Vandals build experience for next year
University of Idaho football coach Nick Holt was asked this week if he would delegate playing time in the last three games with an eye toward building for next season.
Rather than respond, “Been there, done that,” Holt diplomatically noted that he wants a couple of young receivers to get a few more snaps, but essentially “the guys getting ready for next year are already playing.”
Nowhere is that more evident than at running back, where true freshmen Rolly Lumbala and Jayson Bird, and a new alternative, JC transfer Antwaun Sherman, are carrying the ball and, figuratively, many of the Vandals’ future hopes.
It’s an interesting mix of talents and backgrounds. Lumbala, 6-feet-2 and 241 pounds, was born in Africa and grew up in Canada. Bird, 6-0 and 220, is homegrown, right down to the “Russets” nickname of his Shelley (Idaho) High School team. Sherman, 5-7 and 175, arrived in Moscow after fall practices had started and is just getting comfortable in Idaho’s system.
Lumbala is a powerful runner, Bird is more of a power-speed mixture and Sherman is a legitimate breakaway threat. Sherman, who returned a kick 100 yards for a touchdown against Louisiana-Lafayette in mid-October, saw his first action at running back last week and gained 30 yards on six carries.
“Between those three, we have some pretty good backs,” Holt said. “The two freshmen were banged up (last Saturday). Jayson feels a little better since we sat on him in the second half. They’ll get their carries Saturday (against visiting Arkansas State).
“Antwaun has a little more of a burst, a guy that can hit the hole fast and what’s nice with him is he’s a changeup. He’s small and it’s hard to find him when he gets those big bodies in front of him.”
Lumbala moved from the Congo, in Africa, to Montreal when he was five. He picked up on football after watching his older brother play. Lumbala started playing as a seventh-grader, one year before his family relocated to Calgary.
“The guys down here are a lot faster and bigger,” said Lumbala, whose first name is pronounced ROE-lee. “But when it comes to rules, football is football.”
Lumbala has rushed for 401 yards, averaging 4.1 yards per carry. He said he has timed 4.58 seconds for 40 yards.
“I’d like to be between 230 and 240 pounds,” said Lumbala, who has five rushing touchdowns. “I just want to put on more muscle mass and work on my speed and agility.”
Lumbala and Bird were roommates during two-a-days and they still are on road trips.
“We learned the offense a lot better and I think it helped,” Bird said. “I think it’s more support for each other (than competitors). We want each other to do well. That’s what it’s really all about.”
Bird, with 685 yards rushing and a team-leading six touchdowns, ranks fourth in the Sun Belt Conference. He had nearly 3,400 yards rushing in his last two years at Shelley, capped by a 3A state championship as a senior.
He was recruited by Utah State, but the Aggies wanted him to delay enrollment and grayshirt.
“I didn’t like that idea, I took the trip up here and committed right off the bat,” recalled Bird, who said he’s run a 4.4 40-yard time. “I believe in the coaching staff and I thought it would be a better situation to go in to and not have to worry about a head coaching change during my career.”
Sherman was on the depth chart at cornerback most of the season, but took some turns at running back against Troy when Bird and Lumbala were less than 100 percent. Senior Justin Wall has been sidelined with a knee injury.
Sherman is one of 21 City College of San Francisco players from the 2003 team playing for Division I schools, according to the CCSF Web site.
“It’s a blessing in disguise that we have him and that he can play both positions,” Holt said. “We’re just trying to get him on the field the quickest way.”
Sherman would have made it to the field sooner except he was slowed by a rib injury prior to the Middle Tennessee game two weeks ago. He’s getting an opportunity to boost an Idaho ground game that has tapered off the last two weeks after a 250-yard outburst against Louisiana-Lafayette. The Vandals have just 87 and 81 yards, respectively, the last two games, partly because they’ve trailed by lopsided margins and they were forced to throw. Injuries to backs and key offensive linemen also haven’t helped the running attack.
“I’m happy to see him out there,” Lumbala said of Sherman. “He’s really explosive, a great guy that works hard. I think he can do different things and it’s going to help us offensively. With his speed, it’s going to help us a lot.”