This post has been used to archive the first half of my 2013 season with Idaho. This was done to free up room in the early posts for rules, yearly updates, etc. As such, this is now a really long post, including half the season, along with the preseason headlines.
Idaho Announces New Offensive Coordinator
Moscow, ID. -- In a desperate move to become relevant, Idaho has taken a major risk. They have hired 24 year old Scott Wright as their Offensive Coordinator for the 2013 season. In a move the athletic director described as "pioneering," Wright will have an opportunity most people his age could only dream of. Many have criticized the move, stating Wright has NO collegiate football playing experience to even build on.
Wright, an assistant coach from Desert Canyon High School, drew the attention of Coach Paul Petrino with his high powered offense. Petrino decided to take a risk and see how it would work at the college level.
During the press conference, Wright gave a bit of insight into the offensive scheme. "Expect a lot of plays out of the gun, and expect 3 WR and single back sets often." When asked if that meant it would be a pass heavy offense, Wright only smirked and stated "I guess you'll have to see...you can do a lot out of just a few basic formations."
Although game tape is limited, maxpreps does show a very balanced trend in statistics from Desert Canyon. Wright, who called the offense for only 2 years, showed almost a precise 50/50 balance between the run and the pass.
How will this translate to the collegiate level? Only time will tell. If it goes up in smoke, we can not only expect to see Wright run out of town...but Petrino to go with him.
Football is Back at Sonoma State
Rohnert Park, CA -- The much awaited return of football to Sonoma State is over. After nearly a 2 decade hiatus, Sonoma will field their first team since 1996. "The school is buzzing with excitement, this is big for SSU" said school president Roy Arminta.
The school announced the return last year, and many expected it to be 3-4 years until the plans would come to fruition. Large alumni donations and a strong walk-on interest from current students fast forwarded the plans. For the time being, home games will be played at Santa Rosa Junior College. Lakeside stadium, the stadium being built on the north side of the campus, is expected to be fast tracked and completed in time for the 2014 season. The stadium was originally going to be a major structure to support multiple sports, but due to the accelerated upstart of a football program the plans have changed. The stadium plans now consist primarily of grandstands behind each sideline. The original plans called for a 30,000 seat stadium, but the new plans will seat approximately 20,000. "The important thing is to get our facility up and running. the design will now allow for growth through expansions and renovations" said Arminta.
Sonoma State will play a hybrid schedule, with 6 FCS opponents and 6 FBS opponents this season. They will slowly play more FBS opponents in the coming years until they are a full FBS participant in 2015.
Sonoma, which last played in division II, decided to take a leap of faith and make a run at FBS. "We expect a rough start, as any start up program would, but we decided if we were going to take on football we needed to go all out in order to be successful. Nothing says that like going into the FBS level" said Arminta.
Critics says Sonoma should have stuck in FCS and worked their way up. Time will tell how this grand experiment works out.
Week 1: Idaho at North Texas
Idaho 28(1-0) -- North Texas 26(0-1)
Idaho Offensive Stats
Total Offense: 478 yards
Rushes/Yards/TD: 40/193/3
Passes/Yards/TD: 25/285/1
3rd downs: 2/8 (25%)
4th downs: 1/1 (100%)
Redzone: 7 attempts, 4 TD, 0 FG (57%)
Turnovers: 3
Passing Leader:
QB #12: 20/25, 285 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT. Rating: 164.9
Rushing Leader:
HB #7: 17 carries, 118 yards, 6.9 AVG, 1 TD
Receving Leader:
TE #86: 4 rec, 68 yards, 17.0 AVG
Game Summary: QB #12 started hot, 7/7 for 90 yards. It turned ugly quick after 2 straight interceptions. 3 first half turnovers, including a pick 6 from the NT 1 yard line, kept North Texas in the game. Idaho lead 7-6 at the half. The second half saw the Idaho offense tear open, with 5 20+ yard plays. Missed field goals (0/2) kept the game close till the end. Coach Petrino demands better production in the redzone and on 3rd down, as well as less turnovers. Overall, a sloppy win.
