What BYU Players, Coaches Said About Season Opener Against Utah

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – BYU held their annual media day in Provo on June 18 and the main topic of conversation among the players and coaches was their first game of the 2019 season against the University of Utah on August 29.

Utah has won the last eight meetings over the Cougars after stealing a 35-27 victory at Rice-Eccles Stadium. BYU held a 27-7 lead midway through the third quarter, but the Utes 28 unanswered points to get the win.

It’s a rarity for the rivalry game to be played in the season opener but the Cougars are excited to have months to prepare for the Utes rather than one or two weeks.

Here is what KSL Sports gathered from every player and coach from BYU that was available at Media Day and what they had to say about facing the Utes.

Head coach Kalani Sitake

“The one thing that I am really excited about is their passion for it right now. Their energy that they are feeding off of. They are giving out this energy of wanting to get back to this game specifically since it ended in 2018.  They took the energy from that game and the heartache from that loss and then turn it around and answer the call to win the bowl game and use it as motivation. And then right after the bowl game, get focused on the Utes, I think is a huge thing. I am really proud of them. They are starting to grow up and become a really good team.”

"They took the heartache of that loss [Utah] and turned it into motivation to win the bowl game." Kalani Sitake says he's happy with the energy his team has had this offseason and the motivation they've had to prepare for the opener against Utah. #BYUMediaDay pic.twitter.com/Msszas8bSc

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) June 18, 2019

Quarterback Zach Wilson

“We just have to finish. We just have to keep doing what has gotten us there. I think guys just need to keep buying in and know that we can beat those guys.”

“Walking away from that game, I felt like we beat ourselves. Utah definitely stepped up in the second half but we had the game in the bag. It wasn’t something that we should let any team come back from. Everybody knows that we should have won that game and everybody knows that we can beat those guys. I think guys are buying in and they don’t want that to happen again. In my four years here, I don’t want to be the last guys who were here four years and never beat those guys. I want to get three straight.”

“There is no hate to our family. I look at it like it’s Utah’s loss. It was a good decision for BYU and I hope to take full advantage of this opportunity that BYU has given me. I know that a lot of kids don’t get this opportunity to play at the college level. If someone is willing to take a chance on me, I am going to give them everything I have. I look at it like we are going to make Utah pay and not necessarily for not recruiting me but because I am on this side of the ball now.”

"I just look at it like we're gonna make Utah kinda pay." Zach Wilson talks about the dynamic of playing against the team he grew up cheering for. #BYUMediaDay pic.twitter.com/ntiVFTJWSm

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) June 18, 2019

Running back Lopini Katoa

“The countdown has always been there for every season. But now it’s Utah, it’s the rivalry game and it’s game one. It raises the stakes that much more and we know that it’s been a while since we have beaten them so that’s in our mind and it is pushing us to work hard.”

Wide receiver Aleva Hifo

“It’s definitely something that we have been thinking about all off-season. Something that we are also grateful for is that we get to see them the first week. So, that’s good for us. We still have a lot of time to prepare and a lot of practices to get in. Definitely have to get rid of that bad taste.”

BYU WR Aleva Hifo is ready to face the Utes in 10 week. He also discussed what he worked on in the off-season. #BYUMediaDay pic.twitter.com/lTyJfGzW0a

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) June 18, 2019

“One thing that we did in the second half was become content and it showed a lot in the way that we played. We started playing conservative and we didn’t have as much big plays as we did in the first half. That’s something that we can do in this game is finish all four quarters. That’s something we have emphasized this off-season is finish.”

Offensive lineman Tristen Hoge

“Right now, we are oiling ourselves up, finishing out summer workouts. We are just oiling the machine up and waiting for the 10 weeks to pass and we are looking really good.”

“We started [preparation] at the beginning of the summer. It’s everywhere, on our windows outside the weight it says ‘beat Utah.’ That’s our focus right now and we are ready for that game.”

“They have a lot of returning starters on their defensive line. That’s one thing we are always worried about and they have one of the best defensive lines that they have had in years. That being said, it was a fight last year and it’s going to be a fight this year. We look forward to persevering.”

