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OBinKC · 11-07-2019, 10:55 PM

Idaho Vandals Outlook 2019
by Tex Colorado August 10, 2019 10:00pm

The 2019 College Football season is right around the corner, and to say that the Idaho Vandals have an uphill battle this year is an understatement. Hondo’s College Football Metrics website has the University of Idaho football team rated 53 overall out of a possible 100. They are actually rated lower than most FCS schools now. Why they haven’t already dropped to the FCS and joined the Big Sky Conference remains a mystery, but maybe this season will convince them. Let’s dive into the Vandals roster for the breakdown.

Quarterback

True senior Mason Petrino (62 overall) will be the lead signal caller for this squad and he brings a decent amount of experience. He’s rated at 90 awareness which may not be too big of an asset considering the run-heavy style that head coach Pat Fitzkennedy is installing, but it could serve well if he is forced to audible out in certain situations. He is also rated at 71 speed which makes him a decent threat in the triple option.

Running Back

Redshirt freshman Khalil Forehand is taking the majority of snaps at halfback during practice as well as in the Spring Game, so he looks to be the main workhorse for the Vandals’ running attack. Redshirt sophomore Roshaun Johnson will probably be the backup and will be very active in this system. Therefore, you should also see Aundre Carter get some action. And although they don’t have a registered fullback on the team, we’ve seen redshirt senior tight end Luke Hyde fill in for that position.

Receiving Corps

Coach Fitzkennedy deserves his due respect for recognizing the lack of talent at wide receiver and employing a run-heavy scheme. There isn’t a clear cut number one on this receiving corps, but senior Jeff Cotton (67 OVR, 78 SPD) has stepped up to take that role. Senior Jante Boston (67 OVR, 81 SPD) is also making plays and will likely be a starter. From there it’s a free-for-all, but redshirt sophomore Cutrell Haywood (67 OVR, 78 SPD) should also see some time. And again with this system, you probably won’t see a lot of plays made by these guys.

Offensive Line

As a collective unit, this line averages out at an overall rating of 59.4 with the only bright spot (relatively speaking) being sophomore right tackle Logan Floyd (64 OVR, 85 STR). It will be interesting to see if these guys can hold up to any defense even in the run game.

Defensive Line

Fitzkennedy runs a 4-3 defense and will rely on a scheme that won him titles as a high school coach. But the big question is whether or not that can work with the talent level of this defensive line. Defensive tackles Rahsaan Crawford (65 OVR, 88 STR) and 353 lb Jonah Kim (65 OVR, 92 STR), both juniors, will be relied on to hold the gaps in the middle. But Fitz is also relying on junior defensive end Leonick Tamba (60 OVR, 65 SPD) to be a disruptive edge rusher. On the other side, there’s 347 lb sophomore Noah Elliss (70 OVR, 91 STR), who is rumored to be moving to defensive tackle once they can get some talent at left end to fit their scheme. So this may look brutal out there on Saturdays.

Linebackers

This is another lackluster corps, with junior middle linebacker Jalan Jenkins (65 OVR, 73 SPD) leading the unit. They will lean on him to clean up anything in the wake of blitzing linebackers, where juniors Robert Miller (61 OVR, 73 SPD) and Charles Akanno (61 OVR, 67 SPD) will be called upon for those duties.

Secondary

This coaching staff better hope that pressure comes through, because it’s not a reach to say there is an awful secondary behind them that need all the help they can get. Rated at an average of 65.6 as a unit, that number is boosted by the bright spot on defense, senior free safety Davontae Ginwright (77 OVR, 78 SPD). The starting cornerbacks, senior Lloyd Hightower (62 OVR, 80 SPD) and redshirt freshman Christian Nash (62 OVR, 81 SPD) will have trouble hanging with most receivers in the FBS, so maybe coach Fitz is on to something with always wanting more pressure.

Special Teams

Junior punter Cade Coffey (84 OVR) will be handling both kicking and punting duties this season due to his being much better at both jobs than anyone else on the team. As far as return specialists, Fitz has run most of the skill position players back there to find out who is best. Looks like we may have to wait until closer to opening day to find out who lands that job.

Final Outlook

The chances of this team going 0-12 are quite real this year, and it’s almost a lock that the Vandals will be in the FCS a year from now. Let’s hope that they can at least keep the fan base entertained in their down year.

