UI Gets Positive Reading Promising Underclassmen Must Continue Their Development If Vandals Are To Succeed

Roster sheets were required reading at Idaho’s spring football scrimmage Saturday at Viking Field.

Of the four quarterbacks, perhaps only Brian Brennan triggered the memory banks of Vandals followers. Thanks to an ejection and prior injuries, the first-team offensive line at one point had four redshirt freshmen. The top yardage receiver, Post Falls High grad Darick Pope, was a quarterback two weeks ago.

The defense has a slew of new faces, too. Idaho’s youth bumped helmets for just over 2 hours as 200 fans watched under sunny skies. Coach Chris Tormey liked what he saw.

“We did an awful lot of good things,” Tormey said. “Some of our young players really showed up.

“We needed to have some young players show that they’re ready to play to complement the group of players we have coming back.”

Tormey pointed out the receiving of sophomore Ryan Prestimonico (two catches, 36 yards), freshman Matt McElravy (3-49) and Pope, a sophomore who used his 6-foot-6 frame to snare two lob passes for 55 yards.

Freshman linebacker Casey Hills, freshman end Cade Smith and junior safety Kevin Hill made eye-catching defensive plays.

No. 2 quarterback Ed Dean directed the only touchdown drive. His 24-yard completion to McElravy set up Jerome Thomas’ 3-yard scoring run.

Brennan, coming back from shoulder surgery, was far sharper than he was in a scrimmage the week before. Brennan, the leading candidate for the starting job, hit 13 of 23 passes for 117 yards. Dean was 7 of 14 for 94 yards.

“If we can protect, I think we can win with either (Brennan or Dean),” Tormey said.

The Vandals’ success appears dependent on the development of the offensive and defensive fronts and quarterback play.

The offensive front is without two likely starters, center Bill Verdonk and guard Jason Stark, both out following knee surgeries. Verdonk is expected to be ready this fall. Stark might miss the first month of the season.

Notes

Rick Giampietri, a redshirt freshman defensive back from Central Valley, grabbed the only interception. … Receiving mainstays Antonio Wilson and Robert Scott combined for six catches, but only 32 yards.

Senior offensive tackle Crosby Tajan, from Sandpoint, was tossed out for part of the first half after a brief scrap with defensive tackle Tim Wilson. “That’s so un-Crosby like,” Tormey said.

, DataTimes