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The BYU Cougars wrapped up spring football on Friday afternoon with a scrimmage at Lavell Edwards Stadium.
"I think we got a ton done," head coach Bronco Mendenhall said about spring practices. "I think we've established a unified mindset and work ethic; I think we've got an offense installed. I think we have a tempo built in. I think they have a good idea at what conditioning will look like, to be ready to play at this pace...and we didn't get anyone hurt -- so yeah, I thought it was productive."
Quarterback Taysom Hill, who did not participate in Friday's scrimmage, agreed with his coach that the spring was beneficial for this group.
"We definitely got better; I think for me personally, from Day 1 to Day 15, I got better. I like the way we're moving as an offensive unit; this is giving us a lot of momentum going into spring and summer...I'm excited."
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As expected at BYU, the quarterback situation is always one of the main topics of discussion. Prior to spring football starting, Mendenhall said he would like to name a starting quarterback by the end of the five weeks of practice. With spring ball over, I asked Bronco if he was ready to name his starter for the fall.
"I'll have to think about it," he said. "I'll meet with the offensive staff first -- probably through Monday, maybe even Tuesday; then we'll make a decision."
All indications are that Hill will get the nod at quarterback, as he has run the first-team offense since the beginning of spring. I asked Taysom if he feels he's done enough to be named the starter.
"That's a tough question," replied Hill. If you ask me, yeah, I would say so; but again, we're kind of at the coaches' mercy there."
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Speaking of Hil, all eyes have been on him, and specifically his surgically-repaired knee since spring began. With 15 practices to judge his progress, Hill said his knee got fatigued as the weeks went on, but that was to be expected. "It held up," Hill said. "I felt strong, it got a little fatigued, but for the most part I feel good."
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Mendenhall was very pleased with the play of the offense -- today and throughout spring.
"I think the offense made continually progress throughout the spring," Bronco said. "I still think they're gaining significant momentum. I was pleased with the offense especially."
While the BYU offense performed well on Friday, Mendenhall wasn't totally pleased with his defense.
"Anytime one side has a good day, obviously one side doesn't. Lack of execution, physical play, wasn't what it needed to be."
Here are some stats from today's scrimmage...
Quarterbacks
| Player | Comp-Att | Yards | TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tanner Mangum | 13-20 | 131 | 0 | 1 |
| Christian Stewart | 6-10 | 114 | 1 | 0 |
| Billy Green | 2-3 | 14 | 0 | 1 |
Running Backs
| Player | Rushes | Yards | TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Hine | 10 | 143 | 2 |
| Paul Lasike | 6 | 35 | 1 |
| Nate Carter | 5 | 75 | 2 |
Receivers
| Player | Catches | yards | TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eric Thornton | 2 | 67 | 1 |
| Paul Lasike | 6 | 41 | 0 |
| Ross Apo | 1 | 52 | 0 |
| Skyler Ridley | 3 | 33 | 0 |
| Adam Hine | 2 | 6 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Sack | INT | Fumble Recovery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alani Fua | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jake Ziolkowski | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Blake Morgan | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Remington Peck | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Michael Doman | 1/2 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Egbert | 1/2 | 0 | 0 |
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With spring now officially over, the players will be responsible for conducting their own practices without the coaches being involved. Senior linebacker Kyle Van Noy knows how important the next few months leading up to fall camp will be for the Cougars.
"Leadership is going to be a huge role in this off-season," Van Noy said. "It's not going to be easy, though. This is when you put in the work; this is where that extra work goes a lot further than people think."
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Besides holding a scrimmage, the Cougars held their annual Alumni Day. BYU estimated that over 1,000 people came back to campus for today's event. Former players and their families took part in several activities, including a Q&A with Mendenhall and offensive coordinator Robert Anae, as well as touring the facilities.
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You can listen to to post-scrimmage sound from Bronco, Taysom Hill, Adam Hine, Kyle Van Noy and Alani Fua by clicking on the links in "Cougar Cut", above left.
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Photo: Courtesy of BYU Photo
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