Robb Akey didn't hesitate this morning to proclaim Nathan Enderle as Idaho's starting quarterback for Saturday's home game with Hawaii. Enderle was pulled late in the fourth quarter in last week's win at San Jose State for backup Brian Reader, who directed the Vandals to the game-clinching drive. But Enderle beat out Reader before the season and had played well before his three-interception performance. Said Akey, "Nate is our starter. Absolutely. He is our starter and we’ve got a very talented backup."

Read on for more from Akey's press conference.

Akey reiterated that the move to bring in Reader was done to create a spark, and that he has "all the confidence in the world" in Enderle. "I’m not concerned about Nate at all," the coach said. "Nate’s going to play his tail off this week."

The poor play of the secondary was a major theme of the press conference. When asked what needs to happen to improve, Akey said: "Don’t give up as many damn big passes." Poor technique and a lack of pressuring the QB are two of the key issues, he said.

Akey said he's waiting back to hear from WAC commish Karl Benson, but he expects to have Tre'Shawn Robinson back after he was ejected last week. The linebacker's actions were "out of character," Akey said, and he expects him to respond.

Akey also said he's not shy about talking about a bowl with his players, and that while six wins gets Idaho eligibile, it might need more than that to earn a postseason spot since it plays in the WAC. "They’re aware of it, but it’s not an end point, either," the coach said of getting to the six-win mark.

---

---