UI football forecast

Bright Spots

Armed and ready

It’s always nice to have an experienced, talented quarterback returning. Steve Wichman passed for 2,746 yards with 15 touchdowns and 18 interceptions last year.

Foot work

Mike Barrow emerged as a dependable kicker last season, connecting on 16 of 19 field-goal attempts. He was 9 of 20 the previous two seasons.

Running start

The running game sputtered after Jayson Bird broke his collarbone in the second game. Bird is healthy and the Vandals are counting on better production.

Still a little hazy

The middleman

The Vandals must replace middle linebacker Cole Snyder, who made 139 tackles last season, fourth on UI’s single-season list. Contenders are Jaron Williams, Robert Davis and Post Falls High graduate Adam Shamion.

Catching up

Idaho suffered a major loss when Daniel Smith decided to skip his senior season. Smith was the go-to receiver last year with 67 catches for 1,001 yards.

Second in command

The Vandals don’t have an experienced backup quarterback behind Wichman. Sophomores Chris Joseph and T.J. Conley and freshmen Nathan Enderle and Jon Tobin will vie for the position.