Vandals score on unplanned trick play
MOSCOW, Idaho – Robb Akey, tongue firmly in cheek, called it a trick play, but the only trick was finding out how to score it.
Down 31-7 to Fresno State late in the third quarter at the Kibbie Dome Saturday afternoon, Idaho was facing a third-and-9 from midfield. Quarterback Brian Nooy scrambled past the line of scrimmage and fumbled when he was drilled by Marcus Riley.
It wasn’t just any fumble. The ball flew high into the air and back to running back Deonte Jackson at the Vandals 47.
Jackson grabbed the ball, broke a tackle and raced around right end. He slipped another tackle near the goal line and scored.
Following the lead of his coach, Jackson said, “I had great confidence Nooy would deliver. That was a crazy play. I’m happy it turned out the way it did.”
Jackson was just starting to trail the play after picking up a blitzer when he saw the ball.
“I did what every athlete does, go for it,” he said. “I made the first guy miss and I knew it was house call right there.”
The official rule gives Nooy a rushing attempt with no gain and Jackson 50 yards rushing with no attempt. Jackson ended up with 108 yards on 11 carries.
Ashley lights fire
The Vandals expanded their spread option package with true freshman Quin Ashley as they tried to make up for the loss of injured starting quarterback Nathan Enderle.
Ashley was in on five different series that produced 102 yards and a field goal.
He gained 66 yards on 11 carries and threw four incompletions.
“Quin did some good things,” Akey said. “He got some nice running plays and he got some nice running plays for the running back. It’s going to open up some other things we’re doing.”
Ashley was recruited out of Texas as an athlete, but by the time he arrived in the fall Enderle, a redshirt freshman who will probably miss his third game with a hand injury, was entrenched at quarterback. The 5-foot-11, 192-pounder was moved to safety and then missed the first four games after spraining an ankle in early August.
“You wouldn’t know with the way he carries himself out there he was playing at Paris High School at this time last year,” Akey said. “I’m very impressed with that young man’s competitiveness.”
Ashley took six snaps last week after a week of practice and didn’t accomplish much early in his second appearance. In the third quarter he ripped off a pair of 16-yard runs and then directed a 56-yard drive that produced a fourth-quarter Tino Amancio field goal.
“We started off shaky the first half, both offense and defense,” Ashley said. “We came out in the second half a little bit shaky then we started bringing it. That’s something we have to work on as a team. I told myself during halftime to go out there and play. It’s just another game.”
As for the future, he said, “I’m trying to stay a quarterback.”
Errors cost Vandals
Right before the half Fresno State took advantage of a Nooy fumble with a 46-yard drive to take a 17-7 lead.
Then the Bulldogs cashed in on a shanked punt to go 58 yards for a 24-7 lead early in the third quarter.
“That was disappointing,” Akey said. “We had some untimely things. No football player goes out there and tries to make that stuff happen. Some of those things happen because guys are trying to make plays.
“All I’m challenging them with right now is have the courage to go out there and lay it on the line. Live with being wrong, because that’s the only way you have a chance of being right. Have the courage to make something happen.”