Kalani Sitake Media Availability - Arizona

The following quotes are selected from BYU's Monday media availability prior to the week one game vs. Arizona at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. 

Watch the full media session.

BYU head coach Kalani Sitake (Video)
I’m really excited about game week and looking forward to the matchup with Arizona in Las Vegas. I know they will be ready to play and hope our guys will perform at their best and we will see what happens at the end of it. I’m excited that our guys have the opportunity to go out and play against a really good opponent like Arizona. They’re a well coached team. I know a lot of coaches on that staff. I know they’re familiar with BYU, so it won’t be a huge surprise for them. We’re expecting a lot of different things from Arizona. There’s not a lot to go off because it’s a [new] staff that [Arizona head coach] Jedd Fisch put together. It’s a good staff that has lots of experience from lots of different places. We have to be on top of our game to be ready for this matchup, but we are looking forward to it.

On proving that last year’s success wasn’t an anomaly
We’re not worried about last year. We’re going on with this year right now. The guys feel comfortable with the scheme carrying over and not having to deal with much shakeup on our staff. I’m looking forward to seeing the new players get their opportunity, especially at quarterback with Zach [Wilson] being gone. I feel good about this group. I don’t think there’s anything to prove about last year. We’ve moved on. The guys are just focused on performing at their best against Arizona.

On what he’s most excited for about the game
I’m excited about getting the fans there. We really missed that last year. Having the band, the fans and the opponents having their fans at the game – it’s going to be really fun to have that feeling of the game again.

On what he expects from the atmosphere at Allegiant Stadium on Saturday
We have to do our part to get that place rocking. We have to make plays and do whatever we can to entertain our fans. We’re approaching this game with a huge sense of appreciation that we get to play and represent and share that field with Arizona. They’re a great program with a great coaching staff and great talent.

On the health of the team going into the Arizona game
I expect everybody on the depth chart to play. If they’re not on the depth chart, then they probably have some nagging injuries, but nagging injuries are part of the game. There’s a difference between hurt and injured. If they’re injured, then they’re not able to perform. If they’re hurt, then they can get over it and deal with some of the pain. Nobody’s going to be at 100 percent during football season. We had a physical fall camp and are hoping to get all these guys back to 100 percent as much as we can.

On the depth chart
We feel good about the guys that are going to play. We know we have a bunch of guys that can play. We like how the guys have all improved. There’s not one position on [the depth chart] where I don’t feel confident with the players and the talent. We’ll just have to put it to the test.

On safeties Malik Moore and Chaz Ah You, the secondary
They have great instincts. They practiced well and made a lot of plays. We feel good about those guys leading the way in the secondary. We feel good about the depth of the corner and safety spots.

Defensive lineman Uriah Leiataua (Video)
On Arizona’s quarterbacks
Our coaches are making sure that we know the dangers of each one of the quarterbacks that we're going to play against. We don't know which one it will be out of the two of them, so right now we're just trying to be as prepared as possible.

On his final season with BYU
I'm just excited to play my part, and do everything I can. I've always been a solid contributor on the team, but right now I just feel like it's taking a different step. That's something I'm really excited for.

On having fans in the stadium
I know that a lot of our younger guys haven't played in front of a big crowd before. We're super excited to have all the fans come out, I've heard about all the sell out tickets and stuff like that. It's going to be an exciting game, especially for the defense. I know we're all hungry and ready to get after it.

Running back Tyler Allgeier (Video)
On the offense’s potential
I think a lot of guys have a chip on their shoulder and obviously want to be the best. Obviously that's always the goal, to be the best offense in the game right now.

On the quarterback competition
It was a it was a tough competition the whole time. It was kind of day by day and he just slowly distanced himself from the other QBs and I think that's when the coaches started to see that. Jaren got the job right there, so excited to see what he does on the field.

Wide receiver Gunner Romney (Video)
On the energy fans bring to the stadium
I know a lot of people use that to fuel them, they like to take the crowd and use that energy to fuel them. For me, I'm kind of the opposite. I like to play even and cool, so I kind of just block it out and just pretend that no one's there. 

On his confidence in the offense
Camp was pretty up and down, but what really has me confident is the way that we came together towards the end. There's a lot of competing back and forth for the first couple of weeks. We didn't know who the quarterback was going to be yet, there's a lot of competition and a lot of added pressure, but starting last week the offense found its groove a little bit. We've just been getting better and better every single day.

On quarterback Jaren Hall
He's super consistent, so you know what to expect from him every single time. I think that consistency really helps people play into themselves. They're not worried about something crazy happening. So I think people are comfortable, and when people play comfortable, you play more loose and you play faster.