Vandals lose 24-10 to #8 USC... That's it?!?
August 27, 2011
Game Report Posted: December 16, 2008 17:47
Idaho hosted #8 USC in a "paycheck" game this Saturday and didn't play that bad for being 30 point underdogs. Over 10,000 people in the Kibbie Dome and national TV audience were able to witness Idaho come out of the first half on top of the Trojans.
"We controlled the clock and actually stopped them a couple of times on D. The fast guys we recruited are starting to figure out what they're suppossed to be doing and I think the payoff is gonna be huge. We're a young, fast team, and I think we've got a pretty good chance at moving up some in the WAC," Coach Guru said after the game.
Arizona transfer Nick Foles saw his first action as a Vandal after being forced to sit last season due to NCAA transfer regulations.
"He's got an absolute cannon. We've got an opportunity to be a lot more dynamic this season with him leading us, this offense can be a lot different with a dynamic arm like Nick has."
Coach Guru said he was pleased with Nick, and the team's, performance overall, but mentioned that he'd like to pick up the pace and the efficiency next week versus rival Washington State.
"Hey, we hate those guys, they're less than eight miles away and we want to keep the territory we picked up last year in beating them."
Overall, the 24-10 loss won't hurt the feelings of most Idaho fans, but a loss next week to the Cougars certainly won't blow over as easily.
Next opponent: vs. Washington State
OUCH! Cougers defeat Vandals 49-46
Game Report Posted: December 17, 2008 23:54
This one hurt. Bad.
"You know, I've been going through this thing with the attitude that pretty much any loss is OK... I'll shake off losses and really build this thing up slowly; that's the ultimate goal... But this one hurts more than any loss we've had going through this thing."
One of the reasons it hurt so bad for the Vandals was that the #1 recruit in the nation was rumored to be onhand.
"Yeah, we had the #1 recruit in the nation visiting and he had us at #2 on his list behind Boise State. This kid is one hell of a player, easily the most talented the state of Idaho has had to offer for a long, long time."
This followed the same pattern as many of the losses the Vandals have experienced throughout this dynasty: they were in control and keeping the game managable early, blew up for awhile and couldn't get a stop, then mounted a comeback that came up just a bit short.
"I don't know about this, we're 0-2 now and we have some games to win, we're certainly not ahead of the season's chains so to speak. We really need to keep our 3-star prestige and try to move up to #3 or 4 in the conference by the end of this year."
I guess Vandal nation (or rather, Vandal Village) will have just have to wait and see what happens against Hawaii next weekend. The Vandals have yet to beat Hawaii during this dynasty, but they do have a slighter more talented team than this year's Warriors and get to host the high-flying hula boys in the Kibbie Dome...
Vandals top Warriors for first time under Guru 35-31
October 9, 2011
Game Report Posted: December 18, 2008 20:24
A game full of fireworks ended when Idaho CB Andy Floyd (sophomore) picked off a Hawaii pass with a little over 30 seconds left in the game.
"Oh it was one hell of a game, we needed to get this one big time. If nothing else for the sake of our kids' confidence, we need to feel like we can beat anybody, and we finally beat Hawaii today."
Coach Guru's fiery leadership could be sidelines throughout the entirety of the game, with plenty of instances that showcased some great restraint to resist smashing his headset (read: controller) into the ground.
"It was one of those games we really should have dominated, but couldn't close out. Hawaii kept fighting back."
In fact, it was the Vandals who needed to fight back in the end, trailing 31-28 with a little over two minutes to go.
"I told Nick (Foles) that this was gonna be his moment, this was gonna be the beginning of what would define his college career. This is the beginning of our run, now go do it. And you all saw what happened, our kids made plays. I couldn't be more proud of those kids."
Nick Foles and the Vandal offense took the field at their own 19 and began to work their way towards the endzone with short, controlled passes until Foles hit star fullback Dwayne Dodds streaking down the sideline for the 61 yard go-ahead touchdown.
There was only one problem: that left Hawaii 1:07 to make their own comeback story.
Hawaii robo-QB'd their way to the Vandal 34 until sophomore CB Andy Floyd shut down the Warriors for good.
