The following quotes are selected from BYU's Monday media availability regarding the announced SoFi Hawai'i Bowl matchup against the University of Hawai'i on Dec. 24 at Aloha Stadium.
Head Coach Kalani Sitake
On if he expected to be playing Hawai'i
We had a pool of opponents that we thought would be the team, Hawaii being one of them. We got our scouting report on Hawaii last week, I’m glad it paid off. They had a tough game against Boise State. The game was a lot closer than what the score showed. They moved the ball quite a bit, especially early in the game. They had a few turnovers on downs. I think they’re confident with what they’re doing on offense and they are able to score points. Nick Rolovich is an excellent coach, they’ve got an excellent staff. Their players are playing really motivated football right now, playing really good team football. They’re a top-10 passing offense in the country. The quarterback can play and they have a physical offensive line. Their wide receivers can catch and their running back is almost at 1,000 yards. It’s going to be a tough match up, but we’re looking forward to it. Defensively they’re solid up front and they tackle well. I'm looking forward to a good game and we’re going to try to be at our best. I am thankful for us to have the opportunity to be out there and play and try and get a win.
On Hawai'i having the home field advantage in a bowl game
They’re used to it and I am not really worried about it. We need to focus on what we can control. We got to scout them out a bit more. We’re familiar with a lot of guys on their staff and we know them really well. We played them last year, but they’re a different team now. They’re really balanced and a tough team. They play physical. I think it will be a good matchup for our guys.
On how different Hawai'i is from last year
There’s a huge difference. They’re gaining momentum. They won their division in their conference. They’re able to put a lot of points on the board. They got to their conference championship game and had to play in Boise, which is always a tough matchup. They execute really well in all three phases. I think Rolovich has done a great job getting their team the way that they’re playing. They have an opportunity to get to 10 wins, and we have an opportunity to build off our momentum from last year and continue our bowl win streak. There’s a lot to play for in this game. I am looking forward to playing a quality opponent like Hawaii.
On how the offense will improve after last game
You have to look at some of the things that we did on our end, some of the mistakes that we made. We’re going to work hard to make sure that those mistakes don’t happen again and that we control what we can control. We have to get points on the board and make sure they don’t score points. I think with more practice and extra preparation we will be able to improve on that.
On the balance of the extra practices
We had a good start last week. It will continue again this week. It’s a bit harder than a normal practice, a little more focused on helping the younger guys as well. But, with the situation that we’re in we can work them into the game plan. We have more time to see if more guys can be more involved in the game plan in offense, defense and special teams.
Linebacker Isaiah Kaufusi
On the tone of the practices last week.
They were really tense. Kalani sat us down in a team meeting and said the number one goal going forward and for the bowl game, is to win the game. The whole team was bought in and a lot of times you see guys you think it’s the bowl game, so we’ll just go through the motions. We have finals so they’re lackadaisical about it. But Kalani was really adamant about us knowing that this game was a game to win and it was a game to play for the seniors, so this last week was a work week for sure and we got after it. It wasn’t as physical as it has been, but speed-wise it was 100 percent, mentally it was 100 percent, we had to be locked in. I thought it was a good, productive week of practice.
On having several weeks to prepare for the game like the beginning of the season
In some ways it is. This past pre-season we had a lot of time to prepare for Utah, so the whole scouting and game plan was really focused on Utah. Last week was really focused on us and what we need to do better. This week, I’m sure the coaches have the game plan ready for who our opponent is and moving forward it will be a lot of prep for Hawai'i and for the bowl game. I like having several weeks, sometimes I think a week goes by so fast during the regular season, so having a few weeks will be a benefit for us.
On playing Hawai'i on its home field.
It doesn’t make a difference. We were just excited to know who we were playing. We really don’t care who it is, we were just excited to get another game for the seniors. Regardless of where it’s at, we’re just excited to play another game.
On if he had a hunch that it would be Hawai'i.
I didn’t pay attention to a lot of the speculations of who it could be. I heard people saying SMU, Hawai'i and UCF, but I’m glad it’s Hawai'i. I like playing against them. We’ve played against them for a few years now and they’re a great team. This year they’ve really stepped it up. The quarterback is a returning starter and we played against him last year. I’m just excited, I think it will be a good game with good competition.
Defensive Lineman Trajan Pili
On what the vibe of the team is with a few practices behind them.
Similar to what Isaiah was saying, we were just looking forward to finding out who we were playing. Last week was focused a lot more on us and how we can improve as a team and as players. We didn’t know who we were playing, so it’s hard to prep for that. For the vibe of the team, we’re just excited to know who we’re playing and we’re excited that it’s Hawai'i, a good team that we can compete with.
On the difference in bowl-game prep between Kalani Sitake and Bronco Mendenhall.
They’re pretty similar. Both are very meticulous in the way that they prep. Obviously, now we have more time to prep for the bowl game, but both Kalani and Bronco prepped the same way. They’re very meticulous and take their time to make sure each piece is perfect. A lot of times during the season, we’re rushed and if you have a Thursday or Friday game you have to squeeze it all in in a couple of days, so it’s nice to have a couple weeks to prep for someone.
On if he had a hunch if they would play Hawaii.
I saw some things on Twitter, like who we might be playing from the American or Mountain West conference, so I saw Hawai'i’s name a couple times but I didn’t really think about it because you never really know with these things.
Wide Receiver Micah Simon
On the difference it makes knowing who they are playing
I think it makes all the difference really. Last week we focused on us and what we can do to be better. Now we’ve shifted our mindset to real-game prep as we study film and prepare to see what we can do.
On if the prep has been any different from the last bowl game
I think it’s always a little different each year just because of the time of the game. With this one being a little later, it gives us more time to take advantage of all our practices.
On importance of winning this game
No doubt, it’s about winning the game and ending the season on the right note. We need to use this game as momentum for next season. I won’t be here next season, but I’ll always support this team. It’s a huge game for us.
On what this game means to him
It’s my last game and it’s a memory I’ll always have. I want to go out there one last time with my teammates and coaches and put together our best product of the year.
On seniors last year in the bowl game
Last year was the same type of mentality—win the game, send out the seniors on a high note and create good momentum for next year. That’s what we’re trying to do now. It was great to see those seniors play as well as they did last year. Dylan Collie had a couple touchdowns and over a 100 yards. It was a fun game.
On player-to-player interactions during recruiting
It’s one of the strongest aspects of the whole recruiting process. You can hear everything from the coaches about what the university has to offer. Talking to a player and understanding their everyday is one of the best things we can share with recruits. When the players and their families come out here, we hold a player panel and get to spend time with the recruits. It gives them a greater understanding of what BYU is about and how they can thrive here.
On honesty about challenges with recruits
It’s easy to get caught up with just trying to sell the school and that everything will go your way, but life doesn’t happen that way. It’s important to be honest about everything and answer their questions genuinely. At the end of the day, you want BYU to succeed and you want those players to help the program. At the same time though, if they’re not the right fit for BYU, it’s not fair to let them think that this is the best place for them.