It's usually best to save the excuses until after the loss. It looks pretty wimpy when you excuse yourself in advance.
In addition to age, though, they may want to consider the altitude - it's tough to play at altitude.
And don't forget the long plane flight and the nearly 50 mile bus ride to Provo.
Then there's the lack of humidity. Boy, when one is used to playing where it's humid, it sure can be tough to play in a desert.
But age is the real issue. In fact, age is such a major advantage that I expect to get a recruiting letter from Coach Mendenhall any time now.