Fighting for Survival: NCAA 04 Idaho Vandals Dynasty

[SalamiGrease]

FIGHTING FOR SURVIVAL: THE 2004 IDAHO VANDALS

WELCOME TO MOSCOW, IDAHO; THE HOME OF THE MOST DYSFUNCTIONAL PROGRAM IN DIVISION 1-A.

As the 2003 football season approached, fans were excited as ever. Stars such as Roy Williams and Chris Gamble adorned magazine covers, top programs like Oklahoma, Miami, and Ohio State grabbed headlines seemingly everywhere, and a wide field of contenders and playmakers were beginning to train in hopes of being immortalized in the future retellings of their heroics on the gridiron. This year promised to be great, and fans in every corner of the nation, from Boston to Honolulu, were simply infectious with optimism.

Except, perhaps, for a little corner of Idaho, where there was not joy and hope, but a looming sense of dread. Tom Cable had just been fired after mustering 3 wins in 2 seasons, and the Sun Belt was openly regretful about its decision to add such a small-market team who could barely win a game, much less compete with a Boise State team who had gone 12-1 the previous year.

The team had a few bright spots, but a large crop of players who made up the bulk of the talent on the team were leaving at seasons' end. The young generation was marked with technical ineptitude, a lack of athleticism, and few prospects who didn't walk on. Cable was not returning, and the team was scrambling to find a half-decent coach before the first round of practices.

The program had already had a history of being in awkward transition between conferences: It had been essentially a 1-A program in the 1-AA Big Sky, denied the privileges of an FBS team but not allowed to compete in the FCS playoffs. It had just left the Big West when it was disbanded and was considering leaving for the WAC before the troubles with competing began.

The final nail in the coffin seemed to be set when news of a scandal came out at the university: players had been eating maliciously grown potatoes, cultivated in the science lab, which contained performance-enhancing drugs. As most of the players were Idaho natives, they took this new addition to their meals as a slight variant to their normal, spud-based diet.


And now, the Vandals were greeted by an ultimatum from the NCAA: Clean their act up over the next three seasons, or face some of the harshest penalties ever faced by an NCAA team. Removal from division 1-A in all sports, abolishment of the football program, fines, forced relocation from the poorly built Kibbie Dome, and worst of all, forced usage of NON-LOCAL POTATOES.

(This is the only defining feature of Idaho I am aware of, and yes, I am too lazy to do my research)

Faced with a do-or-die situation like no one else ever was, the University turned to their last resort, an old alumni, a relic of an age of Vandal football long gone, living in Boise, who had thought he would never touch a football again.

And, by some miracle, NFL legend and former Vandal Jerry Kramer accepted the challenge.

With nothing to lose, the Vandal team, coaches, and athletic directors came up with a desperation plan: filling out the few open slots on their schedule with some of the best teams in the FBS. The schedule seemed impossible. The Vandals were weakened. And they were resolved to play every down like it was the last play of the game.

Welcome to the most desperate, poorly managed, unheralded team in the NCAA. Which also just happens to be the one team with nothing to lose. After all, if the ancient Vandals sacked Rome, can these ones not sack Ohio State?

I guess we'll find out.

Welcome to Moscow.

[johnstone1987]

Not sure if we can post yet but this is interesting. A very small Program you're taking over. Good luck

[SalamiGrease]

Quote: Originally Posted by johnstone1987

Not sure if we can post yet but this is interesting. A very small Program you're taking over. Good luck

Thanks! It definitely poses a challenge not only because of the size, but all of the best players are seniors and will be leaving after year 1. Hopefully we do get lucky, especially with recruits.

[Careless Whisper]

The Kibbie Dome is a gem. I'll be following.

[SalamiGrease]

Quote: Originally Posted by Careless Whisper

The Kibbie Dome is a gem. I'll be following.

Thanks! The Kibbie Dome is one of the upsides of this dynasty: I'll have to REALLY SUCK to not sell out every game.

[SalamiGrease]

2003 SEASON PREVIEW


Idaho's roster is filled with experienced players, who will look to lead the team to victory in their final year. However, experience is often met with technical incompetence, oftentimes manifested in poor on-field awareness, catching/ball carrying skills, or blocking. The offense will need to overcome weaknesses such as these to succeed, and utilize their athletic potential to maximize scoring drives. The defense, on the other hand, suffers from the opposite problem. While aware, there is an overall slowness in a unit which has 2 players over 80 SPD. Tackling is also an issue, with only a few players demonstrating the ability to consistently wrap up ballcarriers in camp. The good news is that unlike the offense, there is a core of young talent with some potential to evolve into stud players down the line.

PREDICTION: 3-9, 7th of 8 SBC. The Vandals might manage against teams of similar talent, but even the upper and mid-level sun belt teams outclass them talent and skill-wise. They look to be in for a long season. Don't count this team out, though, as coach Kramer might be the change needed to turn this team from one with wasted potential into a contender for the Sun Belt. The Vandals are a wildcard with a high ceiling and low floor, but seem to be trending in the downwards direction with what we've seen so far.


