Mendenhall: We Are Excited to Go Back to Vegas

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BYU Head Coach Bronco Mendenhall

Opening Remarks

Good morning. Based on the announcement that has been made, we are playing in Las Vegas. We are excited to be going back to Vegas and maybe more importantly, I think it’s the best match-up since I’ve been the head coach. The Las Vegas Bowl is getting two ranked teams of two very good programs. When you scan through the list of bowl games, I think it could be one of the most compelling match-ups of the bowl season, so we’re excited to play.

Our preparations will be, we will practice every day this week, and really every day from here all the way through the bowl game other than Sundays, with a chance to get some young players developed, but also a chance to improve our football team and our program. We’re excited about it and looking forward for a chance to play another game.

Can you compare the health of your team this time as compared to last year?

I think it’s the healthiest we’ve been, maybe going into any of these games. I think we’ve managed the season as well as we could. Certainly last week we gave our players a chance to heal up, as well as work on some conditioning and strength. If we manage from here to the game appropriately, I think we’ll be the healthiest we’ve been and give us our best chance to play, maybe to our capabilities.

The practice schedule there on-site would have to be a little bit different because Sunday, and then it’s a Tuesday game. Can you describe how you are going to break this down on-site?

We’ve already changed quite a bit because in the past years we hadn’t used this week as an entire practice week. So we’re going to use every day starting today through Saturday, knowing that we’re going to lose Sunday there, knowing that it is a Tuesday game. So basically we will have the equivalent of two weeks of preparation with two Monday practices, two Tuesday practices, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, etc. The unique thing that you’re mentioning is that Sunday seems to fit where a Thursday practice normally would. So we’ll try to get that under our belts here before we go and then handle it appropriately after that. The other thing that will be a little bit unique is that we’re working with the bowl committee right now on Sunday activities. Normally there are certain events that the team is required to go to or asked to go to, which are great things that the players have a lot of fun at. In this particular year to have it in such a short window, some of those things happen on Sunday, so we’re trying to manage that the best we can with Church service opportunities, etc.

Could you comment on TCU vs. Boise State, in that they don’t get to play an automatic qualifier. Just the philosophy behind that and do you have a comment on that?

I do have a comment, and the comment is that any of us in the Mountain West Conference or the WAC, and I can’t speak for everyone, but for my sentiment, I would have loved to see both of them play an automatic qualifier. I think it’s the safest thing in terms of those that are proponents of the current system and you run a lot less risk if TCU were to play a BCS qualifier and win and if Boise State were to play a qualifier and win. So, while the game is an exceptional game and while both teams have earned the right to be there, being undefeated, I certainly would have preferred to see the other match-ups. I am sure the nation at large would probably feel similar.

Coach, last year after the game you maybe underestimated the effect of going there four-straight times would have on the excitement level of our team. Will that change this year?

I think it will. I have already talked to our seniors about it. We have learned a lot of lessons in our program and I count that as another one of the lessons learned. It doesn’t mean that Arizona wasn’t a good team, doesn’t have a good program. And I think they’re showing, from where they’ve finished last year, they have continued and maybe we were the first to find out the kind of program they were starting to develop. But I do think that with the hope and all of the predictions, etc. of probably being a BCS game and then finding ourselves back in Vegas—it was more of that than just being back in Vegas. I think just the opposite will be in place this year – we’re playing a very good football team, a team that I know our players are excited to play, and I think that in and of itself has them chomping at the bit to get back to Las Vegas, and to play well. I think none of us felt like we played to our full potential a year ago, so that in and of itself is a motivating factor to go back and maybe do it at a higher level.

Can you talk about your though process about Max’s comments and if you ever thought to suspend him?

