The Idaho football team held its first intrasquad scrimmage of the season this afternoon inside the Kibbie Dome, and there was a clear winner. The defense, with 10 returning starters, was the much sharper unit.

We've got a story after the link with all the details.

By Josh Wright
Correspondent

MOSCOW, Idaho – The Idaho defense came away from the Vandals’ first scrimmage of fall camp feeling upbeat, and for good reason. It allowed just two touchdowns to the team’s top offensive units — and mustered a where-did-that-come-from kind of stand with four stops from the 1-yard line.

“I saw something that I haven’t seen with that defensive goal-line stand,” coach Robb Akey said.

But there was still a hiccup or two for the UI defense during the 90-minute scrimmage – enough to keep Akey satisfied with the offense’s progress and looking for more.

The most notable miscue: Gary Walker and Aaron Grymes, two of the youngest members of the secondary, were beaten badly over the middle by newcomer Armauni Johnson for a 62-yard touchdown bomb.

“… (We need) a little more discipline with eyes and reactions,” Akey said. “But I’m seeing an awful lot of positives that I’m happy about.”

The defense racked up 11 sacks – with four hurries – and two interceptions of starting quarterback Nathan Enderle. One pick was by Walker after he had given up the TD and the other came from linebacker JoJo Dickson on the first play of the day.

“They’re all older, more experienced, more mature,” Enderle said of the defense. “They know their stuff better. They’re physically stronger (and) faster. All those things are going to kind of come together and create a better defense. They played well today, and hopefully that continues throughout the season.”


The Vandal defense returns 10 starters from last year, when it surrendered 36 points and 433 yards per game. The low point was a 70-45 loss at Nevada.

“Too many touchdowns given up. Too many small things,” defensive lineman Jonah Sataraka said of the defense’s performance in 2009.

Yet there’s been a clear shift in mentality among defenders, as evidenced by the reaction to the goal-line stand and overall demeanor during the scrimmage. The D spent the afternoon yelping and applauding – not bickering or wondering what went wrong.

“I’m liking the personality that’s starting to build with this football team,” Akey said.

Added Sataraka: “Just like last year the offense had that upper hand because of the unit and working together — being together for a while — that’s the case (for us) for this year, I think. With 10 guys returning, I think it helps a lot. We understand what we need to do, where we need to go, what our objective is.”

After the goal-line stop – keyed by two Kenneth Patten takedowns of Troy Vital – the defense came off the field jawing at the offense. “You guys can’t get a yard?” linebacker Robert Siavii squawked as he returned to the sideline.

Moments later, the back-and-forth banter became heated between safety Shiloh Keo and Vital. They traded loud barbs until coaches pulled Vital away. Keo was later reprimanded on the sideline by assistant Jeremy Thielbahr.

NOTES -- Notable players who sat out were Keo and receivers Maurice Shaw and Preston Davis. Davis is still recovering from offseason knee surgery while Shaw is dealing with a hamstring injury. Shaw and Keo (back spasms) should return soon, Akey said. … Maxx Forde and Jesse Davis, true freshmen defensive linemen from Washington, both made splashes with sacks. … Place-kicker Trey Farquhar nailed six of seven field-goal attempts.

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