PROVO, Utah – BYU football held morning practice on Friday in preparation for the first fall camp scrimmage on Saturday.
A Look at the Defensive Line
The defensive line is the largest position group on the team this fall with 18 players. But it is also one of the youngest, with seven freshmen and just two seniors.
The Cougars look to have a lot of bodies to use up front with an influx of younger players now ready to contribute. On the edges, Corbin Kaufusi returns along with Trajan Pili. Uriah Leiataua was productive in spring along with the newest Kaufusi, Devin, the youngest in a long line of Kaufusi brothers.
Langi Tuifua also returns as a sophomore after having a role as a freshman. In the middle Khyiris Tonga, Merrill Taliauli and Tevita Mo’Unga have power and experience to close the gaps. Lorenzo Fauatea was granted a medical hardship for last year’s campaign while Keanu Saleapaga looks to finally make an impact after redshirting last season.
Motekai Langi, the 6-foot-7, 385-pound Tonga native, is back this year after missing action last season with an injury as well as Earl Tuioti-Mariner, who was forced to sit out the entire 2017 season due to injury. Among the talented underclassmen competing on the defensive front is 6-foot-5 Michael Bruno, who joined the team after originally coming from Grenada to play basketball at Weber State.
The mix of veteran experience and untapped potential make for an intense competition during fall camp and provide defensive coordinator and defensive line coach 'Ilaisa Tuiaki with plenty of depth in case of injuries during the season.
The following quotes are from Friday’s post-practice media availability.
Head Coach Kalani Sitake
On practicing inside because of the air quality (smoke)
"We have to come indoors. I’d rather be outside in the elements, but it’s not healthy right now so we’ll adjust our plan just like if it was a lightning issue. We’re trying to get everything done that we want with our preparation for our scrimmage. We’ll get some live work and see what happens."
On what he wants to accomplish at the scrimmage tomorrow
"Competition. I want to see tough football and smart guys making plays. Our guys have worked really hard and now it’s time to see them put it to work and be in a game situation as much as possible. We’d like to go outside, but until they tell me no, we’ll just have to adjust."
On when they start to prepare for the first game
"We’ll prep after our third scrimmage. That gives us about eight days of prep to focus on them. I think we have that in the back of our minds while we try to get everything installed right now as offense, defense and special teams. We’ll adjust when we get closer to the games."
Defensive coordinator/defensive line coach Ilaisa Tuiaki
“The competition is going. It’s still early and the veterans have the upper hand just because they know the system a little better. A lot of the new freshmen that have come in were kind of swimming at first, but I feel like a lot of them are starting to catch up. They are really making the improvements that we like to see. It’s still early. We haven’t even started breaking down and scheming Arizona yet. We have to give kids the opportunity to really understand what we’re asking them to do and do it consistently. Right now, it’s just been all about scrimmaging our offense and playing physical football. We’re where we need to be, still a little uncomfortable about some things, but working towards where we need to be.
I think we’ve got a good group. There are a lot of good bodies that are long, tall and physical. There’s a lot of youth, not a lot of guys that have a lot of playing time, but I think that they have the potential to be a really good group. There’s several guys that I think have different roles. There’s just a lot of youth and the players are kind of finding their own voice within the group and within the team. They’re all working hard at it.”
Defensive lineman Corbin Kaufusi
“The consistency is a lot higher right now. Every play is full bore; we’re going at it. This is probably the hardest-working offseason we’ve ever had. Everyone was here five days a week in the summer. We didn’t have many days off. It’s hard to simulate defending the pass rush without pads on so that’s why fall camp is so important for us. The learning curve to get back into someone moving with pads on is a whole different game.
We have a lot of talent, a lot of guys that can get the job done. If one guy goes down it will be sweet to see who steps up. Helping the new guys is like teaching a little kid how to play something new, and they’re just so excited, but they don’t know how to do it yet.
Quarterback coach Aaron Roderick
On choosing the starting quarterback
“I still have an open mind about it. I’ve seen a little bit of separation at times, but not enough that I’m willing to just say it. Tomorrow's scrimmage is important and if the trends continue then we’ll maybe start talking a little more open about it next week if things continue the way I’ve seen the next couple of days. That’s why you keep playing; that’s why the competition is good. It pushes everyone to play their best. You can’t just have one or two good games. You have to sustain it and string together consecutive days of playing together to stay in the hunt.”
On going live at the scrimmage tomorrow
“In spring we let them get hit. We’re not going to do that this fall. It’s too close to a game and we don’t want to lose anyone. We like these guys. I think we have some good quarterbacks and I don’t want to lose one to an injury, so they won’t be live. We will let the defense tag them off, so it's basically two-hand touch. Usually you don’t even let them get close to them if you know who your guy is, but we are going to let them tag them off and that’s good for now.”
On if they will announce the quarterback on Monday
"Tomorrow is a big day, so if the trends that we have seen continue then we might be able to say something sometime next week, but you have to do it on the field. That’s the message I’ve been trying to send is you have to do it on the field. You have to earn it. We aren’t just going to announce something that hasn’t been earned."
Linebacker Zayne Anderson
On settling into new linebacker role
“Every day I am learning more, but I feel pretty comfortable about it right now. I’m watching film every day on last year and just on stuff I can improve on. Overall, I’m picking up on it every day.”
On preparing for Arizona
“I think as a group we’re focused on improving ourselves right now. In the back of my head and some of the other linebackers’ heads we’re thinking about Arizona and watching film on them. That’s our first game and it’s nice to get a few weeks ahead watching film on them.”
On his confidence level in defense
“I feel really comfortable with all the guys right now. It’s all about trust this year and I think we had a lot of leadership come in. With that leadership, I think we’ll all play well as a good group. Overall, I feel really comfortable with the defense. We still have things to improve on, but come game one we’ll be ready for sure.”