Estimated read time: 6-7 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
The BYU football team was back on the outdoor practice fields Monday afternoon, but if a bye week freshened the team ahead of its meeting with Utah, head coach Bronco Mendenhall had a hard time seeing it.
"If I were to say from what I saw today," said Mendenhall, "it's been the other way. It looks like our players were sluggish and kind of bored; it's like 'when are we going to play the game already?'... and we're not prepared to play it yet."
"If I had to do it again, just after experiencing (the bye week), I would have rather had the (Utah) game come right after Texas...after going through it, it seems like a month since we played."
Mendenhall said he hoped the extra time and a couple of days off (last Friday was a "lift" day, while the players had Saturday off) would also give dinged-up players more opportunity for recuperation, but even that intended effect wasn't manifest on Monday.
"They didn't take as big a jump as I thought they would in looking at them today," Mendenhall said after practice. "I thought they would have been fresher, and maybe not practicing as much and not having a game had the opposite effect."
"I'm not worried yet in terms of being able to have it ready by Saturday, but I thought we'd be fresher and look faster than we did today."
*******
This year's game with Utah is the last one before a two-year hiatus interrupts the series in 2014 and 2015; the games will resume with contracted games in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
Mendenhall said the two-year break is unfortunate, adding that scheduling concerns never should have brought the series to a temporary halt.
"I think you schedule around the (rivalry) game," said Mendenhall. "That goes in first, and every other game happens after."
"I'm opposed to the game stopping for any reason. I think it's one of the reasons college football is such a cool thing."
At the same time, the coach acknowledged that "I'm not sure I'll miss (the Utah game) as much as i think our players will."
"Part of the cool thing about playing college football is being part of rivalry weekend. I think a lot of the memories the players have of college have to do with big games and this one is a big game. It's a lot of fun; I feel bad that they'll miss out on it."
*******
Mendenhall said the Utah game "is not just another game, but unique and special," and players asked about the game on Monday acknowledged the nature of a game that has pitted friends, neighbors and family members against one another for generations.
"It's really important -- a really big game for everyone," said defensive lineman Bronson Kaufusi.
"I obviously want it for myself," said quarterback Taysom Hill, "but I also want it for our team and our seniors. I've had several conversations with Kyle (Van Noy) about how bad he wants this game, and I'm going to do everything I possibly can to win it for those guys, Coach Mendenhall, and all the other guys around us. That will be a motivating factor for me."
Van Noy said "I'd be lying to you if I didn't (say I) think about (going winless against Utah), but I'm not going to sit here and weigh that. I'm a competitor and I don't like losing. I'm 0-3 (against Utah) and I want to be 1-3."
With BYU on a three-year losing streak against the Utes, tight end Kaneakua Friel says the less that players get hung up on that kind of thing, the better.
"I think in the past people have been a little bit too stressed out," Friel said on Monday, "a little bit too nervous, and it showed in our play. Something that I've encouraged people to do is definitely prepare, but just take it easy and relax; (it's) just another game."
"It comes down to the team that's gonna execute," said receiver JD Falslev, "and the team that's gonna take care of the football--plain and simple."
*******
Turnovers, and BYU's minus-14 turnover margin against Utah in the Bronco era, have been a central determinant in the eight most recent meetings. BYU has won the turnover battle but once, in a 26-23 overtime win, in 2009. The miscue margin has been even on two occasions (BYU wins in 2006 and 2007) and won by Utah five times--all Ute victories.
"That's what's changing the outcome," said Mendenhall of BYU's giveaway problems against the Utes. "There are other contributing factors, but I credit Utah for playing well and creating turnovers." He called turnovers "the glaring thing" in the eight meetings in the Mendenhall era.
"But I think that's for any game that has a lot riding on it. You have to able to be mentally tough, handle the emotion, be execution-sound, and hold onto the ball. Six of the eight (games) go down to the last play; the ones that don't usually mean there's 13 (BYU) turnovers in two games. It's hard to play well when that happens."
Mendenhall is referencing the lone blowouts over the last eight games--2008's 48-24 Utah win in Salt Lake City (six BYU turnovers) and 2011's 54-10 Utah win in Provo (seven BYU turnovers). BYU was minus-11 in those two meetings alone.
"Going into a rivalry game," said Hill, "it's about the team that settles down first and makes the least amount of mistakes, and that's our emphasis."
"The game will come down to fundamentals," offensive coordinator Robert Anae said on Monday, "not so much a scheme deal, but fundamentals. On offense, you run, secure the football, and you block. You throw and you catch. I don't think anything's a big secret in that."
*******
It's no secret that emotions tend to run high leading up to and during the rivalry game itself, and BYU coaches addressed that side of the equation in this week's lone meeting with the media.
"Your emotion you manage as you prepare," said Anae. "You can't just sustain a whole week of rage. You've got to prepare will a lot of skill, commitment, and hard work. I think that translates to the game on Saturday."
"So, how do we prepare for the emotion? You just apply yourself to the task you are doing."
"Passion is good," said defensive coordinator Nick Howell, "but the emotion, joy and the confidence come when you know what the crap you're doing."
"So, if you know what you're doing and have success, the emotion can come out, but if you're not prepared, there's nothing to be joyful or emotional about."
For his part, Mendenhall said the emotion that drives him this week will be happiness--that of his players, many of whom have yet to experience victory against their most fierce in-state rivals.
"I would love to see them be successful," said Mendenhall. "If there is a main motive for me for this game, I'd love to see them have an opportunity to have success."
"I care about them more than the rivalry, and so I'd love to see them be happy, like they were last week after the Texas game."
*******
You can hear interviews with coaches Mendenhall, Anae, Howell, quarterback coach Jason Beck, and players Hill, Kaufusi, Falslev, Van Noy, Eathyn Manumaleuna, Kaneakua Friel and Justin Sorensen, in "Cougar Cuts," above left.
*******
Photo: Scott G. Winterton, Deseret News
*******
