BYU continues to improve on day four

PROVO, Utah - On the second day of shoulder pads, the BYU football team contined to improve on a cloudy Wednesday evening as the offense found its rythym.

“Today we were more physical,” head coach Bronco Mendenhall said. “That’s probably the best we’ve thrown and caught the ball in team settings in four days so that was encouraging. It’s fun to see balls thrown and caught downfield.”

Day four's practice included special teams work, individual drills and team sessions. Donning shoulder pads brought more contact with players instructed not to take anyone to the ground. 

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The offense gained momentum early in the first team session part of practice, scoring on all four drives. The redzone period was highlighted by a 13-yard touchdown grab by slot receiver JD Falslev and an acrobatic touchdown reception by running back Adam Hine from 20 yards out.

After individual drills and special teams drills, the practice shifted to a 7-on-7 period. Defensive back Adam Hogan recorded an interception falling out of bounds and wide receiver Mitch Mathews streaked down the sideline for 40-yard touchdown catch.

An 11-on-11 session ended practice with the offense making more big plays. Wide receiver Eric Thornton started things off by hauling in a 45-yard pass from quarterback Taysom Hill. On that same drive, Hill found receiver Ross Apo in the back corner of the endzone for a 15-yard touchdown. Mathews notched another long touchdown grab from Hill to end the practice session. Quarterback Ammon Olsen also scored with a 25-yard strike to receiver Kurt Henderson.

Practice resumes Thursday morning with players wearing full pads for the first time this fall. 

The team will hold a scrimmage on Saturday at LaVell Edwards Stadium that is open to the public. Parking will be free and fans can enter the stadium through the four corner gates and gates on the west side of the field. The scrimmage will begin at 10 a.m. MDT.