Deseret News | BYU football: Defense is quicker, Mendenhall says

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BYU football: Defense is quicker, Mendenhall says

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Faster Defense | 12:37 a.m. July 23, 2008

Someone tell the U of u.

I don't think their fans know about this yet.

They need scripted talking points to troll the boards with.

Emergency meeting at the Alumni House tomorrow.

Re: faster | 2:05 a.m. July 23, 2008

Too funny! I spit my chocolate milk shake all over the screen when I read your comment! LOL
What time is he meeting? I want to attend too.

Conejo | 2:43 a.m. July 23, 2008

But but but Utah has won more games in stadiums whose head coaches have family sizes below the national average than BYU has! Until BYU can do that they have NO ROOM to talk!

Comments continue below

Eugene | 4:11 a.m. July 23, 2008

The secret weopon is out of the bag now. The Y has a faster defense than last year. Match that with a top 5 offense in the land might land the Cougars in BCS bust-ville. The BCS isn't going to like BYU crashing their party, but it may happen. Go Cougars!!

quicker than who? | 4:33 a.m. July 23, 2008

Can these guys really go into deep coverage against Washington and UCLA? Can they sack QB's more frequently than what we've seen the past few years? Are they 'quick' enough not to make stupid penalties when they have the offense on 3rd and long as we've seen before...

Coug in Mass | 4:43 a.m. July 23, 2008

Is this enough of an excuse to trash the Yewts? OK then.

The overall talent of BYU seems to be improving with each passing year. I don't want to depress the rest of the league, but the back-to-back championships were won with walk-ons in the defensive backfield. Outside of Tulsa, they played insanely well. The DB coach must also be talented in the extreme.

I suspect that the talent will continue to improve for a few more years, and then settle down to where it's going to be. At that point, we will know if the program is top 10, top 20, or the terror of the MWC.

Palls | 6:54 a.m. July 23, 2008

Hay cougar fan. This is what it feels like to have a good defense. I know this because I am a Ute fan.

Go Utes..

Quick-d | 7:05 a.m. July 23, 2008

Wow: coach says there is not much difference in our best walk-ons and our scholarship players. Your recruiting coaches must be working hard. BYU fans must be proudï¿½LOL.

Ernest T. Bass | 7:23 a.m. July 23, 2008

Faster at byu could still be much slower than anywhere else.

Agree with Quicker Than Who | 7:25 a.m. July 23, 2008

I am an avid Cougar fan and have a healthy dislike for the team up North, but execution will be key for the Cougs this fall. Penalties on both sides have plagued BYU for as long as I can remember. There is no doubt that BYU's secondary should be more athletic this year than they were last year. I'll be interested to see if they can eliminate penalties though and not make stupid mistakes. The same goes for the O-line. I was fairly underwhelmed with them last year. They may big, but they are slow...which translates into a lot of holding penalties. Nothing is more frustrating than an O-line that consistantly puts the offense in third and long situations. If the Cougs can improve on their mental toughness this year their is no doubt they will win the conference. Despite what the many haters up North might say, we have unequaled firepower at almost every position. As long as we execute and eliminate stupid mistakes we'll be celebrating another undefeated league season and quite possibly a BCS Bowl birth.

To: Palls | 7:52 a.m. July 23, 2008

Yea, are they quick enough not to get beat in the last few seconds and give up the winning touchdown or are they quick enough not to get beat on a 4th and 18 they leads to the winning touchdown? er sorry, that wasn't BYU that was the other guys, sorry.

Go Utes...... | 8:00 a.m. July 23, 2008

Go Utes... Go somewhere else that is!

Scary good | 8:16 a.m. July 23, 2008

BYU is 16-0 vs the rest of the MWC in the last two years with a "slower" defense. And now they're going to be bigger, faster, and stronger.

It's never good news for the opposition when the best get even better.

Great walkons are the sign of a successful program; when athletes who could have played somewhere else on scholarship, decide to pay their own way to play. Every quality walkon makes the talent pool that much deeper.

Utah D | 8:19 a.m. July 23, 2008

The same vaunted ute D that gave up 27 points to UNLV and also lost at home to Air Force at LEN.

Sick of the Smack by "u" | 8:41 a.m. July 23, 2008

Hey Ernest T..............Fast enough to be slower at most other places????? Fine.

But still fast enough to beat the "u"

Notice the size of what I consider to be your's and their manhood...

Go COUGARS!!!!!!

Who Cares? | 8:59 a.m. July 23, 2008

Football is a ways off from it's season, lets cover that sport then.

