PROVO, Utah – BYU continued its preparations for the 2022 season with its sixth practice of spring football on Thursday afternoon at the Indoor Practice Facility.
The Cougars return a number of veterans on both sides of the ball for 2022, including running back Lopini Katoa and defensive back Malik Moore. The two mainstays on offensive and defense have played in a combined 90 games.
The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Katoa, has appeared in 47 games with the program since 2017. Katoa has rushed 306 times for 1,467 yards and scored 19 rushing touchdowns. The versatile senior back has also caught 76 balls for 723 yards and six touchdowns in his career.
Moore, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound safety, has played in 43 games in BYU's defensive backfield. Last year, Moore started all 13 games and totaled 21 stops and tied for the team lead with three interceptions. The senior has five picks in his career.
Both Katoa and Moore, along with returning junior wide receiver Puka Nacua and offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick, spoke with members of the media following the the team's practice session Thursday night. See some of their comments below.
Offensive Coordinator Aaron Roderick | watch interview
On how practice went today
“It was good, but it’s spring ball so there’s good and bad every day. Sometimes we’re trying new things and putting our guys in different situations, so good and bad today.”
On Kody Epps
“Kody Epps is a good all-around football player and has a great feel for the game. He is a really polished kid and he gets better every day. He gets open, has a good feel for space on the field, and is a really easy guy to throw to. He learned this offense faster than anybody I have ever seen and he has a bright future.”
On physicality of spring ball
“It’s fun to bang around a little bit, and as an offense you almost wish they had to tackle you because in real games, most of those plays go for a few more yards than they do in practice. But, if you tackle all the time you could get a lot of guys hurt, so we have to be smart about that and we try to find the right balance. I thought the balance tonight was just right and I think we are learning to practice against each other.”
On favorite part of spring ball
“I love the process. You have raw material to work with, and that process of putting it all together and getting ready for that first game in the fall is fun. It’s fun to see players grow into their roles because that’s what it’s all about.”
Running Back Lopini Katoa | watch interview
On spring ball
“This spring ball we haven’t missed a beat. We picked up where we left off last year and plugging in more guys who can play the positions.”
On new players
“We added Chris (Brooks) and have a lot of great players at the position which has been great competition for us.”
On Jacob Conover
“Jacob has slowed the game down and we’ve seen him become a lot more confident with his reads.”
On the upcoming season
“We have a lot of returners and all of us are excited to go do something special this next year.”
Safety Malik Moore | watch interview
On spring ball
“The love for the game keeps me going during spring practice. Each day we wake up with another opportunity to be great.”
On this week's practices
“It’s been tiring this week. Our offense has a lot of new tools that they are ready to use. Practice is much more physical now that we have bigger fullbacks and tight ends.
"You have to practice like it is game time. If we want to be better tacklers as a defense, we need to be physical and push ourselves.”
On returning players
“When we are with each other every day, we are brothers. Getting closer off the field just helps us play as a team on the field, communicate better and increase our chemistry.”
Wide Receiver Puka Nacua | watch interview
On team cohesion
“Connection, timing and camaraderie. Not being here a full year with the team before going into the season last year was really different. Spending time getting to know the new guys and building on the relationships from last year has been great.
On receiver position
“In the receiver room, we don’t have new faces this spring, which is super nice because we feel comfortable, and we have already set our standards so we can hold each other accountable. They make up where I’m lacking, and we have a good group and I love these guys. It’s been really fun to learn more about them.”
On standouts in the receiver room
“I think Kody Epps has been a standout, coming back from his injury. It’s been fun to talk about the nitty gritty of the receiver position with him, and he’s always willing to learn and he’s always asking questions. I think Chase Roberts, too. To see these boys improve and get into the football groove of spring ball has been really fun to see.”
On the physicality of the team during spring ball
“We pride ourselves in being one of the strongest and toughest teams in college football, and we feel that every day we come out to practice and it’s something we don’t take lightly. It’s been a great opportunity to try new things and test old things to make sure they’re still working.”
On team energy
“I definitely think there is an energy, a sense of confidence and a sense of pride that we didn’t have in that final game of the season. I think letting down that game left a dirty taste in the back of everyone’s mouth, so although we played some good football last year, we didn’t finish the way we wanted to. So we know coming into this new season, the second that first whistle blows, everything we have been working for so hard will pay off.”