Erickson expresses caution

For the fifth time in his eight stops as a head football coach, Dennis Erickson’s team has won more games in his first season than the year prior to his arrival.

The Idaho Vandals are 3-3 following Saturday’s 28-20 win over New Mexico State. They finished 2-9 in 2005. In his first stint at Idaho, Erickson’s 1982 team went 9-4, compared to a 3-8 record under Jerry Davitch the year before.

Erickson’s teams twice won the same amount of games (three at Washington State, 11 at Miami) as his predecessor. The only Erickson team that lost more games than the previous regime was his first season with the San Francisco 49ers.

With six WAC games still remaining and the possibility Idaho might not be favored in any of them, Erickson is exercising caution on rising expectations. It should be noted Idaho’s wins are over I-AA Idaho State (2-3), Utah State (1-5) and New Mexico State (2-3), which has lost 16 straight to I-A foes.

“We’re just trying to win our fourth game,” he said, when asked if team goals have been adjusted.

Still, the difference in the Vandals is noticeable, according to New Mexico State coach Hal Mumme.

“I didn’t see a lot different defensively, but offensively they’re so much better. He’s really going to make Idaho a force to contend with. He’s already doing it.”

Griswold travel party

New Mexico State had a rotten trip to Moscow, and then endured a 28-20 loss to the Vandals. The Aggies’ charter plane failed to show up Friday morning.

“All the charter company could come up with was a 56-seat plane,” Mumme said.

That brought most of the players and coaches to Moscow by early Friday evening. The plane then returned to Las Cruces to pick up the rest of the group, which included some players. They arrived at the team hotel at 2 a.m. Saturday.

“Our focus was not real good,” Mumme said. “That’s not an excuse, but it happened.”

Beefed-up Broncos

Boise State occasionally used three- and four-tight end formations as it piled up 265 yards rushing against Louisiana Tech. Four Broncos had at least 50 yards.

“We ran it last year,” Broncos coach Chris Petersen said. “We might look like that one game and then we don’t bring it out the next game. We pride ourselves on being very multiple.”

Said Louisiana Tech coach Jack Bicknell: “We didn’t do a good job, especially with the four-tight end deal where they’re quick-snapping, of getting lined up at times. … The tough thing is (quarterback Jared) Zabransky is playing so well, he’s making great decisions with the ball, throwing it well. You cover everybody and he takes off and runs.”

Warriors wingin’ it

Nevada became the latest team to have trouble defending Hawaii’s high-octane offense.

Colt Brennan threw for 419 yards and four touchdowns and Nate Ilaoa rushed for 151 yards in a 41-34 win over the Wolf Pack. Hawaii went nine quarters between punts before calling on its punter in the fourth quarter.

“Our quarterback is probably as accurate a passer as I’ve been around,” coach June Jones said.

Brennan has 6,163 career passing yards, second in school history, in just 17 games. Ex-Warrior Timmy Chang holds the NCAA mark with 17,072 yards.

Nevada, though, had first-and-goal at the 3 in the final minutes but went nowhere. By then, quarterback Jeff Rowe was on the bench. He pulled his hamstring in the first quarter and gamely played until late in the third period.

Rowe, who went 20 of 26 for 243 yards, might be ready for the Wolf Pack’s next game, Oct. 21 vs. San Jose State.