Regional Rivalry Should Survive
Idaho and Eastern Washington apparently will continue their rivalry, even after the Vandals leave the Big Sky Conference following this season.
“We remain on Idaho’s and Boise State’s schedule for a couple years,” EWU coach Mike Kramer said during the Big Sky Football Kickoff meetings on Saturday. UI and BSU will join the Big West in 1996.
There’s talk of UI-EWU playing at Spokane’s Albi Stadium.
The new Sky
Minus Idaho and Boise State, most coaches still believe the Sky will be formidable in 1996.
“It hurts the conference, but there’s still some pretty darn good programs,” ISU coach Brian McNeely said. The addition of Portland State, a Division II power, brings an immediate upper-tier team, he said.
“Portland State has the potential to bury the rest of the conference,” said Montana - and former PSU coach Don Read, who has lost about 25 pounds after a pair of recent minor surgeries. Read noted that the Vikings have built-in advantages in attendance, fundraising and recruiting potential.
“The nature of the Big Sky is in rural areas. It’s going to change the dimensions of the conference with (Portland State) being a metropolitan area. They’ll get more walk-ons that the rest of us put together.”
Allen update
BSU was represented by acting head coach Tom Mason as head coach Pokey Allen continues his battle against cancer.
Allen was back in a Seattle hospital last week with a low-grade fever. He hopes to return to Boise this week.
“We’re making a lot of decisions by phone,” Mason said. “We start practice August 13 and hopefully, he’ll be there. He really wants to coach this football team.”
Allen’s condition was on the minds of all the coaches.
“I spoke to him about eight days ago and we didn’t talk about how he’s doing because that’s a hard thing for me to ask about,” Montana State coach Cliff Hysell said. “His attitude amazed me, but it shouldn’t because that’s why he’s who he is.”
Hysell and Allen played against each other in high school in Montana and Hysell was Allen’s recruiting visit host at the University of Utah.
The Big Hurt
That’s Frank Thomas’s nickname, but it also captures junior offensive lineman Ken Henningsen’s career at EWU.
Henningsen has been big - as large as 381 pounds. He currently weighs 307 and is expected to be down to 285 this fall. “I thought his shadow weighed 285,” Kramer said.
And Henningsen has been hurt. He played all last season despite a knee injury he incurred while demonstrating to teammates how he originally hurt the knee in the spring of 1994. Ouch!
“He played on guts alone last year and he played well, considering how hobbled he was,” Kramer said.
Payton’s place
Big Sky quarterbacks have claimed the Walter Payton Award, Division I-AA’s Heisman Trophy, the last three odd-numbered years. Idaho’s John Friesz and Doug Nussmeier won it in 1989 and 1993, respectively, while Weber State’s Jamie Martin took it in 1991.
Montana senior Dave Dickenson is the Payton front-runner this year. But don’t count out Northern Arizona’s Jeff Lewis, labeled by some scouting services as the top-rated QB prospect in the nation, and Boise State’s Tony Hilde, who seems to have recovered from off-season shoulder surgery.
Idaho’s Brian Brennan and Eric Hisaw rate consideration after finishing among the top four nationally in pass efficiency, though Hisaw didn’t have enough pass attempts to qualify.
Notables
BSU, which already lost all-conference running back K.C. Adams because of poor grades, is in danger of losing JC transfer Karlin Adams (no relation) for the same reason. Broncos coaches are waiting for Adams’ grade in an English course to determine his eligibility. The starter appears to be Tommy Edwards, a transfer from Virginia Tech who scored 10 touchdowns last year as a freshman. Word is BSU also is eyeing another transfer.
Idaho’s Vandals have signed six players since national letter-of-intent day, coach Chris Tormey said.
The additions include players at suspect positions - defensive secondary, wide receiver and punter, though Tormey believes quarterback Brian Brennan can handle punting this year.
EWU’s Mike Kramer said Tom Zurfluh will continue as placekicker, despite a shaky performance last year. However, Zurfluh will not continue as punter. That job will go to … “the infamous player to be named later,” Kramer said. Walla Walla recruit Josh Atwood didn’t make grades.
Moscow High grad Josh Branen is a reserve running back at Montana after transferring from San Diego. Other transfers from four-year powers to watch include BSU center Ted Butler (Nebraska), Idaho State defensive tackle Steve Hochman (Miami) and Montana end Mike Lorentz (Colorado).
, DataTimes