"I made a decision to have Andy in there over another corner who was slightly more athletic because of his football IQ. He proved me right today. In the end it's a great game, but there's a lot of football left to play this year and we've got to get ready to beat Utah State."
Vandals win one they should, defeating USU 56-35
Game Report Posted: December 18, 2008 20:28
Nothing to see here, the Vandals controlled a game they should have against one of the worst programs in the FCS.
"It's a good win, and one we needed to have if we're gonna make a run at the WAC this year, but it's nothing to get excited about."
Coach Guru may be looking ahead to the Vandal's inaugural meeting with #24 Utah of the Mountain West next week.
"It should be interesting, it'd be nice to get a win against a top 25 team on regional television."
Vandals defeat Utes 48-21
Game Report Posted: December 19, 2008 23:16
The Idaho Vandals defeated #24 Utah in a game that was really never even close. The Utes were quite overrated (75 OVR) for being ranked so high in the preseason polls, and the Vandals showed the country that the Utes did not belong in such lofty company.
The Vandals, led by quarterback Nick Foles in a slightly more spread out system, marched the ball up and down the field at will against a Utah defense that just couldn't seem to keep up.
"After our first two games, I started thinking about switching from Air Force's playbook (which has Ace, I, two flexbone formations, and some good shotgun formations) to something with a similar style that had at least one 5 WR formation."
The Vandals coaching staff settled on the Maryland playbook, where virtually the only change in system would be removing the flexbone and some of the other option plays and adding a few more elements of a spread passing attack.
"It just makes sense with our personnel this year: Nick has a great arm, with pretty good accuracy. Our running backs aren't quite as talented as they have been in the past, and our receiving corps is full of young, talented athletes that need to see the field. We had been tooling with it practice since the preseason, just never changed the actual playbook until this game."
We'll see if the results can carry over into next week, when the Vandals will get a chance to take on another team Coach Guru has never beaten: Nevada.
"They don't have the talent they normally do, and we've got some pretty good athletes with us right now.. To be honest, I think we've got a great chance to hit 'em in the mouth for all the hell they've given us for the past three seasons.
Idaho crushes conference foe Nevada 33-7
January 11, 0010
Game Report Posted: December 20, 2008 00:25
"Take that, bastards.."
Coach Guru held no hard feelings for the Nevada Wolf Pack after Saturday's "ass kickin'" in Reno.
"They've kicked our asses for three years, with at least two of those teams that we should've been in tight games with.. Somehow those guys always had our number, but not this year. No sir."
For the first time in this dynasty, Nevada's ratings have dropped into the 'D' range, with D+ OVR and DEF grades.
"We shouldn't lose to a team that's down like that, but it was Nevada, and we were ready to play."
The Vandals have now knocked off the only two conference teams they had never beaten under Coach Guru's guidance, conceivably leaving a wide open window to #3 or even #2 in the conference, with seemingly everyone but Boise State struggling to keep their pace.
"I'm anxious to play the Fresno State game, they're just as down as everybody else and we've got our best team in three years ready to go out there and give 'em hell."
Fresno's ratings are only in the low to mid 70's, giving the Vandals a legitimate chance to play for the conference title on the blue turf November 12.
One game at a time Vandals, one game at a time.
Vandals keep winning streak alive, defeat Fresno State 27-21
Game Report Posted: December 20, 2008 06:27
The Idaho Vandals must be butter. They truly are on a roll.
Not-that-funny jokes aside, the Vandals had another big win for their football program Saturday night against the Bulldogs of Fresno State.
The Vandals beat the Bulldogs 27-21 for their third win on television this season. Coach Guru hopes that it's wins like these that will pay off on the recruiting trail later on.
"Hey, if our kids keep winning games like this, someone's gonna see it and wanna be a part of it, right?"
Vandal fans certainly hope so.
The Vandals, led by Arizona transfer Nick Foles at quarterback, increased their impressive winning streak to five games with the victory over Fresno State. Says Foles on the streak:
"Aww shucks, guys, you know my lineman have been blocking really well and my receivers are making some great plays, you know. All I gotta do is take care of the football like Coach says."
