Bronco Mendenhall Show

[Spaz]

A quick synopsis of most of the comments from the BM show last night (10/29):

Note - I take no responsibility for misinterpreted comments, either from myself or from your interpretation of what is written here.





-Players having fantastic week of practice.
-Talking about the nice weather. Ugh - don't talk about the weather!!!!!
-"Best two practices of the year."
-CSU: good running game, down-the-field passing game off run.
-CSU has a very good TE.
-UNLV: Fantastic game, really enjoyed it.
-Really proud of ability to win close games. Players expected to win the game.

Injuries: Shiloah Te'o concussion, probably won't play Saturday. Tafuna separated shoulder in practice, if he can't play, Rich will start w/ Pendleton 2nd string.

Andrew Rich: playing very well, were anticipating & can now play more snaps, will see increased role.


Fan questions:
"Trying to schedule a game w/ Oregon State?"
-Haven't. Schedule already set pretty well, but possibly in the future.

"Motivating team: refer to people who've motivated you?"
-Seldom use personal experience. Usually through reading/stories/history - likes broader tools & likes teaching history at the same time. Likes military history quite a bit.
-Talked a bit about Wooden's willingness to admit mistakes & learn from others. That leads to prolonged success.
-Wooden's salary entire career (10 National Champs): $35K/yr, quit in '75. BM has considered Salary, but not his primary focus. Wooden left due to media scrutiny (that resonated with Bronco).

"Anae's O: when getting pressured what does the O use to deter/exploit that?"
-Three things:
1. Draw run. Isn't first choice.
2. Slip screens - RB leaking out w/ blockers. Isn't a priority.
3. Try to get 5 receivers out in as many routes as possible. Use RB to "chip block" primary rusher to delay him, and then get him out in route. First choice.
-Didn't execute well v. TCU.
-Distribution is getting better. O works best with good distribution. Need to carry that through remaining games.

"Shift from 'fanatical effort' to 'workanlike effort'?"
-We want both, workmanlike with fanatical effort w/ emotion on gameday.
-Real Focus on position mastery last 6 days. This needs to be workmanlike.
-Mastery leads to confidence leads to emotion leads to fanatical effort.
-Had to back up last 6 practices to tighten up execution/mastery.

"What do you look for when watching game film?"
-Lot of things, view diff. as HC than DC.
-Watch every play of every player, execution within scheme, appropriate calls being made in relation to the situation.
-Measured scheme against opponent, take lessons learned into next week.
-Watch game immediately after game. Watched in staff meetings. Monday, talk about what needs to be corrected w/ players.

"Sorensen kicking OOB - Injury?"
-Justin frustrated, not hurt, just had one of those days. Not lack of preparation or effort.

"Vicious hit Rich on WR - Sanford upset, your reaction?"
-Rule's intent to protect defenseless player, player not looking, contact made above shoulders, etc.
-Intent of hit...not malicious, may be where official drew line. Could have been argued either way.
-Doesn't fault Sanford for sticking up for players, would have done the same.

"Collie's return."
-Really nice start to the game. Indicative of way players prepared for the week.
-Still work to do.

"Have you remained in contact with Lavelle, talk to him after TCU game?"
-Haven't talked to him in 3-4 weeks, he has a sense of when to show up, wouldn't mind seeing him & getting his perspective.

Talk about CSU coaching staff. I don't care much, so I'm not paying attention.

"Gartrell Johnson not fumbled in forever."
-Brought that up with pro scouts this week.

-CSU pretty good offensively. Similar to UNLV in improvement.

-League getting better, gap is closing.

"What do you consider to be an acceptable 'casualty rate' from recruiting classes?"
-Standard I hold myself to is zero. It's a personal & program failure when one leaves.
-Yet to be a set of parents who hasn't wanted player to stay. (maybe except Kessman!)
-Believe when they choose to leave in relation to a standard or challenge, that standard or challenge will manifest itself at another time/place until they learn to handle it. I would just as soon be the person to help them through it rather than have them not face up to it at that particular time. I'm committed to these kids to help them through all that. Agency/choice, most critical learning sometimes happens through that choice.
-3 or 4 per class I make mistakes on.
-Always difficult to balance recruits vs. walk-ons already on the team. If I ever err, I'll always err on the side of players already on the team first.

"Criteria to earn scholarships."
-Play their way into 2-deep through a fall (not injury).
-3.0 GPA.
-Represent EXACTLY ALL program's core values, EVERYWHERE they go.

"Defense: 1st came, intensity, attacking, aggressiveness. This year's doesn't seem to have that killer, go-for-the-jugular mentality. Personnel or what?"
-Certainly has to do with style of play - 1st came lots of blitzing, effective with yardage & total yards.
-Learned as HC points more important than yards, execution more important with managing that.
-O's spread field, made us be more sound in terms of option & throwing football, combo been more difficult on us, HAD US ON OUR HEELS, lost some of that aggressive nature, had us responding instead of dictating. Assessment can't be applied to first games. Styles recently played had something to do with it.
-Looking to get aggressiveness back, better execution & confidence will get it back, need to work on it.

"When do you change urgency for scoring/defending score?"
-10 no, 14-17, changes need to be made.

"Any news on final game next year?"
-There is news, can't talk about it yet.
-Teaser for next week. Most likely a road game. Got word today about a possibility.
-Different game than @ Tulane

"When you prepare for a team, do you focus on a team's weaknesses or strengths?"
-Our strengths/weaknesses first.
-Then, if time left, focus on what opponent does.
-Does work to see what opponent does & how we match up.
-Focusing on opponent 1st, your identity changes week to week, which leads to decrease in execution.

"CSU game important. Have to be at very best"
-Gaining momentum, gained more from last two games than previous six from quality of opponent, nature of the win, what we've learned about our team.
-CSU improved, very difficult game for us.
-Team that performs the best & improves the most down the stretch will be the one left at the end.

[bigpiney]

thanks