The University of Idaho Argonaut

Vandal safety, Shiloh Keo from Everett, Wash., reads the Vandal offense during practice Wednesday afternoon on the SprinTurf. Keo, who has been battling a shoulder injury, hopes to return on Saturday when the Vandals take on the Fresno St. Bulldogs in Fresno, Cal. Nick Groff/Argonaut

With a 1-5 record halfway through the season and Fresno State in its sights, it’s time for the Vandal football team to think back to little league and start with the basics.
Defense wins games. Every athlete learned this the first day their parents dropped them off at little league practice, and while it may be hard not to blame the offense for the lack of touchdowns, Idaho’s defense has given up an average of 47 points per game.

“We’re trying to improve in fundamentals,” said Idaho defensive coordinator Mark Criner. “Whenever you’re dealing with a young team that is not having very much success on both sides of the ball, the one thing you need to do is go back to fundamentals.”
The defense has given up 40 touchdowns, 151 first downs and has only sacked the opposing quarterback twice this season.
Immature mistakes and immature attitudes have been attributed as causes for the poor performance, according to linebacker Jo Jo Dickson.

“Mistakes are what’s killing us,” Dickson said. “We are getting better, we just got to put everything together and play as one consistently.”
He said the team plays well but isn’t playing well consistently throughout the game, and when something doesn’t go their way the players aren’t bouncing back.
“When we are supposed to be coming back, players start feeling sorry for themselves,” Dickson said. “We can afford to give up touchdowns; we just can’t fall apart and continue to give up touchdowns.”

Criner said although it may not be apparent to the fans, the team is improving and with this young of a team it will just take time.
“Eventually we’re going to get it over the hump to where we can play more sound,” Criner said. “The only way to get successful is to keep on chopping wood, keep on teaching, keep on fighting for what you want to eventually achieve.”
Criner said he has never coached a team that was this young.

Idaho’s traveling defense is made up of only five seniors — only one of those seniors played for the Vandals last year.
There are five juniors, four of which came to Idaho this year from junior colleges, nine freshmen, and the rest are sophomores.
The one returning junior is defensive captain Shiloh Keo who is still watching from the sideline with a shoulder injury.
Jeromy Jones is one of the four new junior college players. He came to UI from Arizona Western, started on special teams and then took over Keo’s safety spot and Jones has shown the coach he’s very comfortable in his new position.

“Jeremy’s doing great, JJ has improved each and every week,” Criner said. “He has put it upon himself to really do a good job.”
The team will be looking to Jones and the defense to do its part Saturday against the Bulldogs who have proven to be a threat on the ground.
“Fresno’s a good sound offense; they’ve got some running backs that are the best in the country,” Criner said.
The Bulldogs are 3-2 and will be anxious for a win after an overtime loss last week to Hawaii.