MOSCOW, Idaho - Improvement continues as fall camp winds down for the University of Idaho Vandals. How much improvement, exactly, coach Dennis Erickson won't know until the Vandals take on Michigan State in their opener Sept. 2.
"We're an improved football team," Erickson said after the final scrimmage before Idaho travels to East Lansing. "We've improved all the way through fall camp. Now you're to a point '?Where are you?' You won't know until you play. Obviously, we have a tough opponent. Regardless, we'll find out where we we're at."
"I like the improvement we've made. Our guys have done all we've asked."
Thursday's scrimmage featured a little bit of everything for the smattering of fans at the SprinTurf practice field. The quarterbacks combined for 333 yards through the air on a collective 31-of-51 effort. The long pass was a 50-yarder from true freshman Nathan Enderle to another true freshman, Cary Jensen-Madison. Senior starter Steve Wichman led the way with a 10-of-17 effort that netted 108 yards.
Three receivers, sophomore Wes Williams, junior college transfer Tariq Ikharo and redshirt freshman tight end Peter Bjorik, had four catches each.
Sophomore Jayson Bird led the rushing game and started off the scrimmage on a good note for the offense and a disappointing one for the defense when he burst through the line and wound his way through the secondary for 65-yard run. He totaled 72 yards on five totes.
"We can't give up a big run like that," Erickson said. "That's huge. That's mental. Being in the right gaps; all the things that are necessary."
The offensive errors, too, were more mental than physical. The line was whistled for false starts six times, two in one drive that thwarted a scoring opportunity.
"I was really disappointed offensively in the one series that we had two offside penalties," Erickson said. "We're not a good enough football team to make mental mistakes like that. We just can't do it. That was kind glaring."
The battle between kickers Matt Gregg and Tino Amancio continues. Gregg was two-for-two (34 and 44 yards), while Amancio was two-for-three (good on 42 and 37 yarders with a miss at 42).
