Weekly press briefing--Houston

The following comments are from head coach Bronco Mendenhall's Monday post-practice press briefing; including comments from sophomore quarterback Taysom Hill and senior safety Daniel Sorensen.

Head coach Bronco Mendenhall:

Opening comments:
The team is improving in all areas. We're gaining momentum and looking forward to our next game. Houston has a strong record and a great chance to play well on the road.

Injury Report
Craig Bills had a concussion, but has passed protocol. So he should be ready to play on Saturday. Terrance Alletto no new status. Eathyn Manumaleuna is fine.

How has Adam Hine made an impact on kick returns?
It’s been a surprise. I thought he would be solid; I didn’t know he would be explosive and be able to do what he’s done. So that’s been a pleasant surprise. A lot of it is also who is blocking for him. How much difference will it make to have three offensive linemen back in the lineup Saturday?

What are your thoughts on the play of the offensive line?
I think we are making the very best out of the situation we have. It looks like this will be the first time in seven weeks that we have the same five coming back with no injuries and no changes.

What are your thoughts on Houston?
They are athletic, fast, move the football fast and confident. I don’t hardly remember Georgia Tech already. We’ve spent all day now defending four receivers and throwing the ball around. It’s college football which is one of the cool things about it because you’re not facing the same offense like you do in the NFL.

Sophomore quarterback Taysom Hill:

How did you feel about your performance against Georgia Tech?
I am happy with how I played and how we as an offense played and executed, especially in the first half. We definitely have some things we can get better at and we’ll focus on those going into Houston. Overall, I am happy with how we played and ultimately got the win.

What do you expect to see out of Houston?
From what I’ve seen their linebackers aren’t quite as big as what we’re used to but they’re fast. They’ll give us a lot of what we saw last week against Georgia Tech. They’ll switch it up going three- and four-down lineman and then play zone behind it, mix in a little of pre-zone blitz and cover one. Not anything different from what we’ve already seen, but the personnel will be different. It should be a really good match-up.

Senior safety Daniel Sorensen:

How did the defense play against Georgia Tech?
I thought we did well and made a lot of great plays. Against an offense like that it is very difficult and challenging. I do think we could have held them to fewer points.

What have you seen from Houston's offense?
They like to throw the ball a lot. They have some good wide receivers and a young quarterback that likes to throw and he’s not afraid. It’s going to be a challenge for us. They run a lot of plays and they’re up tempo like our offense.