Josh Wright

MOSCOW, Idaho – Growing up in a football-mad family in Montana, Paul and Bobby Petrino heard the same message from their father that he told his other players at Carroll College: The game is about discipline and execution. “Execution is created by constant repetition that creates a conditioned reflex in a given situation,” Paul said. “Anyone that played for my dad can repeat that right now.”

MOSCOW, Idaho – Former Idaho football coach Keith Gilbertson met with athletic director Rob Spear about the Vandals’ vacant job earlier this month. But the conversation was more about the direction of the UI program, Gilbertson said, than the potential of him coming back to the Palouse. Gilbertson, 64, was on his way to watch Washington State, where his son is a quarterback, play UCLA on Nov. 10 when Spear called him. The two talked about “where Idaho is going” and ways to rejuvenate the program, Gilbertson said.

The Idaho men’s basketball team is no more settled at point guard than it was at the start the season two weeks ago. But at least the Vandals now have a win to their name as they sort it out.

PULLMAN – With Connor Halliday absent from practice Monday night, Washington State football coach Mike Leach said senior quarterback Jeff Tuel will “probably start” Friday in the Apple Cup. Another senior leader for the Cougars, however, might be a spectator against Washington.

MOSCOW, Idaho – In the visitor’s locker room last weekend at Lavell Edwards Stadium, head football coach Jason Gesser gave what he later termed a “heartfelt talk” to Idaho players moments after BYU had steamrolled the Vandals by 39 points. The speech wasn’t about what Idaho had done – or not done – on a cold, dreary night in Provo, Utah. No, he wanted the team to quickly refocus its energy to the week ahead and the last home game for 19 seniors.

MOSCOW, Idaho — Jason Gesser insists the Idaho football program can reach a level of consistency where bowl appearances become the norm, not a once-in-a-decade anomaly. He’s also sure he wants to be at UI to see that vision come to fruition – whether he’s the permanent head football coach or not.

Jason Gesser insists the Idaho football program can reach a level of consistency where bowl appearances become the norm, not a once-in-a-decade anomaly. He’s also sure he wants to be at UI to see that vision come to fruition – whether he’s the permanent head football coach or not.

MOSCOW, Idaho –The bundle of turnovers in the first half, the missed free throws, the repeated defensive breakdowns – all these disturbed Idaho men’s basketball coach Don Verlin on Friday night.

MOSCOW, Idaho – Idaho center Mike Marboe understands how talented and experienced BYU is on defense. He saw it firsthand last year in a 42-7 loss to the Cougars, and it’s clear in the game film he watched this week.

MOSCOW, Idaho – In four years, Don Verlin has shaped the Idaho men’s basketball program to his liking. The roster is fully his own. The four seniors on this year’s team are scheduled to graduate in December or in the spring. The demanding system he’s carried over from Utah State has yielded consistent results.

MOSCOW, Idaho – Late in the third quarter, before Idaho unraveled in a 42-13 loss to San Jose State, redshirt freshman linebacker Elan Richard timed a jump perfectly at the line of scrimmage and swatted an attempted pass to the turf.