Kalani Sitake on "explosive" SMU team, friendship with Rhett Lashlee | BYU Football | SMU vs. BYU

uh back to Monday again good to see you guys um excited about uh the weekend about the season starting and and uh being one and0 looking forward to to the next game um after watching the film and kind of evaluating our performance saw that there's a lot of things that we can prove on I think I said that in the in the post game but um really feel that you know confirming that we can we can uh play better and play cleaner but really proud of the way the guys played overall and uh it's one of those difficult times where you look at the teams that played FCS opponents um you know sudden Illinois is a team that went went to the playoffs won their first game went into second round and played against uh I think lost an overtime close game to Idaho who who you guys saw what they did against Oregon you know so uh these games thought we had the right approach to to um take it serious and like I said I have a lot of lot of appreciation for what they do at their level and and how dangerous they could be you know beating the last two FBS opponents in Northwestern and Northern Illinois so um glad the guys uh were excited about the the game but also took it as a as a a challenge but a lot of room to improve still uh excited about the next step now and uh going on the road and playing against SMU um you know looking at the the the first game against Southern Illinois obviously we we need to get some things better and if I'm going to say on on defense what we can do is is um got to control the quarterback run game um we're going to see a lot of that especially this week um and then offensively uh finish drives um find ways to capitalize on some opportunities um special teams I felt like we had some really good returns that were set up and we just need to catch the ball to get that going but uh stuffed a a fake punt which was really good and and after missing the first field goal I like the fact that Will was able to come back and and and uh and and still have his his mind right to make the next two so uh we obviously there's room for improvement we know what they how to fix them looking forward to getting started on that with today's practice and now going against SMU uh you know the head coach is a good friend of mine Rett Lashley he's got he he's he's an amazing coach he knows how to run run an offense call a game and and run a program and so I think he's one of the uh one of the best coaches in college football and so uh you know he's done a great job with that program and um it's going to be tough for us to go in there and then play against them but we have to get some things fixed in order for us to be at our best so we I know they they have a really explosive team and and um and and are favorite in this game so uh you know this is an opportunity for our guys to to get in get in there and and and figure out ways to get better and improve and and then you know take on and uh a very impressive SMU team so looking forward to the matchup uh have a lot of uh uh respect for their program and their coach and their their staff and they have really good athletes I mean I mentioned the quarterbacks they have they have a few quarterbacks that can play you know and then we' seen them on film and uh they're very active very athletic and they can throw the ball too so it's going to be difficult but we're looking forward to the challenge so what questions do you guys have for me thanks coach we'll take questions from Jared Lloyd and then Kevin Reynolds CL I want to start out asking uh for a health update for the team obviously first of all with with Jay Hills how's he doing and and then across the board with the team how are you guys helped wi yeah Jay's doing great um you know we're we're off and working and getting ready for SMU um the the guys no uh no season ending injuries so that was good um we have some guys that are banged up it was a game it was physical and um and and uh so we'll see about uh but right now everybody looks like they're on on uh on target to play this game this weekend um I think we you know adding Darius back on is going to be good for us on offense but uh we we have a number of guys that we can we can count on to help us make plays I'm looking forward to seeing them improve and and some guys get healthier during the week but right now anticipating everybody making the trip I also wanted to ask just philosophically how you approach the chess match uh you know the first the goal every week is to win that game but at the same point you don't want to show everything in the Playbook you know to the next opponent so how do how do you kind of balance those two things I think that's what you do in Camp is you want to put everything you install your entire offense and defense for the most part you definitely get the foundation laid and then after that you kind of pick and choose what you want to do against that opponent and then you can go back and and and change a few things but we we have film on everything that we want to do this year we'll add a couple things but you have to be careful about that especially on a short week like this one this we're playing the game on Friday so uh you can't really treat it one less day for us to to to prep for the game but um it's not one of these save it for the next it's it's everyone has their own plan for every every game and every week and and the matchups and so uh you know we we felt great about our plan going into this game against in week one and now we have to adjust and see what we're going to do against SMU but you can't just throw things away and just start all brand new so it's not a clean slate it's just let's let's let's have our identity that we like and then some things that we can change up and that we think can be maybe helpful in in our matchup but it's it's when you look at it Personnel wise they got they got all the talent we just got to make sure that we can match it he colani uh you mentioned a little earlier I was just wondering are you expecting to see both quarterbacks this week from BYU and are you preparing for that possibility