Defensive end Trajan Pili

“I want to go out with a bang.” – Getting a win over Utah as a senior

Defensive end Trajan Pili wants nothing more than to beat Utah during his senior year. #BYUMediaDay pic.twitter.com/KekelyccMI

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) June 18, 2019

Defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga

“We need to continue what we started. We had a good first half, we did good during the third quarter but we just tried to hold them back in the fourth quarter and that didn’t work out so well. So as a defense, just continue to play in their backfield and the offense control the ball and the line of scrimmage.”

“It’s going to be interesting. We can’t look at their offensive line as an advantage, but we need to continue to do the little things and work hard. We need to continue to scout and watch film and look at their new offensive coordinator. We are excited for their running back [Zack Moss] to be back and healthy. It will be fun to play them.”

“Zack Moss is a physical runner, we all know that and definitely not taking it easy for him.”

Linebacker Isaiah Kaufusi

“We’re ready. It’s been a long time coming, I don’t even know how many years, but Twitter knows. I am sick of it, I think our team is sick of it, our coaches are sick of it. We are healthy, we are all coming back, we’re fired up. It’s been a goal of ours to beat Utah for this whole off-season. We say it everyday, we have the count of how many days, we’re ready, it’s time.”

"We're ready. It's been a long time coming." Isaiah Kaufusi says after coming so close last season, they're ready to beat Utah in the 2019 season opener. #BYUMediaDay pic.twitter.com/BahGsltwQM

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) June 18, 2019

Defensive back Dayan Ghanwoloku

“We are all motivated as a team. You can see it during our workouts, all around there are signs that say ‘beat Utah.’ So we are ready knowing that we have time to get things right and take away the little mistakes we made last year and turn them into big plays. That is going to help us a lot, knowing what we are going to do and having that depth to knowing what everyone is going to do.”

What happened last year – “The thing that stood out the most was that we were dominating at first and then two starters go down then it goes bad. So that’s what we are trying to focus on is everyone needs to know their plays. You have to be ready, you never know when you are going to go in. We tell the young guys that they have to be ready. Know all of your plays and be physically ready. So they been working hard in the off-season. Everybody has been working this off-season. It doesn’t matter if they are starting or not, get ready so we don’t have that same situation happen again.”

Safety Austin Lee

“I am excited. There is no doubt in my mind that we can compete and we can win. They are a good team and are a very talented team and so are we. It’s been a long time and their has been some trash talk and even frustrated alumni and so having that win especially the first game of the season, would give us so much momentum for the rest of the season. It would give us more support from even more fans and you would see such a big shift in that.”

Offensive Coordinator Jeff Grimes

What he learned from the game last year – “I don’t want to specific because obviously it’s a big game and it’s our first one. I will say that if you are a good athlete or a good coach or whatever it is that you do in life, you hope to learn from the experience. There were certainly some things that I took away from that game and the bowl game and the Boise State game and every one along the way.”

Passing Game Coordinator Aaron Roderick

“Let’s go. Can’t wait. It’s a big game. It’s a huge game. It always will be, I will always say that. It’s not just another game. It doesn’t matter when it is played. It’s a big deal to them, it’s a big deal to us. I have been on both sides, it’s fun, can’t wait, might as well play it now.”

Does the loss last year to Utah still bother him? – “Everyday, but that is how that game is every year. It was just this one. Anytime you have ever been on the losing end in that game all the back to when I was a player, it gnaws at you for a whole year. They have had the benefit of feeling good about it for a while. I was there for a lot of them. If it doesn’t gnaw at you, there is something wrong with you. If it doesn’t bother you every single day then you shouldn’t be involved in this sport. But that’s what makes the game so great. It hurts because it matters and it’s a big deal.”

What he learned from last year – “We know them so well and they know us so well. I don’t think that there isn’t a lot to learn from. They just made enough plays to beat us and we didn’t get it done.”

Offensive line coach Eric Mateos

“I am catching on a little bit [about the history of the rivalry]. I am trying not to get too wrapped up into it, I will leave that to the players. The players have a lot of emotions about it and I embrace it. I want them to have emotion about it, it’s an emotional game, I am for it, I think it’s great. I love rivalries.”

Safeties Coach Preston Hadley

“When does that happen? We are doing some real stuff here, yeah we came up short but there is belief. The players believe in what we are doing.”