2011 Idaho Football Predictions

Written by Steve Janus

After making it to their first bowl game in 10 years in 2009, the Idaho Vandals came into the 2010 season with the expectations that they would be back in a bowl game. Idaho ended up going 3-5 in the WAC and just 6-7 overall. While it was a bit of a disappointment, fans have to be excited with what head coach Robb Akey is doing with this program. After winning just three games in his first two seasons as couch, Akey has led the Vandals to 14 wins in the last two season. With 12 starters back, Akey appears to have another opportunity to lead this team to a postseason birth. Here is a look at what Idaho will send to the field on both sides of the ball, plus my prediction on where they will finish in the WAC.

Offense:

The Vandals will come into the 2011 season with a new starting quarterback. All signs point to senior Brian Reader to take over for Nathan Enderle, who finished his career as the No. 3 all-time passer with 10,084 yards. While it won’t be easy for Reader to match Enderle’s numbers, he did show some promising signs when he got a chance to play. Reader attempted 72 passes in limited action last year, completing nearly 60% for 588 yards with five touchdowns and just one interception.

Idaho loses leading rusher Deonte’ Jackson, but it shouldn’t be hard to replace his 442 yards and four touchdowns he put up in his final season. Look for Arizona State transfer Ryan Bass to step in and start immediately, and really turn the running game around in 2011. Bass will team up with senior Princeton McCarty to form what figures to be one of the best 1-2 punches in the WAC.

At wide receiver the Vandals lose their top two threats in Eric Greenwood and Daniel Hardy, but still figure to have three quality starters in seniors Armauni Johnson and Preston Davis and junior Justin Veltung (led team with 8 touchdowns as sophomore). The Vandals also have a talented sophomore tight end in Taylor Elmo who has the potential to be a big part of the offense in his first season as the starter.

On the offensive line the Vandals return one of the top tackles in the conference in senior left tackle Matt Cleveland, and will also welcome back talented senior right tackle Tyrone Novikoff and senior left guard Sam Tupua. Both starting spots at center and right guard are up for grabs, and it looks like redshirt freshman Mike Marboe (center) and sophomore Jordan Johnson (guard)will have the first crack at starting. This unit should really show some big improvements this season.

Defense:

While the offensive line figures to be a big strength in 2011, there is some concern surrounding the front four on the defensive side of the ball. Idaho returns one of the top defensive tackles in the conference in senior Michael Cosgrove and junior defensive end Benson Mayowa, but will need some other players to step up. Junior college transfers Dontae Scott and Aaron Lazaro should both see action at the other defensive tackle spot, while senior Andre Ferguson is expected to take over at the other defensive end. Idaho allowed 189 ypg on the ground in 2009, something they need to improve on if they want to get back to a bowl game.

At linebacker the Vandals return all three starters, including two of the best in the conference in seniors Tre’Shawn Robinson and Robert Siavii. These two combined for 171 tackles, 5 sacks, and 18.5 tackles for loss as juniors, and will be counted on to make even more plays this season. The other starter back is senior strong-side linebacker Homer Mauga, who finished fourth on the team with 74 tackles.

Three more starters return in the secondary, but they lose one of their best defensive players in safety Shiloh Keo. For this unit to continue to get better, they are going to need a big season out of corners Aaron Grymes and Kenneth Patten. Senior Quin Ashley is expected to step in for Keo and start next to junior free safety Gary Walker.

2011 Prediction: 5th WAC – If there’s a sleeper team in the WAC this season, it’s the Idaho Vandals. The offense should really be able to run the ball behind Bass, and I think Reader is going to surprise some people with his ability to throw the ball. If the defense can hold up and continue to get better, this team will be very competitive this season. The main reason I have them finishing in 5th, is they have three very tough home games against Fresno State, Hawaii, and Louisiana Tech.

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Addtional Resources:

Bettors World is predicting a 6 win season for the Idaho football team.

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