The following quotes are selected from BYU's Monday media availability prior to BYU's game against Texas State on Saturday, Oct. 24 at LaVell Edwards Stadium on ESPN at 8:15 p.m.
Head coach Kalani Sitake
Full interview here
We’re looking forward to this week and are excited to be home. We’ll be having fans in LaVell Edwards Stadium for the first time this season so that will be fun. I’m really pleased with the win we got as a team over the weekend against Houston. Facing adversity, the guys were able to bounce back and finish out the game the right way. We’re looking forward to getting stuff fixed, like we do after every game. There are things that I think could put us in better position for success in all three phases and it’s going to be based around us being aggressive and establishing our identity as a team.
On the coaches making adjustments during a game
It takes the entire staff, and we wouldn’t be able to do it without our graduate assistants and analysts. More than anything, the staff just collaborates with each other and works really well together. Whenever they see something that could be changed, we get that done. As a head coach, I oversee all of it, but I trust the coaches in the decision-making process.
On the success the defense has had getting to the quarterback
There are a lot of variables that go into it: personnel, experience, scheme. I think you’re looking at a team that plays against opponents that are trying to come from behind and throw the ball more. When they do that, we capitalize by making sacks and causing destruction. However, I’d like to see us get more turnovers. All the variables combined is the result of the success we’ve had.
On fans being at the game against Texas State
Our players and coaches love our fans. We appreciate our fans so much and look forward to having them there. We’ve had four games without fans and that was hard, but we still love the game. Nothing can simulate real-time reactions, whether good or bad. We’re looking forward to it and seeing fans in the stadium will be really fun.
On the Texas State football program
Coach Spavital is a really good coach. He’s been around and had some great mentors in his coaching experience. They’ll be ready to come here and play us. For us, it’s a matter of us being focused, getting the most out of our guys this week at practice and playing the game at our best. That’s the goal every week. From what I see, they’re highly competitive. A lot of respect for their coaches and their players, they have a lot of great athletes on their team. We have to be ready because I think we’re going to get their best shot this week.
On defensive back George Udo
He’s super fast and athletic. He is a hybrid where he is really tough and strong at the line of scrimmage. When you have a guy with that unique skillset, it’s nice to see him on the field. We have a high number of players that can do things are unique to their skillset and he’s one of them. He’s still learning and is still young. He’s a true sophomore so we know that we’re going to get a lot of good things out of him for a long time.
On fullback Masen Wake
Masen can do a lot of things that tight ends can do. He can catch the ball, is physical, has great ball security and probably jumps a little too much for my comfort. I tried that too when I was playing, but he probably hung out with Chad Lewis too much this summer and thinks he can jump over everything. I just really like his style of play. What he represents on the field is important. He loves his family and wants to represent them the right way. He comes out here, sacrifices a lot for this team and does everything 100 percent.
BYU linebacker Zayne Anderson
Full interview here
On making adjustments in a game
When you are playing a really good team like Houston and other good teams in our future, you have to adjust because if you don’t then they will pick you apart. We made some good adjustments at halftime. Just as a player you’ve got to do what you can do, and you’ve got to execute the game plan that’s given to you. Whatever is given to you, you’ve got to do it to the fullest and trust the coaches to put you in a good position to make plays. That’s something as player’s we can probably do better, execute and trust what we are doing. Trust the technique, different leverages and trusting each other is the biggest thing. Obviously, adjustments will be made so as players we need to trust everything.
On BYU’s success on pressuring the quarterback
I think those guys are doing a really good job. It shows how dominant they really are. I think letting them play what they are good at is best and let them do it. We have some really capable D-linemen and I love seeing them do their thing.
On how having fans helps in the game
I think it helps a lot. When you don’t have fans you have to create your own energy as a team on the sideline and with fans it brings a little more energy. I think just having our families there, since as a senior my family hasn’t even seen me play yet. You take those things for granted so it will be nice to have them back in the stands. We felt it in Houston since we had a lot of Cougar fans there and it helped the whole game. They had our backs.
On focusing on the now
This is a really good Texas State team. We aren’t even worried about the future. As we have seen in the year’s past we win big games and then we lose games we shouldn’t. I think as leaders and seniors we have been through those games where we have lost when we shouldn’t. I think it comes down to focusing on each game and really locking in and taking every game very serious. That’s what we are planning on doing. This is a really good Texas State team and they have a really good offense and are capable so that’s where our focus is now.
BYU defensive back Chris Wilcox
Full interview here
On this season
It’s been a long time coming. Through the offseason I was trying to get right. I had been preparing myself to battle through everything I was going through. I am really happy to be back, and I felt like I was really prepared for that game.
On having fans this week
I think it will help us a lot. Even when we have zero fans we are still locked in and we have a lot of juice. On the TV you can’t really tell, but we are loud on the sideline every game. Having the fans there will definitely help us.
On the team’s confidence from the success
It’s a huge factor because from year’s before we’ve never really started like this since I have been here. Now we realize that a lot of people are watching us in the country. We are in the spotlight right now and we know that we need to take it week by week. Like Zayne was saying we can’t get ahead of ourselves and lose to a team we shouldn’t. We are going to take every play serious every week.
Fullback Masen Wake
Full interview here
On his ability to hurdle defenders
Growing up I was a bigger kid so a lot of second-level guys would go at my ankles. They’d dive down, I’d try to run them over and I’d end up just tackling myself. So over time I just learned to hurdle to add another thing to my game. A lot of people I can just run people over, but I just keep adding things to my game and hopefully I can add more.
On him honoring his mom at the Houston game
When I was almost nine years old, she passed away from cancer. She’s been out of my life for a while, but she’s definitely been with me. She’s made me who I am today. The trials that I’ve been through have made me stronger and everything I do is for her. I know she’s with me every single day and I like to live life that way. Everything I do is to make her proud of me. I know she’s proud of me and I know my family loves seeing it. I don’t know if people notice this, but after every touchdown I pound my chest and point to the sky, that’s for my mom.
On why he chose to play at BYU
The recruiting process with coach Clark, coach Steward, who is now with Arizona, and Kalani. They would text me nonstop, same with coach Grimes. They’d just tell me that I had a chance to play as a freshman. I trusted them and took a chance on myself and it’s starting to pan out.
On how he and the tight ends have filled in after the loss of Matt Bushman
I don’t think anyone can fill the shoes of Matt Bushman. That dude is one of the greats here and is such a great dude. The thing we did the most was just be ourselves. We don’t need to go out and be a hero or superstar.
On his role as a blocker
That’s why I’m here, to hit people hard and block. All the other stuff then falls into place. Between blocking and catching the ball, I get way more joy out of blocking and pancaking a guy than I do catching a ball. Whatever I do, I’m trying to bring energy to the team.