Camp Cougar, Day 4

One day after a closed session that head coach Bronco Mendenhall said "might have been one of the most difficult and intense practices that we've ever had," the coach eased off the gas somewhat on Tuesday, cutting a little short his team's morning session on day four of camp.

Upwards of two dozen players were either absent or limited to non-contact/conditioning work, but Mendenhall said the early-camp attrition level has been par for the course.

"Today was thin, but man, we've gone really hard, " said Mendenhall. "Even though it's (only) day four, guys are working hard, and so I felt that I could cut it short because of that."

Mendenhall said most of the injury absences were of the soft-tissue variety, with no long-term concerns evident. He noted that freshman linebacker Toloa'i Ho Ching suffered a concussion during Monday's practice (the first practice in shoulder pads), but that he is not expected to be out long. Presumptive no. 3 quarterback McCoy Hill will be on the shelf for a while; he had knee surgery on Monday, and could be back in a few weeks.

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LB Bronson Kaufusi (hamstring) and TE Devin Mahina (ankle) are still not practicing; Mendenhall said Mahina could be full-go by the end of the week. The coach said he is not yet worried about Kaufusi's readiness, adding that "anything maybe prior to Wednesday of next week, I'm okay with. Once it starts getting around there, I feel a little bit edgy."

LB Manoa Pikula and RB Algernon Brown remain out while tending to academic issues. Regarding Brown, Mendenhall said "it's all just paperwork at this point; all the (school) work is done, and grades have to be posted. Who knows how long that takes, so we're just waiting for the administration to handle it."

Relative to Pikula, Mendenhall said the situation is similar, but that "he actually has some course work still to finish. I think that finishes tomorrow, then he'll have to wait for the same cycle of grades being posted, and those kind of things."

Other players either out or limited to non-contact/conditioning work on Tuesday were trey Dye, Terenn Houk, Ross Apo, Manu Mulitalo, Tuni Kanuch, Kamalani Kaluhiokalani, Graham Rowley, Josh Carter, Kesni Tausinga, Jaterrius Gulley, Phillip Amone, Zac Stout, Tyler Cook, Jordan Johnson, Rob Daniel, Trevor Bateman, Kavika Fonua and Michael Wadsworth.

Again, Mendenhall noted that none of the absences or limitations are long-term in nature, and simply representative of wear and tear through four days of work.

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Among Tuesday's storylines was the switch--again--of Michael Davis from wide receiver to cornerback. Last season, Davis opened the year at WR, but was moved over the defense as the secondary was gutted by personnel losses.

He opened training camp in a blue jersey signifying offensive players, but was in a white jersey and playing the corner on Tuesday.

"We liked a lot of what saw last year from Michael (at corner)," said Mendenhall, "and that was more out of necessity. A lot of the growth that is happening on our team right now is based on competition, and I thought even more competition at corner would be good. He did a nice job (today)."

"It also had to do with what his upside is. I look at where the team needs a player, but also what his best position might be in terms of what his future is. I kind of think he can be a really, really nice corner, and so that played into it also."

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Another player who has seen both sides of the ball is linebacker Michael Alisa, whose BYU career began at linebacker but saw a post-mission move to running back. Now back at outside backer, Alisa has shown well in the early days of camp.

"He has made a lot of plays already," Mendenhall says, "rushing the passer, in coverage, chasing the football. He's hungrier, and I think maybe in a better place personally than he might have been for a long time. He has been a really pleasant surprise."

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Tuesday's media-observation period did not feature much 11-on-11 competition, but there were a couple of highlight plays: Taysom Hill found Mitch Mathews for a 40-yard score on a well-placed ball, while backup Christian Stewart found Travis "Woody" Frey for a 70-yard TD.

With McCoy Hill out, Hayden Griffitts took third-team QB snaps on Tuesday.

About Stewart, Mendenhall said "I like him; he has done a nice job. More accurate, more decisive and he's certainly a run-first quarterback, or has been, but he has done a nice job delivering the football so far."

Hill's four-day performance drew rave reviews today from offensive coordinator Robert Anae.

