The new-look Idaho Vandal football team occupied the Kibbie Dome turf Thursday for its inaugural spring practice, one that initiated a heated quarterback battle, welcomed a new offensive coordinator and proved a group of players were itching to avenge last season’s dismal 2-10 results.
Tony Marcolina | Argonaut Idaho safety D'Mario Carter catches a pass during practice Thursday in the Kibbie Dome. Idaho opened spring camp Thursday in preparation for the fall season.
Highly anticipated position battles look to be a theme this spring but none will prove to light as many fires as the quarterback battle between junior Dominique Blackman and returning back-up Taylor Davis.
The graduation of former starter Brian Reader vacates a position Idaho has struggled with since current Chicago Bears reserve Nathan Enderle graduated.
Blackman, originally a Washington commit, transferred from a Pac-10 program to Los Angeles Harbor College. He then moved onto Old Dominion, where he redshirted prior to his move to Moscow. Davis, on the other hand, will begin his third year with the program this fall. The Arizona native started one game last season and saw action as a backup on numerous occasions.
“We’ve got a race between two guys who want it real bad,” Idaho coach Robb Akey said. “It’s going to take time for that to sort itself out. Today was the first day, I saw some good and not so good in each of them today. We’re going to look at video right now and we’re going to evaluate everything they do.”
However, the emphasis on Blackman and Davis hasn’t overshadowed the announcement of Jason Gesser as the team’s new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
Gesser was hired last year by Akey as the team’s running backs coach, but the former Washington State quarterback feels more comfortable at a position he was so well acquainted with during his college career.
He welcomes the high pressure that comes with the offensive coordinator position, especially at the start of a spring season that will determine plenty about the offense and quarterback position.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Gesser said. “It’s been kind of like that my whole career playing-wise and why not have it starting coaching-wise. I welcome it with open arms, I can control the things I can control I’m not really worried about what’s on the outside world I worry about what we got here.”
Akey recently announced former Vandal defensive coordinator Gordy Shaw will return to Moscow as the team’s offensive line coach after a stint with Hawaii as the Warriors’ offensive line coach.
While Akey has yet to announce the running backs or wide receivers coach, he said both have been picked and one will be announced in a week’s time.
“Well I’m very anxious to be able to announce those, one of them is going to get announced here in about a week and I’m anxious to announce that,” Akey said. “I know who both of those guys are going to be… I’ve got to wait until the situation comes about that I can name them.”
Idaho awaits the return of receiver and kick returns specialist Justin Veltung, who will sit the spring season out due to a turf toe injury. However, the Vandals return a key defensive player in linebacker Rob Siavii, who redshirted the 2011 season with a knee injury.
Fourteen practices will highlight the spring season and the team will conclude play with annual spring scrimmage April 20.