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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

MAC attack on tap

Despite a pair of respectable losses to Pac-10 teams sandwiched around a win, overconfidence won’t be a factor for the Idaho Vandals when they close out their preconference football season against winless Northern Illinois this afternoon in the Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho.

“I think Northern Illinois is a darn good football team,” Vandals coach Robb Akey said. “They’re coming in 0-3, but they’re not a 0-3 football team. They’re kind of snakebit right now. … They’re talented, hungry for a win. We’re going to have our hands full.”

The Vandals are just as hungry, Akey said. Respectability against top-ranked USC and Washington State didn’t satisfy his team.

“I like the progress we’re making,” he said. “Now we need to get over the edge.”

The Huskies, out of the Mid-American Conference, shouldn’t outman the Vandals like a Pac-10 opponent and they won’t play unusual formations on offense or defense like Cal Poly did.

“They’re a solid, tough football team. Coach (Joe) Novak has done a good job,” Akey said. “They’re going to run the ball, throw it to an extent. On defense, they’re physical.”

They’re also beset by injuries.

Novak said five of the top six defensive tackles are out, along with starting running back Montell Clanton. Justin Anderson has stepped in to rush for 259 yards and he leads the team with 19 receptions for 159 yards.

Quarterback Dan Nicholson has completed 69 percent of his passes for 597 yards but has seven interceptions and only three touchdowns.

Idaho’s big concern is having two starting linebackers who didn’t finish the WSU game. Jo’Artis Ratti is questionable with a shoulder sprain and Ben Alexander is probable with a hamstring injury. A few other players are dinged up.

Idaho redshirt freshman quarterback Nathan Enderle doesn’t have startling numbers (44 percent completion for 461 yards, with four touchdowns and four interceptions), but he has guided opening possession touchdowns in the last two games.

Another freshman, running back Deonte’ Jackson, is fourth nationally with 426 yards.

Despite five turnovers against the Cougars, the defense has the Vandals at a plus-2 in takeaways.

“Their three linebackers are all back this year and they have a cornerback (Stanley Franks) that I believe is an All-American candidate,” Novak said. “They can be compared to being as good as the top teams in the MAC. … The only problem they have is they have been through three head coaches in three years. They are a little bit unsteady.”

NIU was in similar shape before Novak arrived. The Huskies were 3-30 in his first three seasons, but his record going into his 13th season is up to 60-66.

The Huskies were 7-6 last year, with an offense that featured now-departed running back Garrett Wolfe and his 1,928 rushing yards. NIU lost to Texas Christian in the Poinsettia Bowl. It was its second bowl appearance in three years, ending a 21-year drought. In between the two bowls, NIU lost in the Mid-American Conference championship game.

NIU should be the kind of challenge UI needs before beginning conference play next week with Hawaii visiting Moscow.

“What I would like to see is us not only gaining ground like we’ve been working to do, but I’d like to see this be more of a complete football game,” Akey said. “We need to keep cleaning up things and do it over the course of the game. We have to do that for the WAC (Western Athletic Conference) and to have a chance to win this game.”