2019 Vandals Football Schedule

8/31 - at North Texas
9/7 - Temple
9/15 - BYE
9/21 - at #23 Washington State
9/28 - Northern Illinois
10/5 - Fresno State
10/12 - at South Alabama
10/19 - at Arkansas State
10/26 - Old Dominion
11/2 - at Wyoming
11/9 - Texas State
11/16 - BYE
11/23 - Nevada
11/30 - at New Mexico State

11-07-2019, 10:55 PM	#12
OBinKC Rookie OVR: 0 Join Date: Apr 2017 Blog Entries: 218	Re: Saving Idaho From The FCS: NCAA ‘14 Dynasty Idaho Vandals Outlook 2019 by Tex Colorado August 10, 2019 10:00pm The 2019 College Football season is right around the corner, and to say that the Idaho Vandals have an uphill battle this year is an understatement. Hondo’s College Football Metrics website has the University of Idaho football team rated 53 overall out of a possible 100. They are actually rated lower than most FCS schools now. Why they haven’t already dropped to the FCS and joined the Big Sky Conference remains a mystery, but maybe this season will convince them. Let’s dive into the Vandals roster for the breakdown. Quarterback True senior Mason Petrino (62 overall) will be the lead signal caller for this squad and he brings a decent amount of experience. He’s rated at 90 awareness which may not be too big of an asset considering the run-heavy style that head coach Pat Fitzkennedy is installing, but it could serve well if he is forced to audible out in certain situations. He is also rated at 71 speed which makes him a decent threat in the triple option. Running Back Redshirt freshman Khalil Forehand is taking the majority of snaps at halfback during practice as well as in the Spring Game, so he looks to be the main workhorse for the Vandals’ running attack. Redshirt sophomore Roshaun Johnson will probably be the backup and will be very active in this system. Therefore, you should also see Aundre Carter get some action. And although they don’t have a registered fullback on the team, we’ve seen redshirt senior tight end Luke Hyde fill in for that position. Receiving Corps Coach Fitzkennedy deserves his due respect for recognizing the lack of talent at wide receiver and employing a run-heavy scheme. There isn’t a clear cut number one on this receiving corps, but senior Jeff Cotton (67 OVR, 78 SPD) has stepped up to take that role. Senior Jante Boston (67 OVR, 81 SPD) is also making plays and will likely be a starter. From there it’s a free-for-all, but redshirt sophomore Cutrell Haywood (67 OVR, 78 SPD) should also see some time. And again with this system, you probably won’t see a lot of plays made by these guys. Offensive Line As a collective unit, this line averages out at an overall rating of 59.4 with the only bright spot (relatively speaking) being sophomore right tackle Logan Floyd (64 OVR, 85 STR). It will be interesting to see if these guys can hold up to any defense even in the run game. Defensive Line Fitzkennedy runs a 4-3 defense and will rely on a scheme that won him titles as a high school coach. But the big question is whether or not that can work with the talent level of this defensive line. Defensive tackles Rahsaan Crawford (65 OVR, 88 STR) and 353 lb Jonah Kim (65 OVR, 92 STR), both juniors, will be relied on to hold the gaps in the middle. But Fitz is also relying on junior defensive end Leonick Tamba (60 OVR, 65 SPD) to be a disruptive edge rusher. On the other side, there’s 347 lb sophomore Noah Elliss (70 OVR, 91 STR), who is rumored to be moving to defensive tackle once they can get some talent at left end to fit their scheme. So this may look brutal out there on Saturdays. Linebackers This is another lackluster corps, with junior middle linebacker Jalan Jenkins (65 OVR, 73 SPD) leading the unit. They will lean on him to clean up anything in the wake of blitzing linebackers, where juniors Robert Miller (61 OVR, 73 SPD) and Charles Akanno (61 OVR, 67 SPD) will be called upon for those duties. Secondary This coaching staff better hope that pressure comes through, because it’s not a reach to say there is an awful secondary behind them that need all the help they can get. Rated at an average of 65.6 as a unit, that number is boosted by the bright spot on defense, senior free safety Davontae Ginwright (77 OVR, 78 SPD). The starting cornerbacks, senior Lloyd Hightower (62 OVR, 80 SPD) and redshirt freshman Christian Nash (62 OVR, 81 SPD) will have trouble hanging with most receivers in the FBS, so maybe coach Fitz is on to something with always wanting more pressure. Special Teams Junior punter Cade Coffey (84 OVR) will be handling both kicking and punting duties this season due to his being much better at both jobs than anyone else on the team. As far as return specialists, Fitz has run most of the skill position players back there to find out who is best. Looks like we may have to wait until closer to opening day to find out who lands that job. Final Outlook The chances of this team going 0-12 are quite real this year, and it’s almost a lock that the Vandals will be in the FCS a year from now. Let’s hope that they can at least keep the fan base entertained in their down year. 2019 Vandals Football Schedule 8/31 - at North Texas 9/7 - Temple 9/15 - BYE 9/21 - at #23 Washington State 9/28 - Northern Illinois 10/5 - Fresno State 10/12 - at South Alabama 10/19 - at Arkansas State 10/26 - Old Dominion 11/2 - at Wyoming 11/9 - Texas State 11/16 - BYE 11/23 - Nevada 11/30 - at New Mexico State __________________ My Idaho Dynasty - https://forums.operationsports.com/f...4-dynasty.html Last edited by OBinKC; 11-07-2019 at 10:57 PM.