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Multiple defensive personnel combinations highlighted BYU's second day of camp Monday--a session shorter than Saturday's 3 1/2 hour-plus marathon. On another blazing hot wind-less afternoon in Provo, the Cougars went about 2 1/2 hours in their last practice before the pads go on Tuesday morning.
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You can hear post-practice interviews with head coach Bronco Mendenhall and OLB coach Kelly Poppinga by going to their respective links in the "Cougar Cuts" box to the right. You can also hear post-practice comments from OLB Kyle Van Noy, C Terence Brown and RB Bryan Kariya.
Mendenhall said the team was "not as excited to practice as they were on Saturday," and that as a result, "it took a little while to get their attention."
"At the end, we finished with more consistency than Saturday, but the energy wasn't as high."
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There were a handful of absences on Monday. Most notably, OLB Jordan Pendleton was not present, after an impressive opening day in his first full-go, take-every-first-team- rep practice since camp two summers ago. Turns out Pendleton is sore but otherwise doing just fine--he missed practice to take care of a school assignment.
A few other players were either absent or late due to class requirements; OL Famika Anae, RB Malosi Te'o and safety Gavin Fowler apparently among them.
OLB Jameson Frazier remains out while nursing a lower abdominal strain; head trainer Kevin Morris says Frazier completed a conditioning drill and made his time this morning. Morris says Frazier is "really coming along"; it's looking like he could be back in action this week.
OLB Jadon Wagner is close to returning after a hamstring strain prior to camp.
OLB Kevan Bills is also recovering from a mild hamstring strain as is TE Matt Edwards.
TE/WR Marcus Mathews landed hard on his left shoulder in practice and suffered a muscle strain; he left practice and watched the remainder of the session with an ice wrap on the shoulder.
Meantime, RB Juice Quezada remains out after spraining an ankle two weeks ago. Morris says Quezada was doing some "hard cutting" on the ankle today and could be ready to see the field at Saturday's scrimmage or, if not then, early next week.
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The injury absences at outside linebacker led to some moving around at the SLB and WLB spots, with Kyle Van Noy taking Pendleton's place as the first-string Sam. Ezekiel "Ziggy" Ansah has been moved from the defensive line (where he was on Saturday) and returned to Will, where he was in the spring. Ansah and Tanner Cox took turns at Will, where Van Noy also spent some time while flipping over. Freshman Lene Lesatele is also seeing reps at WLB.
On the strong side, Alani Fua (absent Saturday due to family matters) was involved, as was Seth Probert, who gets his share of snaps in the two-deep.
It was hard keeping track of just who was playing where at times with the verstaile nature of the OLB rotations, and in fact coach Kelly Poppinga told me that at some point, the SLB and WLB designations will likely be replaced by "left and right," with linebackers no longer playing their position based on body type or skill, but being able to fulfill all the assignments of an outside backer regardless of strength. Poppinga says he hopes to get to that point perhaps as soon as this season.
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Poppinga singled out Kyle Van Noy, who he says has "made the most plays of anybody on defense" through the first two days of camp.
"Kyle has come out in these first two days and just blown me away," says Poppinga. "He has exceeded any expectations that I had."
Poppinga says Van Noy is 12 pounds heavier now than he was at the end of last season, and now weighs 233 pounds. Van Noy "worked his butt off in the summer," says his position coach.
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The other movement positions were in the secondary, as Corby Eason went from first-string boundary corner to first-string field corner today. Preston Hadley stepped in and ran with the ones at boundary, backed up by Joe Sampson, who opened up on Saturday rotating with the safeties. At field corner, Robbie Buckner, Jordan Johnson and Cameron Comer all took turns providing depth behind Eason.
Mendenhall says the shifting and switching was because "we didn't get enough players reps (on Saturday) and we have some players...we need to see what they can do, what level of preparation and if they can make plays--especially young guys Jordan Johnson and new transfer Joe Sampson. We've got to find out what they're capable of, while they're learning the culture, while they're learning to try hard--all that stuff--we have to also find out if they can make plays."
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Practice ended with a short, three series "team session," during which Jake Heaps, Riley Nelson and James Lark each took a series.
Heaps' one drive ended with a 45-yard field goal boomed through the uprights by Justin Sorensen. Nelson threw an interception (nice diving snag by safety Mike Hague) on the first play of his series, while Lark looked good in driving his second/third-string offense down field, ending the drive with a seven-yard TD toss to Dallin Cutler. Sorensen missed the PAT after a shaky hold; his re-kick was good, and that is how practice ended.
