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BYU running back LJ Martin breaks a tackle during practice in Provo on Saturday, March 16, 2024.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU quarterback Gerry Bohanon runs the ball during practice in Provo on Saturday, March 16, 2024.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU cornerback Terrian Alexander (24) breaks up a pass during practice in Provo on Saturday, March 16, 2024.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU offensive linemen prepare for a play during practice in Provo on Saturday, March 16, 2024.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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It’s one of the inevitable conundrums of watching a college football team during camp:

How do you gauge success and production?

If a running back breaks free and makes a long touchdown run, was it because it was good offense — or bad defense?

If a defensive end burst around the edge and sacks the quarterback, was it because it was good defense — or bad offense?

BYU head coach Kalani Sitake explained after practice on Saturday that answering those questions when evaluating the Cougar performances in camp is why he keeps things in perspective.

“I’m never going to be happy,” Sitake said. “It’s impossible as a head coach because you want both the offense and defense to do well. At best you are going to be pleased at the average. OK days are the best days as a head coach because that’s when I see the progress and guys getting better.”

He said that the coaches examine the plays carefully to see how things happened.

“Was it made because of a mistake?” Sitake said. “Or was it because of a matchup or scheme? I want to see the mistakes minimized and improvement on the little things like ball security, the way they run routes, their hand placement, things like that.”

It makes sense for the coaches to break things down in detail to help the team get better every day, but what’s it like for the players?

On the one hand, these athletes are competitors that don’t want to lose to anyone, but they also want the team to be excellent.

“It’s definitely tricky to kind of get a balanced perspective on that, but it’s always fun,” Cougar junior safety Talan Alfrey said. “As a defensive player, sometimes you see the offense run a new play and you are like, whoa, we haven’t see that one yet. That was cool. But then the next time we know how to defend it better.”

But while he can rationally appreciate seeing the offense do well, personally he won’t be satisfied seeing the other side succeed against his defense.

“We definitely want to win every rep as a defense, no matter what play it is,” Alfrey said. “Sometimes teams will run plays we’ve never seen but if we do our job, we should win every play. But in some plays, guys get out of whack and then they make plays. When that happens, we’ve got to bounce back and get the next one.”

BYU senior offensive lineman Connor Pay was even more direct when talking about how he approaches it.

“I think it’s just about trying to kick the crap out of each other,” Pay said. “That’s how you get better. If your defensive line is struggling, the offensive line needs to beat the crap out of them. That’s how they realize they need to really to step things up.”

He was straightforward at saying he saw it when his group was on the other side of the equation.

“We went through this last year a little bit,” Pay said. “When that happens, we want the defensive line kicking our butt every day, because that’s going to force you as a competitor to kick it into gear a little bit and get things going.”

He said that in his opinion football players don’t help each other by being too nice.

“The harder you push your teammate across the line from you, the better they’re going to end up being in the fall,” Pay said. “Sometimes weak teams kind of have a buddy-buddy mindset. That only hurts your team in the long run.”

The senior said BYU can’t afford that and that’s why the Cougars have been pushing each other at every turn.

“We are playing hard, being physical, talking crap, doing all the things on the field to help everybody get better,” Pay said. “But then off the field, we’re just as close if not closer than we were before, even though you’re butting heads so hard on the field.

“Everyone understands I want to beat the crap out of the defensive lineman because I want him to play great in the fall. And he wants to beat the crap out of me so I can play great in the fall. I think from a mindset perspective, so far it’s been good on both sides of the ball.”

Sitake said that observers usually focus on the finished product that shows up on the field in the fall, but don’t realize all the steps it takes to reach that point.

“My job is to put together how we got there and where can we improve on both sides,” Sitake said. “That’s why I love being the head coach. I get to coach both sides, and I can do it on the field and do it in the classroom as well. It’s a lot of fun. I love my job.”

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