No more than two years ago, North Texas football coach Dan McCarney was tossed into an overwhelming mess. In many ways, it’s the same kind of mess that Idaho coach Paul Petrino finds himself in a day before his inaugural game as a collegiate head coach. McCarney’s first season as coach of the Mean Green came after four seasons of utter disappointment, when UNT combined to go 8-40. Petrino’s situation isn’t nearly as desperate, yet the stakes are just as high. The ex-Arkansas offensive coordinator comes into a program that won three of its last 24 games. More than anything, Petrino is a firm believer in on-field execution. But don’t think that Idaho will claim the victory without the same level of execution coming from the sideline. Petrino doesn’t/Theo Lawson, Argonaut. More here. (Tyler Tjomsland SR photo: UI QB Chad Chalich, the former Coeur d'Alene Vik quarterback, hands off during practice Aug. 15)

Question: Which team will win more games this year -- University of Idaho or Washington State?