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Stats for the team session:
Passing--
Heaps: 4/5, 31 yds
Nelson: 0/1, INT
Lark: 5/6, 36 yds, TD
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Receiving--
Falslev: 2/17
Marshall: 2/12
Hoffman: 1/10
Apo: 1/8
R. Brown: 1/7
Foote: 1/6
Cutler: 1/7, TD
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Rushing--
Kariya: 2/9
Foote: 3/14
Alisa: 2/6
Pritchard: 1/1
Heaps: 2/-6
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Rhen Brown continued to make plays today, proving to possess nice hands and toughness in traffic. Mendenhall identified Brown as a player that stood out to him on day two.
Brown is entering his junior season and has yet to record a catch as a Cougar, but if he enters the season the way he has started camp, he is bound to see the field and change that stat in a hurry. Brown could justifiably stake a current claim as the backup to Ross Apo at Z.
While he is down the depth chart, former Canadian college Freshman of the Year Dalin Tollestrup had another pair of nice grabs today. All he can do is catch the ball when it's thrown to him, and the athletic Tollestrup (6'1", 182 lbs) is doing his best to get noticed.
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During today's 30-minute special teams period at the start pf practice, the following players were fielding kicks: Ross Apo, Jordan Johnson, Cody Hoffman, J.D. Falslev, J.J. DiLuigi, Dallin Cutler, Dalin Tollestrup, Rhen Brown, McKay Jacobson, Cody Raymond and Mike Hague.
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Depth Chart, Day 2
OFFENSE
LT: Matt Reynolds, Ryker Mathews/Michael Yeck
LG: Marco Thorson, Manu Mulitalo/Houston Reynolds
C: Terence Brown, Houston Reynolds/Blair Tushaus
RG: Braden Hansen, Walter Kahaiali'i
RT: Braden Brown, Brock Stringham/Michael Yeck
TE: Austin Holt/Richard Wilson/Devin Mahina/Marcus Mathews (also X)
WR-X: Cody Hoffman/McKay Jacobson, Spencer Hafoka, Dalin Tollestrup
WR-Z: Ross Apo, Jacobson/Rhen Brown, J.D. Falslev, Dallin Cutler
WR-H: Falslev, Matt Marshall, Cody Raymond
QB: Jake Heaps, Riley Nelson, James Lark
RB: J.J. DiLuigi, Bryan Kariya, Juice Quezada (out injured--ankle), David Foote
FB: Zed Mendenhall, Michael Alisa, Iona Pritchard
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DEFENSE
LE: Graham Rowley, Hebron Fangupo, Moses Kaumatule
NT: Romney Fuga (not live)/Simote Vea, Travis Tuiloma
RE: Eathyn Manumaleuna, Mike Muehlmann/Jordan Richardson
SLB: Jordan Pendleton (absent)/Kyle Van Noy (also WLB), Seth Probert, Alani Fua/Tanner Cox
MLB: Uona Kaveinga, Austen Jorgensen, Tyler Beck
BLB: Brandon Ogletree, Spencer Hadley, Aveni Leung-Wai
WLB: Van Noy (also SLB), Connell Hess, Lene Lesatele
FC: Corby Eason, Robbie Buckner/Jordan Johnson/Cameron Comer
Kat: Daniel Sorensen, Jray Galea'i, Carter Mees
Free: Travis Uale, Mike Hague, Chase Pendley
BC: Preston Hadley, Joe Sampson, Skye PoVey/DeQuan Everett
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I left James Lark as the third-string QB on the depth chart, but there could be some shuffling behind Heaps if Lark continues his current solid play.
"Anything is possible," said Mendenhall when asked about the possibility of Lark altering the depth at backup QB. "James is doing a really nice job; he came back in excellent, excellent shape. I've been impressed so far."
"I'm not saying right now there will be any changes, but camp is long, and James has done a nice job for 2 days."
Meantime, Mendenhall says Heaps is performing very well as the top gun. "From this same time a year ago, it's night and day. I'm very impressed with how he's running the offense... I like where he is."
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The players will hold their first morning session of camp on Tuesday, beginning at 10:15. Players who participated in two helmeted practices will be in shoulder pads tomorrow; players who are on only their second practice will be in helmets only. Every player's third and fourth practices are "shells" (helmets/shoulder pads); full pads are allowed starting with the fifth practice.
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While not commenting on Davis HS lineman Troy Hinds by name in fielding a well-couched question about the Hinds commitment to BYU, Mendenhall confirmed he had received some "great news" earlier in the day.
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"The Power and the Passion": BYU Football on KSL Newsradio, your Radio Home of the Cougars.
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