UI Loses Back To Broken Foot
Idaho running back Joel Thomas suffered a four- to six-week setback on a 3-yard carry in the second quarter of the Vandals’ Saturday football loss at Idaho State.
Thomas bounced outside on the run and was tackled by an ISU defender, who grabbed hold of Thomas’ face mask in the process.
“I got tackled by the facemask and my (left) foot was planted on the turf and it twisted so that the outside just popped,” Thomas said. “I felt like I had sprained it. I knew something was wrong, but I didn’t think I had broken it. I figured if it was a break I wouldn’t be able to walk.”
ISU was penalized 15 yards; Thomas is penalized four-six weeks with a broken bone in his foot.
Thomas, injured on the 15th of his 28 carries, played the remainder of the game. In fact, he ran for a game-high 18 yards on his first post-injury carry and caught an 11-yard pass in the same series.
“He came out for a minute, shook it off and went back in and rushed for 100 (actually 110) yards,” UI coach Chris Tormey said. “He’s one tough son of a gun.”
It’s possible Thomas could be granted a medical redshirt year, but he wants to see how his foot heals.
“There is a possibility I could be back,” he said. “There’s also a possibility it won’t heal and I’ll redshirt.”
Tormey said Thomas “might need surgery… . He can decide to have surgery and they’ll put a screw in and leave it in for four weeks or he can let it heal on its own. It’s his call.”
This is Thomas’ second injury of the season. He hurt his knee in the first quarter of the opener at Oregon State. He continued to play, racking up 67 hard-earned yards on 24 carries. The junior from Port Angeles, Wash., eventually needed arthroscopic surgery and missed one game.
“It’s just dumb luck,” Thomas said.
Lavoni Kidd, who rushed for 138 yards vs. Sonoma State when Thomas was sidelined, will start, with sophomore Marcelle Williams the backup.
Brennan still No. 1
UI quarterback Brian Brennan remains No. 1 on the depth chart, Tormey said.
Brennan was 16 of 36 with two touchdowns and no interceptions against ISU. Before the game, Tormey had said Brennan would start but backup Eric Hisaw would probably play. Hisaw didn’t play.
After reviewing videotape of the 26-21 loss to ISU, Tormey said Brennan played “pretty well. Statistically, he had no interceptions and he was under a ton of pressure. He had a couple of great throws and got leveled. That one (60-yard touchdown pass) to Robert Scott was a great one and he got crushed.”
Sky stars
Weber State quarterback Bryan Martin was named the Big Sky’s offensive player of the week for his 502-yard, three-touchdown effort in Saturday’s 40-30 win over Eastern Washington.
Martin leads Division I-AA in total offense at 414 yards per game.
Idaho State’s Josh Hays took defensive honors for his three sacks against Idaho. Northern Arizona’s Kevin O’Leary was the special team pick after he connected on 3 of 4 field goals and averaged 44 yards punting in a 37-0 shutout of Montana State.
Idaho slips
Idaho (1-2) plummeted from 13th to 24th in The Sports Network I-AA poll on Monday. Idaho State (4-0) moved up from 24th to No. 16. McNeese State remains No. 1, Montana (4-1) checks in at No. 5, Northern Arizona (4-1) is No. 18 and Boise State (2-2) slid to 19.
Grizzly sentenced
Justin Hazel, 22, starting right cornerback at Montana, has been sentenced to six months in jail after pleading guilty to stealing merchandise from a Missoula Sears store.
However, his sentence was deferred, meaning he does no jail time and can have the conviction removed from his record if he has no more offenses during the six-month period. He also must serve 20 hours of community service.
Grizzlies coach Don Read said no disciplinary action has been taken, but said the incident will be reviewed now that Hazel has pleaded guilty.
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