Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
PROVO — Getting into trouble during a college football team's bye week is pretty standard on most campuses for some players. Ohio State suspended one of their quarterbacks J.T. Barrett following his arrest for drinking and driving.
The trouble BYU's punter Jonny Linehan got into with his wife, BYU soccer player Marissa Nimmer Linehan, during the Cougars' bye week was a little different compared to Barrett's issues.
"Marissa asked if she could watch the (rugby) World Cup with me (New Zealand) versus Australia. New Zealand ended up winning but, I think Marissa was a little mad at some of the things I may have said during the match," Jonny Linehan said.
Linehan was elated that his home country of New Zealand won the Rugby World Cup over the weekend. Although Linehan's first love is rugby, the Auckland native has made a solid impact on the BYU football squad.
Linehan was featured as the player guest on Tuesday's Coach's show. The rugby star-turned-punter had the live audience in stitches for much of the show.
"My favorite part of being on the team is coach Mendenhall's meetings," Linehan smirked while glancing over at the coach.
Linehan's transition has been fairly smooth so far. The junior is averaging 43.9 yards a punt, and has landed 13 punts inside the 20-yard line. Linehan also has a fake punt to his credit.
The one transition that wasn't as smooth was Linehan's first attempt to hold the football. Mendenhall teased Linehan about how he carried the football with the tips pointed up as opposed to tucked away.
Excluding Linehan's first attempt at carrying the ball, Mendenhall has been a big fan of Linehan's efforts. Linehan has been named the Firehouse Sub's "Fire Starter of the Game" twice this season.
This week's "Fire Starter" was wide receiver David Kessler. The junior from Rancho Cucamonga, California had three receptions for 78 yards and a touchdown during BYU's rout of FCS Wagner.
Mendenhall said the bye week came at a perfect time for the team, as players are healing up. He reported that Tanner Mangum along with running backs Adam Hine and Riley Burt are close to 100-percent healthy.
Mendenhall also reported that Algie Brown is OK following a scare during the Wagner game. Brown ran into the George Q. Cannon following his third touchdown against Seahawks and bruised his shin.
Mendenhall added that he's seen multiple plans, diagrams and other suggestions to prevent similar accidents.
Joking aside, Mendenhall is ready for the challenges of the last third of the season.
The team's goals at the beginning of the season included 10 wins, a top 25 final ranking and a bowl win. Mendenhall is focusing on the present, but all of those goals are still achievable in the future. David Boyle is a student at Brigham Young University studying journalism. He is from Monticello, Utah, and is thrilled to be covering BYU football and basketball for fall 2015. Follow David on twitter @dboyle119
