On his way to becoming BYU’s all-time winningest quarterback, Max Hall learned a thing or two about how to excel — and it all started with the first practice of fall camp.
“I loved it. Outside of the conditioning tests, I loved it,” Hall told the “Y’s Guys” podcast. “I loved the feeling of football about to start, the two-a-day practices, all the time in the film room and I enjoyed practice. I knew it was time for us to get ready for the season and to get, not only myself, but my team prepared and on the same page. I really enjoyed it.”
BYU kicks off fall camp next week ahead of its second season in the Big 12. Unlike the three seasons when Hall won 32 games between 2007-2009, the Cougars begin this year unsettled at quarterback.
Jake Retzlaff, a junior who started the last four games of 2023, and grad-transfer Gerry Bohanon will battle for the starting job. Hall suggests a quick decision.
“I’ve always been a guy that thinks once you have a starting quarterback, 90% of the reps (in camp) need to go to him in order for him to be comfortable in the offense,” he said. “It’s going to be interesting to see how BYU handles that. The more reps you get, the game starts slowing down and the reads start becoming more open, but that only happens with the experience of getting the reps.”
Hall has a quarterback battle of his own at ALA-Queen Creek in Arizona, where he is the offensive coordinator. The level of competition may be different, but the process of finding a starting signal caller is the same.
“First, I’m putting the guy out there that I trust the most,” he said. “And second, I want the guy out there who, when it’s not a perfect play call or when things break down, he can turn a negative into a positive, who can go make a play or make the right decision at the time.”
Most importantly, according to Hall, is what the rest of the roster is doing.
“I watch the team. I watch how they react to the quarterback. I watch how the quarterback interacts with the receivers and the offensive line — what kind of energy does that quarterback bring to the team,” Hall said. “When one quarterback is in, does it feel different? Yes, you can count completions and you can do all that, but at the end of the day, you want the right energy, the right enthusiasm and the guy who gives your team the best chance to win. Team continuity is a big deal.”
Run the ball
No matter who wins the quarterback job, for him to be successful, BYU will need to run the ball better than they did last season.
Hall believes hiring new offensive line coach and running game coordinator TJ Woods and tight ends coach Kevin Gilbride are steps in the right direction.
“I like what I see. I like what their focus is on,” Hall said. “I think Aaron Roderick is a great offensive coordinator, but his offense runs when you can run the football. That’s the No. 1 thing that needs to happen in this offense — and he will tell you the same thing.”
The Cougars averaged just 3.5 yards per carry during last year’s 5-7 season.
“If they can find a running back that has good continuity with the offensive line and with their new coach and get things going, BYU could have a very explosive offense this year,” Hall said. “But it’s going to come down to, can we run the football in the Big 12?”
BYU at ASU
When BYU rolls into Mountain America Stadium in Tempe to face Arizona State on Nov. 23, Hall will be on the Cougars’ sideline watching his two favorite teams.
“I grew up an ASU guy. I have an ASU family. I chose ASU before BYU,” Hall said. “I’m an ASU fan and I always will be, but obviously, I’ll be rooting for the Cougars. I want to win that game.”
Hall played his first year at Arizona State before transferring to BYU after a church mission. He expected to have a reunion game against the Sun Devils in 2009 but it never transpired.
“My senior year (at BYU) we were supposed to play ASU in Game 1, but they dropped out and we ended up playing Oklahoma,” he said.
Instead of facing the Sun Devils, Hall threw a touchdown pass to McKay Jacobsen with 3:03 remaining to beat the No. 3 Sooners 14-13 in what became his signature win.
Arizona State leads the overall series against BYU 20-8, but the Cougars have won the past three meetings, including a 13-10 decision in their last game in Tempe in 1997. New coach Kenny Dillingham takes over a program that is a combined 6-18 over the last two seasons.
“As much as I love the Sun Devils, the last couple of years haven’t met expectations and the stadium hasn’t been full,” Hall said. “So, unless they are coming out and just having a fantastic year, we (BYU fans) might fill that place.”
Max vs. Ty
Long before the BYU-Arizona State reunion is another get-together that is significant for Hall and his former boss, Ty Detmer.
When ALA-Queen Creek and ALA-Gilbert North collide on Thursday, Sept. 12, it will pit two of BYU’s most successful quarterbacks against each other.
“It’s going to be a chess match for sure,” Hall said. “I have so much respect for coach Detmer when he was here with me. He taught me a lot, not just X’s and O’s, but how to be a coach and how to manage a game.”
Detmer and Hall remain No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, at BYU in total offense, passing yards, completions and touchdown passes. Through the air alone, the two combined for 26,393 yards and 215 touchdowns.
Hall won the most games (32). Detmer won the Heisman Trophy (1990).
In February, the ALA charter system moved Detmer from head coach at Queen Creek to the same position at its Gilbert North campus. Hall stayed behind at Queen Creek.
The September meet-and-greet at midfield during pregame warmups will be unlike any other.
“I’ll try to get in his head a little bit. We’ll shake hands, give each other a hug, tell each other ‘Good luck,’ battle it out for four quarters and do it again after the game,” Hall said. “The rivalry between these two schools was intense before, but I think the demeanor and mood is changing a little bit. There is a high level of respect there because of everything Ty has accomplished, but unfortunately, he’s got to go against me.”