BYU Football | Media Availability | Southern Illinois | August 28, 2024

that's coach hey coach how we doing good how are you I'm doing well game week so yeah that is good what's up guys what's up well uh what's the L sorry no I know I know um we're not going to say what we're doing again because we want I want Southern ill noid have prepare for both guys um but I will say that um what I hoped would happen during camp that someone would separate thems enough to be the clear starter that we feel like that's occurred and um so we we'll have a starting quarterback Saturday night and and uh expecting good things so did that separation create where that quarterback will be the only guy that's playing on Saturday um I'm not going to say that either because I again I want just don't want to give away any competitive advantages um they are both good players and it was a good competition and and uh it took took some time took some time for there to be some separation but feel like we got what we were looking for and I think everybody on this team watched it happen when you're talking about competitive advantages do you think that's going to be the difference between wins and losses this week or down the road or I mean small things like that can be the difference in any game you know I mean just knowing who's going to play who to prepare for um there's so many little things in in the games can be so tight and we have a lot of respect for this team and we're going to treat this team the same way we treat any any big 12 opponent it um and so yeah to answer your question there's all those things add up do you want to go into SMU with a clearcut starter are you looking at this game as kind of the last we have a clear-cut starter right now yeah how did how did the team take it and especially the guy who's not theut starter or can use the um first of all both quarterbacks were great um they're very professional all through Camp um and I think those guys are good friends and you see them compete on the field but they also help each other out and uh I feel like our players as well have a lot of respect for both of them they the the quarterback set a great example for how to be professional out here every day how to compete um and be a great teammate and so um I don't sense any division At All by anybody I think everybody wants to win and we're going to rotate a lot of people at at at receiver and tight end and running back and and uh um nobody you know once you're playing whoever's in the game is in the game and you got to go got to go execute when you making the process the decision how much did you factor in the the eligibility of these guys where banan's in his final year red still got a year ahead not at all it's it's about winning winning now win now this is college football is too competitive to think that far ahead and there's too much turnover in this game um schedules you know every week's a every week's a you know great opponent so we're not thinking at all about down the road you gotta win now all the players on the dep chart and I want to say I've I've always coached that way you know even from for the last 20 years it's it's a win now mentality first you sure you want to develop players in the future but it's too competitive to you know think too far ahead and the quarterback that didn't win the job have they express that they're still all in in this all in all in all the players that are listed on the depth chart for this week yeah they ready to go good good everybody's playing that's on that depth chart yeah and yeah and that depth chart is very similar in the past we're going to we'll rotate I've said this before as many receivers as it can help us and as many tight ends and running backs can help us and are ready to play we'll find ways to use them and so that's why the depth is the way it is how do you feel about the overall uh Readiness level of the offense now that you're three games open well well I want to uh you know be cautious with what I with how much praise I give them until till we go do it in a real game um but I see an improvement from where we were at this point a year ago just again in terms of I keep saying the word continuity we've have we have returning players now that know this offense and that have been through a big 12 season running this system and I think we're going to see I expect to see a higher level of execution than we did a year ago is there a lot of between the third running back spot with Miles and Pokey or where are you at on that um say sorry between miles and Pokey I is there a lot of Separation now or is it very close oh shoot I I don't know how to answer that the only difference the only the main differences would just be um just time in the program and you know again I just just talking about continuity but um both of those guys are good good players they they bring a different element they bring a speed and elusiveness and um they bring some things that are a little different from the other two guys so and I think that that's a real thing you know if you can uh throw different things at a defense they have to prepare for different things um you know we we want to be tough to defend and I think using those guys in different ways is going to make us harder to defend who's your third quarterback um again not going to reveal that and also that is kind of an ongoing battle and um I will say that man both of those those guys are good players I I feel really good about our quarterback group right now and um this is a solid of a group as we've had since I've been here and I think we've had good quarterback play in the last six years and I expect it to continue what stands out to you about southern Illinois their defense Isa yeah good question Southern Illinois is very very good on defense they uh they know what they're doing they're very disciplined uh they're good tacklers they fly to the ball they play really hard they're very fundamental sound they they defeat blocks they pursue the football and they play with a lot of speed and violence I mean I'm I'm so impressed to have tons of respect for these guys and um I can see why they were you know they were like third or fourth best defense in FCS last year and uh you know that that shows you say that you'll play multiple receivers and tight ends that help you is that based off just like fatigue or how did I mean it's what we've always done I I don't know I people had a bunch of questions about this week and it's always been that way we've always played five six maybe seven receivers we've always played three tight ends sometimes four five um that's been it's been pretty standard um and same with running back we've rotated backs over the years with the exception of uh I would say even you know even Tyler Alger when we were trying to get him 20 25 carries a game p catoa was still playing a lot and Miles Davis was getting in there too and so um I think you know it's just