"He has really worked in the offseason, and that is obvious," Anae said after practice. "(I) love his physicality and he's in great shape so he doesn't wear down as we go...and boy, the ball is rippin' and it's sharp."

When told of Anae's assessment, Hill said "he knows the time that I've put into my game, being as good as I possibly can, and so when he sees that and sees that translate onto the field, I would say that that's where the additional trust has come from."

Anae was asked about equating the installation of his offense last year to a marathon, and if that still applied. His response: "You compare us to this point last year, it's a whole light-year ahead. Can you run a marathon in a light-year? You could probably run eight jillion marathons in a light-year."

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With as many players as were out or limited on Tuesday, any depth-chart observations were skewed, but a few things jumped out--among them, the play of inside linebackers Harvey Langi and Sione Takitaki, who teamed up on the second-string.

Mendenhall said the play of newly-returned missionary Langi has been an eye-opener so far in camp.

"From where I sit as the head coach," said Mendenhall, "I usually make a note to the coaches everyday which players I notice, and who clearly needs a bigger role or needs the ball. There hasn't been a day that we've practiced where I haven't noticed (Harvey) as either moving faster, creating plays, being around the ball. Still learning assignments, but he's doing a nice job."

Of Takitaki, Mendenhall said "it's the same. Both those two, you can't help but notice them."

Asked if Takitaki is fully cleared relative to his status with the school and the team, the coach said "there are no issues with him." While there were social media posts and some reporting that speculated Takitaki's participation might be limited or ruled out in 2014, he has been in uniform and on the field since the opening day of camp.

Meantime, the position of certain would-be starters lower down the daily depth chart has led some observers to presume these players might be under the same disciplinary terms that resulted in a one-game suspension for running back Jamaal Williams.

Addressing the presumptions, Mendenhall said on Tuesday that "most issues that we have in the program, I'd prefer--I haven't been super-successful--but I'd prefer to handle that all internally, and as discreetly as possible."

"What you can read into it is we're working on development of players and people, within a team setting, and hopefully as privately as we can."

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Something that has been missing from the first four days of camp has been the signature oval-Y logo stickers on the sides of the helmets. At Texas, head coach Charlie Strong has pulled the iconic longhorn logo from his players' helmets as a form of program-wide punishment, with the stipulation that players earn the stickers back.

Mendenhall said that is not the case with his team, but that there is a symbolic element involved.

"It was really a clean slate," said the coach of the sticker-free helmets. "There are a lot of changes in college football going on right now, and with a new role for myself as head coach, and really just a different era of college football, I see a lot of things almost starting over, so it was more symbolic of a clean slate than (players) not earning them back.

"It's certainly not a punishment, it's just starting fresh."

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Since the offensive line has been a natural focal point in camp, here's how the first couple of units were composed on Tuesday:

LT: DeOndre Wesley/Ryker Mathews

LG: Kyle Johnson/Solomone Kafu

C: Terrance Alletto or Edward Fusi/Tejan Koroma

RG: Brayden Kearsley/Chase Larson

RT: Ului Lapuaho or Brock Stringham/Michael Yeck

Of note, Larson jumped into today's two-deep. He's a walk-on transfer from Snow College who is a likely backup deep snapper.

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Tuesday's media-observation period included a few placekicks; Andrew Mikkelsen and Trevor Samson were each successful on field-goal attempts of 35 and 40 yards; Moose Bingham made from 40, and missed from 35.

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Linebacker Alani Fua got an early shower on Tuesday; he scrapped with offensive lineman Chase Larson, and after tossing a helmet, was tossed from practice.

Asked about the team's level of feistiness through four days of camp, Mendenhall had a creative answer.

"In terms of 'feisties,' with 4 being the most feisties of the scale, I'd say we're probably 3.75."

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BYU will hold an open practice--in full pads--on Wednesday (gates open at 10:00 am at the SAB practice fields). General media availability is not expected; the next scheduled interviews are set for Thursday.

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You can hear Tuesday's post-practice interviews with Mendenhall, Anae, Hill and Mahina, in "Cougar Cuts," top left.

******* Contributing: Jeremiah Jensen

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