Foles might be an "aww shucks" kind of personality off the field, but he's shown that quite the gunslinger on it. The senior from Austin Westlake in Texas completed 28 of his 36 pass attempts for 281 yards, t2 touchdowns, and, most importantly, no interceptions.
Most quarterbacks would be excited about the performance, but this marked the first game in which Foles did not throw for over 300 yards in four weeks.
"Nick played his best game to date tonight. He didn't throw a pick or take a sack, and that's saying something for a kid with two left feet and 56 speed. If our kids keep playing this way we'll be fighting Boise State for the conference title in about three weeks. The thing is, that game won't matter if we don't take care of New Mexico State and Louisiana Tech first."
Vandals barely scrape by NMSU 23-22
Game Report Posted: December 20, 2008 18:16
The Vandals had no qualms about traveling down south to play the New Mexico State Aggies. Sure, they had a 4-2 record and had been playing at a decent level all year, but they came in with grades from national scouts that included a 58 OVR, 63 OFF, and 58 DEF... not exactly the most talented bunch...
What the Vandals found in Las Cruces that day was a near upset, and one hell of a football game. It was a true defensive battle (yes, I just said the word defense in a game report for NCAA 2009), and although the teams were moving the ball fairly well, neither offense could seem to get into a rythm to put the other team away.
"It was a long day out there, and it was a tough trip for our guys. But, you know, good teams find a way to win on the road, and we fought to the very end for this one."
Coach Guru has been pleased with the "scrappiness" of his Vandals all season.
"The kids just never quit, it's really fun to be a part of out there. Heck, we've got a chance to have a great year for Idaho football, let's just hope we finish out the year just as strong as we are now."
It wasn't clear until the final seconds of the game that Idaho would be able to keep their undefeated conference record this season. The lead changed hands three times in the fourth quarter, with Idaho stealing away the game on a one yard touchdown by fullback Dwayne Dodds with 8 seconds left on the clock.
"Dwayne and the other guys came through like they have all year, and that last drive was pretty special. Nick and the receivers made some big plays to get us down there, and then the offensive line took over and wasn't gonna let us lose. Like I said, I'm really proud of our players after a win like this. They showed that Idaho football isn't gonna roll over anymore, we've got a lot of fight in this team."
Hail Mary pass on last play of the game pushes Vandals past Bulldogs 35-31
May 11, 0011
Game Report Posted: December 20, 2008 21:54
The Vandals will be seen on ESPN tonight. In fact, they will probably be seen on ESPN multiple times, probably in competition for the Pontiac Game-Changing Performance of the Year.
The Vandals got the ball back from the Bulldogs with only 19 seconds left on the clock following what would have been the game winning touchdown by LTU... The game stood at 31-28 in favor of LTU.
"I didn't think we'd be able to make it happen, all I was thinking about was getting close enough to get ourselve's a shot at a field goal to tie it up, Coach Guru said after the game. "Our WR Zach White made a nice play on the first play of the drive to get us to their 45, but it was still too far for a field goal."
The Vandals took a timeout with only one second remaining on the game clock and what happened next will forever be known as the Moscow Miracle.
QB Nick Foles looked to his right first (exactly what his coach told him not to do) pump faked once, spun around a defender and took of to the left side before letting a beauty of a pass fly towards a group of Idaho receivers.
It was Dewey Hale who cut in front of an LTU defender to secure the catch, but he still had 6 yards of ground to cover, he broke what would have been the game-ending tackle and made it into the endzone in one of the most improbable plays Coach Guru had ever been a part of.
"The funny thing is that I thought about cheating, but I decided it would probably be best to be straightforward about it and see what we could do with our last play, taking our loss if we had to. We had a lot of recruits visiting, too, you know, there was a lot of pressure. It was truly an amazing feeling to be able to pull off the win in a legitimate fashion that way. It was a special NCAA experience, it truly was."
The Vandals will need more than magic when they travel to Boise next week to take on their rivals Boise State... Who just so happen to be the #5 ranked team in the country.
Good luck Vandals, you're gonna need it.
