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PROVO — Much of the on Tuesday's weekly radio show "BYU Football with Bronco Mendenhall" was on the dynamic of playing an FCS foe. The Cougars are preparing to do just that this Saturday against the winless Wagner Seahawks at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall offered his thoughts on the upcoming matchup.
"I'd prefer to not play an FCS opponent. In the wheeling and dealing of college football, and in this particular case, in order to have our game with Missouri at Arrowhead Stadium, we actually had to work with Idaho State and UNLV who were originally on our schedule before the season," he said. "Wagner was part of the deal to fill the open date left behind by those teams after securing the Missouri game. There are a lot of moving parts, but Wagner came in to help us get an SEC opponent late in the year on a relatively neutral site."
On paper, the Seahawks look completely overmatched coming in to Provo. However, Mendenhall is preparing for Saturday's matchup no differently.
"It's another opportunity to play football and improve," Mendenhall said. "We have a lot to work on and play for regardless of who we're playing. I don't focus nearly as much on who we're playing. I really focus on our team and what I can do to help them."
The injury bug has been hard on the Cougars this season. Many have speculated as to whether or not BYU will rest some of its starters, notably starting quarterback Tanner Mangum, Saturday against a lesser opponent. Mendenhall essentially ended all discussion on the matter.
"Every one of our best players will play and begin the game," Mendenhall said. "I'll manage things appropriately from there based on what it looks like, but we don't intend to have any capable player or starter not play based on the opponent. That's not my philosophy. I don't think it honors the game of college football, nor is it very respectful to our opponent. We've seen a lot of teams pull upsets, and we're certainly not immune to that."
That being said, Mendenhall intends to play as many reserve players as possible Saturday depending on the game's outcome.
"You feel like you have more of a role when you get a chance to contribute and participate," Mendenhall said. "I'd love for every one of our players to get the chance to play in LaVell Edwards Stadium on game day. That's an amazing lifetime experience. There's no guarantee that will happen this Saturday, but there is a chance. I'd love for more players to get a chance to play and be rewarded for all of their hard work."
Tuesday's player guest was senior defensive back Michael Wadsworth. A career marred by injuries has prevented Wadsworth from being a regular participant on the field — until this season. Since transferring to BYU from Hawaii, he's missed time following three separate hamstring injuries and a stress fracture in his leg. He admitted it has been difficult at times, but he has remained positive.
"It's been amazing," Wadsworth said. "I would not trade it for anything. I've had my ups and downs and trials through it all, but it's made me better. I wouldn't change anything about it."
Finally healthy, Wadsworth has made a name for himself on defense this season. Currently, he has 12 more tackles than anyone else on the team (48) and he leads the team in solo tackles (33). He's also fourth on the team in pass breakups (3) and has 2.5 tackles for loss.
"I'm just really happy that I've been able to stay healthy thus far and been given the opportunity to make plays. I've been able to make those plays when I'm in there."
Outside of football, Wadsworth is married and on October 7, he and his wife welcomed a baby boy, Skyler. Wadsworth will graduate this year with a bachelor's degree in exercise science and a minor in business. He plans to enter the workforce for a couple of years after graduation and then return to BYU to pursue an MBA.
Tuesday's Firehouse Subs "Fire Starter of the Game," as selected by Mendenhall, was punt returner Garrett Juergens. He had a career high return of 39 yards in the fourth quarter of last Friday night's 38-24 victory against Cincinnati to set up BYU's final score.
But it wasn't all good news for Juergens, though. BYU announced Tuesday that the twin brother of prolific wide receiver Mitchell Juergens would miss the remainder of the season with a collarbone injury suffered in the Cougars' win over Cincinnati. It was not immediately clear if Juergens was injured on the 39-yard return, but odds are that the injury occurred on a different play. Blake Dorton is a student at BYU studying broadcast journalism and French. He hopes to pursue a career in sports broadcasting after graduation. Follow him on Twitter @BlakeDorton.
