Provo • What a difference a win makes.
BYU football coach Kalani Sitake was in rare form on Monday as he described the Cougars’ second win of the season, and first against an opponent from the Football Championship Subdivision.
Sitake cracked jokes, returned to the self-deprecating style he displayed all last season and smiled broadly two days after the 41-20 win over San Jose State.
But the second-year coach still realizes plenty of people are not satisfied with BYU’s 2-7 record, and alluded to that fact when he was asked about how quickly this week’s opponent, 5-3 Fresno State, turned around its program. The Bulldogs were 1-11 last year.
“As a coach, I am a guy who is going to say just be consistent and give the coaches some time, give the head coach some time to make it work and establish their culture,” Sitake said. “It is an impatient world and we get it sometimes, as a profession. You just got to live with it and keep working as hard as you can.”
On a note far less serious than BYU’s dismal season, Sitake lightened the mood. Here’s a sampling:
• Asked whether he has sought advice from his mentor, Gary Andersen, who recently stepped down at Oregon State, Sitake quipped: “If I have any questions, I can just ask any random fan.”
• On being a fullback on the 1998 BYU team that lost 31-21 at Fresno State, Sitake groused, smiling: “I guess I didn’t block well enough in that game. I guess they didn’t throw me the ball enough. Yeah, I would have ran the ball more successfully. … Someone will google it and let me know.”
• On returning to places he previously played not doing much for him emotionally, Sitake said: “I get the same feeling when I go back to good steakhouses where I had great food at.”
• On there not being a secret remedy for injuries: “So, that and weight loss. If someone has a magic pill that is chocolate-flavored I would love it.”
Late kickoff, no worries
Sitake said the 8:45 p.m. kickoff time against Fresno State won’t bother him or the team because the game is on a Saturday, and there will be plenty of college football to watch at the hotel earlier that day. If the game were on a Thursday or Friday, that would be more difficult.
The players “will have things to do with [watching football] and meetings and eating,” he said.
Mangum’s mood
Quarterback Tanner Mangum has thrown for 602 yards and five touchdowns the past two games to push his season totals to 1,377 yards and eight TDs, and was also in a good mood after the win.
“It feels good to just have that hard work pay off a little bit, to see some of the fruits of our labors, so to speak,” he said. “So guys are excited to get back at it this week and to be even better. A win always does a team good.”
Depth chart update
Freshman running back Ula Toluta’u remains on the depth chart, despite not playing against the Spartans after news of his citation for possession of marijuana surfaced last week. Sitake said Saturday that he would not discuss Toluta’u’s status.
Linebacker Jonny “Ku-J” Tapusoa is off the depth chart, despite having played Saturday. Senior Va’a Niumatalolo replaced Tapusoa at backup middle linebacker, behind junior Butch Pau’u. Freshman Isaiah Kaufusi is now the No. 2 at weakside linebacker, replacing the injured Grant Jones.