Everything Kalani Sitake said before BYU faces SMU

BYU head coach Kalani Sitake met with the media on Monday to preview the matchup with SMU on Friday. The Cougars travel to Dallas to face Rhett Lashlee’s Mustangs on ESPN2.

Here’s what he had to say after Week 1, his defensive coordinator Jay Hill’s health after a heart attack and on SMU’s team.

“I’m excited about the weekend, the season starting and being 1-0,” Sitake said. “I’m looking forward to our next game. After watching the film and evaluating our performance, I see that that there’s a lot of things we can improve on. We can play better and cleaner but I’m proud of the way our guys played overall. I’m excited about this next step of going on the road and playing against SMU.”

Hill was discharged Saturday and able to be on hand for BYU’s win over Southern Illinois. He suffered chest pains Friday following football practice.

“Jay’s doing great. We’re off and working, getting ready for SMU. This is his defense,” Sitake said on Zoom. “I anticipate him returning to his role as defensive coordinator. I don’t know if he will be on the field or in the box.”

Here’s the rest of what Sitake had to say:

On the team’s health: “No season-ending injuries, so that’s good. We have some guys that are banged up. It was a physical game. Right now, everybody looks like they’re on target to play in this game this weekend. Right now, we’re anticipating everyone making the trip.”

On improvements the team can make in week two: “On defense, we need to control the quarterback run game. We’re going to see a lot of that, especially this week. Offensively, we need to finish drives and find ways to capitalize on opportunities. On special teams, I felt like we had some really good returns set up but we need to catch the ball to get those going. We know how to fix these things and we’re looking forward to getting started on that with today’s practice.”

On facing SMU: “They have an explosive team and are favored in this game, so this is an opportunity for our guys to get in there and figure out ways to improve and take-on a very impressive SMU team. They have really good athletes. They have a few quarterbacks who can play. They’re very active, very athletic and can throw the ball well too.”

On SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee: “Rhett Lashlee is a good friend of mine. He’s an amazing coach who knows how to run an offense, call a game and run a program. I think he’s one of the best coaches in college football. He’s done a great job with that program. [While at the 2022 New Mexico Bowl], we were able to sit down and share a meal together. I was really impressed with him as I got to be around him and his family. He has a brilliant mind when it comes to football.”

On the defensive line’s performance versus Southern Illinois: “I thought they got some knock-back up front against a veteran offensive line group. We challenged them to be physical and execute their assignment. They did that and I’m proud of our coaches getting them ready. That’s one game and we need to be consistent week-to-week and play-to-play.”

On the linebackers’ performance versus Southern Illinois: “There are still some plays to be made but overall, they did some good things. They feel comfortable in the system, in the scheme. It’s a lot different having those guys who know what they’re doing now. There’s a night and day difference when guys have more time in the system. I liked that we rotated and had fresh bodies. We had Choe [Bryant-Strother], Aisea Moa and Sione Moa playing, Siale Esera too. That’s a deep position group for us.”

On the growth of wide receiver Chase Roberts: “He’s maturing in the offense. He understands it a little more every year he’s in the offense. I know he’s listed as one position on the roster, but he can do more, he can play the tight end spot if we need him to.”