Camp Cougar, Day 7

The BYU football team conducted its lone public practice and scrimmage of fall camp Saturday morning at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

The exercise was heavy on the practice and light on the scrimmage (three series worth), but the roughly 10,000 fans on hand were vocally appreciative of the chance to watch the players pop pads--exactly three weeks before the Cougars' season-opener at Virginia.

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Head coach Bronco Mendenhall said about seven first-stringers on each side of the ball were kept out of action, but quarterbacks Taysom Hill, Ammon Olsen and Jason Munns all played in the live 11-on-11 period, getting one series each (all were in no-contact green jerseys).

Mendenhall said the Taysom Hill-led 80-yard scoring drive was "the cleanest representation of offensive football that I saw" during the scrimmage; "defensively, I think they were sound in general. I think they got tired to me at some point toward the end."

"I'm comfortable with the amount of players that we have; I'm comfortable with the depth that we currently have," Mendenhall said after the scrimmage. "(Regarding) execution, installation, etc....we're still I think 20 practices away from even ending camp, so (we have) a lot of work still to do."

"I didn't think we were as physical today, especially offensively, as what we had been, not only running it but blocking, so that didn't seem quite as sharp. But overall, just a solid day to work."

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Stats from the three 11-on-11 series were as follows:

PASSING

Hill: 5/8, 55 yds

Olsen: 0/1

Munns: 0/1, INT (TD by Michael Wadsworth)

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RUSHING

Hill: 3 for 20 yds

Hine: 4 for 14 yds, TD (2 yards)

Lasike: 1 for 1 yd

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RECEIVING

Thornton: 1 for 16 yds

Lasike: 1 for 13 yds

Marcus Mathews: 1 for 10 yds

Houk: 1 for 10 yds

Apo: 1 for 6 yds

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The one scrimmage touchdown was followed by a pair of successful PAT tries from Trevor Samson. The live period also include three 38-yard field goal attempts (after the 'pick-six'); Justin Sorensen was 1-for-2, while Samson missed his lone attempt.

In other periods of practice, multiple kick attempts were made; my efforts to chart the kicks are displayed as follows (scrimmage kicks included):

Justin Sorensen:

FGs Good (25, 25, 25, 38, 52)

FGs No Good (38)

No PAT attempts

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Trevor Samson:

FGs Good (20, 52)

FGs No Good (38)

PATs 4/4

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Moose Bingham:

FGs Good (19, 20, 33, 33)

FGs No Good (33, 52)

PATs 2/2

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There may be some variation on actual official yardages, but the above summary should give a pretty fair idea of the kind of performance turned in by the kickers.

Mendenhall actually opened his post-scrimmage media summary by referencing the kicking game, saying it was "fun to get a few extra kicks in a live situation."

"We're trying to evaluate our kickers," said Mendenhall. "We have three in the competition, and it has been really close."

"Going through practice number five, the percentages were high for all of them, so it was great to be able to put them in front of some fans today, and see what that did, in terms of different situations."

Of his team's punting prognosis with redshirt junior Scott Arellano taking over for Riley Stephenson, Mendenhall says "I'm sleeping pretty well."

"Each time we've asked him to put (a punt) inside the 10 (yard-line) as a team challenge, he's done it, and I'm impressed with that."

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Mendenhall said today's practice and scrimmage featured more of a "run emphasis," so pass game wasn't as prioritized, but he noted that No. 2 QB Ammon Olsen "has moved the team very closely to what Taysom has" in practices leading up to the scrimmage. He said Olsen "has been sharper than he was today, especially in throwing it."

The coach said "Taysom did a really nice job orchestrating" the 80-yard scoring drive, "and kind of commanding the team."

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Through one week of full-team installation of a new offense, Mendenhall says "I like the talent, I like the pace, I like the consistency, and I've liked the execution for the first six or seven days."

"(We're) probably ahead of where I thought we would be, if I had to be pin-pointed down, but I'd like to hear it sound different and look to be faster, so conditioning is still going to be a huge factor with the tempo.

"Defensively, that's what I noticed most today; (the offensive pace) took more of a toll on those guys than what I thought, which is good to know now, so maybe we can build that capacity a little bit more."

