This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Provo • Most days of the week, BYU football players rise well before the sun does and trudge to the locker rooms at the student athlete building to get taped up around 5:30 a.m. They have meetings after that and are usually on the practice field by 8:30 a.m.
The payoff for that seemingly insane midweek schedule comes Saturday, when the No. 22-ranked Cougars will tangle with the Michigan Wolverines while most people in the Western United States are just wrapping up breakfast. Kickoff for the game to be televised by ABC is at noon EDT in Ann Arbor, which will be 10 a.m. in the mountain time zone.
"Our guys should be fine [with the early kickoff]," said linebackers coach Kelly Poppinga. "We are used to getting up really early."
It will be the third 10 a.m. MDT kickoff in the Bronco Mendenhall era for the Cougars. They split the first two early bird specials, losing 30-23 in double-overtime to Boston College in 2006 and beating Tulsa 24-21 in the Armed Forces Bowl in 2011.
"I like it," said BYU defensive end Remington Peck. "I hate when we sit around in the hotel all day. I like to get up and play. I think it will be good."
Mendenhall said he is "not a fan" of the early kickoffs, despite his love for the 8:30 a.m. practices that began prior to the 2014 season. He said the Cougars will treat it more like a Friday night game, "in terms of our practice model."
The Cougars will leave for Ann Arbor early Friday morning - they left for Boston College two days before the game nine years ago - and hold their traditional religious devotional (fireside) on Friday night at the Westland Michigan Stake Center in Westland, Mich.
"I think it plays into our schedule a lot better than last week did," said offensive coordinator Robert Anae. "Because we are an early-morning program. So yeah, our program is used to waking up at that time and getting out and going. That's how we train in the offseason, and that's how we practice. So, I like the way that part is setting up."
Injury update
Anae said Wednesday after practice that starting running back Algernon Brown, who suffered a knee injury against Boise State and did not play against UCLA, has not practiced this week. Freshman Francis Bernard (broken finger) has practiced and will likely make his debut this week.
"So kind of a game-day [decision] with both of them," Anae said. "Whoever is healthy, we are going to try and prepare them and play the best we can."
Nose tackle Travis Tuiloma is also questionable with a knee injury suffered against Nebraska.
Key kickoff returner
Adam Hine was among the country's top kick returners last year, but hasn't been performing that chore in 2015 because he's emerged as the team's premier running back and coaches don't want to increase his workload.
He said Wednesday he would like to do both, but understands the need to stay fresh and healthy with no Jamaal Williams or Algie Brown in the backfield.
"There might be a certain situation [where Hine returns kicks], but right now Devon [Blackmon] is our kick returner," said special teams coach Kelly Poppinga.
Briefly
Despite playing in just two games, BYU safety Kai Nacua leads the country in interceptions, with four. … There are no players on BYU's roster from the state of Michigan, but receiver Jake Ziolkowski hails from Wauconda, Ill., about a five-hour drive from Ann Arbor. …. UCLA linebacker Myles Jack, who intercepted the fourth-down pass to secure the Bruins' 24-23 win over BYU, suffered a season-ending knee injury in practice on Tuesday.
Twitter: @drewjay —
No. 22 BYU at Michigan
Saturday, 10 a.m.
TV • Ch. 4