Opening Segment:
Dickson: “It’s hard to say what crosses the line. As a journalist you try to stay impartial but with the days of social media it’s hard to do that.”
Dickson: “You look at former players who have access to the team, they’re on the field for practice, then they can go report in their stories. It’s hard to say whether or not their a journalist or an alum.”
Nitty Gritty:
Dickson: “The biggest story for me was that Taysom Hill was healthy enough to participate in spring drills with the exception of 11-on-11.”
Dickson: “And if Taysom needed to he probably could participate in 11-on-11, he said that he would be able to start in a game if the team was playing.”
Dickson: “What’s interesting about team unity is that the guys who are saying that they are leaders are guys who were followers last year. I feel like that change is because of what they saw sitting in the passenger seat last year.”
Jorgensen: “The reason that BYU has to talk about team unity is because there has been an issue with it the last few years.”
JD Jorgensen: “The players aren’t the only ones who are saying it either. Bronco is bringing it up as well so it shows that their is a problem.”
Dickson: “Badger is a guy who had a very telling interview last week with what he said about the secondary last year.”
Dickson: “With Bronco taking over the defense there’s going to be a little more focus.”
Jorgensen: “Jaime Hill was an incredible secondary coach, not a good defensive coordinator.”
Jorgensen: “I don’t know that there’s been unity among the coaching staff until the recent hires that came in.”
Jorgensen: “Mitch Mathews has been talking a lot about leadership, he was there back in 2009 and said that this is the first season that feels like that 2009 season.”
Jorgensen: “When your best players aren’t your best leaders. That’s not good for a football team.”
Jorgensen: “When your leader isn’t spending extra time in the film room, when your leaders aren’t the first guys to show up on the field, it trickles down to the rest of the team.”
JD Jorgensen: “Alex Smith was the best player and the best leader on our team. He would be at the practice facility at 9 AM and I’d see him leaving at 10:30 PM.”
Dickson: “It’s difficult to be a leader when you’re rolling around on a scooter.”
Dickson: “The entire team dynamic had to recover after Taysom was injured.”
Jorgensen: “The team was on a good track until Taysom was hurt last year.”
Jorgensen: “When your seniority and your leadership come together in one, it makes a difference.”
Ben Criddle Interview:
Criddle: “Right now they’re doing some half field skelley’s some 2-on-3 skelly’s.”
Criddle: “We were addressed by Bronco Mendenhall in a Q&A and one of the things that was brought up was missing out on former player’s sons. Bronco said we weren’t behind the 8-ball, that we were out in front trying to recruit these young men.”
Criddle: “The only competitive drills were among the defensive backs, they were doing a sumo drill.”
Criddle: “The sumo drill is where they go in a hoola hoop that is 5 ft in diameter, two guys line up a yard from each other and they run into each other and try to push the other guy outside the circle.”
Criddle: “Chris Badger looked great in that drill, it was competitive and it was fun to see.”
Criddle: “Coach Howell was calling people out and saying if they didn’t want to be apart of this drill you could go do three step footwork with Coach Bradley.”
Criddle: “That’s the best way to find out who the alpha male is in the group, you have headhunters in the group and play makers who will get it done.”
Jorgensen: “How much do you think that Coach Howell is trying to breed out the attitude the secondary had last year?”
Criddle: “That’s exactly what it is. The BYU backfield has the history of being physical and hard nosed.”
Criddle: “It’s a decent turn out, not a great one, but it’s a Friday afternoon so it’s understandable that some guys weren’t there.”
Criddle: “Derik Stevenson showed up and he gave Bronco a hug after the Q&A.”
Criddle: “Taysom just led another drive and threw a TD pass in 7-on-7 to Terenn Houk, the WR’s are torching the secondary right now.”
JD Jorgensen: “The one criticism I have of Taysom Hill is that he doesn’t have much touch.”
Criddle: “Right, he’s so muscle bound, he’s an athletic freak. He’s a guy who would show up to the combine and run a 4.4 and bench 30+ reps.”
Criddle: “How do you hold Taysom Hill accountable? You tell him to go through his progressions, make his read, but can you bench him?”
Criddle: “Micah Hannemann has been stepping up, he just made a great read on a ball and picked off a Taysom Hill pass in the flat.”
Dickson: “The threat that Taysom might run is just as powerful as him actually taking off and running. The defense has to respect that.”
Jorgensen: “Do you think that this secondary struggles because of youth or lack or talent or just because of how good the receivers are?”
Criddle: “I’m watching these guys practice and I think a lot of it is the talent of the receivers. Kurtz just made a fantastic play on a ball by elevating over G. Juergens.”
