“Unlikely Heroes Emerge as Defense Dominates in UI’s Spring Scrimmage Showcase!”

As spring practices unfold, excitement buzzes through the air, particularly for the University of Idaho Vandals, where a blend of youthful exuberance and seasoned strategy is set to define their upcoming season. Junior linebacker Dylan Layne, with palpable pride, extols his teammates’ defensive fire, attributing their fervor not just to raw talent but to the innovative designs crafted by defensive coordinator Cort Dennison. “Coach Dennison is a mastermind,” Layne remarked, hinting at a defensive playbook rich with nearly 40 distinct calls that keep opposing offenses guessing. This spirited atmosphere, however, also brings with it the thrill of intense position battles, especially at quarterback, where sophomores Jack Wagner and Nick Josifek are vying for control in a contest that promises to captivate fans. Amid the fervent scrimmages and evolving team dynamics, the Vandals are determined to find their rhythm and emerge as a cohesive unit, ready to tackle the challenges of the upcoming season. For those eager to dive deeper into the nuances of spring football and these rising athletes, the journey is just beginning. LEARN MORE.

As for the quarterback room, Wagner said that they have to hold themselves accountable for the offensive struggles. Junior linebacker Dylan Layne said that he was proud of the young players who were fired up and flying around defensively, but he gave credit to defensive coordinator Cort Dennison for how the defense is designed.“Coach Dennison is a mastermind; we probably have 40 calls in our call sheet. So when we’re all doing our job, doing it right, it can get pretty nasty,” Layne said. “The offense doesn’t know how to block us sometimes. It was really fun.”Wagner gave credit to the defense and said that from a team standpoint, that is encouraging to see. Position battlesSophomores Jack Wagner and Josifek were the focal point of that quarterback battle on Saturday. “I think we’re doing a lot of stuff and what I’m excited about is those guys are handling it. You know, we’re giving our offense all kinds of looks and it’s really tough when you’re not game planing for it. But it’s also tough on defense because it’s new, and so what I’m excited about is they’re able to handle a lot of stuff and execute it,” Ford said.Nothing to worry aboutAlthough neither player made clear headway throughout the scrimmage, Wagner did have a deep completion on a play-action pass to sophomore wide receiver Emmerson Cortez-Menjivar for nearly 60 yards to put them in the red zone. Wagner said that it was one of the Vandals’ longer play-action plays and that he liked his matchup. When he saw the safety come down to cover an in-breaking route he knew he was going to throw it to Cortez-Menjivar and fired. “Everybody wants to know about the quarterback battle. I think you see Nick (Josifek) and Jack (Wagner) kind of separate themselves from the other two guys. I would imagine those guys would continue to get more reps as we continue with spring ball to see who’s really gonna win that job.”“I know I need to play better, I know I can make the right calls. But, it starts with us getting people in the right position,” Wagner said. “So I think we gotta hold ourselves accountable first and come more prepared. Defense came to play and we kinda got a little too anxious and it took a little bit to get into some good drives.”“That’s the nature of FCS football these days. For every team it’s a whole new 11 on each side of the ball and new coaches too,” Layne said. “That’s the fun of it, too. It’s the team that could come together the fastest, the best, can jell and master the scheme is the team that’s gonna win. So if we can continue to focus on that and focus on the mental side of it — of learning the scheme and jelling, playing with each other — then we will be pretty good.”Layne said that the offense will be fine. He said that it has usually been a back-and-forth each practice. He said the defense has been gashed a few practices too and that this is usually a sign of a good overall team. He said that with the new faces on the team, it will just take time for them to jell and learn how to play together. Ford said that he was excited for how his defense looked Saturday. The defense got the upper hand in the scrimmage, but it makes it tough on the offense without any film to study. Junt can be reached at 208-848-2258, [email protected] or on X (formerly Twitter) @TrevorJunt.As any good spring camp comes, so do positional battles. The biggest one for the Vandals is at quarterback. “Our defense played great and that’s exciting to see just as a whole team. I mean, we’re not gonna play our own team ever in the regular season. So, it’s good to see how they’re competing,” Wagner said.