[Vision2020] This is One Series Worth Reruns

Sun Sep 16 12:21:16 PDT 2007

Too bad the rivalry's being put to bed just when the Idaho Vandals are 
turning the corner.  Good game last night, especially considering a freshman 
quarterback, freshman running back, 19 players given the boot by Robb Akey.  
This is going to be a good football team, and sooner than a lot of people 
expected.   Carl Westberg Jr.

>From: "Tom Hansen" <thansen at moscow.com>
>To: "Moscow Vision 2020" <vision2020 at moscow.com>,        "Idaho Vandals" 
><vandal at uidaho.edu>
>Subject: [Vision2020] This is One Series Worth Reruns
>Date: Sun, 16 Sep 2007 07:11:41 -0700
>
> >From today's (September 16, 2007) Spokesman Review -
>
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
>
>This is One Series Worth Reruns
>
>John Blanchette
>The Spokesman-Review
>
>http://tinyurl.com/2orosl
>Idaho wide receiver Max Komar, left, hauls in a touchdown pass in the first
>half against the defense of WSU's Alfonso Jackson. The Spokesman-Review
>(Photo Courtesy: Christopher Anderson The Spokesman-Review )
>
>PULLMAN - Yes, please, let's end this series now.
>
>If Washington State and Idaho can't summon up a better amusement than the
>one staged here Saturday night, then surely mothballs are preferable to
>football.
>
>Imagine - not even 450 yards of offense and barely 50 points between the 
>two
>teams in the first half. Incompletions reversed upon review into 
>touchdowns.
>A dewy-behind-the-ears freshman quarterback matching a heralded senior TD
>pass for TD pass.
>
>Yes, such a drear fest must surely die.
>
>And no one cares. Only 32,064 turned out at Martin Stadium with the game
>available on any TV set in the Palouse, and the guess here is the main
>attraction was a chance to flush the new toilets.
>
>Why, the last time the Cougars drew such a paltry audience - OK, a more
>paltry audience - they were playing the 10th-ranked team in the country.
>
>On homecoming.
>
>While we're at it, let's cancel that, too.
>
>And Idaho has obviously thrown in the towel on the whole concept. Having
>lost the previous six meetings with Wazzu by an average score of 42-11, 
>they
>were toast here after falling behind by 17 points. Deonte Jackson running
>over people and Max Komar pulling passes down from Pluto after that point,
>well, that must have just been muscle memory.
>
>Please, put such an unsightly display out of our misery.
>
>And the halftime show. Would you believe sousaphone players in skirts
>assembling a human pyramid?
>
>OK, maybe we can do without sousaphone players in skirts. Actually, no
>maybes about it.
>
>But as for the rest of it, sarcasm aside, let's do it again.
>
>Real soon.
>
>"I would love to play them for the rest of my career here," Jackson said
>with conviction. "I would."
>
>Seconded. Especially if the alternative on the Cougar schedule is Portland
>State. Which it is, come 2008.
>
>Perhaps the final accounting - WSU 45, Idaho 28 - doesn't properly reflect
>how competitive this exercise was, but it was also about right, the Vegas
>wiseguys be damned. The Vandals wouldn't have taken any consolation in
>losing by a last-second field goal, either, but they deserved more than to
>have this masquerade as a blowout.
>
>Even new Idaho coach Robb Akey - Bill Doba's former defensive lieutenant at
>Wazzu - suddenly seemed a little wistful about the series going on hiatus.
>
>"We have to live with this for a while until we can get them back on (the
>schedule)," he said. "Obviously I'd like to have another shot at it."
>
>The Vandals held serve this night until WSU's Devin Giles made a splendid
>interception and the Cougars got a field goal out of it late in the second
>quarter, and even after twice seeing the deficit grow to 17 points this was
>always a game.
>
>There were lots of ways to measure that. One was heard in the press box,
>with the fourth quarter maybe a minute old, the score 38-28 and the Vandals
>looking at a long third down from midfield.
>
>"This probably qualifies as a big play," somebody said.
>
>And what do you know? Somebody made one. Two somebodies, in fact. Idaho
>quarterback Nathan Enderle put the ball right in the hands of Rolly 
>Lumbala,
>but it slithered through and Wazzu's Chima Nwachukwu glommed on to it for
>his first career interception.
>
>That signaled an end to the drama, but not a surrender.
>
>Perhaps that's a hint that Akey has already had a measurable impact in both
>the approach and outlook at Idaho - and, along with the ex-WSU aides now in
>his employ, goosed the temperature of this game a bit.
>
>"Just knowing they were going to be on the sidelines added a little more to
>the game," said WSU safety Husain Abdullah. "As much as we love those guys
>and miss them, for four hours or however long the game is, they're going to
>be after us. We've got to make sure we're on the top of our game."
>
>Over the years, harvesting verities from the Cougars' "play-down" game and
>applying them as predictors pretty much has been folly, and so it went with
>this one. Despite improvements, it was again made clear that Wazzu needs a
>more ferocious pass rush and steadiness in the secondary, though four
>interceptions will make for a happier film review today.
>
>Otherwise, it was a revelation that Jackson and Komar were every bit as
>effective as WSU running back Dwight Tardy and any of the gifted Cougar
>receivers. And it was all very Coug that we were treated to the stylings of
>three different placekickers before Doba ever got around to subbing at
>quarterback.
>
>One driving motivation for interrupting the Battle of the Palouse is the
>fear of the coaching staffs - or at least one of them - that the battle
>might spill into some Palouse nightspots, player grudges from the field
>being held over.
>
>Never mind 7 p.m. kickoffs that inspire the student body into a full day of
>pre-game functioning and the peacekeeping risks inherent in that.
>
>And, yes, the Vandals need a bigger payday for their "play-up" game. So
>there are all sorts of good reasons for these teams not to play.
>
>They just weren't evident Saturday night.
>
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Vandal Highlights,
>
>First Vandal touchdown.
>http://www.tomandrodna.com/Idaho_Football/WSU_091507_TD1.mp3
>
>Second Vandal touchdown.
>http://www.tomandrodna.com/Idaho_Football/WSU_091507_TD2.mp3
>
>Franks' interception.
>http://www.tomandrodna.com/Idaho_Football/WSU_091507_INT1.mp3
>
>Third Vandal touchdown.
>http://www.tomandrodna.com/Idaho_Football/WSU_091507_TD3.mp3
>
>Fourth Vandal touchdown.
>http://www.tomandrodna.com/Idaho_Football/WSU_091507_TD4.mp3
>
>Seeya round town, Moscow.
>
>Seeya at the games, Vandals.
>
>Tom Hansen
>Moscow, Idaho
>UI '96
>
>Came a tribe from the north brave and bold . . .
>
>"Here We Have Idaho"
>http://www.tomandrodna.com/HWHI.mp3
>
>"I-D-A-H-O Idaho Idaho Go Go Go"
>http://www.tomandrodna.com/Vandals.mp3
>
>
>
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