Week 2: Idaho Vs. Rice
Idaho 42 (2-0)-- Rice 28 (0-2)
Idaho Offensive Stats
Total Offense: 573 yards
Rushes/Yards/TD: 40/245/4
Passes/Yards/TD: 29/328/2
3rd downs: 8-12 (66%)
Redzone: 6 attempts, 4 TD, 0 FG (66%)
Turnovers: 3
Passing Leader:
QB #12: 21/29, 328 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT. Rating: 169.4
Rushing Leader:
HB #7: 20 carries, 184 yards, 9.2 AVG, 2 TD
Receving Leader:
WR #87: 5 rec, 106 yards, 21.2 AVG, 1 TD
Game Summary: Idaho had a very quick start, and rode it through the game. After jumping out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, they carried momentum into the 2nd, with #7 taking a handoff for 84 yards and a TD to build a 21-7 lead. The Vandals went into the half up 28-7, and continued to roll through the third. QB #12 hit #87 for a 64 yard touchdown, in an offensive effort that saw Idaho rack up 9 plays of over 20 yards. Despite all the big plays, they still managed 26 first downs in the game. There were mistakes though. QB #12 had another 3 INT performance, 2 of which came in the red zone. Idaho abandoned the no huddle offense in the 4th quarter, in an effort to drain the clock and leave without injuries. Overall, the win was impressive, and things are looking promising in Moscow.
Week 3: Idaho Vs. #25 Northern Illinois
Idaho 17 (2-1) -- #25 Northern Illinois 21 (2-0)
Idaho Offensive Stats
Total Offense: 347 yards
Rushes/Yards/TD: 28/130/1
Passes/Yards/TD: 27/217/1
3rd downs: 4-10 (40%)
Redzone: 6 attempts, 2 TD, 0 FG (33%)
Turnovers: 3
Passing Leader:
QB #12: 16/27, 217 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT. Rating: 116.7
Rushing Leader:
HB #7: 12 carries, 103 yards, 8.5 AVG, 1 TD
Receving Leader:
TE #86: 5 rec, 76 yards, 15.2 AVG, 0 TD
Game Summary: In the only home game against a ranked opponent, Idaho came out strong. Struggles in the run drove the Vandals to rely on the pass in the first half, and allowed them to jump out to a 17-0 lead at the half. The Huskies looked confused offensively, as they struggled to pass midfield. The second half, however, took an ugly turn. The Huskies depth began to show, as they rallied back to take a 21-17 lead, including a pick 6. The Vandals drove downfield twice, once reaching the Huskies 2 yard line. Two late redzone interceptions sealed the Vandals fate.
Idaho Shows a Strong Start
After snagging two wins in their first two games, The Vandals managed to drop one at home to the Huskies of NIU. The loss did show a strong effort, as the Vandals were up 17-0 at the half against the #25 ranked team in the nation. Turnovers proved to be their downfall, with three second half interceptions.
Turnovers have been commonplace for Idaho this year, as QB #12 has thrown three in every game. Many of those interceptions have come in the red zone. Coach Petrino has said there is sticking by his senior QB. "Its been a rough start, but these kids are also getting accustomed to a new offense. The turnovers are frustrating, but I think they're learning and showing a lot of progress" said Petrino. "A new system is always hard. I think they're getting the hang of it. We stuck in the game against a ranked opponent. I'd prefer a win, of course, but I think that shows progress for this program" he added. Petrino also stated he was excited about how well the team has played, and that they're staying healthy. "We've had a few dings during the games, but no one is out. We've got everyone suiting up for every game, hopefully we can keep it that way."
Petrino's offensive side has been impressive. So far the Vandals are averaging 466 yards of offense, good enough to rank #13 in the nation. They also boast the #17 passing offense, with 276 yards per game. These are vast improvements from the offense of 2012. Thats thanks to the new offensive scheme brought in by Scott Wright, the 24 year old offensive coordinator. "He's got a lot to learn about the game, and he's doing it quickly. He's a hard worker who is driven to succeed, he's got a lot of potential" Petrino said of Wright.
Wright fielded some questions of his own at the press conference this week, and didn't shy away from responsibility. "We should have won against NIU. I should have stuck with the run once it opened up in the 3rd, but I didn't. I feel like a lot of its on me" Wright said. He also addressed the turnovers, "Its frustrating. I know I came in here late, so we haven't had as much time to install this offense as we would like." Wright was brought in after spring ball, and only had the summer to work with the offense. As impressive as it has been, Wright says theres a lot of work to be done. "We're only running about 70% of our plays, and 50% of our formations. Once were at 100%... oh man... I guarantee this will be a fun team to watch" he said. With the stats as they are, its already fun to watch.
