Vandals can handle adversity

MOSCOW, Idaho – For the Idahos of the college football commonwealth, being bowl eligible comes with a built-in shadow.

It also means you’re snub eligible, until further notice.

Unless the Vandals finish what they started, or make a reasonable stab at it, those fellows in the silly blazers aren’t obligated to do anything but eat the hot wings at the athletic director’s tailgate. This includes the Humanitarian Bowl guy who wants the Vandals in Boise so badly he would personally tow them there by rickshaw.

Six victories is sure to get you a holiday in Birmingham if you’re the fifth-place team in the SEC’s Bubba Division, but six to Idaho is a bald radial with a slow leak.

On Saturday, the Vandals seemed determined to play themselves deeper into this limbo against Louisiana Tech. Almost 54 minutes of this homecoming dragged on with the Vandals behind and with no indication that was going to change.

Of course it did. Should we have expected anything else on the year’s most otherworldly day from the fall’s most otherworldly team?

The 35-34 victory – DeMaundray Woolridge wedging into the end zone with 52 seconds left and Trey Farquhar booting the PAT that Tech’s Matt Nelson missed on the other end of the fourth quarter – set off another Kibbie Dome dither, with Larry Bird and Edward Scissorhands and many uncostumed pals spilling out of the stands when Nelson was wide left on a 56-yard field goal.

The Vandals’ resiliency once again rated four stars even while the rest of their game was more straight-to-video. Guess we’re getting a lesson in what’s important.

Nathan Enderle’s learning, too.

Since the quarterback downstate is getting Heisman buzz, let’s nominate Idaho’s guy for the Hardknocksman. He was the starter through the 3-21 nightmare of coach Robb Akey’s first two seasons, so a two-touchdowns deficit doesn’t seem so dire.

“I’ve had a lot of practice – not to make a joke out of it,” he said. “But I think you learn to deal with adversity when you, uh, deal with so much adversity.”

Enderle saw more Saturday. He threw two interceptions and nearly two more. He missed Max Komar for a certain six on Idaho’s first snap and saw Komar drop another minutes later. He was low and high and behind as much as he was hitting his targets in stride, and while the Vandals’ struggles weren’t just on one side of the ball, their ace didn’t have his best stuff.

“We were close to maybe giving (backup Brian Reader) a chance – and Nate was aware of that,” said quarterbacks coach Jonathan Smith. “And he really got us going.”

This has been Idaho’s delicate dance before. Reader steered the game-winning drive – almost exclusively on the ground – against San Jose State, but unlike the hand-wringing in most programs with a similar issue the Vandals seem to have a handle on it.

“Nate never said this to me, but I kind of think it motivates him or refocuses him,” said Smith. “What’s great about that relationship is that they work together, they’re roommates, they help each other out. Brian does a great job on the sideline – and he could start in the WAC for a lot of teams.”

What must comfort Enderle is that before there’s a hook, there’s help. Still trailing by 13 to start the fourth quarter, the Vandals went to a two-minute offense – and Enderle completed his first four passes. Two sacks derailed the drive, but there was a suggestion of momentum swing. Meanwhile, the spark Tech got when coach Derek Dooley pulled Ross Jenkins for freshman Colby Cameron quickly died.

“Last year we had to go two-minute almost every game – we’d be two or three touchdowns behind and we just had to start throwing,” Enderle said. “Now we can turn those into touchdowns rather than just desperation stuff. And I think it’s one of my strengths, the intermediate passes.”

Smith sees some other advantages.

“Nate can see things better because the defense has to get itself lined up quickly,” he said. “We’re also calling base stuff we installed the first day. And our two interior route runners, Komar and (Daniel) Hardy, are good players and a lot of times that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Of course, what the Vandals are trying to do is be up two touchdowns rather than down. But with a 7-2 record, it’s tough to remember that they’re a work in progress – so Akey will remind them.

“We can’t bank on seven being enough,” Akey said. “It might take eight. It might take nine.”

It might take another impossible rescue. Good thing they’re in practice.