BYU’s weekly preparation regimen…
Over the last two weeks we have mentioned a lot about preparation for games and knowledge of assignments. I figured it would be a good idea to go through the week and show exactly how we prepare for a game.
Saturday:
Immediately after the games players are handed their scout DVDs. These DVDs have four games of our next opponent on them. These games are selected by the coaches by how closely they match what we expect to see in our own game. For example, this week’s DVDs for the defense will show SDSU’s offense against teams this year that also play a 3-4, most recent game and any other game the coaches feel will most closely resemble what we expect.
Sunday:
The great thing about BYU is that we do not have any obligations on Sunday. I always took this day off, some guys would put in their DVDs to get familiar with the next opponent.
Monday
This is always the longest day of the week. The first position meeting Monday afternoon is to watch the previous game and learn from how we played. After team meeting and defense/offense meeting it is back to the position rooms for an introduction to the new opponent’s top plays and top personnel. In the position meeting there will usually be a couple new blitzes or adjustments specific to that week that the coaches will go over also.
Out on the practice field, Monday is a little more laid back. There are no pads and most of the practice is spent walking through formations and introducing the bread and butter plays of the new team, along with discussing the general scheme of the offense.
Tuesday
Tuesday is the day that the rubber really hits the road. Players are given a binder that has every game, every play, every statistic broken down for the opponent’s season. It shows what the team’s favorite plays are by formation, situation (down and distance). It breaks down the percentage of run/pass in every situation and formation too. This was my Bible and what I spent the most time studying. If there were tendencies for the team, they would show up in there.
Out on the field things picked up too. When I was at BYU this was our full-pad day, or at the very least shoulder pads. This was a big hitting day to get us ready to be physical. In pre-practice we had a period called “adjustments.” Here we would react to all the different motions of the team. If they had an option component to their game this is the period we would go over option assignments. The rest of the team periods were personnel specific, meaning: 12,21,22 personnel usually go together; 11, 10 personnel usually go together. The goal on Tuesday for the coaches is to use different blitzes and coverages against different plays and then watch the film to see what will work best to defend a certain play.
Wednesday
Any blitzes or coverage adjustments that were installed on Monday did not look good on Tuesday they are thrown out. The players begin to get a better idea of what the game plan (meaning which fronts, blitzes and coverages we will be using) for the game will be. Practice and meetings closely resemble Tuesday.
Thursday
Thursday practice is more mental that anything and it all starts with the defensive test. Remember that binder we got on Tuesday? Well first thing after team meeting on Thursday the defense runs into the defensive room and Coach Mendenhall already has the clock started. We have a timed test on the material in that binder. We will be given sheets of paper that have different formations on them. We are supposed to write down the percentage of run/pass out of that formation and then the top 3 run and top 3 pass plays out of that formation.
Out on the practice field Coach looks for crisp execution and a lot of communication, especially on plays where the offense gives away a pre-snap read. There are no pads, but you better be running everywhere you go. There is no room for error on Thursday. Everyone is expected to know exactly where to be and what to do.
Friday Morning
At some point in the morning (the time changes depending on home/away and when the plane leaves) we will all meet for a team meeting. Coach goes over the agenda and we all head to the Indoor Facility for our walk-through. At the walk through we are just in shorts and tees with no helmets. We have been wearing cleats lately because Coach wants it more of a “run” through. If there were any plays we messed up on the day before you better have them down pat today. WE start the run through with goal line plays then go to the normal offense. At the end the coaches can hand pick any certain plays they want to see one last time.
To end the run through we have “Special Teams Call-Outs.” All the players are on the sideline and the Coach Higgins calls out each special team, 1st and 2nd string and nobody better be missing, or we start all over.
