Silent Vandals try to wipe away past, focus on Warriors

MOSCOW, IDAHO » During today’s football game in the Kibbie Dome, Hawaii plans to use silent counts on offense.

Idaho has been silent all week.

In what has become this week’s golden rule, the Vandals have pushed the mute button on their coaches and players.

Before going silent, Idaho coach Robb Akey said he did not want his team to think about the previous game, a loss to New Mexico State two weeks ago. The Warriors beat the Aggies last week.

The Vandals, 1-6 overall and 0-3 in the Western Athletic Conference, need to win their five remaining regular-season games to become bowl eligible for the second time in Akey’s five seasons as head coach.

HAWAII OFFENSE

Outlook: Because of left wideout Allen Sampson’s season-ending knee injury, Davis becomes the 18th offensive player to make his first UH start this season. Davis said he benefits from tutors Darius Bright, a left wideout who is suffering from a variety of ailments, and Pollard, whose once-tight right hamstring is no longer an issue. Clapp has emerged as a go-to receiver, securing 88.2 percent of the passes in which he is the primary option. He has only one drop in 34 passes thrown his way. This season, Moniz has been an efficient passer (63 percent completions; 19 TDs to four interceptions) and an elusive scrambler. Moniz keeps plays alive with his sidesteps and scrambles. He is averaging 1.12 broken tackles per non-sack scramble. Most important, he is mature enough to know when to slide. “That’s high school days when you try to run over everybody,” Moniz said. “Go back to my high school days. You’ll see guys I tried to take head on. I didn’t slide in high school. I learned that real fast over here. It’s better to live another day, play another down. If the moment calls for it, where it’s inches (for a first down), I’ll go for it.”

HAWAII DEFENSE

Outlook: The Warriors are third nationally in sacks (3.71 per game) and second in sack yardage (200). In the past three games, they averaged nine blitzes. They are able to free linebackers because Meatoga and Tuipulotu attract double-team blocks. Last week, they experimented with a so-called “rebel” front — three down linemen — that drew five blockers. With such mismatches, Laurel, who often aligns near the line of scrimmage as a stand-up rusher, has an easier path to the backfield. Laurel is seventh in the country with seven sacks in seven games. “Art has a knack for rushing the passer,” defensive coordinator Dave Aranda said. “He does it in his own unique way. He’s deceptively quick. He uses his hands well. He has a real desire to get to the quarterback.” Early in the season, UH squandered several sack chances. Aranda said the Warriors now are converting 70 percent of their sack opportunities. “We always chart how many sacks we could have had,” Aranda said. “Art is never on that list. When Art has an opportunity to get a guy down, he gets the guy down.”

HAWAII SPECIALISTS

Outlook: Chun departed last week’s game after aggravating the tendinitis in the left knee of his plant leg. He resumed practicing Tuesday, and declared himself physically fit to handle point-after kicks and field-goal tries up to 40 yards. He is benefitting from the new protection scheme in which Andrew Faaumu and Dave Lefotu are the guards, and defensive ends Tavita Woodard and Alasi Toilolo are the wing blockers.

IDAHO OFFENSE

Outlook: Offensive coordinator Steve Axman, considered one of the maddest of football scientists, has been in the lab the past two weeks. It will take some innovation to top past concoctions, such as receivers and backs being interchangeable, 266-pound Henry Asuega serving as a blocking back, and formations involving up to five receivers or as many as eight blockers. Reader has so-so accuracy, but he’s smart, with a quick release off a three-step drop. Scott, a walk-on, has a team-high 40 catches. Johnson is the red-zone receiver. And Veltung, who can align wide or in the slot, is the human blur (4.39 seconds in the 40). Running back Ryan Bass, the Arizona State transfer, might be healthy enough to play this week. The real threat is McCarty, who averages 4.5 yards per carry. As legend has it, McCarty suffered a torn ACL in high school. All-Pro linebacker Joey Porter paid for the surgery, which was performed at the famed Kerlan-Jobe Clinic. Later, at the Nike Combine, McCarty ran the 40 in 4.32 seconds.

IDAHO DEFENSE

Outlook: Cosgrove, who answers to the nickname “Caveman,” and Mayowa received medical clearance to play. Cosgrove is the prototypical interior lineman — tough, snarling. Mayowa is quick off the edge. Robinson, who can bench press 455 pounds, and Toomer are aggressive linebackers. Toomer signed as a high school senior, but didn’t meet the requirements, and went to Arizona Western for two years. He played as a junior in 2009, then redshirted as a senior last year. This year, he is the Vandals’ version of Art Laurel, a linebacker who can align as a rush end. The Vandals prefer to play a four-across zone, with two-deep zone concepts. Grymes is leader of the secondary.

IDAHO SPECIALISTS

Outlook: “Our punt return has outscored our offense in the past two weeks,” head coach Robb Akey said. “Ray Charles can see that. It’s not very good.” Indeed, Veltung has scored on a punt return in each of the past two games; McCarty’s 1-yard rush two weeks ago was the Vandals’ only offensive touchdown during that span. McCarty also has scored on a kickoff return. Cowan is the nation’s leader with an average of 47.92 yards per punt. He’s also the busiest, averaging 8.71 punts per game.