Ernest T. Bass | 9:06 a.m. July 23, 2008

"speed" and "byu" have never been synonymous.
Who said anything about Utah? Why are byu fans so obsessed with Utah that their only comments are about Utah when the article is about byu?
You guys don't hide your obsessions very well.

football rules hoops drool | 9:14 a.m. July 23, 2008

re: who cares? @ 8:59 July 23rd

It's always football season. What should be covered The Rocky Mtn Review? Yawn!

Hole in Bass Logic | 9:40 a.m. July 23, 2008

You're missing the point, Ernest T. Me thinks you doth protest too much and are showing your obsession.

No one said that BYU was faster overall than other teams. Let me translate the English language for you. If BYU is indeed faster on defense, all this means is that fans might be able to expect that the defense will be improved. If BYU -- even with a slower defense -- has still been able to go 22-4 the last two years, then you could imply that maybe they are closing the gap in an area they have been overmatched before.

That, Ernest T., is good news for BYU fans.

Look, all BYU's defense has to do this year is hold teams under 20 points. The offense will take care of the rest.

Now, go pour yourself another glass of red Kool-Aid.

Speed Demon | 10:07 a.m. July 23, 2008

Bronco didn't say they were faster, he only said guys on the team have told them that they look faster and feel faster. If you poll every college football player and coach at the end of summer conditioning, they are all going to say the exact same thing. Its fine if you tell us they are feeling faster, but take that information and write a little about some of the teams they play with speed (UCLA, Washington, TCU)and how the speed on D will help match up with some of the fast guys on the opposing offenses.

Misconstrued | 10:11 a.m. July 23, 2008

You can tell sports news is short these days. Bronco states that he hasn't watched the 7 on 7 drills but that some players have told him "this guy is really fast." Maybe we should save the newspaper articles on this until someone has seen teh 7 on 7 and can tell this for sure. This is like saying "I know a guy who plays for BYU and he is fast!!" and then saying: well, BYU must have an improved defense. The connection isn't there, but the newspaper, starving for news, has tried to make this connnection.

Weak sauce article and totally unproven. BYU fans, lets wait until we have someone actually see the defense before we start trash talking. I'd hate to brag up the defense only to see the new players coming in be slower and worse than last year.

Re: Quick-d | 10:11 a.m. July 23, 2008

The reason that Bronco says that there isn't much difference between the walk-ons and some of the scholarship players isn't because the scholarship players have no talent (as we have previously seen the last 2 seasons with a 22-4 record including 2 wins over Utah), but it's what Bronco mentioned in the article, "What one may lack in terms of size, speed or athletic ability, they make up for it in heart and attitude." And you can't tell me that that isn't the case when we practically have a DB unit along with some other players that were walk-ons, that have been beating you and other opponents the way they have. I think the strength in our walk-ons (as infered in the article) is that they are consistent for the most part (excluding Tulsa).

Mainly, we don't get tons of talent from walk-ons, but from our walk-ons we can get players that are more capable to learn assignments (which is most important to Bronco as mentioned in the article), we get more players who (like Bronco mentioned in the article...again) came to BYU for a guaranteed education, and some football if they work hard. Also, they're usually more disciplined.

Hello Palls | 10:14 a.m. July 23, 2008

If I remember, Utah came in behind BYU the last 2 seasons. Or maybe Utah came in first in the MWC. Utah's defense was good enough to let Harline dominate Weddle and last year for Hall to create the winning scores. Utah is not the standard for a great defense. Matching them will not get BYU where they want to go.

Red Kool-aid | 10:17 a.m. July 23, 2008

Im drinking mountain dew Chump!

Pac 10 fan | 10:37 a.m. July 23, 2008

I'll admit BYU's defense has been good, but lets be honest, they have to be the least intimidtading defense ever in college football. They usually have about 8 pale white guys on defense...does that scare you?

bronco lover | 10:41 a.m. July 23, 2008

Bronco, Bronco, Bronco, he's still playing with Gary Crowton's Recruits.

Hypothetical? | 10:49 a.m. July 23, 2008

I don't really care that much about if they are faster. I think that it is more important to have an instinct for the game and understand how the play is developing. Speed is good, but I will take a little less speed for a little more experience. Like it or not, the defense is going to be a huge question mark this season. Fortunately they will get to cut their teeth on a scrimmage for the first game of the season.
In the future Cougar fans, to not embarass yourselves on this board, don't make the first few comments about the U. I know you get excited about being able to anonymously bash your rival, but why can't you just talk about the article. The results are the biggest salt in the wound that there is.
I have a hypothetical question for those that can handle it. If you were going to end your season 10-2, would you rather lose two conference games and lose the title while beating impressive OOC teams? Or win the title while losing OOC? I am sure this will be split by allegiances, but honestly I would take big wins instead of the conference.