Broncos take Vandals 45-28 in do-over
December 11, 0011
Game Report Posted: December 21, 2008 05:14
It's OK, the Vandals lost the first time, too.
The Idaho Vandals lost to the Boise State Broncos with 18 Load at the sticks 24-17, but a game freeze would keep the results from being saved. Upon a stroke of genius, Mr. Load decided to sim the game to get the loss and that's how the stats you see here have come to pass.
"There's always next year.. We played them and we lost; I don't think we deserve another shot at them just because of a freeze, I couldn't bring myself to beat them at this point even if we did have the ability."
Live and learn (and don't leave the Xbox on too long), the Vandals have lowly San Jose State next, followed by UTEP to finish out the 2011 regular season. GO VANDALS!
Vandals cut one a bit close, beat SJSU 42-35
Game Report Posted: December 22, 2008 05:43
This one wasn't quite as close as the scoreboard indicated.
"We dominated this team offensively, we absolutely took it to 'em in the trenches, I loved it," Idaho head coach Aima Guru would say after the game.
Defensively, however, the performance wasn't as promising.
"I really can't wait until our guys are able to play zone coverage, rush the passer, you know, actually play defense. That'd be great..."
The Vandals, who have already secured bowl eligibility and the #2 spot in the WAC, really don't seem to have much to play for.
"Aw, hell, I guess you could say we're in contention for a Top 25 spot if we get to 10 wins, you know, win our bowl game and stuff, but I don't know. To be honest, if nothing else we're playing for a pay raise for our coaches!"
Money can be a great motivator, just ask the #1 recruit in the nation, Cornelius Duncan, who verbally committed to Idaho after the victory.
"If he keeps his commitment, he'll make our recruiting class successful all on his own."
Duncan can't suit up yet, and the Vandals travel to El Paso to face UTEP next week in hopes of getting their 9th victory of the season.
GO VANDALS!
Vandals close out regular season with 36-9 victory in El Paso
Game Report Posted: December 22, 2008 05:50
After playing the team that is now ranked #2 in the country (and BCS) in Boise State, UTEP just seemed easy.
Perhaps it was the blue and orange that got the Vandals fired up for today's game against UTEP, maybe it was the heat, maybe it was Coach Aima promising strippers on the flight home, but something had the Vandals fired up to play the Miners of UTEP.
"The offensive line has been playing amazing football for the past two weeks, they took over today. They had no chance at stopping our running game."
It can't hurt that the Miners went a horrible 3-16 on third down conversions.
"Our defense actually got off the plane today. Let's just hope they do that in the bowl game and we'll have ourselves a 10-win season."
Vandal seniors go out on high note, crushing ECU 52-10
Game Report Posted: December 22, 2008 07:09
The Idaho Vandals have offically won 10 games this season.
It didn't take long for the Vandals to assert their authority on 6-6 ECU, who came into the game with the lowest overall rating for a bowl team with C- (62 OVR). The Vandal defense provided a three-and-out and the Idaho offense responded with a quick touchdown pass from Nick Foles to Matt Jackson.
"I couldn't be more proud of this team, we showed a lot of moxie and gained a lot of momentum for our program in the last three games.. I bet there weren't a lot of people who thought we'd have a 10-win type of season, especially after starting out 0-2."
The Vandals took advantage of what seemed to be a down year for almost every opponent they faced, and for the first time in Coach Guru's tenure were actually the most talented team on the field (or very close to it) in most of the games this season.
As far as the Hawaii Bowl is concerned, the offensive line was downright destructive once again, an advantage that Coach Guru has chalked up to recruiting.
"We make offensive linemen a priority each offseason and try to get ourselves some big, powerful players that can learn to be great with experience. But to be honest, I think we're having so much success because of the lack of athletes available for our opponents to recruit in the trenches: all the big-time linemen seem to go to big-time schools, and there aren't nearly as many sleeper players to go around for the smaller guys."
The Vandals have had recruiting classes in the top end of the WAC each offseason, something that should continue to improve with their program's budding prestige.
"If nothing else I'm hoping this gets us a payraise and some more pub for the program. Idaho football is on the rise, heck, just as ECU."