Post-Christmas bowl puts crimp in BYU coach's surfing crave

With coach Bronco Mendenhall's post-practice interview session with reporters winding down this afternoon and getting a bit light-hearted (by Bronco's standards), I asked the coach if he had finished his Christmas shopping.
"Well, when we get done with this [interview], I will probably start," he said, drawing chuckles from a half-dozen or so reporters who are probably in the same boat. I know I am.
Anyway, just before that, Mendenhall was asked what impact a post-Christmas bowl has on him personally.
"I don't get to surf. It's a bummer. Might as well say it like it is, right?" he said.
After last year's New Mexico Bowl on Dec. 20, Mendenhall famously met with his offensive coaches the following Monday morning, then headed off for a vacation in Mexico.

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Friday represented the media's first chance to talk to Mendenhall about Jake Heaps' decision to transfer to Kansas, since there was no availability on Friday.
I used most of what Mendenhall had to say about the topic in my article I just filed that will be published Saturday morning (and posted online tonight), but the bottom line is that Mendenhall still cares about Heaps, wants him to be successful at Kansas, believes Kansas is going to be a good fit for the young man and thinks Heaps will benefit from being coached by Charlie Weis.
Mendenhall repeated his belief that Heaps will play in the NFL some day.

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A few more post-practice comments from the jollier-than-usual Mendenhall:

On how the last practice in Provo went:

"Things went well. We did a Thursday format, so it kind of wound down a very effective week. I like our team. They've been very consistent, really, for a long time, not only in practice but how we play.
I don't see any signs of that changing, so I am encouraged."

On whether coaches are putting in anything new, any wrinkles:

"There is always time to do it. The question is, how many of those things to chase down? We would prefer to maintain our identity and just work on the execution of things that have already proven to work. Sometimes there is room for a wrinkle or two, based on the opponent and if you have extra preparation time.
But my philosophy and approach isn't so much about the innovation. It is about the execution. So if we miss, it will be missing on the side of just what we already do well."

On which QB the Cougars have faced this year reminds him of Tulsa QB G.J. Kinne:

"I think this year the quarterbacks that New Mexico State used, and the quarterback from TCU, those two offensive styles are similar to what Tulsa runs, and their quarterback's mobility reminds me of them."

On whether Kinne is like ex-Florida State QB Christian Ponder:

"It is not so much the size. We haven't seen very many players, or the first player to him, get him down. He's very elusive, and it is not that he is flat-out fast. He just has this really nice feel for making people miss. I am just impressed. He's confident, he's poised, he's tough, and he knows where the first-down markers are, and he just finds a way to move his team. So it will be a great challenge for us. Our players respect him."

On the team's health going into the bowl game:

"It is really good. Really good. And we have managed practice to the point where we haven't put them really at risk, which is a always a balance. You hate to lose someone getting ready to play the bowl game. So heathwise, it is good. It looks like academically we are in good standing. Not all the grades are in yet. But this is kind of a unique situation because the Las Vegas Bowl, or our early bowl games, the grades coming in were never a factor.
But there is a chance -- always there is a chance -- that this one, because this game now should be after the grades are posted, or at least on the same day. But our academic staff is on top of it. So health wise, or academics wise, I think things look good."

On Jameson Frazier's health:

"We managed practice well with him, and he will have enough practices down there to get into their scheme. He's seen a lot on film. He hasn't had a lot of repetitions left, but when you have played as much as he has, it should come back quickly."

On what challenges the Tulsa offense presents to BYU:

"Just versatility. Their coach uses the word balance, which we use a lot here. When you look at their statistics, they can throw the ball and run it, and their quarterback is part of the run game, so that makes it more difficult to defend. That usually forces you to use an extra number defensively. Then when you can throw the ball as well, you don't have as many numbers to defend the pass, which sometimes leads to big plays.
They also have skill running around you. So they have schemes in terms of fly sweeps, ride G sweeps and different things like that. So they are able to attack the perimeter effectively. That's mixed with the quick screen games tool. So they not only run the ball internally, they throw it and run it externally, and then are able to go over the top of you.
So their point production goes over the top and around. So that's where we will start. Normally you start inside-out, but we will kind of start outside-in. If they score, hopefully it is on sustained drives and not on big plays."

On Tulsa scoring a lot on BYU in past games:

"The past I don't think is relevant. It was so long ago, with different coordinators, etc. While it may be an intriguing storyline, there's not much that it is the same since then."

On Tulsa's high-scoring offense presenting a challenge to BYU's defense:

"Sure, and I think they are looking forward to it. I think both teams are anxious to play a quality opponent, on a nice stage to finish the season. So a lot is at stake."

On Tulsa's offensive system:

"Well, it is effective, and if you look at following the coordinator that put it in [Gus Malzan] and his success at Auburn and other places, the elements stay, and then each coordinator tweaks it a little bit. But there's not much to change, because it works really well."

On Tulsa's defense:

"Brent guy is the defensive coordinator, so he has some familiarity with BYU, and he's a good coach. They play good defense, and have where ever he's been, including Utah State when they played against us here. So yeah, it is a good team."

On the third trip to Texas this season:

"Yeah, it is great. I like it. It is fun to play great teams. So to me it is not the location, it is who you are playing. Getting to play Texas at Texas, great experience. Disappointed we were one point short. And TCU, I think that we didn't quite overcome the mistakes we made. But a good team on a big stage and so again we get another good team. Different stage, but it is great. It is good for our program."

Source: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/blogsbyusports/53177235-65/mendenhall-bowl-tulsa-practice.html.csp

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