Idaho Vandals set for spring game showdown
Apr. 30—Under the lights of the P1FCU Kibbie Dome, the Idaho Vandals will finally get their closest thing to game action this spring with a full-contact Black vs. Gold showdown that will put months of practice, competition and growth on display.
The Idaho Vandals' annual spring football game will take place at 6 p.m. Friday at the Dome.
The competition will pit the offense and defense against each other in a full-contact scrimmage.
Friday's contest will feature Black vs. Gold for four 12-minute quarters with a running clock, stopping only for possession changes to simulate media timeouts. Halftime will be an eight-minute stoppage in play.
The event will be free to the public and after the game players will remain on the field to sign autographs.
Idaho coach Thomas Ford Jr. said the main thing he wants to see from his team on Friday is that no injuries occur.
"Stay healthy," Ford said. "No, I know that's the easy answer. But honestly, just better operation, cleaner operation on offense, just making sure that we're not having procedural penalties (and that) we're not lining up incorrectly. And then defensively, handling tempo right. We're going to see tempo all year in this league. And so just being able to get aligned correctly, and once you can get aligned, you can go play football."
An energetic group
After Saturday's practice, Ford said the session was some of the most fun he's had in spring camp. He said it was due to the competitive nature and the energy surrounding the team. Idaho was "practicing like a pro" and it showed, because when a simulated sack came near, the players were under control and didn't touch the quarterback.
Idaho was playing with great aggression but also poise. Ford said that it was important to practice hard but stay safe and play smart with other teammates.
With this specific football team, Ford said that the joy surrounding the group has stood out very clearly.
"I think the big thing I've learned about this team is they really enjoy being with each other," Ford said. "This is a group (where) it doesn't matter for practice at 6 a.m. or 6 p.m., these guys are ready to go. And have really come out with great energy in all of our practices, up to 12 (practices) so far. And I think that's what's impressed me the most about the group, for sure."
Improvements heading into the game
Spring football camp is all about honing in the exact play calls, the techniques used and understanding concepts better.
Senior linebacker Cruz Hepburn, a Lewiston grad, said the plan for the defense is to clean up many things before Friday's game.
"Just execution and coming out, having less (missed assignments) on the day, less technique minuses, and just really honing in on our technique and being really sound in that aspect," Hepburn said.
Ford said there have been improvements throughout the entirety of the team, mostly with their development when playing together.
"I think we've really improved with our maturity, understanding that, yes, we're competing against each other every single day and it's going to get combative, but we're also on the same team," Ford said. "The Vandals aren't on the Vandals ' schedule this year, so I think our guys are just much more mature, playing with much more poise. I think we're having a lot more efficient practices as a result."
What to look for in the spring game
For most of spring football camp, the defense has had control. But over the last two weeks, the offense has started to step up.
The defensive line and the secondary have been the most improved on the defensive side of the ball throughout camp. Look for the D-line to cause issues for the offensive line and the quarterbacks by causing pressure quickly. A few defensive linemen names to look out for are senior transfer twin brothers Jamarion and Javen Augustus along with early enrollee freshman Nui Meyers.
On top of that, the ability of the secondary to get to the ball and either deflect or intercept it has improved. The secondary has caused multiple picks so far, many coming from safeties Tim Jackson and Khaled Rawls. That trend might continue into the game.
On the offensive side of the ball, seeing success from the running backs and the passing game will be crucial to understanding what the team has into summer and fall.
The transfer duo of Damonte Bias and Ferrari Miller has proven to be great and they should continue their success in the spring game. This could be telling for a better running game for next season.
Ford and offensive coordinator Ian Shoemaker have both said that a lot of the offense has already been installed, but changing the fluctuation of tempo from no huddle to short huddles or full huddles, along with forcing the quarterbacks to make quick reads, has tested the aptitude of the quarterbacks.
The passing game's success — along with how well starting junior quarterback Joshua Wood does — will be crucial in figuring out how well the offense has developed so far.
It will also be important to note how the backups redshirt freshman Sawyer Teeney and junior Jack Wagner do in the system.
"(The quarterbacks have developed) really well," Ford said. "There's a lot of offense available right now. We have put basically everything that we could possibly have in, and so to see those guys still operating at a high level and still making throws at a high level, making their reads, I think, is really impressive in terms of just their development."
Junt can be reached at 208-848-2258, tjunt@lmtribune.com or on X @TrevorJunt.