First of all, in terms of the chronological order, as you know, I come in right after the game and meet with the press, etc. I found out, maybe right before the TV-Radio show I do right after the game. And number one, the comments; I can’t say they surprised me because I know how hard the entire year was for Max. Not only the events of last year’s game, but then really the comments and things that have happened the entire year. Unfortunately, Max didn’t use great judgment and expressed those sentiments and thoughts in front of a public format. That in and of itself was discouraging and disappointing, however, he has grown from it. I am positive that he has, and not only do I think he doesn’t need a suspension, but I think he’s learned and grown and probably become someone maybe better than he currently was by going through that experience. Unfortunately it was a very painful experience, but that in and of itself was plenty punishment from my perspective.

Is that a teaching opportunity for the rest of your team as to how to conduct themselves after a game and events and such?

Sure. What is very clear is that sometimes you don’t say exactly how you feel, especially in public situations. Max is one that is very honest and straight forward regardless of situations, and that in and of itself, I don’t think there is a member in this room that understands or expects someone to say exactly how they feel in a public format like that and that’s a difficult concept for Max. In terms of have we made it a big deal about our team? I haven’t mentioned it. It’s been mentioned between Max and myself only and it didn’t need to be mentioned. Everyone understood exactly what happened and why and our program will move forward because of it.

This is the first time you will face your Alma Mater as a head coach, do you see this as a similar feeling for you in maybe facing New Mexico when you were coaching down there?

They are so far removed, there is really no resemblance nor similarities and doesn’t hold any of those same sentiments for me. It’s just another team we’re playing in a bowl game. No disrespect to them, but for me personally.

Coach, you left Corvallis 13 years ago. Any ties whatsoever remain to that program and that administration?

None that I know of. I haven’t been back on campus since I was part of the staff that was released there under Jerry Pettibone. So I haven’t been back as a player, a coach, a tourist, or alumni since that time, however I have grown to know Mike Riley and his wife. Holly and I have met them on a number of occasions and we’re very impressed and consider them very good friends. That’s the closest tie that I have, and that’s really all I could say.

Have you done any preliminary work on Oregon State yet?

All of our graduate assistants will finish putting all their information today, so the coaches will start tomorrow.

Coach, it’s been a while since BYU has played Oregon State – the last time was when you were playing for them. You know the PAC-10 well, and have played a lot of teams, but you haven’t played Oregon State for a while, what does that do for your program?

I think it makes it more fun. There is certainly a level of uncertainty in what their personnel is like, how it will match-up against our personnel. We know their coaches and we know how well they have done and how well their team will be prepared. Any time you play a team with no history in recent years, there is a little bit more of an edge that comes to the game, and a little bit more uncertainty.

This is your fifth-straight Las Vegas Bowl, but you are going to play five different opponents, you’ve played a lot of PAC-10 teams in the regular season. Are there any lessons across the board that you have learned that you can apply here?

No, just that the Mountain West Conference is matching up very well against the PAC-10. The PAC-10 has excellent coaches, excellent players, but hardly does as well. So that’s why I mentioned in my opening remarks, this match-up. If you look at ranked opponents, and the successful programs are not only having this year, but have had, I think they’ll draw a lot of attention as it should.

Getting back to the last game, it was a very hard-fought game with many personal fouls on both sides. Did your team come out of that with maybe a little bit better understanding of what they’re capable of doing on an intense level, did you learn anything from that game?

Certainly. Not only that game, but if you were to marry that game with the Air Force game and then take the fun and passion that was being played with and clean play in Air Force and add the intensity of the rivalry game, without some of the lack of poise or composure issues, I think that would be the ideal we’d shoot for against Oregon State.

When you see orange and black and see that program do you have pleasant memories?

It feels like a different lifetime, which it was. Maybe anyone you would talk to probably would describe me differently then as well. As maybe many of us, but memories were pleasant and I learned a lot of valuable lessons and it was a very formative stage, not only of my life, but of my career.

As an alumnus, did you follow Oregon State for a number of years as a fan?

I really didn’t. Once I left there as a coach, I just kept working the coaching thing. Sometimes just the nature of doing this job, it’s hard to keep track of 123 players, managers, equipment people, coaches, their families, player’s wives – so we have pretty much an all-inclusive job, my wife and me, of keeping track of everyone.