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Mendenhall addressed Thursday's short-lived plan to alter the season-long look of his team's jerseys in a humor-filled and self-deprecating exchange after Saturday's scrimmage.

Of the almost universal negative reaction (from fans and players) to the coach's intention to replace player surnames with nameplates identifying program pillars "Tradition," "Spirit" and "Honor," Mendenhall today called the plan a "poor choice," and likened it to an anniversary gift idea gone awry.

Mendenhall said after meeting with a recruit Thursday afternoon, "I come out of my office, and our Sports Information Director looks like he's going to have a heart attack, and the line on my phone is flashing, from the Athletic Director, and I said 'man, what's happened?'...so I had no idea."

"You know how you might get your wife something for your anniversary, and you think you've done a great job and you can't wait for her to open it, then you get that look like 'that wasn't such a good choice?'...that was kind of the way I was feeling at that point.

"So I called quick team meeting, and had the guys come in. I asked them to raise their hands if they like 'Tradition-Spirit-Honor'--no hands went up. I asked them if they wanted their names on the back, every hand went up.

"I said whoa, It looks like I've gotta stand in front of some people and say 'I made a poor choice,' so that's what I'm doing."

Mendenhall said it was after the initial player reaction that senior linebacker Kyle Van Noy suggested the team wear the special jerseys for one game--the Homecoming game with Georgia Tech on October 12th.

"I said 'that's awesome,'" Mendenhall said today of the players' decision. "I don't know if it was a concession, but it made me feel better, so live and learn--and thanks for your help on that, everybody."

The coach noted that the jerseys' appearance at Thursday's team picture day was actually a surprise. He said he shared his nameplate plan with equipment manager Mick Hill earlier in the summer, but had sort of forgotten about it, until the players showed up with the modified uniforms.

"Then it was like, 'ohhh, okay, yeah, we did that, didn't we?,'" Mendenhall said. "I didn't know they would actually be on (the jerseys) already."

Saying, "we're past it and we're moving forward...and I'm still standing, which is good," Mendenhall did acknowledge that "I'm glad Holly was out of town."

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Notes and quotes:

Offensive line depth looked like this today, with projected starting LT Ryker Mathews apparently being held out of live action:

LT: Michael Yeck or Brad Wilcox/Cole Jones/Thomas Shoaf

LG: Solomone Kafu or Manaaki Vaitai/Tui Crichton/Quinn Lawlor

C: Terrance Alletto/Brayden Kearsley/Tim Duran

RG: Brock Stringham or Manaaki Vaitai/Kyle Johnson/Andrew Crawford

RT: Michael Yeck or De'Ondre Wesley/Cole Jones/Addison Pulsipher

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Mendenhall said of the newcomers to the offensive line, Wesley and Kearsley "have shown the most through fall camp--not just today--and played the best."

"De'Ondre is really doing a nice job at tackle," says Mendenhall, "and Kearsley inside is really, really, physical and smart for a freshman. I like them both a lot."

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With as many defensive starters as were held out today, depth chart observations were sketchy, but today's pared-down first string looked like this:

DL (L-R): Logan Taele, Marques Johnson, Remington Peck or Austin Holt

OLB: Alani Fua, Jherremya Leuta-Douyere

ILB: Austen Jorgensen, Tyler Beck

CB: Dallin Leavitt, Robertson Daniel

S: Craig Bills, Skye PoVey

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The coach identified three current punt-return candidates: veteran JD Falslev, Eric Thornton and Skyler Ridley.

Among potential kickoff returners, Mendenhall named Falslev, Thornton, Cody Hoffman, Adam Hine and Jordan Johnson.

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Early in blue-zone series, QB Taysom Hill scrambled for positive yardage, then took a slide to avoid potential contact (QBs already being off-limits, of course). The crowd, recognizing the program emphasis on quarterback well-being, cheered loudly.

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The one blue-zone score recorded came on a nicely-placed back-corner throw from Ammon Olsen to Mitch Mathews. Mathews continues to have a strong camp as a frequent target for both Hill and Olsen.

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You can hear post-scrimmage interviews with Mendenhall, Offensive Coordinator Robert Anae, QB Taysom Hill, WR Ross Apo, TE Richard Wilson and S Craig Bills, in "Cougar Cuts," top left.

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Banner photo: Courtesy Mark Philbrick, BYU Photo

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