PROVO — BYU players and coaches held their collective breath Monday afternoon when middle linebacker Kelly Poppinga went down with a foot injury. With several players lost for the season due to injury already, especially on the defensive side of the ball, it was a scary moment for the Cougars.
Turned out, the injury was only a bruise — a player had inadvertently stepped on his foot — and Poppinga is expected to be back at practice soon.
While linebacker is one of the deepest positions on BYU's roster, Poppinga is taking the spot occupied last year by team captain and All-Mountain West Conference performer Cameron Jensen.
"It's a leadership position," said coach Bronco Mendenhall. "We think Kelly's cut very similarly to Cameron. Nobody will ever be Cameron. We moved Kelly there because of his leadership and his presence."
Poppinga is comfortable taking on that role.
"It kind of comes naturally. Being an inside linebacker, you have to lead a defense," he said. "Everybody knows that in a 3-4 defense, the defense is keyed around the inside linebackers. You've got to be a leader and an example. Cameron did an excellent job of doing that last year. He had his way of doing it, I have my way of doing it. All of us have one goal in mind — to be great leaders and win a conference championship."
As solid as the Cougar defense was a year ago — allowing only 14 points per game — Poppinga said it can improve on that performance.
"Potentially we can be better than last year, but we still have a lot to prove," he said. "We haven't played one game together as a unit. If we're going to do better than last year, we're going to have to be a great defense."
Poppinga's older brother, Brady, starred for the Cougars from 2002-04 and now is the starting linebacker with the Green Bay Packers.
"He's doing great. He's crazier than ever and having fun," Kelly said. "I learned a lot from Brady. He taught me how to love the game of football and to be passionate for it. He taught me always to be smiling when you're playing and always talking to the other team. You watch Brady play, you know he loves to play. That's what he taught me, to have passion for the game and to love it."
HOME DOMINANCE: In 2006, BYU posted the largest average winning margin at home in school history (47-12). The Cougars want to continue that trend.
"Last year, we dominated at home. Nobody was even close," Poppinga said. "After the first quarter, that team on the other sideline knew the game was over. We want the atmosphere in that stadium even crazier than it was last year. We want the stadium to be blue. Wear blue or don't come. We want it blue, and we want it crazy. We as players feed off it. The opposing team is intimidated by it. When the whole stadium is colored with the uniform color of the home team, it's intimidating."
SAULSBERRY IMPRESSES: Mendenhall said backup cornerback Andre Saulsberry has caught his eye during fall camp.
"I would say Andre Saulsberry is the most improved player on our team at any position," said Mendenhall. "I'm very impressed because he's battled and he's hung in. He came in not prepared — he knew it and we knew it — and he adjusted to this culture, making good decisions, and it's really rewarding to me to see his hard work pay off."
TEAM UNITY: Three weeks of hitting each other and competing daily in practice tends to wear on players and coaches.
Mendenhall works hard to unite the team every day.
"It's difficult because out here, you ask the team to be divided in situations and there is a winner and a loser in most instances," he explained. "The coaches take great pride in how their players are performing. We do team activities every other night with that focus, to bring our team back together.
"We are amazed each year that when you divide the team in terms of scout work and they're all working against an opponent, it comes back very quickly," he continued. "I would be concerned if there wasn't some edge between the sides in terms of practice because you can't work fast enough or competitively enough unless there is."
NOTES: Linebacker Matt Bauman, filling in for the injured Poppinga, batted away a pass intended for receiver Matt Allen during 11-on-11 drills ... Mendenhall could announce which players will be redshirting on Friday ... Placekicker Mitch Payne practiced for the first time in several days Tuesday after suffering from tendinitis ... Austin Collie and Bryce Mahuika likely will be the pair returning kickoffs this season, Mendenhall said.
E-mail: jeffc@desnews.com