Hurt Vandals Making Due With Youngsters Idaho Trying To Keep Aggies Out Of Big West Win Column

Add two more freshmen to Idaho’s starting unit. Subtract an injured senior, felled by, of all things, a paintball.

The Vandals, hounded by injuries all season, field yet another shuffled lineup for today’s date with New Mexico State at Aggie Memorial Stadium in Las Cruces.

Freshman running back Anthony Tenner will make his second straight start. He started against Eastern Washington two weeks ago because of Jerome Thomas’ thigh injury.

Thomas is healthy, but “Anthony, at this point, is a little more effective,” Vandals coach Chris Tormey said. “Both are going to play.”

Meanwhile, senior cornerback Ryan McGinnis won’t make the trip after sustaining an eye injury playing paintball during Idaho’s bye last weekend.

“He’s going to see a specialist in Seattle,” Tormey said. “Initially we didn’t think it was going to be serious. His vision is OK, but there is pressure built up behind the eye and that’s always a danger.”

Freshman Dennis Gibbs, who missed the EWU game because of a hamstring injury, will start.

The Vandals will start four freshmen on offense against New Mexico State, which hasn’t won a Big West Conference game since the final game of the 1995 season.

Idaho will be the third conference team to have a bye week before facing NMSU.

But the Aggies remain somewhat threatening. Running back Denvis Manns is 57 yards from his third 1,000-yard season. However, he’s been slowed by a knee injury.

Duane Gregory is 183 yards from becoming NMSU’s all-time leader in receiving yardage. He torched UI for 13 catches and 146 yards last year. He also ran 61 yards for a touchdown.

First-year Aggies coach Tony Samuel and his staff will fan out on the recruiting trail after today’s game. This is NMSU’s season-ender.

“It’s been kind of a roller-coaster,” said Samuel, who turned 42 on Friday. “Everything’s relative. I remember being at Nebraska (as an assistant) and going 9-3 one year and actually feeling a whole lot worse than I do now. Even looking at the 2-8 record, I feel like we’ve made a lot of improvements.”

Still, NMSU allows 234.8 yards rushing and 36.3 points per game, ranking among the bottom 10 in Division I-A.

Idaho (4-5) has dropped three straight games for the first time since 1991. UI last lost four consecutive in 1981.

“When you look at all the freshmen and young guys playing and the injuries we’ve had, it’d be a great start for next year if we could pull off a winning season,” Tormey said.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Graphic: Fandals at New Mexico State