RE: Agree with Quicker than Who | 10:51 a.m. July 23, 2008

I agree with your assessment of the O-Line. No matter how many experienced seniors on the O-Line we have, if they can't play effectively, then it doesn't matter. Watching the front 5 get manhandled by a "mediocre" UCLA defense in the Las Vegas bowl is still too fresh in my memory(the same D that gave up 40+ to the "u"). Can you imagine if they'd played Georgia? It would have been ugly. Hopefully they've worked on their technique and assignments, and their foot quickness. If the O-Line can play like a senior-laden line should, and the D comes together like we are hoping, we are looking at an undefeated year. Otherwise, we are looking at a loss or two this year.

Tom in CA - re: Ernest T. | 10:52 a.m. July 23, 2008

OK then - let's forget about Yutah and obsess about Michigan. Any predictions?

Not Misconstrued | 10:57 a.m. July 23, 2008

Bronco hasn't watched the 7-on-7 drills, but he was given a paper showing the 40 yard dash times. He did say that it could be different from what the computer time is compared to what Omer does by hand.

A faster team does not mean a better team. If we can apply the same execution and cohesion that we have had the last couple of years then the speed will make a difference. TCU is arguably the quickest team in our conference defensively, but both BYU and Utah allowed less points last year. We need execution + the additional speed to hold our opponents to a lower average. Last year we allowed 16.1 points per game. I hope we can duplicate that number this year.

Drinking Red Kool-Aid | 10:57 a.m. July 23, 2008

Personally, Hypothetical, I'd settle for just scoring against UNLV.

re: Tom in CA | 10:59 a.m. July 23, 2008

Michigan definitely is the wild card this year. It would have been easier to predict this game if the team if Lloyd was still on the sidelines. But no one knows what Michigan will look like. They are being very quiet about everything. Yutah doesn't even know what to prepare for. Will they come out throwing with Threet or will the new highly touted running qb get the nod? One thing for sure is Michigan returns 9 starters on defense and should be very strong. HERE IS MY HOPE AND PREDICTION:

Michigan- 31
Yutah- 9

It's over Utes! | 11:01 a.m. July 23, 2008

Start your crying and whining now you sniveling Ute fans. You're team is going down!

re: Misconstrued | 11:01 a.m. July 23, 2008

Bronco isn't allowed to watch 7 on 7 drills due to NCAA rules.

Go Cougs.

Re: Hypothetical | 11:02 a.m. July 23, 2008

From a hypothetical perspective only, I'd take the OOC wins, especially on the road, but ONLY if they were truly IMPRESSIVE teams like a really good, top-10 ranked USC, Notre Dame, LSU, Texas, Ohio State, or Oklahoma (but, not a big name team that is having one of those mediocre, rebuilding years.)

From a realistic standpoint, barring injuries or some other factor that significantly altered the team, I can't imagine a BYU team that was good enough to knock off a top-10 ranked powerhouse, on the road, NOT winning the MWC championship as well.

Mr. Obvious | 11:09 a.m. July 23, 2008

Re: Bronco Lover ...

I guess, conversely, that means that Kyle's been losing with Urban's recruits? (And I'd be very worried about that if I was Ute Yahoo.)

Besides, everyone can see that many of Bronco's recruits started as true freshmen to great effect and then went on missions. No BYU fan is worried about Bronco's recruiting.

That is a totally inane argument, Bronco Lover. If Bronco was only winning with Crowton's recruits -- all that shows is that he has completely turned the program around and is dominating with the same guys that Crowton could not win with. It's just like Urban Meyer winning with Ron McBride's players. Meyer installed a discipline system that worked. The knock on McBride was he didn't have control of his players -- Meyer proved that to be correct.

They may be faster... | 11:08 a.m. July 23, 2008

but they have NO experience, NOTHING that proves to me that they can play effectively as a team. Talk to me again after week 5. If BYU's still undefeated then we can talk about the BCS. I personally believe that this "faster" defense will lose at least one game for the Cougars.

@ Pac 10 Fan | 11:13 a.m. July 23, 2008

So... you're saying that defensive players have to be "dark black guys" in order to be intimidating?

You've got a pretty messed up view there, buddy. Line up opposite Jan Jorgensen (WHITE GUY), and let me know how that goes for you.

to: PAC 10 guy | 11:29 a.m. July 23, 2008

So you're saying that BYU's defense isn't intimidatng because we have too many white guys??? Whatever. I don't think anybody here at BYU cares what race you are they just care how you play on the field. Guys who play well on the field are intimidating no matter what they look like.

Re: Hello Palls | 11:30 a.m. July 23, 2008

Don't forget, Wittingham may have won the battle vs. BYU in his first year in 2005, but that doesn't mean that he finished higher than Bronco in the conference standings. So in other words, ever since Witt & Bronco have taken over their programs, Witt has never finished higher in conference standings than Bronco.