Overview
Injuries: none
Recruiting news: none to report
Team Stats
Record: 2-1
Points per game: 29 (#42)
Total Offense per game: 466 yards (#13)
Rushing Avg: 189.3 (#24)
Passing Average: 276.7 (#17)
Total Defense: 328 (#48)
Rush Defense: 104 (#19)
Pass Defense: 224 (#85)
Turnover margin: -5
Passing Leader:
QB #12: 57/81, 830 yards, 4 TD, 9 INT
Rushing Leader:
HB #7: 49 att, 405 yards, 8.3 avg, 4 TD, 135 YPG
Receiving Leader:
WR #87: 13 rec, 208 yards, 16.0 avg, 2 TD, 69 YPG
Sonoma State Record: 0-3
Note: Oddly enough, I'm competing with Sonoma for many of my recruits
I assume they are drawn in by the playing time.
Week 4: Idaho at Washington State (Simmed)
Idaho
16 (2-2) -- Washington State
38 21 (3-1)
Idaho Offensive Stats
Total Offense: 439 yards
Rushes/Yards/TD: 35/137/0
Passes/Yards/TD: 38/302/1
3rd downs: 9-18 (50%)
Redzone: 3 attempts, 0 TD, 2 FG (66%)
Turnovers: 2
Game Summary: The Vandals were in it till the end. Through 3, they trailed 17-16, until the Cougars rattled of 21 unanswered in the 4th to seal the win. More red zone issues and turnovers for the Vandals dropped their record to .500 on the year. The frustration is becoming apparent for players and coaches alike, and something needs to be change before it costs them a season (and the coaches their jobs).
Passing Leader:
QB #12: 19/38, 302 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT. Rating: 114.9
Rushing Leader:
HB #21: 11 carries, 65 yards, 5.9 AVG, 0 TD
Receving Leader:
WR #19: 9 rec, 151 yards, 16.7 AVG, 0 TD
Week 5: Idaho Vs. Temple (Simmed)
Idaho
17 (2-3) -- Temple
24 21 (3-1)
Idaho Offensive Stats
Total Offense: 354 yards
Rushes/Yards/TD: 31/94/1
Passes/Yards/TD: 35/260/1
3rd downs: 5-13(38%)
Redzone: 4 attempts, 2 TD, 1 FG (75%)
Turnovers: 2
Passing Leader:
QB #12: 18/35, 260 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT. Rating: 117.5
Rushing Leader:
HB #7: 16 carries, 78 yards, 4.8 AVG, 0 TD
Receving Leader:
WR #2: 8 rec, 128 yards, 16.0 AVG, 0 TD
Game Summary: After staying even at 14-14 through the first two quarters, Idaho could only muster a field goal through the second half and dropped their third straight. The once impressive offense sputtered and QB #12 barely managed to complete 50% of his passes. The big plays have eluded the Vandals lately. In their first 3 games, they had 16 plays of over 20 yards. This week they managed just one. Petrino stated he is stepping in and giving QB #11 the start for the next week, citing a need for more mobility.
Week 6: Idaho at Arkansas State
Idaho
56 (3-3) -- Arkansas State
24 21 (2-4)
Idaho Offensive Stats
Total Offense: 614 yards
Rushes/Yards/TD: 35/289/5
Passes/Yards/TD: 21/325/3
3rd downs: 4-5 (80%)
Redzone: 6 attempts, 6 TD, 0 FG (100%)
Turnovers: 0
Passing Leader:
QB #11: 16/21, 325 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT Rating: 253.3
Rushing Leader:
QB #11: 18 carries, 145 yards, 8.0 AVG, 1 TD
Receving Leader:
WR #87: 5 rec, 106 yards, 21.2 AVG, 0 TD
Game Summary: In a downpour, Idaho found their missing link. It appears all they needed was #11, as he alone accounted for over 450 yards of offense. Idaho scored 21 in the first quarter to start off the route. An option running game combined with deep passing provided plenty of big plays. The Vandals averaged just north of 20 yards per completion when passing, and for the first time this season avoided committing any turnovers. After 3 rough losses, Idaho boasted their best offensive attack of the season, with over 600 total yards. The win puts them back at .500.