Idaho set to name starting QB against Florida later in the week

MOSCOW — Chad Chalich and Matt Linehan both know they’re going to play Saturday, when Idaho begins Year Two of the Paul Petrino coaching era, taking on Florida at 88,548-seat Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, more commonly known as ‘The Swamp.’ (4 p.m. on ESPNU)

The coaches have a rotation plan in place for them, depending on the plays they want to call.

The only question is, which one will take the first snap — Chalich, the third-year sophomore from Coeur d’Alene High who started the Vandals’ first seven games last year before suffering a shoulder injury, or Linehan, the redshirt freshman, and son of former Vandal QB and current Dallas Cowboys passing game coordinator Scott Linehan?

Petrino said both have taken roughly equal snaps through spring ball and during fall practice, so they should be used to sharing time by now.

“Both have continued to grow,” Petrino said. “They’re both going to know ahead of time, they’re both going to play and they’re not going to get yanked because they do something bad. We’re going to know when we’re going to rotate them, some of it’s going to be what plays we’re calling, and what they do best. They just need to go out there and let it fly.”

• Vandal Florida ties: Idaho has seven players and one coach from Florida. Players include freshman defensive back Dorian Clark (Baldwin), freshman running back Aaron Duckworth (Orange Park), sophomore defensive back Jordan Grabski (Bradenton), junior defensive lineman Max Martial (Wellington), running back/receiver sophomore Richard Montgomery (Jacksonville), sophomore wide receiver Jacob Sannon (Bradenton) and junior linebacker Irving Steele (Fort Lauderdale).

Also, defensive line coach Bam Hardmon, from Jacksonville, was an all-SEC player at Florida.

Florida “is an area I recruited for a long time as an assistant coach,” Petrino said. “We have a lot of ties there, so we’re going to keep recruiting there. We just need to go out there, play hard and try to make something happen, and that will help us in recruiting.”

• Vandal-izers: After the loss of top receiver Dezmon Epps, who was kicked off the team, Petrino said the other returnees have stepped up, including Joshua McCain, the converted quarterback, Sannon, Deon Watson, the former Coeur d’Alene High standout, and Montgomery, who splits time between receiver and running back. ... True freshmen that Petrino expects to play right away include Duckworth, guard Jordan Rose, slot receiver David Ungerer, and Dorian Clark on special teams, perhaps later in the secondary. Petrino described Ungerer, from Pullman High, as a Wes Welker type who could get 20-25 snaps per game. “He’s a real good route runner, quick, catches the ball, very dependable hands,” Petrino said. ... Florida junior quarterback Jeff Driskel, whose season was cut short by a broken leg in the third game last season, was recruited by Petrino out of high school when Petrino was an assistant at Illinois. “He can run, he has a strong arm,” Petrino said. “We’ve got to try to get the ball out of his hands as quick as we can.” Florida was 4-8 last year.

Petrino said the offensive line, led by four-year starter Mike Marboe at center, is one of the most improved areas on the team. Right now, seven players figure to rotate in on the line, including Rose, sophomore Steven Matlock and junior Dallas Sandberg at guard, sophomore Mason Woods at strong tackle, and seniors Nick Von Rotz and Jesse Davis at the quick tackle. He said the secondary has also shown great improvement. ... To prepare for the heat and humidity in Florida in late August, Petrino said the players have drank a lot of water and other energy drinks. “And we take a lot of reps in a row in practice, so I think that will really help us,” he said.