With a little over a week remaining until the Vandal football opener, Idaho fans were treated to a glimpse of the upcoming season when the team hosted an open scrimmage at the Kibbie Dome Saturday.
Junior quarterback Matt Linehan displayed his prowess in the pocket, tossing three touchdowns to different wideouts in the concluding event of fall camp.
“Matt did some really good things, different guys made plays,” Idaho head coach Paul Petrino said. “I saw the defense flying around, (they) did some good things. Again, you have to go watch it on tape, but standing out there I felt like it was really good.”
Linehan led the first-team offense to a field goal on the opening possession and then followed it up with a 32-yard touchdown pass to redshirt junior wide receiver Jacob Sannon on the ensuing drive.
Linehan added another touchdown pass right before the half, lofting the ball over the outstretched arms of the Vandal secondary to find senior tight end Deon Watson in the corner of the end zone.
Linehan’s final highlight of the scrimmage included a 26-yard touchdown pass to redshirt sophomore wide receiver David Ungerer.
“He’s taken his game to a whole new level,” Ungerer said. “He’s throwing the ball extremely accurate, going through his progressions and checking the play when it needs to be made. He looks like a totally new guy on the field.”
Junior running back Aaron Duckworth returned to contact activities on the gridiron for the first time this week.
He provided the first-team offense with several notable runs, including a dash down the right sideline after beating the defensive end to the corner.
“I was in a red (no-contact) shirt for about a week, so being out here today felt great,” Duckworth said.
Sophomore running back Isaiah Saunders also split reps with Duckworth in the backfield for the first-team offense.
“I think me and him are going to be great this year,” Duckworth said. “And then when Denzal (Brantley) comes back, all three of us are going to be a three-headed monster.”
Redshirt freshman and backup quarterback Gunnar Amos struggled during the scrimmage, as the Vandal secondary recorded four interceptions against him. Redshirt freshman defensive back Sedrick Thomas added the defense’s standout play with a 50-yard pick-six in the second half of the scrimmage.
“I always teach them that when the ball is in the air, it’s ours,” Idaho cornerbacks coach Aric Williams said. “We have as much right to the ball as the receivers do when the ball is in the air. It was good to see them be there and make the play.”
Freshman quarterback Mason Petrino also spent time under center with the second team offense. He connected on an early touchdown pass to Ungerer, who bounced off several defenders on his way to the end zone.
“I can’t really describe it, but it felt good to make a play like that,” Ungerer said. “I needed to make a play like that. Coach (Petrino) said last night in our meetings that he wanted to see us receivers break tackles and run for long plays. I was happy that I was able to make one of those plays today.”
Mason also found the end zone on a 1-yard quarterback sneak on fourth down in the second half of the scrimmage.
The freshman’s lone mistake came when freshman linebacker Mike Linehan read a short pass and stepped in front of the receiver for the interception, returning it 35-yards for a defensive touchdown.
Paul said the Vandals will turn their attention toward the Sept. 1 season opener against Montana State at the Kibbie Dome.
“From this point on we are going to focus on Montana State,” Paul Petrino said. “In fall camp you put in all the offense and all the defense, and now we can focus more on exactly what we are going to run against them on both sides of the ball.”
Josh Grissom can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @GoshJrissom