Roundup of Idaho football, hoops news
For just the second time this season, the Idaho football team is at home -- for homecoming, no less. It plays host Temple on Saturday (2 p.m., SWX), and the Vandals and Owls will kick off about the time the Idaho basketball team ends its first practice of the fall.
We have Idaho-flavored basketball and football news to pass along.
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Let's start with football:
- We'll have more about the matchup of winless teams tomorrow, but for now, here's my profile of Idaho assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Kris Cinkovich. The piece centers on how the tragic death of Edward Gomez, one his former players at Las Vegas High School, has figured into his coaching career. Ten years later, it has stuck with him -- and it's stuck with the Las Vegas High program. When I talked to Las Vegas coach James Thurman this week, he recalled what happened a decade ago very clearly. And in fact, he said he was considering taking his team to where Gomez is buried before it plays arch-rival, Rancho High, in what's called the "Bone Game." Gomez's gravesite is close to where Rancho plays, Thurman said.
- Came across a few short videos of coach Paul Petrino's weekly radio show via Twitter. He brought along QB Chad Chalich and defensive end Maxx Forde. Asked about both players, Petrino said Chalich had his best practice of the season on Wednesday, and he thought in the spring Forde needed to get tougher, and he has. Chalich ranks 50th in the nation with a pass effeciency of 139.4. He has yet to throw an interception and has completed 67 percent of his passes.
On to basketball:
- We contributed to Jim Meehan's local college basketball roundup that leads with Gonzaga. The Vandals practice at 10:30 a.m. Saturday to kick off its preseason preparation, and they'll be breaking in 12 first-year-eligible players. Only two of the newcomers, redshirt freshman Ty Egbert and transfer Allen Jiles IV, practiced with the team last year.
- Idaho will partcipate in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic in November. The tournament's schedule was finalized Thursday. The Vandals play four games as part of the event -- at Oklahoma on Nov. 13; at Portland on Nov. 21; North Texas on Nov. 22; and Columbia on Nov. 23. Those last two games are in Portland.
For more Idaho news, follow me on Twitter @SR_JoshWright.