Idaho Vandals Football

Idaho wide receiver Collin Sather died Tuesday morning after being diagnosed with cancer in January.

He was 19. 

"Collin was a tremendous young man and a great teammate," head coach Paul Petrino said. "It is a testament to him to see how many of our players cared so deeply about him and how many lives he touched in the Vandal Family in such a short time. We challenge our players to be tough and always choose character. Nobody did a better job of that than Collin. My time with him made me a better person and I know his teammates feel the same way."

Sather, a redshirt freshman, was diagnosed with advanced kidney cancer in January after suffering stomach pains. He underwent chemotherapy and dialysis, but the cancer spread to his neck and lungs. 

"On behalf of the Vandal Family, our deepest condolences go out to Collin's family and loved ones," said Interim Director of Athletics Pete Isakson. "Collin made a profound impact on the lives of those he touched throughout our department and across the campus community. The loss of a 19-year-old is difficult to comprehend and we are here for anybody who needs help during this challenging time."

Sather was a multi-sport athlete in high school before joining the Idaho football program, where he redshirted in 2018. 

A GoFundMe for Sather's family has reached more than $18,000.

The University of Idaho Vandals needed some help in this recruiting class. Their program has gone 2-22 over the last two seasons, and last year signed only one player who even had a recruiting ranking (2-star guard Nick Edenfield).

Head coach Paul Petrino was able to do a little better with high school recruits this year, getting athlete Michael Garner, running back Aaron Duckworth and offensive lineman Jordan Rose—all with a 3-star ranking—to sign with the Vandals fresh out of high school.

The rest of Idaho's class, however, may be the most unorthodox in the entire country.

Hurting for capable players, Petrino took an unprecedented dip into the junior college ranks, signing an astounding 17 junior college recruits!

While most programs sign a couple of junior college recruits each year in order to help fill an area or two of weakness, Idaho showed that it is in desperate straights and needs all the help it can get immediately.

A couple of the JUCO recruits were highly rated prospects who Idaho did very well to get. Alfonso Hamption, a 4-star defensive tackle, is easily the highest-rated recruit the program has ever gotten. Kenny Torrence, a 3-star wide receiver, turned down bowl teams Fresno State, Kansas State and Washington State in order to sign with the Vandals.

The other 15 JUCO signees were all unrated, however, showing that Petrino is in desperate need of players who can take the field right away for the Vandals this season. While most high school recruits take at least a couple of seasons to get acclimated to college ball and are then able to make an impact, JUCO players come in much closer to the level of play required for a team at the top tier of NCAA football.

Idaho's JUCO recruits come from all over the board—basically every position but quarterback was represented by the Vandals' JUCO signees. What this tells us is that Petrino doesn't believe that the roster he inherited when he was hired before last season has much depth. Instead, he believes he needs a whole lot of instant help.

While his methods were unorthodox, what Petrino did with this year's recruiting class was actually quite smart. The Vandals are one of the worst programs currently at the FBS level of college football. They are moving into their new football home in the Sun Belt Conference this season—pressure is high and patience is low.

Petrino doesn't have the luxury of waiting a few years for his players to develop. He needs major positive results in the next year or two. JUCO players give him the best chance at achieving that, given that a school like Idaho doesn't really have the ability to get many players who are ready to make an impact fresh out of high school.

Idaho signing 17 junior college players may be eye-catching, but it gives head coach Paul Petrino the best chance at making the positive strides forward quickly that he needs in order to keep his job.

The FBS level of college football is home to seven programs who played as independents this season. Four of them (Notre Dame, BYU, Navy and Army) have made the conscious decision to forgo conference affiliations while another (Old Dominion) must play as an independent as they reclassify from the FCS level.

The remaining two independents (Idaho and New Mexico State) were forced into this situation when the WAC disbanded and they were not immediately picked up by any other conferences. Although they will join the Sun Belt Conference next year as football-only members, the Vandals and Aggies have had to spend this season as the most outcast teams in the FBS.

With the odds already stacked against them, both teams have predictably struggled.  Each comes into their final game of the season with only one win apiece. Idaho defeated Temple while New Mexico State defeated FCS team Abilene Christian.

For the final game of the season, the teams are finally on equal footing with their opponent, as they play each other. So let's take a look at a game that actually means quite a bit to the two most downtrodden teams in the FBS.

