Vandals looking to make progress

This is the first in a series of articles previewing the football teams in the Western Athletic Conference. Today, the Appeal takes a look at the University of Idaho.

BY DARRELL MOODY

Appeal Sports Writer

Robb Akey made one thing abundantly clear at the Western Athletic Conference Football Preview event " the Idaho Vandals will be a better football team than they were in 2008.

To be brutally honest, it won't take much. The Vandals were 1-11 overall and 0-8 in conference in Akey's first year at the helm.

A year ago, Akey dismissed approximately 17 players for off-field issues. It was something he did for the betterment of the program. It made for a rough first spring and first year. Akey said it's night and day from last season, though he still and always will feel pressure to win immediately.

"A year ago, I was playing principal and detective," Akey said. "The coaches and players were trying to figure each other out. We don't have to learn a new language this year.

"I don't ever want to go through what I did last year. I'd never lost that many games (in one season). My wife took all the sharp objects out of the house."

This is a team that ranked seventh out of nine on offense and sixth out of nine on defense. Those numbers obviously need to get better if the Vandals are going to have any sort of impact in the conference.

"I feel this is an improved football team, but we'll be a young football team," Akey said. "We have a number of incoming kids, and if they are ready to play they will get that opportunity.

"We're stronger, faster, better and even closer as a family. I like the feel the guys have about themselves. In spring ball, we got better. My emphasis in spring ball was to get better and we did that. We have better expectations."

A year ago, Akey said he knew redshirt freshman Nathan Enderle would be his starting quarterback, but he was uncertain as to how he would react.

"He played his last high school game before 91 (fans) and his first college game in front of 91,000 against the No. 1 team (USC)," Akey said. "A lot of guys would panic. He didn't. I thought he handled it well.

"He had a very good spring. Quin Ashley had a great spring as well. I have confidence in both kids."

Enderle was inconsistent. He completed just 44.3 percent of his passes for 1,787 yards and 10 scores. He suffered a tendon injury midway through last season and turned the job over briefly to Ashley, who is more of a threat running the ball than throwing the ball.

The biggest issue is who Enderle will throw to. Max Komar (30 catches, 445 yards, 4 TDs), Eddie Williams (29-363-3), Maurice Shaw (23-276-2), tight end Peter Bjorvik (17-255-2) and Eric Greenwood (3-32-1) all return, but the position is suspect.

"I'm looking for a couple, three guys who say 'Give me the ball,' then back it up," Akey said. "We'll see in the fall camp who the receivers are. We need some people who can make plays."

Running back may be the deepest position on the team. Deonte Jackson, who rushed for 1,175 yards and seven scores a year ago as a redshirt freshman, returns.

"Deonte is a good running back," Akey said. "I was happy with the way he performed. He proved to be durable for what is an undersized (5-9, 185) guy. He survived a high-ankle sprain. We thought he would miss four or five games and he didn't miss one."

Two-year captain Adam Korby agrees.

"He's a good player," Korby said. "Hopefully he'll do even bigger things for us this season. If he stays healthy I think he can do a lot more."

Backing Jackson are redshirt freshman Princeton McCarty, freshman Kama Bailey, freshman Cory White, junior Devon Sturdivant and freshman Troy Vital.

"We're faster at this position," Akey said. "White had a great spring. We're trying to find different ways to get the ball to Sturdivant."

Opening the holes for the aforementioned group are Korby (6-2, 290), right guard Kris Anderson (6-3, 300), right tackle Billy Bates (6-5, 271), left tackle Matt Cleveland (6-4, 300) and left guard Mike Iupati (6-6, 330) and two-year lettermen Adam Juratovac and Brandon Schulte.

"We'll be able to protect Nathan a little better this year," Akey said. "Kris has played every position but center since he's been here. We're moving him inside to guard. Adam runs the show. He's a great leader. Iupati is our best offensive lineman. He had shoulder surgery. Hopefully he'll be back by the third or fourth game."

On defense, the Vandals will be very young in their front seven, as five of the team's top six tacklers, including linebacker David Vobora, are out of eligibility. Five of the front seven starters are sophomores and the entire linebacking corp is new.

Seniors Josh Shaw (6-2, 254) and Taylor Rust (6-2, 232) are at the end spots with Jonah Sataraka (6-2, 243) and Aaron Lavarias (6-3, 244) are on the inside.

"Shaw is the most turned around player," Akey said. "At this time last year I didn't have great expectations. He had a great spring."

Fonomanu Sekona is the only back-up up front with any experience. The Vandals need to stay healthy, as the other reserves are redshirt freshmen.

JoJo Dickson (6-1, 202), Jonathan Faraimo (5-11, 260) and Justin Allen (5-11, 207) enter fall camp as the starting linebackers.

"Jon was a down lineman a year ago," Akey said. "He was 240-245 last year and this year he's around 260-265. Dickson and Allen are guys that run around and make plays."

Dickson finished with 34 tackles and Faraimo added 27. Allen had seven stops.

The secondary is led by junior strong safety Shiloh Keo (5-10, 175), a two-year starter, who had 81 tackles and four interceptions last season. Cornerback Breyon Williams (5-9, 183) also returns. Virdell Larkins (6-0, 195) figures to start opposite Keo while Isaac Butts (6-0, 165) replaces Stanley Franks at corner.

"Keo just competes," Akey said. "He's one of those fly around kids. He's the emotional leader out there. He's flamboyant. Larkins is better than the guy that started opposite Keo last year."

Williams had 44 tackles and just one interception. Butts finished with nine tackles in eight games.

The special teams is led by place-kicker Tino Amancio, who was 14-for-18 on field goal attempts and 30-for-30 on extra points. Amancio has nice range, especially indoors. His longest kick last year was 51 yards.

- Contact Darrell Moody at dmoody@nevadaappeal.com, or by calling (775) 881-1281

IDAHO VANDALS

Coach: Rob Akey (2nd year)

2007 record: 1-11, 0-8

2008 opener: At Arizona, Aug. 30

Lettermen returning: 43 (22 offense, 17 defense, 4 special teams)