Bronco: "I Was Satisfied With What We Accomplished."

Head Bronco Mendenhall's headline assessment was issued after today's practice/scrimmage at Lavell Edwards Stadium, but it may also be applied to the overall appraisal of his team's spring practice sessions, which concluded with today's exercise.

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You can hear Bronco's final post-practice interview of the spring by clicking on his audio link in the "Cougar Cuts" box to the right.

Among the things with which he was most pleased during spring ball: only two players suffered notable injuries, with OL Famika Anae (ACL) and Marcus Mathews (fractured ankle) going down. Mathews is expected back in time for fall camp.

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Mendenhall said "most" of the experienced players with "solidified" roles were held out of today's practice. RB Harvey Unga and WRs McKay Jacobson and Luke Ashworth were among the offensive skill players sitting out.

On the afternoon of work: "It was right on. We got a few more plays than I was expecting to get...we got a lot of younger players a chance to play...in terms of what I was hoping to get out of it... I was satisfied with what we accomplished."

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There were three separate scrimmage segments in today's stadium practice, with the three primary quarterbacks getting snaps as follows:

Riley Nelson: three series, 16 plays, one TD drive

Jake Heaps: two series, nine plays, one FG drive

James Lark: two series, 13 plays

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QB stats were as follows:

Nelson: 3/5 passing, 36 yards; 2 rushes, 10 yds

Heaps: 2/5 passing, 25 yds

Lark: 5/8 passing, 36 yards, interception

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The only notable running back numbers were turned in by freshman Josh Quezada: 8 rushes, 34 yds, touchdown (8 yards)

Mitch Payne kicked a 48-yard field goal (which would tie a career-long), and also kicked the day's lone PAT.

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OLB Jameson Frazier wrapped up an impressive spring performance with a whistle sack and an interception off a defection. Of Frazier, Mendenhall said: "I would list him as maybe the biggest surprise...went from a special teams contributor to possibly a starter through this spring, and not through default...he's played really well."

Other whistle sacks were turned in today by LB Kyle Van Noy, DB Zeke Mendenhall and NT Romney Fuga.

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Bronco said there was "not even a general thought" that he might name a starting quarterback after spring ball. He said a lack of offensive line depth prevented "significant scrimmage work...and enough team reps to really make an assessment. Our main hope was that we could...basically just push it to summer and fall camp, as healthy as we could get, and we did that."

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Mendenhall gave edges in two of the "biggest" position battles to Terence Brown (center) and Steven Thomas (free safety).

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The coach said MLB Brandon Ogletree is cross-training at BLB in part because Mendenhall expects newcomers Zac Stout and Austen Jorgensen to be "really good competitors" at the Mike linebacker spot.

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Bronco listed Devin Mahina and Mike Muehlmann as "dead even" at the starting tight end spot. Noting Bryan Sampson and Austin Holt are joining the program in the summer, Mendenhall said "we're going to be really good at tight end; youthful, but I think we're going to have enough players."

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On the qualities of the competitors at QB, here's what BYU's head coach offered: "I think it's becoming apparent to everyone Jake (Heaps) is really a natural, poised pocket passer and makes very good decisions... Riley (Nelson) gives the element of mobility and the grit and leadership that comes with that... James (Lark) is just a hair behind because of his mission, but I like them all, and they've all shown very well."

Bronco did add this, when asked specifically about Heaps from a Seattle Times writer:

"He's a great young man, an excellent leader... one of the brightest prospects at quarterback that I've seen. You forget that he's still a high school senior...he's everything I thought he would be and we're very fortunate that he's here."

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Here are the official QB stats for all of spring ball, courtesy of BYU's Athletic Media Relations Department:

Jake Heaps 62-of-105 for 774 yards and 7 touchdowns

Riley Nelson: 29-of-51 for 389 yards and 5 touchdowns

James Lark 27-of-46 for 253 yards and no touchdowns

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Mendenhall said J.J. DiLuigi and McKay Jacobson will be the primary "H" receiver options as dictated by BYU's tight end performance/rotation. Bronco said "there's a chance we could play with an 'H'," a position that more or less disappeared with Nate Meikle's graduation.

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The number one offensive line combination today:

LT Braden Brown

LG Braden Hansen

C Terence Brown

RG Ryan Freeman

RT Brad Wilcox

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I was impressed today by the play of Josh Quezada, who should combine with Harvey Unga to give BYU a potent one-two punch at tailback--something that has been missing in recent seasons.

BYU has had other backfield understudies for Unga, but none with the blend of size, speed and elusiveness that Quezada offers. With additional running back depth to be developed in the summer, BYU's new QB is going to have lots of dependable help behind the line of scrimmage.

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Defensive starters today:

LE Jadon Wagner

NT Romney Fuga

RE Vic So'oto

SLB Jameson Frazier

MLB Brandon Ogletree

BLB Aveni Leung-Wai

WLB Kyle Van Noy

FC Lee Aguirre

Kat Travis Uale

FS Steven Thomas

BC Brandon Bradley/Corby Eason

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As noted above, many experienced players were held out today and this spring in general, so any offensive or defensive depth chart based on spring ball performances would be hit-and-miss, at best.

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The stadium turf didn't look particularly good today, and Mendenhall declined to speculate on what if any plans are in the works to improve the turf's performance and/or durability next season.

Certainly, this time of year isn't necessarily conducive to tip-top field conditions, but after leaving Lavell Edwards Stadium, my daughter and I went over to South Field to watch the BYU Women's soccer team play Idaho State; the turf was remarkably green and lush for being so early in the growing season.

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