with both Preston Stone and Kevin Jennings yeah I think you have to be prepared for all of it so I mean that that's just kind of how the game football works and so uh I think they have to prepare for it and we have to prepare for it and and from what I saw uh this last week they they have uh a bunch of quarterbacks that can play and they can they can run and and can can uh H run that offense effectively and just to followup um did you when's your relationship with Rett Lashley start did it go back to that 2022 bowl game or was it before that when you when you guys first yeah that's actually the first time that we able to get sit down and and and in that bowl game we were able to hang out and and and you know share a meal together and then I was really impressed with him got be around him and his family just and then there's there's these coaching events that you do in Pebble Beach and things like that he's a great golfer I'm not so I mean he's there's a lot of things that I can learn from him especially in in the golf world but he's he's got a brilliant mind when it comes to football this guy knows how to how the game works um he's got a great relationship with Gus Maan and so like you see where his coaching tree comes from and and what he's done as a player and what he's done as a coach and a play caller so uh I've always I'm a football junkie so I like guys that that I that are really good coaches and I study him but more than anything is I admire what he does and then then I meet him in person and I and I I see like man this is a really good dude and and and I I like I like being friends with him so I just you know we just have to compete against each other this week but man he he he is a great human being great family and I think he's doing a great job leading that SMU team next we'll have a questions from Sean Walker and then Jay catch yeah coach following up on the the quarterback talk a little bit um and you touched on the sum after the game some but what's Gary's role kind of with this team now that it's codified and solidified and out there with Jake as qb1 and and Gary backing him up do you maybe specifically do you hope to play maybe a little bit more than he did against Southern Illinois or what's what's kind of your sort of take on where he's at yeah we we know what we're doing I'm not going to tell you guys our game plan you guys going to just you know SMU has a has the ability to watch this too so you guys are trying to give it away man just we we're know what we got we know the talent that we have on our team and there's always a threat of him being on the field well you talked about wanting to be able to defend the QB Run game in particular a little bit better is that go more to coaching you guys up on how to do it spying the quarterback what are you going to do to defend that well I think that's just kind of a difficulty in in in football if you watched over the weekend A lot of people had a hard time doing that so I think more specifically is is uh you know looking at game one uh we we had a difficult time they when they got most of their chunk yard at quarterback run game I think that's where they got all most of their run run run yards so one was a QB actual run he turned into a touchdown he broke some tackles um and so that one was more technique and uh fundamentals and then the other one was um when he was able to scramble and create with his feet um and broke the pocket so I I think you see that he he's been able I mean they they could have done a little bit more but I think we had to make that shift of just being aware of the quarterback and I think when you're going into a time where quarterbacks don't get touched and and um week one's always going to be a difficult one where where guys are still trying to get used to rushing the pocket as everywhere they're telling the guys to stay off the quarterback and don't touch the quarterback in the pocket and so it's hard to simulate that pocket presence and even if you go hit um the Scout quarterbacks and try to do that you're going not going against the same type of o line and same type of scheme so it's really difficult to simulate it but um it's why we've tried to have quarterbacks be live in the past and maybe we need to liven up the quarterback this this this week against the scouts so we can get used to it but I think that's just uh the adjustment I think um there's a lot of variables that go into it but we're addressing them right now because we're going to see it this week and so we need to have have an answer for It On a related note how did you feel about your defensive lines performance overall two sacks seven tackles for loss yeah and I thought they got some knock back up front against it's a really veteran o line group that uh they're returning most of their starters you know I think all four four out of the five starters were returning and and the fifth guy they brought in that has has experience so um our guys we we challenged them to be physical and and to you execute their assignment they did it and um really proud of our our coaches getting them in place but this one game we got to you know can you can you be consistent and do it week to week and can you do it play to play uh the we've asked them to be is physical so that's that's going to be good for us the the uh there's still mistakes that we've made and and that's for the entire front but um as long as we have the concentration the guys are the desire to want to be physical and make plays I think we we got a we got a a real good start with week one but there's a lot of misplays too we had some missed opportunities for socks and interceptions things like that so we've got to capitalize on all that we go Harper and then J Drew banii how has Chase Roberts evolved as a receiver this year compared to his early years in the program I think he's just he's uh he's he's just maturing in in the offense I think he understands it a little bit more every year that you get to be in this offense I think you're going to going to no I mean he he's he in when he first started playing you like got one position now I know on the on the roster He's listed as as