Akey, staff face QB question
Wondering who will be the University of Idaho’s starting quarterback for the season opener against USC on Sept. 1?
Join the club, which includes new head coach Robb Akey.
Akey and his staff will begin sorting out the quarterback candidates and several other interesting position battles when Idaho convenes spring football drills today at 3:45. The Vandals will practice 15 times, concluding with the annual spring game on April 27.
“They’ve done some things during the course of winter, but we haven’t had a chance to play football yet,” said Akey, who takes over a squad that went 4-8 in Dennis Erickson’s lone season at the helm. “What I know of (the quarterbacks) is what I’ve seen on videotape. In regards to being able to learn a new system, run an offense, make good decisions, I haven’t seen any of that yet. That’ll begin (today).”
Senior Brian Nooy has the most experience. He played in six games last season, completing 12 of 24 passes. He backed up Michael Harrington in 2004, completing 24 of 49 attempts. Junior Chris Joseph was 1 of 3 in one appearance last year.
The other contenders are junior college transfer Luke Tracy and redshirt freshman Nathan Enderle, a 6-foot-5, 223-pounder who will be going through spring drills for the second time. He enrolled at UI in January 2006, after graduating early from North Platte (Neb.) High. Tracy, a walk-on, ran for 486 yards and passed for 1,024 while splitting time with Kyle Olson at Fullerton College in 2006.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Jon Tobin is one of several Vandals who will sit out spring drills for academic reasons. Running back Brian Flowers, who led Idaho with 561 yards last season, will also be held out.
Akey has studied game and practice tape of the quarterbacks, but he likes that he comes in with an open mind. He would prefer to name a starter by the end of spring drills, but it isn’t imperative.
“At the end of these 15 practices we should have pretty well established where you are in the competition,” Akey said. “Then it’s a matter of whether No. 1 has pulled away enough from No. 2, or do we continue to work that out over the summer.”
Akey hopes to create high energy, competitive practices.
“When we take the field you’re going to see a group of coaches teaching their tails off and a group of players working their tails off,” he said. “You’re not going to see a lot of dead time. If kids aren’t flying around it’s because we’re taking that opportunity to do some teaching. What we want to get established here is a physical team that plays hard from snap to whistle.”
Notes
The first drill will involve special teams, reflecting the importance Akey puts on that phase of the game. … Akey said cornerback Reggie Jones, who played in seven games last season, and reserve defensive lineman Dan Aizpitarte have been kicked off the team for “violating team conduct rules.” Promising running back Andre Harris, sidelined by a serious neck injury last season, and cornerback Terrance McCoy have been suspended indefinitely. At least six players, including Tobin and Flowers, will sit out to tend to academics. Akey wouldn’t identify the other four. … Idaho must replace two starting offensive linemen, Nate VanderPol and Jade Tadvick, tight end Luke Smith-Anderson, leading receiver Wendell Octave and two-year starting quarterback Steve Wichman, who didn’t throw a touchdown pass in the last three games of 2006. The most prominent defensive losses are linebacker Jaron Williams, cornerback Kiel McDonald, safety Tone Taupule and linemen Ryan Davis and Charles Campbell. McDonald replaced Jones as the starter in the third game last season.