Spring Will Be A Kick For Tormey New Idaho Coach Desperately Seeks Punter As Drills Begin

Equipment, check. Playbooks, OK. Pep talk, uh huh. Placed classified ad looking for a punter, yup.

There, now, the University of Idaho is indeed ready for spring football. Drills begin today in Moscow under new coach Chris Tormey. The Vandals will have 15 practices (10 in pads), scrimmaging on Saturdays until the annual spring game on Friday, April 28.

“We’re very anxious,” said Tormey, who will wait until fall, when Eric Hisaw should be mended from knee surgery, to decide on a starting quarterback. “We had a good offseason program and the guys are working hard.”

Tormey’s primary goals are to shore up the defensive secondary, receivers and a pesky punting situation.

The Vandals, so far, have been unable to sign a punter to replace the graduated Eddie Howard. So, they ran an ad in the school newspaper that read, “Can You Punt?”

One student responded, said Tormey, adding that Brian Brennan and Robert Scott, among others, will probably get looks at punter.

Brennan and Scott will also get the bulk of snaps at quarterback due to Hisaw being limited to non-contact work. Brennan was 4-2 as a starter last season after Hisaw’s injury. Scott also rates strong consideration.

“It’ll be good to get a good look at those two guys (Brennan and Scott),” Tormey said.

Senior Dwight McKinzie appears poised to become the next go-to receiver, joining a long list of recent greats, including Kyle Gary, Yo Murphy, Kasey Dunn and Lee Allen.

The problem at the position is depth. David Griffin and Kimiko Bandy, returning from a knee injury, will be counted on, as will highly touted transfer Videl Montgomery, who will be in Moscow this fall.

The secondary, often leaky last year, is also short of numbers.

Talented Montrell Williams will move from corner to strong safety. “We’ll play a lot of man coverage,” Tormey said. “A lot of times the player at that (safety) position guards the inside receiver on a threereceiver set and that receiver is usually the most talented.”

Standout linebacker Jason Shelt, whose knee was reconstructed after tearing ligaments last September, will be held out of contact but should be ready by fall. Defensive tackle Dan Zeamer will be limited after having shoulder surgery.

Notes

Idaho still has only 10 games scheduled, four at home. The Vandals, who open at Oregon State on Sept. 2, are hoping to line up another Kibbie Dome date on Sept. 9 or Sept 23, probably against a Division II or NAIA school. UI’s schedule unraveled when it waffled on its stance toward joining the Big West Conference last year…

Tormey said today’s first drill will involve the kicking game. “That’ll be part of every practice every day,” he said.

Other Tormey traditions will include some work on the option every day. “That’s something we did at Washington. It teaches fundamental defensive leverage and it’s good for the offense, too,” said Tormey, adding Oregon State runs the option…

Tormey, who was the defensive coordinator at UW, on how he envisions his relationship with UI defensive coordinator Nick Holt: “(UW coach) Jim Lambright was the defensive coordinator 15 years before I got the job and I appreciated the fact he let me do it. He was always there with ideas. There’s always give and take.” …

Grover Johnson will move from running back to linebacker. Lavoni Kidd, who played for UI two years ago, is back and will probably back up Joel Thomas at running back.