BYU's final scrimmage of fall camp was a crack up, with players on both sides of the ball hooting and hollering during a goal-line drill Wednesday.

As the drill was about to begin, the offensive players started yelling. Their counterparts on defense followed suit.

All in all, it made for a spirited conclusion to fall camp. Taking a day off from practice, BYU will being preparing for Arizona on Friday.

"Every thing I would have hoped to accomplish at this point as camp closes, I feel like we're on track," said coach Bronco Mendenhall. "I'm optimistic."

Getting the ball on the 3-yard line, the offense scored two touchdowns in five plays in an all-or-nothing fourth-down situation. After each play, depending on the outcome, one set of players went crazy.

On the first play, defensive end Brett Denney recovered a Manase Tonga fumble. Max Hall hit tight end Andrew George for a touchdown across the middle on the second play.

Linebacker Bryan Kehl tackled Fui Vakapuna short of the goal line on Play No. 3. On the next play Hall threw a touchdown to Austin Collie, who chucked the ball with his left hand off the fence that runs along the east side of the practice field.

Wayne Latu did not score on the last play. And with that, fall camp closed.

"I wish it was over two days ago," Mendenhall said. "The team has hit each other enough, the coaches have coached against each other enough, and I've been in the middle of it long enough.
"The team came in ready to compete and play, and if they hadn't come in like that maybe I would feel differently. But really it's managing the intensity for the last four or five practices that has been very difficult."

There's one other benefit to fall camp's conclusion - for the first time in three weeks, Mendnehall gets to see his family. As they do every year, Holly Mendenhall and their sons head out of town during the first three weeks of practice.

Mendenhall's parents will pick up his family tonight and they'll reunite around 8:30 p.m.

"The rest is private," he said, drawing a laugh from reporters.

Don't ever mistake Mendenhall for LaVell Edwards, who could work a room like a professional comic. But once you get to know him, Mendenhall has a sense of humor.

Just be prepared to dig a while.