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POINSETTIA BOWL: BYU VS WYOMINGDecember 21, 2016Craig BohlLucas WachaAndrew WingardBrian HillTanner GentrySan Diego, California COACH BOHL: Okay. I'll go ahead and make an opening statement. First of all, I want to congratulate BYU. I thought it was a hard fought game, two excellent teams that really had a heck of a ball game, came down to a play or two here or there. So really a great start for Coach Sitake, I know it's his first year as a head coach, I think he's done a great job, that team has improved as the years have gone along. I would like to complement our football team, to go from two wins to where we are at, that's a change as far as the type of culture, playmaker and a lot has to do with the men that are sitting up here along with some other seniors and players in the locker room. I also want to thank the Poinsettia Bowl, the hospitality and the experience that our players have had has truly been special. I heard great things about this bowl and it exceeded our expectations, so I want to say thanks for the invitation and we hope that we provided a good competitive game out there. From my perspective we certainly did. Q. Coach, can you speak to Brian's absence in the first quarter? Was it a one quarter suspension? COACH BOHL: It was my decision and that's all I'm going to say. Brian can make a comment, but I think he's going to say the same thing. It's been great working all year long with Brian and that was my decision. Q. Coach, how did the weather affect you guys in the first half and what kind of change for you guys offensively in the second half so you could get going? COACH BOHL: Weather affected both teams, but I thought it maybe affected us a little bit more, certainly handling the football. Not only on regular downs, throwing the football, trying to catch it and then some special team plays. But that's part of the game. I thought our coach and our defensive staff and special teams staff had done a better job, we acclimated ourselves better to it, plus it began to dry out. But it had an impact, but to say that's the reason we lost the game, BYU had the same conditions. Q. Coach, what changes did you make during halftime to begin that third quarter off with a drive and then come into the fourth quarter and drive down the field? COACH BOHL: I think first of all it started out we got a good kickoff return. I think we got it out to the *40-yard line and were able to mix in some runs and passes and I don't think there was anything significantly different other than the field conditions beginning to change a little bit after the second half. We had much dryer conditions, quite frankly and I think that had an impact in some of our play calling selection. Q. For Lucas or Tanner, being a senior you guys talked about wanting to get to this game, I know not the ending you would like, but what was it like going through this experience of this bowl game? TANNER GENTRY: It was awesome to be able to do this and for us seniors to go to our first bowl game and that's what's really cool about college football is the bowl games. I think it was cool that we got to experience it, and also cool that we kinda just gotta see the start of a turn around of this program. And going from last year to this year and giving your younger guys some good momentum headed into next year. LUCAS WACHA: I agree about what Tanner was saying with the turn around of the program. It sucks we're all competitors and we all want to win every game, but it didn't work out that way but, you know, it was nice for us to be able to get to a bowl game this year for the first time for us or anybody sitting up here. It was good. Q. Hindsight is always 20/20 but you lose by 3 points you had that fake field goal COACH BOHL: That was not a fake, it wasn't a fake field goal. Q. That was a botch? COACH BOHL: That's hindsight right there, you and I see it the same way. We had a botched hold and turned into a fire so it was not a fake field goal. Q. Tanner, in the second half was there something you guys were seeing from their secondary that you were able to exploit that you weren't in the first half? TANNER GENTRY: I don't think so, just as the game goes on we talked about things they were doing, but I think they were doing exactly what we saw in film. I think in the second half as the weather died down it was easier for us to throw and catch. Q. Andrew, kind of similar to that championship game, defense came up with a lot of the big stops down the stretch. I know you guys lost some key members of that defense, but do you feel like you've built a good foundation for the young guys going forward? ANDREW WINGARD: No doubt. They got to stand on the sidelines and watch us every year, watch guys like him go out and lead every day and they know what it takes to get to where we are now and just getting to this bowl game is big and having them I told you after practice the other day them getting ten practices and getting to do all that stuff. I think this year with flipping the program around and those guys getting to see how we got here, they know what to do to get here again. I'm happy we got here and it really helps getting here for those young guys. Q. If you could just talk a little bit about what this entire year means for the program coming from 2 10 last year to having such a great year this year? Made a game of it at the end and epitomized the fighting spirit you guys have shown all season. Talk about the big picture. COACH BOHL: Thanks for that question. My comments, you know, we're all competitors and we wanted to win every ball game. The biggest thing that occurred was a change of attitude and level of commitment, and that started way last winter in our off season conditioning and it carried through spring football and through summer and fall camp. So that's really laid a great foundation for us to move forward. We're certainly more athletic. I think our recruiting matrix has been on point. We might be a little bit ahead of where I thought we could be, but I think the biggest X factor is our guys believe they can win. The result to go out and compete and never say die, and we've had some close wins and we've come up short here and there. That's been a whole change of attitude, how we see ourselves. I also think there is certainly a revitalized energy around our state. Many of our fans have embraced this team. I think they've embraced the "can do" attitude. In Wyoming we're going through some tough times and tough times never last but tough people do. I think this football team has embodied that feeling. So we're excited about the future, but, you know, that doesn't take anything away from the sadness a couple of these seniors feel right now that are not going to be able to wear the brown and gold again. Q. Brian, I know you said the decision as to whether or not to come back here would come after the bowl game is the plan to think it over at Christmas? Do you have any comment on not playing the first quarter? BRIAN HILL: No, I don't have any comment about not playing in the first quarter. The decision will still be made later on, not today, let this game soak in, spend time with my teammates, but I won't be able to play again no matter what I do since this is the seniorĂ¢â‚¬â„¢s last game. After that me and my mom and Coach Bohl will talk and we will make a decision. Q. Tanner from your perspective, what happened on that last offensive play for you guys and the interception? What did you see? TANNER GENTRY: I think they covered our play pretty well and Josh rolled out and does what he does all the time and that's make plays. He made the decision and we're going to live with that. But I've seen him make countless throws on the run and completions. Q. Coach, you didn't go for the onside kick which in hindsight turned out to be a good decision, you got the ball back. What was your thinking there? You had three timeouts? COACH BOHL: Yeah, a lot of times when you can place an offense to where you think they're going to be one dimensional that can allow you to adjust some things defensively. When we saw how they lined up in their kick formation we thought we might have a chance to get a pooch recovery. Having three timeouts in our pocket and feel like we've been doing a good job establishing a line of scrimmage, felt like we were going to get the ball back in good field position. That's what our thought process was. THE MODERATOR: Thanks, guys. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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