Vandals try to get on track

The longer Idaho’s football season lasts, the more unpredictable the Vandals seem to become.

They’ve been lost and found a couple of times. They’ve been routed and rebounded. They’ve been Western Athletic Conference contenders, battled ranked teams to the wire and, just as quickly, faded into the middle of the conference pack.

So which Idaho team shows up against Fresno State today at 2 at Bulldog Stadium?

“I don’t think the last two games are indicative of the type of team we are,” said Vandals coach Dennis Erickson, referring to losses to Hawaii and Nevada by a combined 113-17. “Again, it’s how you react. We had a bye week, which gave us a chance to heal up mentally and physically and we needed that after those last two games.

“So, we’ll just see.”

Idaho’s last three games have displayed the gulf between the top of the WAC and the fifth-place Vandals. Idaho (4-6, 3-3 WAC) lost to conference powers Boise State (42-26), Hawaii (68-10) and Nevada (45-7).

“I’ve been in these situations,” Erickson said. “The only way to get out of something like this is to play better. We have to do it as a team and as a coaching staff.”

The Vandals, who must win their last two games to fuel their remote bowl hopes, won’t get much sympathy from Fresno State, which snapped a program-worst seven-game slide with a win over New Mexico State last week.

The Bulldogs (2-7, 2-3) have never finished worse than a tie for third in the WAC under 10th-year head coach Pat Hill. They’ve won at least five WAC games in Hill’s first nine seasons, but they’ll have to sweep their remaining games to reach that total.

“Sometimes you take winning for granted,” Hill said. “It was great to see the excitement in our locker room and on the sideline after getting just our second win. It made you really look at what you do for a living and understand that winning is important, especially when you’ve gone through some really tough times.”

The Bulldogs beat Nevada in the season opener, but then fell just short of knocking off Oregon and Washington. Hill has changed starting quarterbacks – Tom Brandstater is back with the first string after losing his job at midseason – and inserted three new starters against New Mexico State. Two starting offensive linemen last Saturday were defensive linemen in fall camp.

“We had a pretty good group of seniors, but when you’re sitting at 1-7 and the production is not good from the whole team, you make changes,” Hill said.

Erickson’s primary concern is Fresno State running back Dwayne Wright, who averages 103 yards per game. The Vandals were torched for 208 yards rushing by Boise State and 222 by Nevada. Conversely, Idaho failed to crack 100 yards rushing against those same teams.

Notes

Idaho receiver Marlon Haynes, who was ejected in the second half of the Nevada game after pushing or punching a rival player, won’t face disciplinary action from the WAC office. Erickson checked on Haynes’ status and he’s been cleared to play. … Erickson said there’s a chance receiver Max Komar (shoulder) will play. … Hill has 74 wins, second only to Jim Sweeney’s 143 at Fresno State. Erickson was Sweeney’s offensive coordinator at Fresno State in 1976-77.