BYU football season's final pregame fireside

HENDERSON, Nev. — The Green Valley Stake center wasn't the only place Bronco Mendenhall addressed gospel topics on Friday.

Mendenhall, wife Holly and participating members of the Brigham Young University football team held the final pregame fireside of the season on the eve of the Las Vegas Bowl.

Mendenhall, whose 10-2 Cougars face Arizona on Saturday at Sam Boyd Stadium, shared an experience from earlier in the day, when the topic of the program's priorities came up during a production meeting with the ESPN broadcast crew.

"Here in this setting of analysts at a production meeting getting ready to play a football game tomorrow, and you would have done the same thing, I'm sure, I had a chance to basically bear my testimony," Mendenhall said. "I'm not sure they knew what to do about that at the time, but they asked."

The coach discussed his emphasis on faith, family, knowledge and friends, and how they all precede the sport in his program. He was asked how BYU managed to win at least 10 games each of the last three years with football as the No. 5 priority.

"Because it's fifth," the coach told them.

He was then told that Nick Saban, the head coach at Alabama, may have a different philosophy.

"I wouldn't doubt that he does, but he doesn't coach at BYU," Mendenhall said.

He said he's not sure what context his comments will be put into during the broadcast Saturday.

"But I do know that it was an opportunity," he said.

Both the coach and his wife expressed gratitude for being back in Las Vegas, despite having a gaming table in the hotel room.

"It's a good elbow rest for our prayers," he said.

The coach addressed his faith-first philosophy several times, saying that because he represents young men who make religion the top priority in their lives, the program should reflect those values.

"As imperfect as it is, that is our intent," he said.

Running back Wayne Latu shared a few humorous stories that drew laughs, including an experience about being a youth needing a ride to a popular hang-out spot. At the time, Latu had long hair, which caused his mother consternation. She told him that if he would trim his hair, she would drive him to the skating center.