the team that improves the most week-to-week from now until the end of the year will be the team who ends up winning the conference. We're going to have to play better than what we have been playing. I think that gives us our best chance and this game will be critical in making that happen.
Colorado State seems to being turning the ball over a lot, especially their quarterback. Is there anything that you will do to exploit that?
I think they prefer to have a game where the point margin is very close or they have a lead and they can run the football and the play-action pass. The game they don't want to get into is when they are trailing and they have to step back and pass. Their turnovers are more prominent when they are trailing. In terms of exploiting it, we do have a strategy and that is to just start fast and hopefully get an advantage early.
Where does the kicking game play into your offense now and how does it play into your play calling?
Certainly it affects the number of fourth-downs we go for. I think our success rate is pretty high. Right now I don't feel very comfortable kicking the football outside of the 25-yard-line, I'm making those decisions based on our scoring potential. Until our consistency in kicking the football improves that is likely where we will remain.
Is Mitch Payne's ability or his health that is most prominent in that decision?
I think they are tied together. Having a kicker who doesn't practice for four of five weeks and then shows up on Thursday to kick a few through doesn't lead to a great amount of confidence--in terms of how many kicks he can have and what kind of accuracy will he be kicking with, especially when you can't use him to kick off. It is an unknown. It is not to say I don't have confidence in Mitch when he is healthy. His injury has prohibited us from having a solid evaluation.
You're 15-2 in you last 17 outings, but it can be argued that the most national attention you have received has been from a game cancellation. Has membership in this conference and their national recognition undone some of the good that was done in the 70's, 80's and 90's?
I'm not certain how much is attributed to the conference. I think a severe blow was dealt with the three loosing seasons. I think that damaged credibility to some extent and reputation. I think last year's season re-linked some of that and I think continued success this year will help us regain more national prominence. I believe that will take care of itself. If the team and the coaching staff does what we are capable of, I think we will take those steps toward national prominence, but that is something I intend to earn and I don't expect it until we have earned it.
Considering the rhythm of the team, how does this October change it?
I've been a little bit at a loss this past week with knowing what to do. I'm not talking about practice I'm talking about the weekend. It felt very strange to be home. I think it came at a good time for five members of our team who could use the health and recovery. The rhythm is almost a restart, when you consider our bye and then the games we played and then basically another bye with majority of our conference play to go, it is almost like a restart or another season.