2005 Utah 4-4; BYU 5-3 (losses to SDSU, *TCU* asterisks for both Utah & BYU, Utah)

2006 Utah 5-3; BYU 8-0
2007 Utah 5-3; BYU 8-0

MWC play: Wittingham 14-10; Bronco 21-3

Wittingham has lost to every MWC team in the last three years including BYU and UNM twice. I understand that Utah has put some pieces together by regaining players recovering from injuries, but something always falls apart for Utah either in certain games here and there or for a portion of the season, and I'm just curious what Utah fan's excuses are going to be. There's always some reason why Utah really didn't lose certain games (BYU games) even though the scoreboard read differently, and Utah fans know it. I've never heard a Ute fan talk about the past two BYU vs. Utah matchups like they counted and like BYU actually won them.

michael | 11:41 a.m. July 23, 2008

BYU fans, your squad is good why so defensive?

PAC 10 country | 11:52 a.m. July 23, 2008

I dont live in Utah so i dont understand what the deal is with these U of U fans getting on this post at all. secretly they must obviously have some fasination with BYU to read and post here.

Bigslurrp | 11:55 a.m. July 23, 2008

As a member of the LDS Church I support BYU and its mission. I even like to watch BYU football. As a member of the church I am also utterly appalled by the way BYU fans act. Why would anyone be interested in the church after listening to a BYU fan berate a Utah fan, tell him he is not good enough to go to BYU, that he sucks, his team sucks, he must not be a good mormon if his allegiance is to the U, only drunks go there, only better mormons go to the Y. That is elitism, stiff necked wickedness and behavior that completely goes against the mission of the Church and BYU. I am embarrassed to call myself a mormon and supporter or BYU.

To michael... | 11:59 a.m. July 23, 2008

Utah fan...where is YOUR website? Where is YOUR thread? Where is YOUR discussion? Where is YOUR pride? Where are YOUR fans? Where are YOUR wins? Where is YOUR championship? Where is YOUR Brain?

It's okay, you can come and play in our success and on our threads. We welcome all. Be converted. Join the true color. Be Blue!

Quicks | 12:01 p.m. July 23, 2008

Michael, because we're faster.

Re: Re: Hello Palls | 12:04 p.m. July 23, 2008

I don't like Whitt that much, but I don't get the love affair with Bronco. He is winning, but some of the fans need to take it easy. I think the assistants deserve more credit. As a Ute fan, I have actually been impressed with Bronco being a bit more open in the conference meetings than the way he comes accross on local TV.
If you haven't heard a Utah fan admit that we lost, then here it is. We lost to BYU the last two seasons. Two years ago was completely blown, and last year a huge mistake was made. UNLV was an unacceptable loss, and Air Force was just perplexing. The OSU game you have to admit had difficult circumstances, with losing your two stars and going with a QB that every fan knew stunk. Utah loses a few games every season that they have no excuse losing (as does BYU), but all we can do at this point is get excited about our teams because both will be loaded and have the potential to mop the floor with all challengers.
Hopefully we can have a great game in November with no chance for excuses from either side.

Layoff Michael | 12:23 p.m. July 23, 2008

He never said he was a Utah fan; and besides, even if he is a Utah fan, his question is legitimate:

"your [BYU] squad is good, [so] why [are all you 3rd grade BYU fans] so defensive?"

Boise St Bronco | 12:28 p.m. July 23, 2008

Yeah, BYU's defense really scares me...have fun Cougar fans watching Boise State win another Fiesta Bowl.

re: Bigslurp | 12:34 p.m. July 23, 2008

I think the Desnews needs to make people get usernames in order to post. I question the authenticity of the comment and the author. If you are embarrassed why start your post saying "As a member of the LDS church..."? Let's just enjoy football and friendly banter.

Mr. Obvious | 12:55 p.m. July 23, 2008

Re: Re: Palls,

You don't understand the love affair with Bronco?

He took over a once-proud program that was teetering on the edge of becoming mediocre (or less) again after being run into the ground by a coach who just didn't get it. He IMMEDIATELY changed the attitude in the program. He said what he was going to do and he went about doing it.

He changed things from the inside out. Players that didn't get with that philosophy were no longer coddled. No double standards.

He stated his recruiting philosophy -- and has gone about doing it. He didn't go about recruiting the way everyone else was doing it. He adapted it to fit BYU's needs. Identify your players early, and get them to commit early. Most coaches were waiting until players were seniors. Bronco is getting commitments a year before that. Again, you can agree or disagree as to whether this is the best way to do it or not -- but he's not following a trend. He's doing it his way.

He embraced the past.

He's winning. If that wasn't the case, none of the above would matter.

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