PROVO -- More than 500 fans lined the field and overlooked the balcony of the Student Athlete Building as the BYU football team held its first practice in full pads on Thursday. Wearing full pads meant more room for contact in drills, but head coach Bronco Mendenhall tried to keep the hard-hitting down to a minimum.
“We were able to get more plays and more work done today than we did yesterday,” said Mendenhall. “The players may have been a little overly cautious after my direction yesterday, but I don't think it will take long to get back up to where we were.”
During the 11-on-11 team session, sophomore wide receiver Luke Ashworth impressed the crowd after leaping toward the sidelines, with his arms outstretched, to catch an eight-yard pass from quarterback Max Hall. The drive ended early, however, after several dropped passes and miscues.
“We're just trying to install everything,” said Hall. “We struggled a little bit today with a couple dropped balls and missed assignments, but the guys are giving everything they've got. I think we're on the right track. The defense is a lot better than everyone thought it would be, and the offense is plugging along trying to constantly improve.”
Sophomore Harvey Unga ran for a 10-yard gain to start the final drive of the day. Back-to-back completions from Hall to running back Wayne Latu and tight end Dennis Pitta set the offense up on the 26-yard line. Unga dominated the drive's final plays, running the ball another 12 yards and catching a four-yard touchdown pass from Hall.
Hall led all quarterbacks, completing 11-of-19 passes for 80 yards and one touchdown, while senior wide receiver Michael Reed recorded a team-high 30 yards receiving.
Two-a-days will begin on Friday, with the first practice beginning at 10 a.m. and the second at 5 p.m.