When: Saturday, Nov. 30, 3:30 PM ET

Where: Aggie Memorial Stadium; Las Cruces, NM

Major Storylines For The Game

Will it be the offenses or the defenses that step up?

Both teams have struggled on both sides of the ball. NMSU is 108th in the country in points scored while Idaho is 116th.  On defense, the Aggies are 125th in the nation in points allowed while the Vandals are 126th.

Obviously something has to give.  Either the offenses will spring to life, or the defenses will finally crack down. Each unit has its chance to finally shine for their respective teams this season.  Who will seize that opportunity?

Will Idaho use multiple quarterbacks?

The Vandals thought they had their QB of the future in redshirt freshman Chad Chalich, a dual-threat from nearby Couer d'Alene. Halfway through the season, Chalich was the most effective offensive threat the team had, as he accounted for over 1,400 yards passing and rushing combined and had a gritty performance in the team's lone win.

Unfortunately for Idaho, Chalich went down in the beginning of the Arkansas State game and was lost for the season with a shoulder injury. Senior Taylor Davis has stepped in for Chalich and done an admirable job, accounting for 10 touchdowns in five games.  However, he has also been turnover-prone and in last week's blowout loss to Florida State, junior Joshua McCain came in and had a more efficient performance than Davis against the Seminoles.

Will McCain figure into Idaho's strategy more this week than usual as a result?

Can the Aggies limit the turnovers on offense?

New Mexico State's offense isn't as anemic as their points-scored ranking would indicate. They are actually 50th in the country in passing yards per game. Unfortunately, senior QB Andrew McDonald has thrown 10 interceptions to go with his 13 touchdowns, causing the Aggies to be kept out of the end zone more often than they should be. If McDonald can limit the turnovers, the Aggies have a very good chance to overpower the Vandals.

Key Players To Watch For Idaho

Dezmon Epps, junior wide receiver

Regardless of who has been throwing him the ball, Epps has been a matchup nightmare.  On an otherwise listless team, Epps has been a true standout. While the 5'10", 170-pound receiver may not be very large, he certainly plays big. Epps has hauled in 73 receptions for 937 yards and four touchdowns, while also figuring into the kick return and punt return game heavily.  He has a chance to break 1,000 yards receiving for the season against NMSU, and having a player accomplish that feat would be a minor victory for an Idaho team that has had an otherwise unimpressive season.

QuayShawne Buckley, senior defensive tackle

While the Vandals may have struggled to stop opposing offenses overall, QuayShawne Buckley cannot be pointed to as one of the reasons for those defensive woes.  The senior from California has had the type of production that most teams can only dream about getting from the middle of their d-line. On the season, Buckley had 39 total tackles, 14 tackles for loss, five sacks and a forced fumble. If formidable teams such as Ole Miss and Florida State weren't able to neutralize Buckley, how can New Mexico State be expected to? Make no mistake about it, Buckley has a real shot at making it to the NFL, and that type of talent is rare for these teams.

Key Players to Watch For New Mexico State

Austin Franklin, junior wide receiver

Last season, Franklin shocked the nation by totaling 1,245 receiving yards and nine touchdowns on a one-win NMSU team. He has not been able to match those numbers this season due to an academic eligibility issue that sidelined him for most of the first half of the season. In just half a season though, Franklin has already hauled in 46 passes for 606 yards and five touchdowns. Franklin is easily the most dynamic player on the roster of either of these teams, and could have a huge effect in the final game of the season.

Davis Cazares, senior free safety

After racking up over 100 total tackles for the Aggies last year, Cazares picked up right where he left off. His 98 total tackles so far this season lead the team, and he has added two interceptions and a forced fumble to go with those impressive tackle numbers. The former walk-on is one of the top ball-hawking safeties in the country, even if he doesn't get the credit that his performances deserve.

Prediction: New Mexico State 35- Idaho 24

While Idaho has a few standouts, New Mexico just has more dynamic playmakers on their roster.  Look for Idaho to hang tough for a while, but just not be able to stay with the Aggies.

The Idaho Vandals Football Head Coach position is not the most desirable job in college football right now. The team has struggled mightily since joining the top level of college football in 1996, making just two bowl games and compiling a dismal .335 winning percentage.  Previous coach Robb Akey was fired during the season after managing just a 20-50 record over six seasons.