Friday Night
Just before the fireside on Friday night we have a film test. At the film test coach will put up a play on the screen with the formation paused. He expects us to say anything that we may know about the play by the formation. ie: check for screen, or QB draw, etc. Then he will give us a play call, “Tiger Flex Tornado Auto” (something from the old 3-3-5 days). We are sitting in rows with 1st string in front 2nd behind and so on. From L-R we are seated DE, N, DE, SOLB, SILB, WILB, WOLB, FS, SS, FC, BC. After we get the play call we go down the line from L-R and everyone has to say their responsibilities. You don’t leave that room until there are no mistakes.
After the fireside we have another walk through just like in the IPF.
Saturday Morning
Another walk through first thing in the morning just like the night before. Then for the rest of the day, until the busses leave there are film rooms set up where you can go watch some last minute film of the opponent.
And that’s it in a nut shell.
Written by: Markell Staffieri
Fascinating! How many hours does this and independent football-related study take each week? How the heck do you keep up with classes?
According to NCAA rules you can not spend more than 20 hrs a week as a team in official preparation. That includes meeting time, practice time and lifting.
In addition to that I would spend at least another 2 hours before practice and an hour after practice each day on my personal preparation.
The key to keeping up on classes is scheduling. Most guys try and take some easier electives when they can, during the season and take the Accounting, Econ, Physics type classes in the winter semester.
Who makes the DVD? Does it come from the opposing team or national TV? Is it chopped up for only the position? How long is a typical game sequence? Is there commentary on the DVD? Any good music to go with it
That’s intense. It’s hard to believe that with all that work we would ever lose a game. I suppose the opponent is doing the same thing and they switch up their plays at last second to through us off, but man what a schedule. What happens to the guy that is goofing off in his spare time and doesn’t pass the written or verbal tests? Does he get benched, or does that never happen because everyone takes it seriously? Just curious. Thanks for the inside info!
We have an audio/video staff that puts the DVDs together.
Every game the coaches trade film with one another. I believe it is actually mandatory that you trade film, but not mandatory what film you give, as long as it is pertinent in some way to the team receiving it.
All the film is set up in this manner:
At the beginning of each play it shows the scoreboard with Down and Distance and Time
Then it shows the play from the sideline angle (up in the press box looking down on the field so you can see everything). This is the view the secondary players use along with LBs.
Then it shows the play from the endzone view so that you see only the tackle box. This is the view the LBs use for the run game and the D Line uses.
The entire game is shown in this manner. For offense players you only get the defensive plays, and vice versa for defensive players.
There is no sound on the DVD so it gets lonely and is very quiet watching it. I found a way to pipe music into the LB room so I would listen to Country while watching film.
Trey,
Remember all the times people on here ask why certain player are not getting more time in the game? More often than not that is tied directly to the results on the test. If you don’t know what is on the test you usually don’t perform well in the game. It is more self-selection than coach sying, you didn’t get above 85% so you are not playing.
I’m just wondering your thoughts on the practices no longer having heavy hitting. Do you think this may reflect in the games where our defense doesn’t seem to be as physical this season?
Jared,
Great question! It is kind of a Catch-22 . When you don’t hit as much in practice you feel so much better physically for the game. On the other hand I think it does take a little edge off when you are not hitting constantly. I thought the best mix was my senior year when we had just shoulder pads on Tue and Wed and had good contact, but not Big Time hits.
Not hitting at all, I think in the long run makes you soft.
I’ve always been a football fan, and loved my Cougar football, but this site has increased my respect for the football team members so much! A little knowledge is a good thing. I am proud of the way the team represents the church, and it is even more amazing to me that they do so, serve the community, maintain grades, AND do all this work to prepare for each game. My hat’s off to you guys. (Does that expression show my age?)
I tip my hat all the time.
That’s some really fascinating insight. I really appreciate it!
For all the talk from Bronco about only worrying about themselves it seems to me they spend plenty of time on the team they will be playing.
Ben, we do spend lots of time on the other team, but I will also say that every meeting starts with watching the film of the previous days practice first.
EVERY drill that we do out on the field is being taped by somebody and as they say “The Big Eye in the Sky Don’t Lie!”
In football you HAVE to watch the other team and study them, otherwise you will be completely lost on saturday.
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