With a 2016 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl victory in the rearview mirror, the Vandal football team set its sights on 2017. Idaho opened the spring season with a public scrimmage Saturday morning.
About to enter his senior season, quarterback Matt Linehan operated at high efficiency throughout the day, proving he is the obvious choice for the Vandals under center. Linehan threw his first touchdown to junior wide receiver Alfonso Onunwor in the left corner of the end zone. He ended the day going 29-41 for 281 yards. Linehan credited his improved play to the time he spent injured last spring.
“I spent a lot of time in the film room, so I think I learned a lot, but I think I needed one more year to really feel like I had an expert level of comfort,” Linehan said
Freshman quarterback Mason Petrino relieved Linehan on alternating drives. The second team offense, as expected, did not create as many big plays but did give the team a new dimension in Mason Petrino’s ability to run. The quarterback ran multiple read options, sometimes fooling the defense, and scrambled for extra yardage when passing plays broke down. His greatest struggle came when trying to throw under pressure. He often took off when feeling the heat, instead of stepping up in the pocket and keeping his eyes down the field.
The biggest highlight of the day came when Mason Petrino lined up at wide receiver for multiple reps. Although he was not a deep threat like Onunwor, he did give Linehan an extra option on the occasional underneath route.
“He’s a grinder, it’s as simple as that,” Linehan said. “I think he has a really good feel for the position.”
Head coach Paul Petrino, Mason Petrino’s father, said his son could play a major part in next year’s offense.
“He’s getting a lot of reps, he’s a tired guy at the end of the day,” Paul Petrino said. “But he’s doing good, he’s definitely going to have a role and he’ll be good at it.”
The offensive line provided strong protection for Linehan in the pocket and opened some clear running lanes for the backs to speed through. Paul Petrino said he was impressed with the blocking unit, seeing as the Vandals had to fill three holes left by graduated seniors on the offensive line. Paul Petrino singled out freshman Carlos Collado as one of the best new players of the spring.
At running back, the Vandals circulated through junior Aaron Duckworth, sophomore Isaiah Saunders and redshirt freshman Dylan Thigpen. Saunders, Idaho’s leading rusher in 2016, carried most of the load during the opening drives, running for 56 yards on 11 carries. As the scrimmage progressed, Thigpen saw more action and made a few bursts through the line. He finished the scrimmage with 76 yards on 18 carries.
“He brings more speed, more quickness,” Saunders said. “He’s a little bit more shifty.”
Thigpen made his way into the lineup after freshman Denzal Brantley transitioned from running back to safety.
“There will still be a lot of competition, but Denzal is really tackling well. It’s good to see him come down, he’s really physical and he’s having fun back there and doing a good job,” Paul Petrino said.
Brantley recorded six tackles and intercepted Mason Petrino in the end zone.
“I’m still trying to get comfortable with it,” Brantley said. “But it’s been going good. I enjoy it.”
On special teams, sophomore Cade Coffey and freshman Sam Fenlason filled in for graduated kicker Austin Rehkow. Both kickers performed similarly in field goal kicking, making consistent extra points but each missing a long field goal try. Coffey stood out in punting with a booming 70-yard boot late in the scrimmage.
Overall, Paul Petrino said he was pleased with his team’s effort during the first open scrimmage of the spring.
“The defense flew around and hit hard,” he said. “The offense was running hard and blocking hard. We broke a lot more tackles than we did the last couple times we were live. You heard big collisions. That’s always a good thing.”
Idaho’s next scrimmage will be at 5:30 p.m. April 21 in Lewiston.
Brandon Hill can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @brandonmtnhill