Idaho Intent On Avoiding 0-3 Beginning

The Idaho Vandals are saying all the right things.

But can they do the necessary things to spring an upset of Oregon at 3:30 today at Autzen Stadium?

Upset requirements include holding on to the football, generating a pass rush, covering a fleet of Ducks’ receivers and containing strong, fast running back Maurice Morris.

Not to mention the fact that Oregon has a school-record home winning streak of 15 and counting.

“We’re upset,” Vandals senior guard Rick DeMulling said. “We’ve lost two in a row and I’ve never been 0-2 in football in my life.”

Or, as junior defensive end Ryan Knowles put it, “I’m downright sick to my stomach.”

To avoid taking another haymaker to the gut, Idaho has a lengthy to-do list. Eight turnovers have marred an otherwise productive offense.

“I saw growth at every (offensive) position (from the first game to the second), that’s what fires me up,” said coach Tom Cable, 0-2 in his first year at Idaho. “We’ve just got to take care of the ball.”

Defense is a different matter. Idaho has been worked over in its first two games.

“The defense is about everybody playing their role. If one guy screws up, it screws up the two guys next to him,” Cable said. “We’ve almost got it. It’s not like this thing is completely broken.”

That’s a good thing, because Oregon (1-1) has a system that, as Cable says, “has pretty much moved the ball on anybody anytime any place.”

Idaho’s initial challenge will be Morris, who flashed speed against Nevada while running up 166 yards and power in grinding out 92 yards on Wisconsin.

“I saw him when he was in junior college and I was like, `Wow, I wonder who is going to get that guy?”’ Cable said.

Next, the Vandals have to deal with quarterback Joey Harrington, who was second in the Pac-10 in pass efficiency last year but has four interceptions and just one touchdown pass this season.

Marshaun Tucker and Keenan Howry are the primary receivers. Tucker riddled Wisconsin with nearly 200 receiving yards, but he also had five of Oregon’s 11 dropped passes.

Oregon put in extra practice time on receiving this week, but coach Mike Bellotti didn’t want to go overboard addressing the problem.

“Dropping passes is a little like fumbling or missing tackles,” he said. Sometimes the more you make of it, the more it becomes a problem.”

Bellotti’s concerns center on the variety of Idaho’s offense.

“They have every play known to man and that impresses me because they seem to execute them all very well,” Bellotti said.

The Ducks counter with defensive ends Jason Nikolao (6-2, 300) and Saul Patu (6-3, 265). “They’re flat-out special,” Cable said.

Cable also used the word “special” to describe the Ducks’ special teams. “I don’t know if we’ll face another like it,” Cable said.

Idaho, for the second time in three weeks, is a heavy underdog, but DeMulling isn’t concerned with the odds.

“We’re always underdogs,” he said. “We just want to go out and win a game. I’m sick and tired of losing and everybody else is, too.”

Notes

Cornerback Dennis Gibbs (hamstring) will miss his second consecutive game. Duval Seamster is expected to start… . Defensive end Jake Wimer, returning from knee surgery, will play, but probably won’t start. J.J. Johnston and Ryan Knowles likely will start at ends… . Freshman Nate Griffin makes his first start in place of Laki Ah Hi, who is out 6-8 weeks with a knee injury. Griffin played 48 snaps against Montana and “really did a fine job,” Cable said.