MOSCOW, Idaho - The University of Idaho football team's defense showed the signs of two well-spent weeks as spring drills hit the midpoint with the team's first scrimmage.
That brought the hint of a smile to the face of head coach Tom Cable.
But, that could only mean one thing for the offense - that it wasn't hitting on all cylinders. Just yet anyway.
Naturally, that could wreck havoc with a head coach's emotions.
"When you're the head coach in spring football," Cable said, "you're never 100 percent happy because someone always does better than the other and you're worried about one and happy about the other."
What would make him happy about the defense was its ability to force turnovers (five interceptions, two fumble recoveries) and control the line of scrimmage (10 sacks, two tackles-for-loss).
"On defense," he said, "I'm tickled. I want to see that continue to happen. I'm the most excited about the defense since I've been the head coach here. They created a lot of turnovers. They got after the quarterback.
"I like their confidence and aggressiveness. And you saw some consistency throughout the scrimmage."
Not only are some of the new faces on defense making a difference (two sacks by junior college transfer Eric Davis and two interceptions by Ben Allen, a transfer who was injured during fall camp last year), but the veterans are coming into their own.
Part of it could be because they've spent a year in the system; part could be because of the change in the structure of the defensive staff with coordinator Ed Lamb handing over the secondary chores to Greg Jackson and Spence Nowinsky taking control of the line.
"We were out there running around and having fun," said defensive tackle Brian Howard, who had two sacks while fellow returnee Brandon Kania added three more. "The tempo of the defense has to pick up this year. I think we're on track to doing that."
Quarterback Brian Lindgren gave credit where it was due.
"They (the defense) came out with a lot of emotion," said Lindgren, noting the six safeties yielded by the offense when it was put in the position of starting drives from its own one-yard line. "The offense has to have some leaders step up. I have to be one of those guys."
In addition to the safeties, the defense also scored on Ortega's 59-yard interception return.
Leaders also need to emerge among the running backs and receivers. Malfred Shaw and Mike Lowry split duties while Zach Gerstner spent the morning watching from the sideline with bruised ribs. Between Shaw and Lowry, they covered 192 yards on 25 carries but Cable was quick to note that one of those 25 carries was Shaw's 71-yard burst that went for the offense's only score.
"Offensively, I don't see the leadership that I see on defense," Cable said. "I really think that's the difference in our football team right now.
"We had way too many turnovers. That was the difference in the scrimmage."
Lindgren and sophomore Michael Harrington split duties at quarterback. Lindgren completed 14 of his 29 attempts for 169 yards but was intercepted four times, while Harrington was good on 10 of 21 for 92 yards and one touchdown. Between them, they mixed passes to 12 receivers and they had a handful of drops.
"There's not a high enough level of efficiency," Cable said. "The consistency hasn't come yet.
"My biggest issues now are leadership on offense and the turnovers."
The Vandals continue with their Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday-Saturday drills this week before concluding spring practice with the following week with the culmination being the April 25 Silver and Gold game.
