In losing their third game of the season, the Idaho Vandals came away with minor victories in a vast array of categories. The offense moved at a pace unseen by fans in recent years and the defense held Jordan Lynch and an explosive Northern Illinois offense to just seven scoring drives on 18 attempts.
The team played three quarters of competitive football, rather than two a week ago and one in the season opener.
The most important victory, however, came in the postgame press conference when Paul Petrino offered the media a couple of reasons why he might be the Vandals’ long-term solution.
In traditional SEC style, he calmly addressed the positives, which were aplenty compared to the road blowouts at North Texas and Wyoming. He noted that a team would be hard-pressed to make bigger improvements between weeks two and three than the Vandals did Saturday.
Just look at the penalty margin. After committing 11 at North Texas, Idaho cut that number down to six at Wyoming and committed a mere four penalties in the home opener.
“We’re a heck of a lot better of a football team than we were at North Texas,” Petrino said.
Then, he unleashed on members of local television stations and newspapers as if they were his own players.
“There might be four plays that they didn’t lay it out on the line, but one of those four plays might have made the difference in the game. You don’t know, you don’t know what play that is,” Petrino said, his voice rising incrementally with each word.
“Just pull out a gun and shoot me in the head if I’m ever happy with losing.”
So maybe a little much at times, but his intention is there. So is the drive, the passion and the pure competitive nature, something often questioned during Robb Akey’s tenure.
Saturday’s result against a team still receiving votes in the AP Top 25 may have been the best against an opponent of that caliber since 2006, when Idaho lost a 27-17 decision to Michigan State.
And considering the circumstances — a roster stacked with inexperience, a ghostly Kibbie Dome and a Heisman candidate across from them, Saturday’s fight may have been more respectable.
If Petrino’s press conference is any indication, the Kibbie Dome will see its fair share of victories in the coming years.
If the Vandals can replicate, or improve on what was accomplished against one of the nation’s premier mid-majors, those wins will come sooner rather than later.
Theo Lawson can be reached at arg-sports@uidaho.edu