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The Cougars were hoping their injury situation would get better against Nevada last weekend; Instead, it got worse. Running back Algie Brown went down with an ankle injury in the first quarter, and on Monday coach Bronco Mendenhall said he's not hopeful that Brown will play against Boise State on Friday. It doesn't look good for receiver Devon Blackmon, either, the coach said. However, when asked about safety Craig Bills (concussion), linebacker Alani Fua (ankle) and running back Jamaal Williams (ankle), all of whom missed the entire Nevada game, Mendenhall said they could possibly play. "So I will list them both as hopeful, so I won't give the full report probably until tomorrow. I would put all three of those [with Jamaal Williams] in the same category," he said. "It would be nice to have them all, but the way things are going, it would be better to plan on none, and be surprised if we get them."
A BYU football spokesperson said after the press briefing that the school will have more injury information after Tuesday's media availability session. Sione Takitaki, the freshman linebacker who made such a big impact in the UCF game, also did not play against the Wolf Pack. Mendenhall confirmed Monday that Takitaki was not held out due to injury. "He is back in good standing and ready to go," Mendenhall said. When I asked the coach if that means it was a disciplinary issue, he replied: "It was. Regarding a missed team meeting, I think, or late, or something like that." Sources have told the Tribune that Takitaki skipped a practice. How frustrating is that for Mendenhall? "I am glad we can both laugh at it, yeah," he said. "It is just young players learning accountability. That's where it is, but I don't budge on those things." Puzzled by how a player who was just starting to earn some major playing time could do that to his team, I sought the knowledge of senior linebacker Mike Alisa. His take: "For this particular guy, I don't think that reflects at all on the team. I think it was a small mistake by one individual. And you know, I have spoke with him. I don't think it will happen again. In terms of the team overall, guys are still on board, and we talk about it a lot outside of team meetings, and outside of the meeting rooms. Guys are just starving for some redemption. We just want a chance to show everybody really what our team is about, and not only do we feel like we owe it to our fans — we owe it to Cougar Nation — but just to ourselves. We have been through fall camp and all the things we have been through. We wake up every morning at 5:30 and it is not like we don't want it. Guys are here to work, and we want to win. We are going to do everything it takes to do that." I've posted two videos of Mendenhall's briefing, so check those out for more from the coach today. Here's more from Alisa, who has emerged as the most quotable player on the team, along with receiver Jordan Leslie: On how he can help younger guys through this skid:"It definitely isn't fun. The most important part is to not get too down on ourselves, realize it is a very real situation, that we did lose these last three games. It is important to be real with ourselves, but don't beat yourself up so much that you get yourself into a hole you can't get out of."On how guys are understanding that:"I think guys are here, ready to work again, and it was a long weekend. We all have to look each other in the eyes and realize that was on us. We played three good teams, and they made big plays on us, and at the end of the day it was us not executing our assignments well and guys being out of position at the wrong times. And I think guys just to be mentally tough, and come together as a unit and to really just start playing BYU defense like we know it needs to be played."On whether it just takes more time for younger players to execute better:"I do think repetition is part of it. I think a bigger part of that is that guys need to be in the film room longer than they are right now. I feel like guys need to spend more time learning the defense and just knowing exactly what their assignment is, so they can play faster and not be distracted by things that are going on around them." On whether coaches still have the hearts and minds of the players:"I think so, yeah, definitely. I think in any organization, there are always going to be a small percentage of the team that might be feeling resentful, maybe, or disheartened to a point where they are the ones that we got to pull along to keep them on the train, because I do think that we have the right tools. We have a great staff, and great athletes on defense. I think we are missing a few tweaks to make this thing start rolling again. And I am just as hungry as the next guy. I know our whole team is, too. What that means is that this week is going to be probably the hardest week that we have ever had, in terms of preparation. I know that we are all going to put in the work." On having to talk to players and whether there are leadership issues on defense: "No, not at all. The leadership is very well respected on our defense. We have a really strong senior core. I would say maybe we do need to be a little more vocal. But for the most part, everyone is working hard. I would agree from here on out, guys will have to hold themselves to a higher standard — not just seniors, but lower classmen. Everyone in general. I mean, in a situation like this, you have to make sure no one is taking any plays off, or any team meetings off."