For the second consecutive season, Idaho and Wyoming will enter a weekend contest against each other winless, but the general feelings around the programs should differ.
Wyoming is coming off falling just short of an upset against Nebraska, falling 37-34 to the Big Ten opponent. Idaho on the other hand is coming off getting thumped 40-6 by North Texas, allowing 40 unanswered points after scoring on its opening possession.
It may be a tall order for Idaho to go into Laramie, Wyo., and pull out the first victory of Idaho coach Paul Petrino’s career, but improvement is the expectation.
“It starts with me,” Petrino said. “… everything starts at the top so I have to do a better job most of all, assistant coaches can and do a better job and players can do a better job.”
Statistically, Idaho has a good base to grow on from its loss to North Texas.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Chad Chalich had a solid collegiate debut, going 19-for-27 for 230 yards and a touchdown. Two lost fumbles and only 21 yards rushing in an option offense are areas for improvement for Chad heading into Wyoming.
“I think he played like it was his first Division I game. He did some good things, I think he made some plays with his feet but I think he has a lot of room for improvement just like the whole offensive unit does,” quarterbacks coach Bryce Erickson said. “… but he did some good things I think he fought hard, but he has a long way to go.”
Expected junior college transfer playmakers on offense played well, with Jerrel Brown rushing for 70 yards and Dezmon Epps catching seven passes for 89 yards, but it wasn’t enough to help Chalich punch the ball into the end zone past the opening possession.
“Us receivers we have to help him out by breaking a few tackles and extending drives and running backs have to do the same thing,” senior receiver Najee Lovett said.
For Wyoming, this weekend’s contest begins a string of six consecutive games against an opponent that didn’t play in a bowl game last season, all winnable games to the Wyoming camp. The performance of quarterback Brett Smith at Nebraska gives the Cowboys confidence. He tossed four touchdowns on 383 yards passing against the Nebraska “blackshirt” defense.
“He makes you not sleep very much,” Petrino said. “We better hit him, we better get in his face and we better make him uncomfortable. If he’s not uncomfortable, it’s going to be a long night.”
The Vandals relinquished 404 yards passing last Saturday at North Texas, failing to sack starting quarterback Derek Thompson.
“The D-Line is the strength of our defense, last week they were throwing it pretty quick so by the time they got off their blocks the ball was thrown,” defensive coordinator Ronnie Lee said. “This week this guy will look for deeper routes and will be moving around, the one thing we have to do we have to contain him.”
Saturday’s game marks the second game of the home-and-home series between Idaho and Wyoming. Last year’s game was a 40-37 overtime win at the Kibbie Dome for Wyoming. The return leg for Idaho will be played more than 7,000 feet above sea level at War Memorial Stadium, something Petrino said his team won’t focus on.
“Don’t talk about it, don’t worry about it, in my opinion, just go play,” Petrino said.
Sean Kramer can be reached at [email protected]