BYU football starts week two of spring

BYU football resumed spring practices Tuesday on the outdoor practice fields. Read below what some of the coaches and players had to say following the team's fourth practice of spring. Select the following link to view a slideshow of photos from practice.

Practice 4 Photo Gallery

BYU Head Coach Kalani Sitake

It was a good practice. We saw a lot of good things from all the positions. We can see all the guys getting better with their fundamentals and technique. It was our second day in pads and I’m very impressed with how much better they’re getting technique-wise with both the offensive and defensive line.
 
Being more hands-on:
I’m more comfortable with the defensive side, but my mind tends to gravitate towards the offense quite a bit. I’m always trying to hear what the play is. I’m just trying to be familiar with the techniques we’re teaching these guys so I can help out a lot more at the line of scrimmage for the O- and D-line. Overall, it’s been great and I’m having fun.
 
On Detmer’s coaching:
I love his system. It highlights our strengths and skills on our team. If you were to see some of it, you’d see we’re spreading the ball out pretty well to all the positions to the running backs, tight ends and the receivers. We have a variety of guys out there at a time so I think it’s difficult for a defense to handle. We’re having some good battles right now. And I’ve been extremely pleased with how Detmer has been handling the offense and how Tuiaki is doing the defense and I’m happy with the special teams and the progress they’re making. So far it’s all good. We’ll just see if we can keep this going.
 
Offensive Coordinator Ty Detmer

On learning the new system:
The effort is great. I think guys are starting to get a feel for things. Things are different for them and any time we put something in that first day it’s a little tough. Then the next day we kind of follow up with another chance for them to run it again, and you can definitely see the speed pick up the second time through. It’s just a matter of reps at this point, but I think guys are starting to get a feel for it and understand where they need to be in motion and all of those things, so I’m pleased with where we are at right now.

On the quarterbacks handling protection:
For me, I’ve done it both ways. As I got older, I liked knowing that I had control of it and that I could dictate where I was going to be in trouble, if I was going to be in trouble. So I think our guys are starting to understand that. And we are starting to see them make the calls and changing it when they feel like they need to change it.
 
Junior LB Fred Warner

Last year I didn’t get to do spring football, so this is perfect for me because I love football and being out there with the team. I feel great. It’s crazy to think what I can do with a full offseason under my belt because last season I was trying to recover all offseason, and then heading into fall camp I was trying to work my way back to where I was my freshman year.

Playing with Troy:
It’s fun to be on the field and to look to my left and see him covering a receiver. Any time he makes a big play I run over and jump into him. It’s fun. I don’t take it for granted. It’s been great so far. He’s picked up on everything right away. He’s unique because he’s had a lot of work in high school with man to man coverage and that’s what we’re changing to now so it’s kind of natural for him and other DBs have to get use to that since they’ve been playing zone for so long. He’s been doing really well.
 
Senior RB Algernon Brown

On everything coming together:
It’s a new offense, but I think we are kind of bringing everything together well so far. The coaches are not expecting us to be game ready yet, but for what they are expecting now I think we are pretty good.
 
On if his role has changed in the new offense:
A little bit. There’s definitely more blocking, but I’m still running routes and still catching footballs but I am trying my best to do what they coaches need for the team as well as being a better leader on the field and off the field as well.