OFFENSE

The Vandals offense has potential, but they are undisciplined. Coach Kramer inherits some good talent with quarterback Brian Lindgren, an 81 OVR redshirt senior with a pretty good arm, especially by Sun Belt standards. Lindgren has the ability to extend plays with his legs, and is smart enough to get the ball to the right receiver with some consistency. His issue is elevating his game to the next level, and playing with intensity in key situations. Behind him are sophomore and freshman Michael Harrington and Steven Wichman, who are both purely raw pocket passers with a long way to go before becoming competent starters.


Running the ball will be redshirt senior Malfred Shaw, who does not possess any particularly impressive abilities, but is sold enough. He will face competition from similarly balanced halfbacks Justin Wall and Zach Gerstner. The room is experienced, with 2 seniors and 1 junior, which is a double-edged sword. They will be veterans, but with little room to improve their unimpressive skill sets. With the fastest being 75 SPD and the most sure-handed being 68 CAR, the Vandals could find their run game to be stagnant if they do not play their cards right.

The receiver room is also troubled in this way: Plenty of speed and athleticism, but no breakaway players. None are above 70 OVR, and the catching is atrocious for a receiving core. No one has above 75 in that area, and some of the starters such as Orlando Winston, likely to be Lindgren's go-to option, have terrible carrying stats of 50 and below. The tight ends provide some better hands, but poor blocking and speed to go along with them. Luke Smith-Anderson will head that group, and will be key in mixing up possesion-based short passing with long bombs and deep routes to maximize the efficiency of the passing game.

The offensive line, unlike most of the offense, is a bright spot. They are headed by tackle Jake Scott and center Matt Martinez, both redshirt seniors who are 84 and 85 overall, 2 of the three best players on the team, along with punter Ryan Downes. Their comrades are solid as well, and Idaho will field a pretty decent line this year. They are big, somewhat technichally proficient, and, apart from some of the younger players, should be the best unit on the team by far.



DEFENSE

The defensive line will struggle to generate pressure this year, with underweight players and poor strength across the board. The ends are sophomore redshirt Mike Bonelli and Junior Brandon Kania, who are both 59 OVR. The tackle spot is slightly better, but are more geared towards run stopping than pressure.

At linebacker, the Vandals possess some players who are excellent students of the game, but much too slow to make that truly game-changing. Only one player on the entire front 7 exceeds 60 speed, sure to be a liability against some of the opponents the Vandals will face, such as Maurice Clarrett and Darren Sproles.



The secondary is also slow, although the two starting safties Robert Ortega and Darryl Murphy, both seniors, have a high vertical and ballhawk potential. The Vandals are likely to play a lot of Cover 2 and Cover 3, so this will help them be a safety net against the deep ball. The cornerback room has 1 senior, Rod Bryant, who is 5'9 and 70 OVR. While that is a liability already, he is the best of the bunch, who round out a very slow secondary. Junior J.R Ruffin has some good hands, but other than that nothing stands out about this group. Look for this secondary to struggle wtih the deep ball often.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Punter Ryan Downes, as mentioned earlier, is the highest rated player on the team at 85 OVR. He boasts impressive power and accuracy stats of 89 and 88 respectively, and has played several years. He might also take kicking duties, as fellow senior Brian Pope has been inconsistent in practice.
Returning the ball, at least at the start, is Bobby Bernal-Wood, who is the fastest on the team and has decent hands for being a receiver. Orlando Winston is penciled in as the other returner, but is unlikely to stay there with his 48 Carrying. A solid unit who should not crack under pressure, this could be a good boost to the Vandals this year.

Idaho Vandals Depth Chart - 2003
Offense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
WR	Orlando Winston	Bobby Bernal-Wood	Matt Miller
TE	Luke Smith-Anderson	Michael McCoy
LT	Jake Scott	Matt Newell
LG	Jason Cobb	Tony Kiel
C	Matt Martinez	Jarrod Schulte
RG	Kyle Stewart	Jade Tadvick
RT	Hank Therien	Jake Leachman
WR	Cedric Thompson	Jimmy Labita	Jeff Stowe
QB	Brian Lindgren	Michael Harrington	Steven Wichman
FB	Willie Sipoloa	Jordan Lampos
HB	Malfred Shaw	Justin Wall	Zach Gerstner
Defense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
LDE	Mike Bonelli	Ernest Davis
LDT	Brian Howard	Michael Toagafu
RDT	Kelly Talavou	Jason Jones
RDE	Brandon Kania
WLB	Patrick Libey	Jaron Williams
MLB	Chad Kodama	Mike Anderson
SLB	Kody Kraus	Robert Davis
CB	Rod Bryant	Ben Allen
SS	Darryl Murphy	Nate Nichols
FS	Robert Ortega	Simeon Stewart
CB	J.R Ruffin	Brandon Mascorro
Special Teams
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
K	Brian Pope
P	Ryan Downes
H	Michael Harrington
PR	Bobby Bernal-Wood
KR	Bobby Bernal-Wood	Orlando Winston
LS	Matt Martinez

