Tormey Remembers Torment
Washington State hasn’t been kind to University of Idaho football coach Chris Tormey.
As an Idaho player in the mid-1970s, Tormey lost to the Cougars 17-10, 84-27, 45-6 and 45-17. He didn’t play in the 84-27 debacle because he was rehabilitating a knee injury.
When Tormey became a Washington assistant coach, he enjoyed good success against WSU, but not in 1992. WSU, led by Drew Bledsoe, whipped UW 42-23 between the snowbanks at Martin Stadium.
“We had already clinched the Rose Bowl, but they just scorched us,” said Tormey, whose Vandals visit WSU on Saturday. “I was coaching the secondary.
“My little girl, Leah, was like 3 and I said, ‘Leah, Daddy’s boys didn’t play very well today.’ And she looked at me and said, ‘I heard that.”’
Pope on the move
Darick Pope’s tour of positions continues at Idaho. Because of the injury of Greg Robertson, Pope will be the emergency quarterback Saturday.
The Post Falls product began his career at Idaho as a quarterback, moved to receiver and most recently was at tight end.
He also is the holder on field goals and PATs.
No longer No. 112
It was motivating while it lasted.
Idaho, No. 112 (last) in the Sporting News’ preseason and first-week polls, has moved up to 99. Utah State is 62, Nevada 79, Boise State 102, North Texas 106 and New Mexico State 110.
The Vandals had used the rankings as incentive to prove the pollsters wrong. If they want to fill the motivational void, they might be interested to know they’re still the lowest rated 2-0 team in the nation.
Washington State, at No. 74, isn’t exactly swimming in respect. The only 2-0 teams rated below the Cougars are Minnesota (75), Tulsa (80) and Idaho.
New Q
Nevada entered the year with Mo Jones as its starting quarterback and Erik Stidham as the backup. Two weeks later, the only thing that remains the same is Stidham’s standing.
The new starter is freshman David Neill, from Newhall, Calif. He replaced Stidham in last Saturday’s 26-14 loss to Colorado State. Nevada was down 26-0 in the fourth quarter before Neill led two scoring drives. He finished 16 of 29 for 155 yards.
Jones, who started in the 48-6 season-opening loss to Oregon State, has switched to receiver.
It might seem like a desperate measure handing the job to Neill, but Nevada is facing desperate times. Nevada is 0-2 for the first time since 1983 and lost its home opener for the first time since 1982.
Those facts likely haven’t escaped the attention of athletic director Chris Ault, the football coach from 1976-95.
Miscellany
Nevada’s Geoff Noisy is on pace to become the NCAA’s all-time receptions leader. Noisy has 210 career catches and needs 57 to pass Aaron Turner’s mark of 266 for Pacific, which was in the Big West before it dropped football. Noisy’s currently 19th on the list. … Utah State, which lost to New Mexico on a late touchdown last season, doubled its pain by falling to the Lobos in three overtimes last Saturday. … The Big West is 3-9 overall - two wins coming from Idaho and the other from Boise State. … Nevada has had three straight scoreless first halves, dating to last season, in which the Wolf Pack have been outscored 71-0.