To make matters worse, Idaho's conference (the WAC) is no longer sponsoring football after this season, and no FBS conference showed interest in having the Vandals join.  Thus, they will be forced to play as an independent out of necessity (unlike Army, BYU, Navy, and Notre Dame, who are independents out of choice).

The program's future as an FBS team is uncertain, as they may be forced to drop down to the FCS level and rejoin the Big Sky Conference if things don't start looking up. The team doesn't exactly enjoy great fan support either, averaging just 12,581 fans in attendance per home game this season.

If Idaho wants to remain a viable FBS-level program, they needed to make a big hire to fill their vacant head coach position.  The school did just that hiring University of Arkansas offensive coordinator Paul Petrino on Monday.

This is not Petrino's first time coaching in Moscow as he was an assistant with the Vandals from 1992-1994 when the team was a Division I-AA power.  This time, Idaho is relying on him to turn the program's fortunes around and save them from having to drop back down to the FCS level.

Petrino's expertise is offense, something the Vandals have been severely lacking lately. Idaho averaged only 15.8 points per game this season, ranking them second to last at the FBS level in that category. Their running game was ranked 120th, while their passing game was ranked 68th.

The hiring of Petrino is the smartest decision Idaho could have made.  Before becoming Arkansas' offensive coordinator, Petrino was the OC for Louisville and then Illinois. They brought in a coach who is familiar with programs, has a history of success and knows how to put an exciting offense on the field.

For the first time in years, there is reason for hope in Moscow.

Exciting offenses make fans want to come to the games and inspire hope.  A team's defense has no shot if their offense is completely futile.  The Vandals defense was just as atrocious as their offense this season, ranking 122nd in the country in points allowed.  There's nowhere for the defense to go but up, so hiring a proven offensive mind won't hurt the team there.

Petrino's hiring was also wise for recruiting purposes.  The Vandals tend to usually only get players who had few or no other FBS offers.  With the prospect of a powerful offense, Idaho should be able to attract more mid-level recruits who want the chance to shine.

The Idaho Vandals football program finds itself at a pivotal moment in its history. They must do something to change the culture of losing or be forced to accept being relegated to a lower level, forever abandoning their dreams of being successful in the top division of college football. 

They took a major step in the right direction with the hiring of Paul Petrino as head coach.

The signs were all there, but the WAC tried to pull through.  In the end, there was nothing that could be done, and it looks like this conference is heading the way of the dodo. 

With the loss of their flagship program Boise State last year, people started ignoring the conference.  Quick, off the top of your head, who won the conference last season?  If you didn't remember, it was Louisiana Tech. 

This coming season Hawaii, Fresno State and Nevada will leave the conference and join the Mountain West.  Knowing this move was coming, the WAC signed Texas State and Texas San Antonio—or so they thought. 

According to the Associated Press, Texas State will join the Sun Belt instead, while a USA Today reports says Texas San Antonio will be in Conference USA.  It also appears, according to ESPN, Louisiana Tech could be joining Conference USA  to replace teams that they lost to the Big East. 

ESPN is also reporting now that San Jose State and Utah State will join the Mountain West in the 2013 season.

If you aren’t keeping score this leaves the WAC with all of two football teams, Idaho and New Mexico State. 

It doesn’t appear that the Mountain West or Conference USA will be making an offer to either of these schools to join.  So what happens to them? Do they go independent? Do they try to get more teams in the conference? Find other conferences?

It is unlikely they will go independent.  It is a difficult thing to do and maintain success.  The current schools that are independent are all in a special place. I don’t think Idaho or New Mexico State can pull it off for very long.  They may be able do it for a short time though.  

Finding teams to join the WAC is easier said than done.  In their last round of trying to bolster their ranks, they turned to a couple of teams from the FCS level that were barely established and would have no real impact on the face of college football. 

There is also the fact that a conference can’t simply call a school and invite them up.  They must meet certain qualifications to be eligible for this level.  Even established schools like Montana and Montana State said thanks but no thanks to the invite last season. 

Finding another conference could go one of two ways. They can find new conferences at the FBS level or move down a notch to the FCS level. 

Neither school would want to move down, but in the long run, this could increase their success and, in turn, increase money.  But would going down to what many consider the minor leagues be worth it? Would many people even notice?