as as a certain position but he can play all of them including the tight end spot so that that's huge weapon for us when we can have guys that that can be flexible and versatile and use them different ways it's kind of what we did with puka um we could do that with all our receivers I think you can see fessie as he's working through all his all his receivers is really cool to see all those guys working and filling in for Darius that was missing in that game and now we get him back so uh fess's got his whole group that he can work with and Chase happens to be one of the most veteran guys now there was a time when he was a freshman and still learning from the veterans too and that's part of the development and in the process of becoming a great receiver and I think he's headed that way and I wanted to ask a different question um you know this this match up being a a power four on power four match up last time you guys played it was Independence versus AAC I'm curious would you like to see eventually the power teams just play 12 power conference games and maybe not worry about the FCS and group of five games just do P4 on P P4 going forward in the the future because you're already at 10 games already in the season I think that's a question for Big 12 and um Big 12 leadership and and BYU Administration I whatever they line up that's what we go play so I'm I'm I like playing the best too so I don't mind it and um but yeah I I'm not not sure I I don't know where it's going to go from here but uh I don't I don't mind playing against teams that that that uh have I mean if you look at it if it was a problem then there' be no one in the FCS beating FBS teams or g5s beating p5s p4s and so you're seeing that happen it's just it's hard to predict these games and that's why I don't mind playing them all so it doesn't matter to me whatever whatever shows up whatever they decide that's what we'll do colani my question is similar to Jake's on the defensive line but mine is on the linebackers how did uh Glaser tager uh Jack Kelly I think those were the three starters how did they kind of grayed out how how what did you think of their performance yeah they they grayed out really good I mean that the the defense there's still some plays to be made but overall they they did some really good things um they feel really comfortable in the system in the scheme and um it was it's just a lot different having those guys there that that know what they're doing now um and it's it's it's night and day difference when you get have get to spend more time in this in the system so uh I think there's more should be done with those guys I I like that we rotated and used uh fresh bodies you know and you had you had Chay coming in and playing and you had ice Mo playing son MOA playing so there's a lot of guys that we can still BR bring in um Cera was playing that position too so uh we feel like there's that's a deep position group for us and a lot of guys that have playmaking ability so I feel really good about about the entire front seven there's just a few things to clean up and a few things that we can definitely improve on but the the effort the energy and the the talents there so you guys have played a Thursday Friday night game before is it's not optimal especially when you're traveling but is that really an advantage or are you guys even concerned with kind of the fact you have to play a DAT earlier than normal no we knew the schedule ahead of time we we we've applied all the science to it and we've adjusted our schedules we're going to be fine I felt like the guys looked good on on game night on Saturday and and so we we're adjusting our schedule and you know these guys had the Sabbath to go worship and and spend time with their families and now we're back to work and we'll be ready to roll by the time we get to Friday we'll take a couple more questions from Jared Lloyd and then Jay catch L you talked about how there are things you want to work on obviously clean up from game one I I'm curious about some of the little details that maybe we don't talk a lot about just wonder what your evaluation and Pro that needs to happen as far as getting the play calls out clock management you know play calling trans you know not not getting too predictable things like that how do you kind of evaluate that and look at that after game one going into game two I think everybody looks at the T their Tendencies and self Scout uh we we we do that as well so we have uh good people that here that work for us here and we give them all these assignments and uh helps us out so we know uh what our Tendencies are but I mean sometimes it just uh you know tend encies are made to be broken sometimes too so it's it's the entire understanding what you're about but also understanding your identity and not stepping away from it and I know there's a goal and what we want to accomplish on the offensive side and and we mentioned I mentioned that to you guys before going into the game that we have an idea of what we're going to do and how we're going to execute it and then same thing happened with defense and special teams and and now we're going to adjust and now we're going to apply it to our next opponent we feel really good about our ability to do that um as coaches and as a staff and so and we combine that with our players and the leadership I think we'll be in a really good spot so I'm looking forward to the next phase and the next step and I I feel good about our preparation so we we'll see how it goes but I'm not really worried about the game being a day earlier or that it's on the road we we've planned for all of this what was your assessment of the helmet communication in game one um I mean that's the the the game goes a still a little different than the NFL where you you still need to Signal a little bit because you only have one helmet that has it and uh we're not there's not a lot of huddling going on in college football and so I I mean yeah it's it's still it's it's good but I don't know if it's you know I don't know if they're going to adjust it and make have you allow more on the field which will definitely do away with the signal