This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The most significant news out of today's BYU football press briefing in Provo was obviously terrible news for the Cougars, as coach Bronco Mendenhall announced that star running back Jamaal Williams is out for the remainder of the season with "multiple" injuries to his right knee.
Mendenhall said Williams will have surgery on Tuesday, which you can read more about here.
The Cougars have now lost their top two offensive weapons, Williams and quarterback Taysom Hill, guys who combined to rush for 2,577 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2013.
Hill, of course, suffered a fractured leg in the fifth game against Utah State. Williams played in seven games, missing the opener at UConn due to suspension and the Nevada game. He really missed three, because he played only briefly in the UCF game.
Mendenhall has been careful to not use the injuries as an excuse for the four-game losing streak, but on Monday he allowed that it has been difficult to win without the pair of 1,000-yard rushers from a year ago.
"I think the combination of [the injuries], with really maybe more youth than I even acknowledged at the beginning [of the season] defensively. And so not necessarily by age or class, but by starting experience. Kind of a combination of both those together would have been one of the challenges," he said. "But I am still optimistic for a strong finish and a good season."
I will have more on the Williams injury, the junior's place on BYU's all-time career rushing list, and which players will be called on to carry the rushing load in tomorrow's Tribune, so check for that (or check online later Monday night).
Since I'm going to take a couple days off, that story and the following recap of Mendenhall's other statements today will hopefully cover you for a few days. This weekend, I will have an article about the quarterback situation, why the Cougars are so thin in that area, and what would happen if they had to use their third-stringer, walk-on McCoy Hill, a former tight end.
Mendenhall's opening statement today:
"So I was impressed with our team, especially in the sec on half, against Middle Tennessee, I think we played much more complete in the sec on half, and a much more complete football game than what we had recently.
I think we improved in quite a few areas, if not every area, and gained some momentum going into the bye week and what we hope is a great November and a great finish to our season."
Mendenhall said that unlike last time (when they practiced hard three days) the main focus of the bye week this time will be to get players healthy.
Linebacker Alani Fua (ankle) is 75 percent, while running back Algie Brown's status (ankle) is "unknown" for UNLV, according to Mendenhall. He also said safety Craig Bills, who didn't make the trip to Tennessee, is also still being evaluated for the concussion suffered against UCF. Sounds like the Cougars regret playing Bills against Boise State, although a few days before that matchup Bills appeared in the football offices lobby and told reporters he felt totally fine, had passed concussion protocol, and was raring to go.
"I don't know what his status will be," Mendenhall said of Bills. "Any time there is a head injury, you are always concerned. So, my first concern for him is his health and will-being. So I don't know his status going forward right now."
Regarding the plan this week, Mendenhall said: "So I would like to get as healthy of a team as we can have going into our game vs. UNLV. So that would be first and foremost. Secondly, the development of some of our younger players. We have been playing quite a few of them. So the players will get some break, and then focus on not necessarily the guys that are not playing, but our younger guys that are playing. So we need to get them enough work and continue our progress, and then academically make sure we give our guys a great chance to get caught up that way."
The Cougars lost four straight games after their last bye, killing all their momentum from a 4-0 start, but Mendenhall believes they will keep it going this time around.
"The team's work habits have been really consistent throughout and so I think what going all the way back to Tennessee and playing a good football game did was rejuvenated their momentum to do what they have been doing," he said. "Because they have been consistent, in terms of practice [they should use the bye effectively]."
Mendenhall said only a few coaches will be out recruiting this weekend (most states have started, or are starting, high school state tournament games) because they have used almost all of their allotted evaluations. They will have light practices Thursday and Friday, "because the team is different now in the number of injuries, the number of guys that are still recovering. That is a lot different than our last bye where it was, how much execution, how much work could we get, how much contact could we have? This bye format isn't in relation to the last one, it is just in relation to where our team currently is."
As mentioned before, defensive linemen Remington Peck and Graham Rowley didn't start against the Blue Raiders, but still played a lot. Moving forward, Mendenhall said to expect a lot of rotation between them, Marques Johnson, Travis Tuiloma and Logan Taele.
"We are starting to get a better idea, finally, as we are getting different players in and out vs. different personnel groups, who can be effective and in what spots. And so we became closer. Boise State, from what we prepared for, kinda gave us a few different things," Mendenhall said. "But we had actually prepared these personnel groups the week before, but didn't have much of a chance to use them. And so I think you could see that based on what our opponent gives us, you will see more of that going forward."
Of course, Bronson Kaufusi played some defensive end Saturday, which I noted in a previous blog. What's next for Bronson?
"I guess the best way to frame it will be it will be based on what personnel the [opposing] offense has in," Mendenhall said. "Bigger personnel, [Bronson will be] at outside backer, smaller personnel at defensive end."
Mendenhall apparently talked about loyalty and what he learned about it during his post game radio remarks last Saturday, and he was asked what he meant by that on Monday.
His reply:
"I think more of it is just a personal perspective. Sometimes as a position as a head coach, there are different levels throughout [wife] Holly and I's life. Man, we saw some amazing acts of kindness from friends in the coaching profession. We saw amazing things from neighbors, and we saw amazing things from friends.
And like I said before, we can see the best in people, and the worst in people come out. I think that's just part of being a head coach."
Regarding the defense holding MTSU to season lows in scoring and yards, Mendenhall said it was the best all-around performance of the season by that unit.
"It was the most consistent football we have played yet, regardless of the beginning of the season, middle, and we are starting to find the dynamic that works not only coaching staff wise, but players and where they fit," he said. " And so I was really encouraged by what I saw. I am critical, and I was really encouraged by how they played."
He said coaches knew MTSU had a good offense that was averaging more than 400 yards a game.
"I did, and still do," he said. "And I was as concerned going into that game as any we've played, as far as big play potential. Jordan Preator did a nice job at corner defending some deep passes, and we have struggled with that this year. And then we found some ways — our run defense has been consistent the entire year, outside of Boise State, and we are one of the best in the country in rush defense. As long as that continues to happen, we can be more predictable in getting into nickel situations and pressure as long as we can defend the deep ball well, which we started to do."