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MOSCOW, Idaho – After being held scoreless by the defense in a scrimmage last week, Idaho’s offense, with redshirt sophomore quarterback Nick Josifek running it, looked notably more competent Saturday.
But that didn’t mean the defense was slacking.
“It was a great day for the defense,” said graduate transfer defensive end Donovan Parham, formerly of Mississippi Valley State. (Giving up) one touchdown in 60 plays was great.”
Actually, it was two. But the defense offset those by taking a couple of plays to the house .
Josifek accounted for one score by outracing Parham to the corner of the end zone from 5 yards out then celebrated by firing the ball into the Kibbie Dome turf. Vandals offensive coordinator Matt Linehan pointed out afterward that in a game spiking the ball would be a penalty.
“But I love the fire. I loved the emotion he plays with,” Linehan said of Josifek.
Hard-running senior Nate Thomas got the other offensive score in three plays from the 24-yard line. First, he skipped left a step and took the ball to the 15. From there, he spun to the 9-yard line. On a third consecutive carry, he ran between left guard and tackle to the end zone through a yawning hole provided by senior Nate Azzopardi and redshirt freshman Nathan Knapik.
“That was three plays in a row for the offensive line. I was like, ‘Man, let’s go!’ That was a beautiful thing to see for a running back,” Thomas said.
Azzopardi, a key performer on the Vandals’ offensive line for three years and an All-Big Sky Conference honorable mention pick, is upholding his standard of play this spring.
“Knapik has come a long way,” Linehan also pointed out.
While the front side blockers got all the notice, those on the back side of the play deserved credit, too, Thomas said.
Redshirt sophomore quarterback…
Source link : http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/apr/12/idaho-offense-finds-success-on-the-ground-at-secon/
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Publish date : 2025-04-13 02:05:00
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