BYU Football Media Availability - Bye Week

PROVO, Utah – BYU head football coach Kalani Sitake and select players addressed the media on Monday following a 31-28 win over Boise State and heading into the team's bye week.

Read select quotes below from Coach Sitake, defensive lineman John Nelson and wide receiver Brayden Cosper. 

Head Coach Kalani Sitake (Video)
“Another week, the difference is there’s no game this weekend. After 10 weeks in a row playing football and practicing, it will be good to have a break. We’ve had some injuries, so it will be good to allow the players to get closer to 100% before we finish our home schedule with the game against Utah Tech for Senior Day. We have a lot to play for this next game, but also need to make some improvement by working on fundamentals and scheme. Our focus during this bi week will be finding ways to improve and allowing guys to get healthy. No matter the outcome of the game, our goal is to keep progressing and getting better as a team. Really proud of the guys throughout these 10 weeks, staying together and loving each other. Getting that early start against Utah Tech so we can prepare to be bowl eligible is our goal this week.”

On conversations with players considering leaving the program for NFL, jobs, etc.
“During this week, a lot of those conversations will be happening. We have a good amount of players who will already have their degree in hand who might have another year of eligibility, but also might want to go the NFL route or take job offers. It’s just a matter of talking with the right people, and communicating this week.” 

On this week’s practice schedule 
“Practice Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with lifting every day this week, and then giving time off away from football Thursday and Friday. We have a lot of guys who need to get caught up with academics, especially with finals approaching quickly, so this week will be great for that. I think we have a good amount of players who will stay in town and take advantage of the extra time in the weight room this weekend.”

On development for younger players on the team this week
“There will be a lot of focus on them this week. We are at the point in the season where the players being redshirted this year can play, so getting them caught up this week and defining their roles on the field will be the primary focus in our three practices.”

On being 5-5 on the season
“I put more pressure on myself and this team than anybody else, so we are worried about going 1-0 every week. I’m trying to keep it simple, but these guys know what’s at stake now. Obviously, we love getting the win, but more than anything I think we just keep working because that is an eternal principle.”

On what Lopini Katoa and Joe Tukuafu have done for this program
“I’m thankful they came back for this last year of eligibility and we were able to spend that time with them. We are thankful they have been able to play for us, I love their leadership and competitiveness. Those guys mean a lot to this program, especially the little things they have done off the field for this team. They have been great examples of camaraderie and brotherhood that this team feels for one another.”

Defensive lineman John Nelson (Video)
On the defensive performance against Boise State
“It was really fun and was a big weight lifted off our shoulders. We got back in a groove, all four of us, whoever was on the field just had come together as a unit more and it definitely helped with our chemistry.”

On living in Boise and what the win meant to him
“It meant a lot. My dad went to Boise State, I lived in Boise for six years and we were Boise State fans. I have a lot of family that lives in Boise and they were pretty much all there with half of them wearing BYU hats and Boise State shirts. So, it meant the whole world. Especially coming out with a win and with the kind of game it was. That was one of my favorite games ever, personally.

On Kalani Sitake taking over the defense
“I've always had faith in our coaching and sometimes we as a team get in a slump. After a couple weeks, we all came together as a defense and I feel like we played one of our better games this week. It reminded me and some other players that we are on the field and we're the ones making the plays. I know people want to point fingers at coaching, but at the end of the day, we're on the field and we need to take more ownership of that.”

On how much BYU needed the bye week
“I'd say it came at the right time. It's good to relax a little bit and mentally know that you don't have to work on Saturday this week. I feel like it came at a good time and I think we needed it. I'm hurting a little bit, everyone's hurting and so this is a good time to have it.”

Wide receiver Brayden Cosper (Video)
On Puka Nacua’s game winning catch
“Honestly, that's just a great play. Really tight coverage, Jaren just throws it out there and trusts him to make a play and he comes down with with a crazy catch. So, obviously that’s just a Puka play.”

On the difficulty of Puka’s game winning catch
“I mean, it’s as hard as it looks. It's a super tough play to make especially when the DB is all over you. You just have to focus on the ball with everything. So extremely difficult play.”

On plans for the bye week
“I think most of us are excited to get a few days of practice in and then have the weekend to relax. It's a grind for sure. We've been going for, I don't know how many straight weeks since August. So, it is much needed the rest.”

On what the plane ride home from Boise was like
“Just lots of good energy this time. I think we need to take some tough losses, the plane rides, you're trying to be positive, but it is tough and they definitely feel longer. But the plane ride home [on Saturday] was lots of good energy, a much-needed win and I think everyone just could kind of exhale and enjoy it.”

On being injury free through 10 games
“It's amazing, man. It's nice to not be the one sidelined this year. We've had a few injuries here and there, but it's been a complete blessing and I'm just grateful that I've been able to stay healthy.”

On putting up 500+ yards on Boise State’s defense
To be honest, I didn't even know they were the number one passing defense. The plan was to just go out and do our thing. I think we've been doing that as a receiver group all year and then we just went out and did it again. We are going to execute and control what we can control.”

On the downfield blocking of the wide receiving core
“Something that we harp on a lot in our room is making a big play a bigger play. You see these big plays and if a corner or safety is making the play 20 or 25-yards down the field, if a receiver is able to make that block this could be a touchdown. We've all bought into that. “

“The second thing is an offense and especially in the receiver room it's about loving each other so much that if Hinckley's catching the ball out of the backfield or if Puka is catching a bubble-screen, I don't want my guy to make the play. I want Puka to go get however many yards or a touchdown or wherever he's going to get. So, it's about loving your teammates and sacrificing the spotlight or a catch for their sake.”