Criddle: “The front seven is good, the question is how much of a pass rush they can get going.”
Cougar Insider Report:
JD Jorgensen: “Can you blame Troy? You look at what players want in swag, in shoes, the facility at Oregon, it is a top-10 program.”
Dickson: “When I saw the offers that started coming in on him, I thought, ‘Yeah, BYU isn’t going to get him.'”
JD Jorgensen: “The BYU experience might not be what he’s looking for and Oregon offers so much more.”
JD Jorgensen: “The only atmosphere that can beat Autzen stadium is down in the SEC.”
JD Jorgensen: “I went to the game against Utah last year and these kids are wearing custom KD’s custom Jordan’s all in Oregon colors, the swag is unbelievable.”
Jorgensen: “Not only the swag, but they are one of the top teams in the nation
Dickson: “When he left he said that he wasn’t in a rush to make a choice, he got there then he ended up committing on the spot.”
Jorgensen: “I’m sure they put on the full court press, they probably treat recruits better than NFL, why not get him to commit then and there?”
JD Jorgensen: “I talked to an Oregon player who took a ‘Uncle Phil’s’ private jet, they had a steak meal prepared for him, it was hard to turn down.”
Jorgensen: “It was very telling when Ben tweeted out that Troy probably committed to Oregon because they develop DB’s while Fred came to BYU because they develop LB’s.”
Jorgensen: “It would’ve been hard for me to play at BYU if I came out of HS while JD was playing at Utah.”
5:00 Segment:
JD Jorgensen: “I for one am disappointed that BYU and Utah aren’t playing anymore.”
Darnell: “You look at the rivalries across the nation, Texas-Texas A&M, Nebraska-Iowa, it’s disappointing that so many of these teams aren’t playing, let alone talking anymore.”
Jorgensen: “If Troy’s goal is to go to the NFL, Oregon is a better option for him.”
JD Jorgensen: “Oh definitely, Oregon probably came out with that, they’ve had success with DB’s. BYU used to do it with the QB position.”
JD Jorgensen: “Mission or no mission, you won’t find a kid coming out of HS who doesn’t have ambitions to play in the NFL or NBA.”
Dickson: “If he doesn’t go to a mission, those two years make a difference whether or not he’s going to play pro.”
Dickson: “I think it’s important for all the players to take account into their education, football only lasts so long.”
JD Jorgensen: “I’ve gone to a lot of Georgia games the last few years, during halftime some coaches stayed out during halftime and were pointing out on the jumbotron all the Dawgs who had gone to the NFL.”
JD Jorgensen: “Right now, that’s something that BYU might not be able to do because they have struggled putting kids in the NFL.”
Dickson: “Jordan Leslie transferred to BYU because he knew that it was important to set himself up for the rest of his life and getting his education in order.”
Jorgensen: “I would’ve never came to BYU until I went on my mission and my perspective changed.”
5:30 Segment:
JD Jorgensen: “I firmly believe that outside of the SEC Devontae Booker is the best RB in the nation.”
JD Jorgensen: “Chase Hansen isn’t as talented as Taysom but he’s a similar player in that he throws the ball well, can extend plays with his legs, he is someone that I’m really excited about.”
JD Jorgensen: “They say that Travis is the guy, but has he done enough to remain as the starter this year?”
Jorgensen: “I think that Kendall Thompson, Travis Wilson, and Chase Hansen are all going to get some playing time.”
Dickson: “I was surprised when Chase committed to Utah, his Dad was a BYU linebacker, and I know what Utah has done in the past for switching guys over to the defensive side of the ball, but kudos to him for cementing himself as a QB on that team.”
JD Jorgensen: “I’m not concerned about the defense, that is Kyle’s defense. Kyle taught Sitake and he’ll have Coach Peace run the same defense.”
JD Jorgensen: “I’m excited for Justin Ena, it sounds like he is a young up-and-comer in the coaching world.”
Random Thoughts:
Jorgensen: “I think that the NFL has to be very careful to put a woman out there as a referee. The referee’s have to be a peacemaker, it’s more than understanding the rules and calling penalties. But I hope that they chose the right person.”
Jorgensen: “In my experience, I’ve had a couple women referee’s. There’s an interesting dynamic where they have to compensate and try to force the men to respect them.”
Jorgensen: “Do I think it’s impossible to do? No. But I don’t think it’s the right thing to do.”
Dickson: “Being an official at the professional level is not an easy job and I hope they did their due diligence to find out if she is going to be the best person for the job.”
