The following quotes are selected from BYU's Monday media availability prior to the week one game at Navy on Sept. 7 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
Watch the full media session here.
Head coach Kalani Sitake
Full Interview here
We’re really excited about the game being a week away and our players are excited that school started today. We’re back to our normal schedule of morning classes and afternoon practices and meetings. We’re really proud of the ways our guys performed in camp and the bond that they share with each other.
We know exactly what Navy brings to the table, they’re a dangerous team. I think I have to keep reminding people that they finished ranked last year and won a lot of games. They’re an efficient team. They control the ball really well and make a lot of big-time plays. They do a great job of getting those players to play to their strengths and we’re going to have to play to ours to compete against a quality team. We’re looking forward to the challenge.
On facing the option offense in the first two games against Navy & Army
I think focusing on Navy is more important than anything else. I haven’t really looked into what Army does and how different they are from Navy. When it comes to winning the game, it is the fundamentals that are going to help us win. It is tackling well, blocking well and making sure we’re a disciplined team.
I have a lot of appreciation for the military schools and for all those young men that allow us to feel comfortable in this life. There are a lot of things in this game for me that I’m grateful for.
Thoughts on Navy Head Coach Ken Niumatalolo
I admire what Ken does as a coach and, more than anything, what he does as a person. The contributions he’s made as a church member and human. He’s a good example to me as a coach and I look at him as a mentor. A lot of the things we do culturally in our teams feed off of our religion, our hometown and our heritage. It goes into what we do as a coach and that filters down to the players. He has been a great example to me as a coach and as well as a husband and father.
On Zach Wilson being named the starting quarterback
I think he had a great offseason not having to rehab or anything like that. He was able to master his craft a little bit more and improve his game. He worked really hard in the offseason. This was his third fall camp, so he felt a lot more comfortable. Instead of trying to establish himself as a player, now he is trying to compete and solidify his spot. In the midst of doing that, he was able to work on his relationships, his timing and iron out some things he wanted to make strengths as a quarterback. Every position is going to have to compete. We’ll play the best guys and he definitely earned it.
On preparing to play in stadiums with no fans
We’re just going to play. It has never been a factor for us to look and see how many fans are in the stands. Our guys are focused on playing the game and that is all that matters. We’re just excited to play the game. I’ve asked these guys to be ready to perform their best. We don’t factor in whether it is home or away, we have to be at our best.”
Quarterback Zach Wilson
Full Interview here
On starting this season healthy
It’s huge. Everyone wants to play at 100 percent. Last year was just rushed, but no excuses obviously. I should have done better last year. It is nice coming into this year healthy and I am super excited that I finally have the ability to feel like I am strides ahead of where I was last year or even my freshman year when I was healthy. I am super excited for this first game.
On the quarterback competition and earning the starting position
It just leaves it with no doubt. It shows your teammates and coaches that you are willing to work for it and that’s how every spot in football should be. You have to earn the right to play and competition just makes everyone better, so I think that’s what we got out of this whole process. The coaches want to play the best players that they can and so the competition always brings out the best players in everybody.
On the readiness level of this team compared to the past
We are definitely a lot further ahead than we have ever been. I think a lot of that has to do with experience. We have a lot of guys that have played in multiple seasons now, so we have a lot of experience coming back so when fall camp started we hit it in stride. The details in practice were just a little bit different and everything was next-level stuff. Everyone understood the basics which was expected going into fall camp and not really starting at day one but growing from day one and saying what’s the next step and how can we make this even better. I think the team is a lot further ahead than we have ever been and I am excited to get going.
On extending and finishing drives
You’ve got to be smart as far as controlling the field. You can’t go three and out multiple times in a row. You can’t keep stalling on drives. You’ve got to be able to extend the drives whether you score or not by holding onto the ball for a little bit. A big focus for us is just not getting stiff on the sideline while we are waiting to get back in. We need to be ready to come out and make plays after being on the bench for 15 minutes or whatever it is. We need to be ready at all times.
On the work he has put in to become the starting quarterback
Whether or not they said I was the starter from day one last year or it was a competition this fall, the work I put in this offseason was going to be exactly the same. That has to show as far as your character and personality that you never get complacent with your spot or take it for granted. Every offseason is an opportunity to take it to the next level and to achieve new goals. The offseason preparation was going to be the same no matter what. I wanted to give it everything I could to help this team win this year.
Defensive lineman Khyiris Tonga
Full interview here
On defending the triple-option
We have to be very disciplined. They are a very disciplined team and a really good run team. As a defense, especially the defensive line, we have to be stout, working on our assignments and not giving up big plays.
On stopping the run this year
It is something that we have focused on especially when we found out we were playing Navy. It was a super big focus with Coach Kalani and Coach Tuiaki, on how to learn to stop the run, being stout upfront, the linebackers learning how to read their keys and being disciplined in all phases.
On his preparation for this season vs. other seasons
It's been different just because of everything that is happening. I am trying to get used to the new normal and just adjusted. But I feel like as a team, we have been doing well. Our strength staff has been on us since our break and sending out workouts. We have been very fortunate to be able to continue, to practice, to not have our season get canceled and to not miss a beat.
Offensive lineman Tristen Hoge
Full interview here
On what is crucial for the offense against Navy
It's sustaining drives and making sure we have the ball. We have to make good of every single possession we have and that means limiting mistakes when the offensive is on the field, knowing what they are going to throw at us and not being surprised by anything. Surprises will come, there will be new things that they will throw at us, but that being said it's making sure that we aren't too surprised. We know what scheme they are going to run, how they are going to play us, but also knowing that we, like last year, are going to have to get in the end zone, we are going to have to finish and complete that and get those touchdowns on the board. That is number one for us – making sure that every single possession counts.
On the offensive line's chemistry
Chemistry is really big on the offensive line. We are the one unit on the offense that has to work in five consecutive order together. Chemistry is really big for us. Having little things like injuries like we did last year, can kind of disrupt the chemistry because you might not understand peoples play styles, so knowing that we have each other in those front five and we are going to work with each other that chemistry is huge. It bodes well for us on the field and it also helps that we have if off the field as well.
On where the biggest progress the offense can make this year
Especially from last year, it is the offensive line. It always starts upfront. Having limited injuries and having guys that have experience from last year – that is the one thing that we have from last year is depth and guys with experience. It is one big improvement that we have made. We have fixed mistakes from last year when it comes to it from a unit. Next, our skill players have definitely worked this offseason and improving the mistakes that they have made. I think the offense as a whole has improved through this entire offseason and through fall camp. You can definitely see the changes from last season to this one and how those improvements have been implemented.