UI backs need some healing powers

Perhaps the island breezes will have healing powers for the University of Idaho’s ailing running backs.

The Vandals, who close the football season against Hawaii in Honolulu on Saturday, ended last Saturday’s 51-29 loss to North Texas without their top four tailback options. That left the bulk of the work to 260-pound senior tight end Willie Sipoloa for the last three quarters. He responded with 53 yards and one touchdown on 15 carries.

It’s too early to determine the pecking order for Saturday, coach Nick Holt said. Jayson Bird left after one carry with a lingering knee injury. Rolly Lumbala departed with a shoulder stinger in the second. Antwaun Sherman didn’t make the trip because of a bruised lower leg. Senior Justin Wall, who began the season as the No. 2 tailback, has been out most of the year with a variety of injuries. He had 11 carries in the season opener.

Sipoloa had taken a few just-in-case repetitions in practice last week. He was a reserve fullback in 2002 and had one carry.

“He did a phenomenal job,” Holt said. “We sort of mixed and matched the last three quarters.”

Lumbala and Sherman appear to have the best chances of playing. Bird has been bothered by knee and shoulder problems for weeks.

“Maybe the nice sunshine and beach can get them healthy,” Holt said. “Antwaun got hit on a nerve either (last) Saturday or in Monday’s practice, he doesn’t remember how it happened. He’s slowly coming back. I don’t know if we’ll have him. He’s still in a boot.”

Another option is senior Brian Yarno, a tight end/long snapper who played some fullback earlier in his career. Wall’s return is considered unlikely.

Super Jamario

In this week’s edition of Records Broken by Jamario Thomas, the North Texas freshman tied an NCAA mark with his fifth consecutive 200-yard game, joining a couple of guys named Marcus Allen and Barry Sanders.

Thomas, who torched Idaho for 291 yards, has 1,709 for the season, one of only four freshmen ever to break 1,600.

If he gains 184 yards against Arkansas State, Thomas would break Ron Dayne’s freshman record of 1,863.

“He’s everything they said about him,” Holt said.

Naturally, the first question asked of UNT coach Darrell Dickey in Monday’s conference call: How will you handle having Thomas and Patrick Cobbs, sidelined by a knee injury after leading the nation in rushing last year, in the same backfield in 2005?

“We’re probably going to play both of them,” Dickey said in an understatement.

Mean Green machine

Dickey has transformed a mediocre North Texas program into a Sun Belt power. The Mean Green had only two winning seasons in the 1990s.

Dickey was 3-8, 2-9 and 3-8 in his first three seasons and history buffs will recall that he was on the hot seat in 2001, particularly after UNT lost its Sun Belt opener to Louisiana-Monroe. The Mean Green has since rattled off 24 straight conference wins and the school’s patience with Dickey has been rewarded.

Dickey’s background as a quarterback at Kansas State (1979-82) helped prepare him for coaching at North Texas.

“People talked that there was no way we could win, no way we could turn it around, but Kansas State went to a bowl game for the first time in school history (in Dickey’s senior year),” he said. “Being the quarterback on some bad teams that my father was the head coach of, I got dog-cussed and booed and blasted for three years until we won. And I found out that stuff doesn’t make a difference.”

Notes

Idaho’s Wendell Octave missed his second straight game with tendonitis in his knee. He probably won’t play Saturday… . UI’s Bobby Bernal-Wood‘s 7.9 receptions per game is second nationally behind Ball State’s Dante Ridgeway (9.5)… . With six wins and a regular-season finale Saturday against Middle Tennessee, Troy has slim bowl aspirations. If Troy wins, it plans on putting an insert in local newspapers to ask fans for a ticket commitment to help the school lobby potential bowls. There are presently 49 bowl-eligible teams for 56 bowl berths… . New Mexico State, which started 1-4, is 5-5 and has a chance for its third winning season since 1999.