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PROVO -- Although BYU has had some struggles on their offense and defense this season, their kickoff coverage team is featured in the top ten in the nation. Head Coach Bronco Mendenhall discussed how his kickoff coverage is one of the best in the nation.
"If every yard is valuable and you fight for every blade of grass, why would you sacrifice four yards in allowing them to make that up before you even got to the takeoff spot? Bronco said.
To make up for the four-yard difference, Bronco instructs his team to be in a straight line on the takeoff spot. This allows the team to close the seams that are created by differences in speed. The player's job is to fill his own lane or to fill a teammate's lane that is double covered.
The idea of the play is to set up a player down the middle, inside, and outside of the returner. All others players are supposed to help once the returner receives the ball.
"There aught to never be one player making the tackle," said Bronco. "The rest [of the team] should be praying that he's still on his feet so they can get there to hit him."
