Provo • Thursday’s scrimmage was one that BYU football observers could see coming a mile away after head coach Kalani Sitake said the offense won the last one, and rather decisively.
“I feel like the defense won today,” senior safety Micah Hannemann said shortly after the second major scrimmage of training camp concluded and a light rain started to fall at LaVell Edwards Stadium. “I feel like I can say that pretty confidently.”
Media members were allowed in to watch the final 49 minutes, and in that time backup quarterback Beau Hoge drove the offense for a touchdown and starter Tanner Mangum did the same.
But even the QBs — Hoge continues to emerge as the primary backup — acknowledged that the defense won the day.
“Seven turnovers, you can’t really call that a win,” Hoge said. “That’s just not us. Not our best day, but we are not going to overreact. We are just going to come in Monday ready to work.”
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Moroni Laulu-Pututau gets chased down by Kamel Greene as BYU holds a scrimmage at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Thursday, Aug. 10, 2017.
Hoge ran 5 yards for a touchdown as the backup QBs went live and were able to be tackled. When Mangum was in, no tackling was allowed. He threw a touchdown pass to tight end Matt Bushman, who continues to show that he will be a big weapon this season.
“I love our tight ends,” Mangum said, referring to Bushman and Moroni Laulu-Pututau. “They are big targets and fun to throw the ball to.”
Mangum called the offense’s play “a little sloppy” and said the defense “made a lot of good plays today.”
Ever the optimist, the junior said he saw this coming, too, after Saturday’s big win for the offense.
“Yeah, there are guys on that side of the ball who are really fired up, talking some smack, talking some trash, but that’s fun,” Mangum said. “It is competitive. They came out and took it to us a little bit, so we will have to respond on Monday.”
Junior defensive end Sione Takitaki saw some action, after not playing in the first scrimmage. Inside linebacker Francis Bernard was held out, but Sitake would not specify why, saying, “We had some guys who were out out, guys who weren’t completely healthy.”
Cornerback Dayan Ghanwoloku also didn’t play in the media viewing portion of the scrimmage.
No matter — the defense was ready this time, Hannemann said.
“Yeah, we did take it personal,” he said.
Sitake said it was no surprise to him that the defense came out much more ready to play than five days ago.
“They felt like we called them out a little bit, and they responded,” Sitake said. “Since the last scrimmage ... they’ve been on a mission to show that they are better, and if we play like we did today as a defense, I will be really happy.”
Cornerbacks Troy Warner and Chris Wilcox each made big pass breakups on throws to Beau Tanner and Neil Pau’u, respectively, and defensive end Uriah Leiataua had a big sack.
After starting camp as a quarterback, juco transfer Austin Kafentzis played running back and receiver in the scrimmage. Austin Hoyt ran with the ones at right tackle.
“It is not so much what the offense didn’t do as what the defense did,” Sitake said. “They were really disruptive at the line of scrimmage. We had some good plays here and there by the offense, but we couldn’t get much momentum going because of how disruptive our defense was.”
To nobody’s surprise.
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