‘We love the underdog role’: Idaho’s offense shows progress in second fall scrimmage

MOSCOW, Idaho – Beginning last spring after the graduation of its leading pass catchers Hayden Hatten and Jermaine Jackson to the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints, respectively, a young Idaho offense has banged its head against a talented and experienced defense without great success.

It has not helped that Jordan Dwyer, the Vandals’ projected top receiver, has missed significant time with an injury.

“It’s a young room,” receivers coach Matt Linehan said. “There are a lot of growing pains that come with that.”

But Linehan reached for a familiar trope to discuss the role of spring practice and preseason camp battles in developing receivers: “Iron sharpens iron.”

In the Vandals’ second preseason scrimmage Saturday, the offense finally flashed the gleam of an edge. Linehan said that going up against Idaho’s defense every day is teaching his receivers, “what might have worked in high school or against other guys is not going to work at this level.”

The number one offense connected for a 9-yard touchdown on corner route from quarterback Jack Layne to redshirt freshman wideout Mark Hamper.

Hamper ripped the ball away from senior transfer cornerback Abraham Williams on the play, though Williams recovered by running back the subsequent kickoff for a touchdown.

Adding to the offensive production, true freshman Tony Harste caught a pair of touchdowns with the reserves.

“He’s had a really good camp,” Idaho coach Jason Eck said of Harste. “He has impressed me, and he has exceeded expectations. He is probably going to play as a freshman.”

With Dwyer out, Hamper has made the most of increased reps.

“He’s showing up,” Linehan said. “Hamper is just a really good football player, in terms of being an all-around receiver. He will be a huge factor in our offense this year.”

Days like Saturday show Hamper could be that factor for the Vandals.

“I am just trying to put good practices together,” Hamper said. “Compete with the defense and get better every day. When you lose a great receiver like J.D., you have to step up and replace that production.”

Linehan is also hopeful that Dwyer will be returning soon.

“He is running routes. He is getting close. He is itching to get back out there,” Linehan said.

The scrimmage appeared to be marred by one serious injury. Freshman quarterback Holden Bea had to be carried off the field with a leg injury after being tackled near the sideline on a running play, and he left the Kibbie Dome on crutches. Eck said the team did not immediately know how seriously Bea was hurt but acknowledged, “it looks pretty bad.”

Coaches tried to keep the defensive effort at a “thud” level, where plays are run full speed to the point of contact, but there is no effort to continue on and tackle ball carriers to the ground.

“That makes it tough to judge the running game,” Eck said. He had to reassure University of South Dakota junior transfer running back Nate Thomas that Thomas is still giving coaches a good picture of himself as a hard runner. Eck reported that Thomas told him, “Coach, my game is after contact.”

If the relative breakout performance by the offense Saturday is the result of many hard-taught lessons by the defense, look for more of the same from now on, at least if Hamper has his say.

“Being counted out made us hungrier,” he said. “We love the underdog role. We love to show you what we can do.”