stealing stuff like that but uh the game right now we just you let us have one helmet that'll be great I think the thing that's been really cool is the tablets on the on the sideline it's been nice for our players to see and and uh before you'd have to get the communication from upstairs on what what actually happened and what they saw from from their point of view seeing all all 22 players and now they can actually see it from the from the film and that's that's awesome that we're able to use that technology and that both teams can do that why SM seems to use a lot of RPO action in their offense did you you get any tune up with that with what something Illinois ran or is it kind of a new look this week well I think there's there's a there's some similarities in different ways I mean the the the difference would be that there's a I mean there there's definitely better Talent um but I I I don't know if if it was the execution it was an issue as I would like to say I wish we I could just say that the defense caused problems for for Southern Illinois but um you have to plan on teams being better and getting their best every week and so that that's I'm not sure if sudden Illinois gave us their best uh in terms of offense and and their execution but we just have to imagine that everyone's going to be better than than what we see week to week and so I mean I I imagine that that uh Sun Illinois is going to try to be better next week and SMU is going to try to be better this week they do have two games to our one to go off of but we also have two games that we can watch and see what they do but even though I don't think the second game with them I think they just they dominated the game from the beginning so I I don't know there's much to show there other than we can see the person now the the people that they have and and what we see is a lot of talent so they've done a great job developing their talent and recruiting there so it's going to be a tough task and we're looking forward to to the matchup though how important is it for you guys to play in Texas annually just with cards to recruiting yeah I mean with the conference we get to do that and now with this non-conference game I I don't mind it so that this is uh it's something new for our guys and we we have fans in that area so we're hoping to see a lot of our our royal blue fans out there and and looking forward to the game but regardless the gamees handled on the field the players would would will be the ones competing um we just need to make sure that we get them set up to be at their best and then and uh and make sure that we we get it all lined up for the guys as as coaches go to jerem Jordan uh jerem by colani you mentioned that Jay is kind of up and running in the prep does that mean he'll call the defense this week yeah this is his defense I mean we we all work together so like I mean that this is uh the setup was so that the that the co the I mean anyone could have called the game you know and and then that's a huge compliment to to our staff on defense and the way they set it up but I thought the prep was nice and um you know it it was a good clean call sheet and so it's that's the way Jay does it and he he does a great job leading the group so uh I I anticipate him um returning to his role his his role as de coordinator and doing his his part and but I don't know if he'll be on the field or if it to be in the Box I I mean I I heard I heard the coaches start liking that Posh Life In The Box a little bit too much and maybe he's liking it up there I don't know but but uh I think I think it was a different perspective for him and and it was nice to just I I like I said after the game it was nice just to hear his voice on on the on the headphones and and and that we can kind of talk back and forth it it was good setup the the defense performed well and um I'm looking forward to getting Jay back with us fulltime and then a followup uh you play you always played SMU four times there's obviously some notable games there the New Mexico bowl of course you were involved in but I wanted to ask you as a kid what's your memory of the miracle bowl since that's one of the great games in VI history well I I think for me was I was 5 years old so I know I look older you guys but come on jeram seriously man what's my my 5 years old I didn't remember much but I remember eight years old watching the the highlights and stuff like that you know and and um I mean I I was that kind of kid though that would watch replays of games all the time so it it was cool to watch you know um the watch SMU teams then you hear all these names of the guys like Eric Dickerson and and and uh then you see like Kyle Whittingham running around out there and Jim McMahon and so yeah I was always I was always watching it but but yeah in real time I don't know didn't know much but like afterwards yeah that that's something that there's there there's some really cool um parts of that game people want to go back and I I can't believe nobody would go back and rewatch the game I don't know it's not an HD but like it's really cool stuff I I was doing that one since I was a kid just watching replays of games and and just kind of evaluating it but there's there's a really cool things like Jim McMahon not not wanting to punt you know and and just not he just kept the offense out there and and then so when I was growing up as a kid to hear those stories and then I get to ask lville about him and lvll would always great Storyteller would add a sense of humor into it and it was just a really cool thing man so it just uh the history behind it and and now knowing being in this position and knowing Rett and and uh being friends with him I think it's is really cool cool the dynamic you know I'm looking forward to the game looking forward to to seeing their fans just have a lot of respect for that program and and excited that they're they're in a new conference too so it's going to be a lot of fun thanks so much for your time coach we'll let you all right back to your stuff 48 years old guys you know so there we go 30 years ago I was a true freshman here at BYU thanks guys happy Labor Day Co