"BYU Football with Head Coach Bronco Mendenhall: Week 3"

Addressing the timing of this week's matchup against the University of Utah, BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall said "I'm not sure I like it. I'm not sure I'll get used to it. But we're very anxious to play in front of our home crowd, and I am looking forward to the game."

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Mendenhall made his comments during his weekly LaVell Edwards Stadium broadcast on KSL Radio, during which we were also joined by former BYU TE Chad Lewis and current BYU nose tackle Romney Fuga.

You can hear last night's entire broadcast by going to the show page audio archive link, or simply by clicking the "play" button in the "Cougar Cuts" box to the left.

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Coming off a 17-16 loss to the University of Texas at Austin, Coach Mendenhall regarded the game as "one of the most heart-wrenching and difficult defeats that I've had since I've been coaching. The team was so optimistic, so confident, and did so well early in one of the most difficult venues and on one of the biggest stages."

"Really it was a dead-even game regardless of the score. 17-16 in our favor would have felt a lot better, but the lessons learned because they hurt so bad will last a lot longer. So hopefully, if I coach correctly and lead correctly we will never [make those mistakes] again."

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Speaking of the critical moments that happen with each outing, the coach noted that "Every game is determined by three to five plays when you look back on them. ‘Dynasty' teams make those plays more often than not. And the teams that make it aren't the teams with the most talent. They have the most players doing what they're supposed to do."

"Any critical mistakes that we made during the [Texas] game played out exactly like that. It wasn't a single player. It was three or four at the point of attack. But our team was really disappointed as was I afterwards, because we believed that we would have won the game if our execution held in the critical moments. That's reflective of coaching, which comes to me."

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Looking forward to Saturday's game against Utah, the coach said that "There's a ton of questions" regarding what both teams will bring to the field. With past years when the rivalry game was scheduled to end the season, there was more time to prepare because "through the course of the year you're watching your opponent's film."

"But this early in the season," Mendenhall explained, it's hard to predict what either team will have to show because "changes are being made week to week. You'll see some subtle changes in week three, and it probably won't balance out until week five or six."

Coach Mendenhall said firmly that if it were up to him, the last game of the season "would be the only time we play Utah."

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Regarding whether beginning the season playing easier teams would have helped his team gain more confidence going into week three, Mendenhall noted that "I like the idea of falling forward, meaning that I'd much rather play Ole Miss on the road than play [an easy team] as a home opener. I think you learn more."

"I didn't support going independent (to be safe), nor am I the coach to be safe. I did it to move the program forward. The lessons that I'm willing to learn and the risks that I'm willing to take are to bring us to the next level. I don't think that's going to happen by playing mediocre opponents. We try to schedule as many good ones as we can in some of the most hostile settings and on the biggest stages because it's BYU football."

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Later in the show we had the opportunity for some Q&A with the coach, who was asked his opinion on LB Spencer Hadley's performance last week in filling in for Brandon Ogletree (out with a concussion):

"Brandon Ogletree is such a physical and emotional leader on our team. When he's out there the intensity of the entire team goes way up. He's like most middle linebackers: his eyes go opposite directions most of the time and he's hyperventilating. On the field he's kind of a twisted individual, which you want most of your middle linebackers to be. Off the field he's fantastic. So you're losing that kind of Tasmanian devilish kind of guy."

"We knew Spencer [Hadley] was quite capable and very talented, but we didn't know how the team's chemistry would be affected. Spencer played an outstanding game. We trust him at such a level now where maybe there's some kind of rotation between [Uona] Kaveinga, Ogletree, and Hadley. He played really well."

"The depth that we have in almost every position will allow us to sustain. Even if we were to continue to play [teams such as] Ole Miss and Texas over and over again I think our depth would allow us to sustain that type of schedule at a far greater rate than it would have in any of my past years coaching."

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When asked what it means to have shaped a culture where young men grow up dreaming of playing BYU Football, Mendenhall said "One of the main reasons I coach is simple to see young people pursue their dreams. So many people are told they're too small or they're too slow. It's amazing to see what happens when someone aligns their inner beliefs and they believe they can actually do something."

"Over 30 scholarship players that I've coached came on as walk-ons. It's amazing for scholarship players to come in and see a young man who's working harder than them on the practice field, working harder in the weight room, and getting up at 5:45 to work out every morning. I'd prefer that type of player and that type of person. That's the great thing about BYU."

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Mendenhall went on to explain how the recruitment at BYU is different than at most schools: "The whole idea of recruiting and trying to convince players to come seems a little backwards to me because you start out with entitlement mindset. I want to be convinced of why you want to be at BYU. How are you qualified and what would make you a good member of our team? When those kids come under that mindset you ought to see what they do. They are the heart and soul of our team."

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If you would like to be a part of the live audience for the weekly radio show, request seats at this link. Seat requests are filled quickly, almost as soon as the link is activated on Thursday mornings, but it's worth the persistence, if you have yet to attend.

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