Fall camp nears for Vandals
First-year Idaho football coach Paul Petrino doesn’t have a targeted amount of victories he’s looking for from his Vandals this fall.
He has two simple goals for his team — get better every day, and outhit, outhustle and punish the opponent.
“There’s going to be a couple games this season we might take some lumps,” Petrino said. “But like they say in Montana, if you don’t get your butt kicked, you probably don’t fight very much. We’re going to fight every single weekend, and by the end of the year we’re going to be a good football team.”
Idaho players are scheduled to report Sunday, and begin fall practice Monday. The season opener is Aug. 31 at North Texas, followed by a Sept. 7 game at Wyoming and the home opener Sept. 14 vs. Northern Illinois.
Chad Chalich, a redshirt freshman from Coeur d’Alene High, emerged as the No. 1 quarterback following spring ball. It is expected he will be challenged for the starting job by junior college transfer Josh McCain once fall camp starts.
Idaho ran some read-option in spring ball, and that was “something Chad did real well,” Petrino said. “When you’re outmatched up front, the more option you can do, the better ... you’re not blocking everybody. I’m excited to see him (McCain) do it. He just kinda ran around (in junior college), and made all kinds of plays.”
Heading into fall camp, Petrino said four of the five offensive linemen were set, led by Rimington Award Watch List member Mike Marboe. He said defensive lineman Jesse Davis, who switched to the offensive line in the spring, will stay there to fill a need. He said offensive lineman Jordan Johnson likely won’t be able to play because of a back injury.
He said the running back position, with the addition of two JC backs, “can be a definite strength, and I’m hoping, when it’s all said and done, quarterback is a strength.”
Defensively, Petrino said the Vandals are strong on the line, and the addition of several JC linebackers has made that group better.
Petrino said Austin Rehkow, he of the 67-yard field goal last year while at Central Valley, is expected to be the starting punter and placekicker — though a couple of others will get some practice, just in case.
“Austin always wants to talk to me about punting,” Petrino said. “I said ‘I don’t want to talk about punting — let’s talk about kicking field goals ... I don’t want to punt too much.”
Austin DeCoud, a redshirt freshman who was recruited to Idaho as a quarterback, then switched to safety during spring ball, has gotten even bigger and is now working out at linebacker, Petrino said.
Defensive lineman QuayShawne Buckley, who was kicked off the team in February after being charged with DUI, is apparently back on the team, according to an Idaho news release. He will be a senior.
One plus — all but one of this year’s recruits were enrolled in summer classes at Idaho (and that player will be enrolled in the fall), helping them get a head start on fall camp. Petrino gave kudos to Vandal boosters for coming up with the money to make that happen.
The Vandals are scheduled to practice Aug. 5, 6, 7 and 9 at 3 p.m. each day, Aug. 8 at 6 p.m. and scrimmage Aug. 10 at 10 a.m.
n Petrino quietly confident
While Idaho’s previous football coach, Robb Akey, could get people excited about a walk-through, the current Vandal coach, Paul Petrino, in his first year, displays more of a quiet confidence.
He thinks the Vandals will be very good by Year 3 — and perhaps sooner than that. And given his success as an assistant at stops like Arkansas, Louisville, and Illinois, it’s hard not to believe him.
The schedule, especially given Idaho had to piece one together playing as an independent this year, is workable. Sure, there’s a potential bodybag game at Florida State late in the season, and games at Mississippi and Washington State could be rough.
But other than that, the other games — at North Texas, Wyoming, Arkansas State and New Mexico State, and home games vs. Northern Illinois, Temple, Fresno State, Texas State and Old Dominion — are ones that if you go, “well, if the Vandals play to their potential ... ”
Of course, we’ve been through this optimism before.
But the reality is, one winning season since 1998. A memorable Humanitarian Bowl victory in 2009, but records of 6-7, 2-10 and 1-11 since.
That explains why the Vandals are on their fifth head coach in the last 11 seasons.
There are cries by some of the old die-hards for Idaho to return to the Big Sky Conference.
Idaho needs something good to happen in football, and soon — the buzz over the giant new video board will only last so long.