Apr. 2—MOSCOW, Idaho — For diehard Idaho football fans willing to get up with the sun to watch the Vandals go through spring practice and for the slightly less committed who show up for the Saturday mid-morning workouts, the best way to measure the Vandals’ progress is to bring a stop watch.
For Idaho coach Thomas Ford Jr., the goal this spring is “to play with better tempo. The No. 1 thing is the ability to go lightning fast.”
Starting quarterback Joshua Wood was on the same page with his coach after the second of 15 spring practices Thursday morning.
“Absolutely. That’s the key. We want to play fast,” he said. “We are doing more no huddle, more ‘sugar huddle,’ ” a brief gathering just behind the line of scrimmage that gets a play in and the team lined up to run it before the defense can adjust.
Secondarily, Ford said, “we (want players) to understand what we are really trying to accomplish, the ‘why’ of each concept.”
On defense, conversely, the goal is to blow it all up.
As they worked in shells — shoulder pads and helmets — Thursday, Ford saw things on both sides of the ball that were encouraging. On offense, Wood, a redshirt junior, was mid-season sharp as a passer. The highlight was a near 50-yard completion between Wood and redshirt sophomore Ryan Jezioro, who got a half-step on a pursuing defender and made a diving catch near the corner of the end zone. It was the best of several Jezioro receptions.
Junior Tony Harste, a mainstay last season with 12 receptions for 143 yards and a touchdown in five games before having his season end with an injury, is also back and healthy and gathered in a 40-yard catch from Wood, and sophomore Daveon Superales came up with the ball in a tumbling sideline catch.
Wood said he and Idaho’s receivers have been sharpening their timing all winter, and entering his second year in Moscow he is feeling more comfortable as a leader.
“Last year, I came in the summer. It was more getting to know the guys. I was more do the right thing, leading by example. Now I have spent a whole winter with everybody. This year, I want to be more of a vocal leader. Bring up the talent for everybody.”
On defense, graduate cornerback Jacob Skobis got teammates on his side of the ball fired up by intercepting Wood, and Ford complimented a defensive line that applied pressure, even in the faux environment of playing in shells. Among others, he noted the Augustus twins — seniors Jamarion, a 6-3, 235-pound transfer from Northern Iowa, and Javen, a 6-4, 230-pound Coastal Carolina transfer. The pair of defensive ends “is just different,” said Ford. “Those guys are twitchy, powerful.”
Without live tackling, it was hard to really evaluate running backs. But redshirt juniors Art Williams and Carlos Matheney, and appropriately named junior college transfer Ferrari Miller, were all quick through the line of scrimmage and into their cuts, and 235-pound battering ram redshirt senior Hayden Kincheloe looked more than willing to square up and hit anyone if things had progressed beyond the level of contact set for the practice.
Idaho’s offensive line returns a trove of experience. The most pressing vacancy is at left guard, where someone must replace graduated All-Big Sky Conference performer Nate Azzopardi. Redshirt juniors Howard Stedford (6-4, 285) and Moscow High graduate Tyler Skinner (6-4, 306) are vying for that position, according to Ford, with Skinner taking the majority of the first-team reps Thursday.
The Vandals practice again Saturday at 10 a.m. They will still not be going live, Ford said, but he added “it will be a little more physical.”
