Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
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With a Poinsettia Bowl meeting with San Diego State only three days away, BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall was a bit disappointed in the Cougars' first San Diego practice Monday.
"I thought it was a little sluggish", Bronco said after the session at Helix High School. "Moving from the hotel, practicing here; a little bit different practice time in the morning...wasn't quite as sharp as what I expected or hoped for."
BYU practiced in shorts and helmets today, and will do the same thing on Tuesday. Mendenhall said the team got most of its contact work done back in Provo. "This is a very similar model we've followed with the successes we've had. I think it matches our team right now."
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James Lark continues to take the majority of the snaps at quarterback for the Cougars. With only 72 hours until kickoff with the Aztecs, Riley Nelson is still not 100%.
All signs seem to be pointing to Lark getting the start for BYU on Thursday. Mendenhall said that even if James gets the nod, Riley could see the field as well. "There's a good chance you could see both", Bronco said. "I'm not sure how it's going to play out, nor can I predict the next three days...what I've already learned managing this year is that a lot of things can change in even one day."
When asked if he knew who was going to start on Thursday, Lark said, "No comment."
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Mendenhall confirmed that offensive lineman Braden Hansen will not play in Thursday's bowl game due to an adductor injury that has plagued him since the Notre Dame game. With Hansen's injury, Blair Tushaus will get the start at center. Even with a change at snapper, Lark doesn't anticipate any problems with the snaps. "Blair's been doing snaps his whole life. I'm not worried about it. We haven't had any bad snaps out here at practice; everything's been great.
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Anytime you play a college football game in an NFL stadium, there's a good chance that even a good crowd can look small.
Poinsettia Bowl officials told Bronco that they are expecting the entire lower bowl to be filled, which should amount to around 40,000 spectators.
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We've seen a lot of college head and assistant coaches move from one team to another so far this year. Now is the time that teams usually call coaches from other programs to see if they are interested in other jobs.
Mendenhall said none of his assistants have been contacted about other jobs, but that he wouldn't stop them if another team showed interest. He said the only agreement he has with his assistants is that they tell him first.
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Following today's practice, the football team was heading to Sea World as part of the week of activities set up by the Poinsettia Bowl organizers. The Cougars will get the opportunity to go to the San Diego Zoo on Tuesday.
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You can hear post-practice audio from Bronco Mendenhall and James Lark by clicking on the links, above left in "Cougar Cuts."
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The Poinsettia Bowl gets underway on Thursday at 6:00pm MT. Pregame coverage begins at 4:00pm MT on KSL Newsradio 102.7 FM/1160 AM