a matter of trying to get the ball to your best players and then keep everybody fresh and playing fast in the fourth quarter you and um if we're running fast in the fourth quarter and the other team's starting to Peter out then that's an advantage for us with the uh tablet communication out play is there any new assignments on the on the offensive side for game day with field and box any any changes there for you guys not a great deal of change in terms of where people are but um we do have a process that we're going to uh Implement um in between series to try to take advantage of that I think every team obviously everybody's going to do that um we've had a couple trial runs and scrimmages but it it's still you know it's still uh something that remains to be seen we might have to tweak that process as we get actual game experience with the actual TV timeouts and and you know the flow of a real college football game is hard to simulate in just a scrimmage so um but it's been a lot really useful out here at practice and in our scrimmages and um looking forward to it in games did you accomplish everything you wanted to on the offensive line this this fall Camp we'll find out Saturday night I uh I have seen Improvement in that group they're very well coached and I think um our tight end play has a big impact on how the o line appears to be um you know it's it's an 11 man thing every play too it's our quarterbacks making sure we're in the right run plays we we check a lot of plays and sometimes it's the o line might look really bad if the quarterback back has Us in the wrong play for whatever the defense is doing so um but I have seen Improvement in those guys and I look forward to watching them play Saturday night good all right yeah okay guys yep good to see you people later see come right up to that mic okay we're good how do you feel the uh the offense has prepared for the opener compared to last year uh I feel like we're really prepared going into it I feel like we're up ahead on our play book and everything just feels like everything is moving really smooth and nicely R it just operation wise what gives you confidence that uh the passing game will be improved this year uh just like I'll just say going back to the summer and the winter like as soon as the season ended I felt like between the QBs and US receivers we really started locking in and like just getting with each other every day and just throwing and just getting our timing down and everything what's the uh um maybe the biggest thing that was accomplished this past month in preparation for the season for the offense uh I'll just say being confident like going down the field I would say maybe and just jelling as a offense and just getting our Playbook down and feeling comfortable running our plays and everything what for you individually where do you feel like uh year two is is uh May clicking a little bit more for for you compared to fresman year uh I would just say just having a Playbook down and just being comfortable going out there and running the plays and not having to think as much as I did last year it's very different like being able to just go and run plays and uh like when you absolutely know what your assignment is everything so what parts of your game do you feel like you've improved upon from from last year to this year uh I'll just say the mental part of the game like I've been watching more film uh over this past summer and the winter compared to last year just the mental part of it and and my route running I'll say is anything stuck out to you on film study of Southern Illinois uh no not really like they do a lot of like good things they're a pretty good team and everything so long as we just go out there and play our game we'll be straight feel like okay thank you appreciate it okay how you doing good okay what do you feel like the team's preparation level is for Saturday um I think right now we're just uh hunting in on everything uh it's been a long while since uh we've played a game and so we're just getting ansy so just uh preping uh uh wrinkling out all the uh um the our assignments and techniques uh just doing that so yeah what parts uh offensively do you feel like you guys have improved upon from the start Camp uh I think everything um I think we started uh with the run and that's just uh made our pass game better and uh um I think all aspects are uh way way improved from last year so how much did did last year and the way they unfolded at the end how big of a driving Factor was that for for you guys preparation for for this week yeah I think it's huge um I think we all have something to prove cuz I think uh those two outcomes of the game uh we not what we were as a team and so um I think it has everything to do with what how we've came and prepared for the offseason and this training camp so yeah does anything stick out to you on film about southern Illinois and the challenges they'll present def um they're high motor uh defense uh they they're front uh six uh they fly around and they're they're good players so um yeah we just got to become prepared and uh um be explosive so what do you think is the key for for the offense to have a better run game this this year well I think that's kind of what we've already uh established with uh coach woods and um starting uh and being all in the same page there um and then just going out and executing and be on the same page and uh and just let everybody do their job and I think that'll be the key for us so a lot of people talking about Qui confidence around this Bunch yeah is that by Design in a way yeah I think there's a I I think that's uh a lot of the guys on the team uh we're all humble but also confident and so um I think that's probably where that stems from but yeah sure so that has that been a message from the coaching staff also just like hey just handle your business out on the field almost definitely uh um you know clani and all the coaches uh you know they always harp you know we don't have to be loud and um you know on social media to anybody just uh do your job and uh show everybody what we've been preparing for so you individually what did you work on most during the offseason um I think all all aspects uh since uh coach um uh since we've gotten uh coach Woods um and Coach gilbride um both of them has uh you know made us all all around uh better tight ends and um just knowing all not uh just one aspect of maybe the run or the pass but uh making us more well-rounded that's uh what I've been focused on so it's been good kind like the philosophy of the whole idea of what you guys are going into for sure yeah and everything has has a a meaning and a reason and if you understand that that helps you on whatever uh you're play you're running so that's uh something that's been really good for us so all right awesome thanks guys thank you thank you I didn't see who else came up JoJo's the one that's it for this was on