Hungry Vandals get taste of Pack
Success and consistency – or consistent successes – have been hard for the Idaho football team to come by this season and the task doesn’t get any easier this afternoon when the Vandals take on Nevada at Reno.
But just because the Wolf Pack have steamrolled Idaho in their first two meetings as members of the Western Athletic Conference and the Vandals are burdened with a six-game losing streak, don’t expect the Vandals to roll over for the 1 p.m. kickoff.
“These guys, they’re a hurting unit right now,” UI coach Robb Akey said. “By that, I mean emotionally, and the fact they’ve been laying it on the line in front of God and everybody and haven’t been able to have the success they’re looking for.
“But, they are so dang hungry and they believe in each other. We’re all believing in each other would be a better way to put that. … It doesn’t get any easier. Nevada is a damn good team.”
The Vandals (1-7, 0-4) try to end their skid against a Nevada team (3-4, 1-2) that won the last two meetings 45-7 and 62-14 on the way to bowl games but has had some trouble this season.
The Wolf Pack had high hopes of making a third straight bowl game, but those hopes are all but gone after back-to-back wild losses, 49-41 at home against Fresno and 69-67 at Boise in double overtime.
“We’re still working to become a better team,” Nevada coach Chris Ault said. “We still have a ways to go.”
Consistency, a Vandals problem, has been a concern for Nevada as well and last week’s 31-28 win at Utah State was a good example.
The Aggies, down 14-0 in the first half, scored 21 straight points, converting 6 of 9 third downs to Nevada’s 2 of 6. In the second half the Wolf Pack ran the ball at will and converted 5 of 8 third downs and stepped up on defense to limit USU to 1 of 5. Luke Lippincott, who finished with 241 yards rushing, had 190 in the second half, pushing his season total to 792.
Reno had a capable passing attack with Colin Kaepernick finishing 15 of 23 for 170 yards and two touchdowns.
Since stepping in for injured starter Nick Graziano, who threw for 1,119 yards in five games, Kaepernick has completed 56 percent of his passes with nine touchdowns and one interception while rushing for 61 yards a game.
The Wolf Pack have struggled on some special teams and stopping the run on defense, which is Idaho’s strong suit.
“I’d like them to wait another week before they’re able to do it,” Akey said.
Idaho plans to continue with two quarterbacks but now it will be starter Nathan Enderle, a redshirt freshman who missed the last three games with a finger injury, sharing time with true freshman Quin Ashley.
The option was added to the offense when Ashley, a high school quarterback who was playing safety, was switched to back up Brian Nooy. Ashley started last week at New Mexico State.
“We wanted to start with that package,” Akey said. “I like the progress Quinn has made. He had his first completion, his first touchdown pass and he’s still running hard.”
The uncertainty of Idaho’s offensive package doesn’t concern Ault.
“In preparation we look at what they do offensively and their philosophy of their offense rather than a particular player,” Ault said. “For us it makes no difference. On defense we’re more concerned about how we’re playing and what we’re doing and how we’re executing.”
He expects the Vandals to be tough.
“It’s interesting,” Ault said. “Each week you see they get better and better in all phases. They’re one of those teams you see every week there’s something they added or something they’ve improved on. The offense puts points on board. I don’t think you can go to sleep on them. They do a nice job running the ball – they have the leading rushing in conference. Our defense has to be alert.”