On the surface, the things for a college football team to do during a bye week are pretty simple.

BYU played games in 10 consecutive weeks, so it’s no surprise that the Cougars are looking forward to the chance to heal some of the bumps and bruises as well as have some mental recovery time.

“After 10 weeks in a row playing football and practicing, it will be good to have a break,” BYU head coach Kalani Sitake said Monday. “We’ve had some injuries, so it will be good to allow the players to get closer to 100% before we finish our home schedule with the game against Utah Tech for Senior Day. We have a lot to play for this next game, but also need to make some improvement by working on fundamentals and scheme. Our focus during this bye week will be finding ways to improve and allowing guys to get healthy. No matter the outcome of the game, our goal is to keep progressing and getting better as a team. I’m really proud of the guys throughout these 10 weeks, staying together and loving each other.”

BYU sophomore defensive lineman John Nelson said he felt like the Cougars need a brief break.

“I’d say it came at the right time,” Nelson said. “It’s good to relax a little bit and mentally know that you don’t have to work on Saturday this week. I feel like it came at a good time and I think we needed it. I’m hurting a little bit, everyone’s hurting and so this is a good time to have it.”

Sitake said BYU would have normal practices on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and then give the players time off from football on Thursday and Friday.

“We have a lot of guys who need to get caught up with academics, especially with finals approaching quickly, so this week will be great for that,” Sitake said. “I think we have a good amount of players who will stay in town and take advantage of the extra time in the weight room this weekend.”

This is a week where some of the younger athletes will get extra work, something that is limited during a normal game week as preparation time is incredibly precious.

“There will be a lot of focus on them this week,” Sitake said. “We are at the point in the season where the players being redshirted this year can play, so getting them caught up this week and defining their roles on the field will be the primary focus in our three practices.”

But while specifics like recovery, academics and rest are certainly important, the bye week is also a time to look at the big picture.

Sometimes that means evaluating injuries, even to the point where sometimes players have to consider giving up the game they love.

“They know that we care about their life, not just as a football player but their overall future,” Sitake said. “It’s about giving them all the information so they can see for themselves and then us coming to an understanding. It’s important for them to know that we love them and there are options to look at, but I think it is important they feel a little bit of ownership in it as well. There is nothing wrong with talking about options and understanding the situation.”

More common are the discussions about whether an athlete might elect to forego any remaining eligibility to take a shot at making it in pro football.

That’s particularly the case in 2022 since the COVID-19 season in 2020 allowed players the option of participating in an extra season of college football.

“During this week, a lot of those conversations will be happening,” Sitake said. “There are good number of players that we have who already have their degree. Some want to go on to the next level while others already have job offers and can move on in that way. It’s a matter of talking to the right people, as well as allowing NFL personnel to give feedback to our guys. Then they can make a decision on what they want to do. It’s hard to communicate when you are working through the season but the bye week is a good time to do it. We have 13 seniors who are out of eligibility but we have a good number of others who could go to the NFL or move on to jobs.”

Whether guys are evaluating their futures or just enjoying the holiday, the different aspects of the bye week is something players look forward to.

“I think most of us are excited to get a few days of practice in and then have the weekend to relax,” Cougar junior wide receiver Brayden Cosper said. “It’s a grind for sure. We’ve been going for, I don’t know how many straight weeks since August. So, it is much needed the rest.”

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