New conferences at the FBS level are probably more likely for New Mexico State than Idaho.  There are talks of UTEP leaving Conference USA for the Mountain West so that could open a spot there.  It is also possible that the Sun Belt could look to go to a 12 team conference with East and West and New Mexico State would be a possible choice to pick up to hit that 12 team mark. 

Idaho on the other hand doesn’t really have any options.  The WAC is dying, the Mountain West isn’t interested and they are located far away from the MAC, Conference USA or the Sun Belt (even though they were once briefly part of this conference).

With the talks of a possible playoff coming and the discontinuing of auto qualifying conferences, it makes no sense to me for San Diego State or Boise State to continue with the Big East. 

I could see the emergence of a couple of new conferences which will pretty much just look like a reshuffling of the old WAC and Mountain West conferences. 

If Idaho can go independent for a couple of seasons and survive, they could be partnered back up with some of these teams to align into a new conference. 

It's difficult to find positives in a blowout loss, especially when the loss drops your team's overall record to 2-8.  However, Idaho Vandals coach Robb Akey had to be pleased with at least one part of his team's performance in their 42-7 loss against BYU.

The Idaho running backs performed quite well, especially against a tough defense that almost completely negated the team's passing game.

Princeton McCarty and Kama Bailey combined for 161 yards on 25 carries and one touchdown.  Not too shabby, considering that Vandals quarterbacks Brian Reader and Taylor Davis combined for 50 yards on 11 of 21 passing and had two interceptions and no touchdowns.

While the Vandals' QB's were downright terrible, their running backs certainly upheld their end of the deal.  In all honesty, they were pretty much the only unit on the team that had any sort of success (excluding punter Bobby Cowan, who punted seven times for an average of 46.6 yards).

When a team is dominated as badly as the Vandals were, it usually means the whole team was overmatched.  This makes the efforts of McCarty and Bailey all the more impressive, since they managed to rise up to the level of competition and play at a level that was difficult for BYU's defense to contain.

The Vandals' offensive line had trouble protecting their quarterbacks and was generally overmatched by the Cougars' defensive line and linebackers.  However, the Vandal running backs were able to fare just fine behind that same shaky offensive line, making extra cuts in order to create the running space for themselves that their offensive line had failed to open up.

Idaho's passing game was so ineffective that the Cougars were able to stay in run-defense packages most of the game.  Yet McCarty and Bailey still found ways to get the yards, even though the defense was focused on stopping them.

For an idea of how reliable the Idaho running backs were in this game, it is useful to take a look at the Vandals' lone score.  Trailing by 42 points late in the third quarter and facing third and long from their own 18, the Vandals chose to hand off the ball to McCarty, who then sped to the outside and outran the entire BYU defense for an 82-yard touchdown run, without much help from blockers. 

That pretty much sums up the entire game: The Idaho running backs tried to put the team on their backs, but there was just too much dead weight to allow them to carry the team to victory.

Meet Joe Vandal

Joe became the mascot of Idaho back in 1918 when the editor of the school paper started referring to the football team as “vandals.” The nickname stuck and Joe Vandal has been a part of the program ever since.

Joe Vandal’s Experience

When you’re named after players who were so tough and intimidating they were nicknamed Vandals, you know you’ve seen some players who got the job done on the field. You don’t need championships to know great talent, and Joe Vandal proves that.

Joe Vandal’s Leadership Abilities

Vandals are ruthless fighters, and Joe Vandal will fight with everything that he has until the very end. With that determination comes a lack of fear that is unmatched. Vandals went toe-to-toe with the Roman Empire. After that, Boise State is just a cakewalk.

What Distinguishes Joe Vandal from the Rest? 

While Vandals are some of the toughest people around, Joe Vandal is still a down-to-Earth guy. Some mascots like to walk around like they’re above everyone else, but not Joe Vandal.

You’ll always see him with a smile on his face as he walks through the crowd—he’s as relatable as your Average Joe, but has the intensity and charisma of a true leader.

Joe Vandal’s Campaign Promises

Joe promises to never lose the intensity and fighting spirit that made him such a part of Idaho’s culture. There’s a reason that other Idaho school has blue turf—it’s because they’re scared of Joe Vandal and think that if they blend in, Joe Vandal will back down. Think again. 

Joe Vandal: Unrelenting determination since 1918