For Idaho, It’S Boise Or Bust - By Bus Plane Problems Force Vandals To Adjust Travel Plans

The Idaho Vandals will play the biggest football game of their lives today. Provided, of course, they get to Boise.

Idaho experienced travel problems that bordered on the absurd Friday. The end result was that the Vandals had to bus to Boise and were due to arrive about 1 this morning, roughly 8 hours later than their original schedule.

“When we get in, we’re going to bed,” said coach Chris Tormey from Moscow. His Vandals need a win over Boise State to claim the Big West Conference title and a berth in the Humanitarian Bowl. Game time is 12:07 PST.

Idaho’s original plan was scrapped when the Winair charter service’s 737 overran a runway on an airstrip near the Grand Canyon Thursday and stuck the landing gear in the mud, said assistant athletic director Matt Kleffner.

Another plane was lined up to fly the team from Lewiston to Boise, but the departure time would have thrown off Idaho’s normal schedule. So another 737, this one from Casino Express charters, was secured.

Until it had mechanical problems.

“I was tying my tie at home at about 12:30 getting ready to go when they called,” Kleffner said.

Idaho adjusted its game plan from air to ground. Three Spokane-based buses picked up the team in Moscow about 4:30 and motored to Pendleton, Ore. There, the Vandals were to hop on three Boise-based buses to complete their journey.

“This is pretty much the high-water mark for things that could go wrong,” Kleffner said. “Chris has been phenomenal the way he’s handled it.” Idaho held meetings at the Kibbie Dome while waiting for their transportation to arrive.

“There’s no sense worrying about it. There’s nothing you can do,” Tormey said. “We’re going to get down there, show up and be ready to play at 1 (Boise time).”

Oh yeah, there’s a game.

BSU’s defense will probably try to stymie Joel Thomas, the Vandals’ all-time rushing leader. BSU has two standout tackles in Bobby Setzer and Jon Rydman, but it still stacks the line of scrimmage and often blitzes. That could put Idaho’s offensive burden on redshirt freshman quarterback John Welsh to beat the Broncos’ man-to-man coverage.

“You can’t let (Joel) run wild,” BSU coach Dirk Koetter said. “If you can force them into must-throw situations where they can’t dictate tempo with play action, that helps us out.”

Idaho’s challenge, meanwhile, will be containing mobile quarterbacks Bart Hendricks and Nate Sparks - both should play - and keeping track of BSU receivers. UI cornerback Dennis Gibbs, who sprained his ankle last week, is expected to play.

The game was sold out (30,000) by midweek. The largest crowd to watch a sporting event in state history will find out if the upstart Vandals, picked by numerous preseason magazines to finish last in the conference, can take their first Big West title.

“I’m not surprised where we’re at because I paid the price and I’ve seen the guys pay the price in the offseason,” linebacker Chris Nofoaiga said. “I’m not surprised because we deserve it.”

Notes

Temperatures are expected to be in the low 50s. Forecasts call for isolated showers… . Oddsmakers favor Idaho by 3… . Idaho originally intended to bus to Boise, but that was changed when the Vandals beat New Mexico State last Saturday to stay in title contention. “Mike (Bohn, A.D.) said we’ve got to give them every opportunity to win and one of the things we could do was keep them in their routine and avoid a 7-hour bus ride,” Kleffner said. Good intentions, bad luck.