Cougars pleased as spring football comes to a close

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PROVO — The BYU Cougars concluded spring football practices on Friday evening. After five weeks, the Cougars feel like they got the work done that was needed and have a much better sense of what to expect come the fall.

Last year’s spring football was all about implementing a new “go fast, go hard” offense. This year, the players and coaches were able to focus more on player development and playing at a higher level. Head Coach Bronco Mendehall was happy with his team’s offensive performance and talked about what and who impressed him over the past few weeks.

“Our completion percentage (was) very high for the entire spring, our third down percentage (was) very high for the entire spring,” Mendenhall said. “The ability to protect the quarterback is improving, the emergence of some players at wide receivers; Nick Kurtz, the junior college transfer was really impressed as he progressed through the spring.

"Probably the most improved and underrated player coming into the spring that helped himself the most offensively was Terren Houk," he added. "Michael Davis in transferring over to receiver I would say is still a little under the radar. ... Christian Stewart I think will be an adequate backup, and so that question I believe has been answered.”

With so much time between now and fall camp in August, BYU offensive coordinator Robert Anae just wanted to see his players take advantage of the spring. By all accounts, they did that.

“I do believe we took a step forward this spring,” Anae said. “How far forward I think remains to be seen over the summer and on through fall camp. In terms of progress, I believe we’re still in the making.”

The play of quarterback Taysom Hill during his sophomore season has fans salivating at the possibility of what he can do this year as a junior. The soon-to-be-married signal caller was pleased with who spring unfolded for him.

“I was really happy with my progression and our progression as an offense,” Hill said. “I think collectively as a whole, we got better.“

One player that Hill believes got better was his new backup. With the transfer of Ammon Olson, Christian Stewart will now be the guy behind Taysom; and Hill has all the confidence in the world in the junior from Orem.

“Christian had an extremely good spring. If something came up and heaven forbid, I went down for some reason, I would trust that guy playing and I would feel safe to say that the rest of the team would as well.”

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While the offense lost several playmakers from last year’s squad, the defense took just as much of a hit, if not more, with the departure of several key contributors. Mendenhall believes that the players that will step into those positions will blossom.

“I really like what Trenton Trammel has done,” Mendenhall said. “It gives up the ability either as a starter or possibly depth at corner. … Dallin Leavitt did a nice job this spring, and will either play safety and/or nickel for us. … Zac Stout’s return has really helped us at inside (line)backers well as Austin Heder kind of emerging, and Jherremya (Leuta-Douyere) moving to the buck linebacker; we are solidifying, not solidified, but solidifying that spot. … I think it will be the next version of our defense which will be very strong again.”

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With the graduation of Justin Sorensen, the Cougars enter the 2014 season with some questions at kicker. According to Coach Mendenhall, the players that have performed the best during spring have been Trevor Sampson and Moose Bingham. While both have done a good job, Bronco isn’t ready to give one player the nod just yet.

“It’s still too close to call there, but they’re very accurate, Mendenhall said. “I think we’re ahead of where we were a year ago that way. Scott Arellano and the punting game (is) consistent (and) is performing at a higher level than a year ago … still need to find, and have players coming in terms of deep snapping – we have work to do there.”

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Not only was Friday BYU’s final spring practice, it was also Alumni Day. It was estimated that around 400 former Cougars were in attendance. Among those were several players that were part of the 1984 National Championship team.

Current OC Robert Anae was a part of that championship thirty-years ago, and was asked if he was able to say hello to his former teammates.

“I saw a bunch of them; good to see them. We always remind each other of how great we were; the stories seem to be getting bigger. The Holiday Bowl, I think I heard that Bosco was helicoptered out of there and brought back. The older (we get), the wilder the stories.”

Taysom Hill was asked if it was hard for him to imagine Coach Anae being thirty-years younger and playing college football.

“No it’s not … that guy loves football, Taysom said. “I haven’t seen his game tape individually, but I imagine that guy played extremely hard – it’s not hard to imagine.”

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The coaches will now take a backseat for the next few months. The players will take over and conduct practices on their own. The players and coaches will resume fall camp in August, but Coach Anae knows that the team’s success over the next few months will play a major role in how the 2014 season plays out.

“Every program is going to step forward or step back based on their leadership and their player commitment, so I’m hopeful.”

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You can listen to post-practice audio from Bronco Mendenhall, Robert Anae, Taysom Hill and Craig Bills by clicking on the links in “Cougar Cuts,” above left.

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