It's not been a secret that, at least in public, BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall prefers to keep a tight check on his emotions. He likes his Cougars to follow suit.
That might have changed.
BYU's players were noticeably animated against Air Force. Expect more of the same Saturday when the Cougars host Utah.
"I really like it," Mendenhall said of his team's spirit against Air Force. "I'm not sure if it was tangible to those watching the game, but on the sideline it was. They were really pulling for each other. Any good play was being celebrated and there was a passion to play the game that was evident to me."
Several BYU players admitted being flat the week before during a close victory at then winless New Mexico. Mendenhall called the game a teachable moment.
"Instead of [their reaction] being false, they took it to heart," he said.
Monday, Mendenhall said what a team does in terms of emotion prior to the game isn't necessarily going to them win.
"But can you manage it in a game setting," he said. "It will really come down to just execution as it always does. And then, teams pulling and supporting for their players while they're out there on the field and trying to make sure they stay unified in pretty hostile environments. I think the emotion of it after the first couple of plays, I don't notice it so much and I don't think our team does either."
Finding leaders
Quarterback Max Hall is the most visible face of BYU football. In turn, that naturally places him in a leadership role.
Mendenhall wants to spread the leadership around.
"The team feed off Hall's leadership," Mendenhall said. "[But] Harvey [ Unga ] going for a first down, there's no reason that can't ignite a football team as much as Max throwing a nice throw. Dennis [ Pitta ] making a critical catch; our defense making a nice play; those things to me are when leadership can be spread around. We're more effective when we do that."
National honors
ESPN the Magazine selected two BYU seniors for its Academic All-America Football Teams on Tuesday, as defensive back Scott Johnson and linebacker Matt Bauman were first- and second-team selections, respectively. Bauman was a first-team selection in 2008.
Johnson, an exercise science major, is a three-time Academic All-Mountain West Conference and two-time MWC Scholar Athlete. Johnson leads the team with three interceptions. Bauman is a three-time Academic All-MWC selection and a two-time MWC Scholar Athlete. Bauman has already been named a 2009 National Scholar Athlete by the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame.
