8.31.24 | Saluki Radio BYU Post Game: Nick Hill

we're back with head coach dick Hill join us from the Saluki locker room for our postgame interview this year which is pres presented by Sam C Mitchell coach sh we appreciate the time you join us alongside Pat poror Mike trud up here in the booth Luke Martin voice of the Salukis know the final score coach tonight 4113 you guys came here to win a football game just what was your message to your team just a moment ago as you wrap things up there in the locker room yeah obviously I think um there's going to be disappointment uh anytime that you line up and and you don't win uh I think you know this year with a 12 game uh season you know we came out here and and uh played a really good football team and um you know the best environment that that I've had an opportunity to to even coach in as far as a HomeField advantage and um they played well uh I tip their hat to them I think they got a good football team a physical uh mature uh veteran team thought the quarterback really played well felt they played a clean game you know we didn't like you mentioned in these games that we've won uh you know we've turned teams over and we found ways to um to get some momentum going we just never really got the momentum going and uh didn't get going on offense as as much as as we needed to win the football game obviously they had a lot to do with that uh the physicalness up front I feel like my message to the team was that um as I was standing there on the sidelines um we can have a really good football team I think that we C we can win a lot of games uh it's going to be about how we respond here this week to go uh get our first win there's half the country that's one and0 and there's half the country that's 0 and one right now and there's going to be a lot of really good teams that are 0 and one um after this week that things didn't go their way and uh we've got to find the fortitude and the the resolve uh and have the right response this week to go on the road again and um go get a win but I think as far as the head coach watching uh we competed um there wasn't um any of that I thought we we competed we were physical um they played really well and uh we just didn't have enough tonight to to make it a ball game Nick Mike trud up here first quarter you ran a total of 12 plays they got out to that 14 to nothing lead defensively against you were they taking things away or was it execution yeah I think it was you know that our defense was on the field a lot um you know going three and out you know the first the first play was an opportunity we felt like we'd get one high manto man and went to kantes and and then you put yourself in in second and long and then we didn't pick up our our third down so you go three and out and then they go on a 14pl drive and pick up two fourth Downs you know that that was the thing in that drive we had our opportunities to to get off the field and then um just didn't get in a rhythm uh to then go come back and answer and they hit the big play uh the explosive for a touchdown um so I think the first quarter was just uh we didn't have a lot of plays to get in a in a rhythm I think obviously they took some things away uh there in that first that first quarter that's what I told the offense is that we found ourselves in in some negative plays um you know took a had a had a shot play that that we liked and we took a sack and lost 11 on a first down um lost uh I think seven or eight on a run play um on the the next series so we we were we were putting ourselves in some bad down and distances there and then I I felt like uh you know I thought that was a really good drive on our first scoring Drive obviously I think what you can see what DJ can bring uh with his legs and throwing the football and so we're going to build off that and um I don't have any any doubt that that we can be a really good offense it it's amazing what what good can happen when you can get something positive on first down to set yourself up for to open up the Playbook a little bit instead of being behind the chains yeah there's no doubt I mean uh so much emphasis gets put on uh third down playing well in the Red Zone all the things that uh the people look at but I think um it's execution on every down I mean picking up first downs on first and second down and just keeping yourself out of third down is the key to being good on third down um but first first down success is is is huge as far as just opening up the Playbook yeah coach it it seemed like it was just a struggle from jump field position wise and you know first first down production third third down you know get to manageable situations but you know looking at it specifically offensively and I know your expectations you know what what was some good that you saw out of it and and I I do I I wholly believe we you found some identity of what we could be offensively um in that drive yeah for sure I I think uh the mix of the run of the pass I mean we didn't have uh I think there's a lot there's going to be a lot on on film that uh number one I I think we went up against a a big physical front that makes things tough you know uh when you think about these type of games where you go play a power four conference opponent and um we knew that their front was going to was going to be really good and so I think uh you know obviously seeing the way that DJ can run and and we've had some success here in in the past with with running quarterbacks and some design things it it really puts a lot of pressure on the on defens of and um I think that everybody now knows that that we have a guy that can do that but he can also throw the football I think uh kantes really in the second half was dealing with some cramps and didn't play a ton but I think you could see you know the explosiveness that that he can create and so we'll just keep finding the Rhythm I I think you know for us um you know especially with the 12 game season we haven't had a 12 game uh regular season in a long time I think this game will will will pay dividends for us playing at first and coming out here and being challenged against one of the best teams that we'll have on our schedule all year long making things really difficult on us exposing some things that we need to get better at and then uh also some of the good that that we've got to grow and and grow our package and some of those things so um you know we'll leave here obviously disappointed and uh and and have that you know on the plane ride this long trip back home and but like I told them when they they come back in at 5:30 tomorrow night uh it's got to be an attitude of how do we respond how do we get better Coach you know we'll end it on this note for you and we appreciate your time as always you know felt in this game I know you don't want to see your punter as much as you did but man Paul Gillan for his first game really delivered some really nice boots for you guys on special teams the flip field position yeah no I I think Paul can can be an asset for us obviously um when you have a great offense you don't get to see him a lot but um I think you know knowing what um what our league brings and and having a guy that can flip the field will win your football games he also handles our kickoffs I thought we're we're all solid uh you know I I think you know all touchbacks and then we had the unsportsman like on DJ's touchdown run and then we tackled that inside the 20 and uh so there's a lot of positives in the kicking game as well and so um we will um we'll just go back to work I mean we'll go back to work we'll take this we know that it was a big time challenge for us to come out here and the expectations and I think for Saluki Nation um you know we wanted to put on On A Better Effort and keep that game close um but that that's that's competition and that's what this game brings it was a it was a tough environment to come into our team will grow from it coach Hil appreciate the time brother thank you we'll see you on the plan coach