This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Congratulations to BYU linebacker Brandon Ogletree and his wife, Amanda, proud parents of a baby boy born this morning in Provo. Ogletree is still expected to play tonight against Central Florida (6 p.m. MDT, ESPN), but he can't be blamed if his focus is a little off after becoming a proud papa earlier in the day. There are now seven fathers on the BYU football team, as Ogletree joins Spencer Hafoka (two children), Matt Reynolds, Travis Uale, Alani Fua and Aveni Leung-Wai in experiencing fatherhood. Case you are wondering, 32 BYU players are married. ————————— Sorry about the lateness of the first blog post of the day. Had a chance to play a little golf this morning and couldn't pass it up. Figured I would be working late tonight anyway, with the Cougars playing the first of three games on Friday nights this year. Utah State and TCU are the others. Here's my advance looking at tonight's game. And here's my colleague Michael C. Lewis' look at the latest on Big 12 realignment, and where BYU fits — or might not fit — into the craziness. ———————————- Couple of leftover comments from coach Bronco Mendenhall and some players on the importance of tonight's game: Mendenhall on his confidence level: "Another difficult game. Another difficult test. And determined is the right word. Confident isn't the word. Determined is the word, in terms of where I currently am. I am determined to do the best I can to help our team improve and reach our potential." Mendenhall on what he is telling his team to prevent a hangover against UCF: "Mainly focusing on the things that we can control and are correctable. My personality isn't one that yells a lot and berates a lot. My personality is much more one of teaching. When I see them, I show them the things that clearly could be corrected, that are in our control, ask them to make sure they put the emphasis on those things and look forward to applying those things against our next opponents. Hopefully that leads to a cleaner game and a higher quality of play." Mendnehall on how big of a setback the Utah loss was to program:"If we don't respond, it certainly could set us back. If we are able to respond, and to finish with a strong season [it is not a setback]. So let's say that you win seven games. Is that a strong enough season? Is eight [wins] a strong enough season? Is nine [wins] a strong enough season? Or is 10? Certainly the number as it goes up increases your chances. So that really, in a broader perspective is something that I have to acknowledge right now, and put the rest of my time into getting us prepared at as high a level as possible for Central Florida. And the more wins we can get the better in Year One of independence, and hopefully that can continue. But as we already have seen, it won't be easy." Lineman Terence Brown on the players staying together: "I would say so. It is on the seniors, and on the team as a whole. I am encouraged by what I see. No one has come in and tried to point fingers. It is just a team effort. You win as a team, you lose as a team. That's what we have to do, is come together as a team and get through this."Receiver McKay Jacobson on his confidence level in Jake Heaps: "I have a lot of confidence in not only him, but our team. Offensively, defensively, just the whole team. I have confidence that it is something that we need to recommit ourselves to. I know I am committed, and I think we will commit ourselves and be able to come back and get better. That's all you can ask for."