[SalamiGrease]

IDAHO (0-0) vs IDAHO STATE (0-0) Game Preview

Matchup Preview *|* August 24, 2003
	@
Idaho State Bengals (0-0, Away)		Idaho Vandals (0-0, Home)
Injury Report None None Game Notes Keys To Victory: Idaho: Make Splash Plays- Take advantage of the slowness and inexperience of the Bengals defense Idaho State- Get an early lead- Force Idaho to play catch-up and make their offense one-dimensional. Prediction: Idaho 31, Idaho State 21. This is the easiest game Idaho has all season, and it is necessary that they fix up any issues they have early. They'll do that and notch a comfortable W.

[SalamiGrease]

Vandals Overcome Early Struggles, Outduel Bengals

Idaho HB Malfred Shaw pulls in a pass which would result in a touchdown, cutting State's lead to 13-7.

With 35 seconds left in the first half, the Idaho Vandals were staring down a 16-7 lead just hoping they could get a field goal before the half. Their rivals, the Idaho State Bengals, had been imposing their will on them thus far, scoring thrice to go up 13-0 before Idaho even got in the red zone.

The Bengals began the game with a 40 yard pass to Sale' Key, who would go on to have a monstrous day. They drove all the way to the Vandal 15, where they were forced to kick a field goal.

After a punt that resulted in another field goal for the Bengals, their halfback, playing at cornerback, took one back to the house to put them up 13-0. Idaho responded with a 7 play, 70 yard drive to put themselves within 6.

However, with halftime fast approaching, Orlando Winston got open on a broken play, and Brian Lindgren threw a masterful pass on the run, which resulted in a 51 yard gain. They scored on the next play, to make things much closer. With the game now close and time nearly expired, State made a questionable decision and threw the ball, resulting in a pick by MLB Mike Anderson.

Sale' Key hauls in a 41 yard pass to start the game off

The Vandals lined up with five wide, and Lindgren launched up a prayer. After all, with the game nearing halftime and their program itself on the line, what did the Vandals have to lose?

They certainly had a lot to gain. Cedric Thompson pulled it in at the goal line, and the Vandals went up 21-16 to end the half.

Upon starting the second half, the Vandals went right to work. Driving down the field, they scored again and again. State put up some resistance, but it was Idaho's ballgame. That is, until the 4th quarter. Up 35-23 after a three-and out, Idaho State's Sale' Key caught three passes, to go 81 yards and put the game within five. The Bengals had not gotten a first down that half, for context. This drive helped boost Key to a 7 catch, 200 yard performance which easily won him player of the game.

A Bengal WR makes a jumping catch in the 1st Quarter

The Vandal offense did not give up hope, however. Keeping with their momentum, they drove right down the field, taking off most of the 4th quarter on one drive. After punting with about 1:30 left, The defense found themselves up by 5 with the ball inside the ten.

Playing with confidence, pressure got to the quarterback and he forced a bad throw past Key, which would have been incomplete 99 times out of 100. But today, Robert Ortega made a spectacular shoelace catch, and the Vandals were able to run out the clock, actually scoring on a 3rd and 11 with 30 seconds left due to a blown coverage. Final score: 42-30, Idaho.

Robert Ortega's game-sealing interception

After the game, Brian Lindgren was recognized for a monster performance. He had amassed over 300 yards passing, and 6 total touchdowns. In response to being asked what the sudden offensive explosion was all about, he answered "We knew this team from past years, and we knew what to expect. Despite being down 16-7, we were not really fazed and were able to step up when we needed to." Lindgren's performance won him NCAA player of the week, although the three games in week 1 provided a pretty limited pool to choose from.

That's all well and good, but the Vandals will really need to step up their game next week against USC, a type of opponent they definitely are not used to facing. Coach Kramer said that "USC is a different type of animal. They all are. Ohio [state], Kansas State, those guys are top-class. We have high expectations for ourselves going into those games, and we are not going to lie down and get run over. If we lose, we lose playing hard."

At least the Vandals won't go winless this year! Despite the final score, Coach Kramer's team actually looked very capable. Several position groups, particularly the receivers and o-line looked stellar, and some preseason "liabilities" played some solid football. They will be tested, but the Vandal faithful should entertain some hope for later in the season.

Idaho State will return to FCS play against East Washington and Montana in the coming weeks, while Idaho faces off against #9 USC before playing #1 Ohio State, Boise State and then #4 Kansas State.