Copyright Lewiston Morning Tribune
VANDAL NOTES Less than one month ago, the Idaho Vandals were ranked at No. 12 in the Stats Perform Poll and No. 15 in the American Football Coaches Association Poll. The Vandals were on the path to make the playoffs and were hopefuls for a potential Big Sky title. Now, the Vandals’ playoff hopes are slim with UI (2-5, 0-3 Big Sky) essentially having to go undefeated the rest of the season to finish at 7-5. Coming off four straight losses, Idaho coach Thomas Ford Jr. said that the team has to look at the positives through the struggles. “Although there is the doom and gloom of college sports when you lose, there’s still a lot to be very positive about,” Ford said. “And we’re really excited to get back to the Dome (against Portland State). It’s Military Appreciation weekend, so we’re very excited to welcome the men and women of our armed forces here this week in the Dome. So back at home, ready to get back on the winning side of things.” QB Joshua Wood expected back Starting quarterback Joshua Wood, who the Vandals have missed for the past couple of weeks with a lower-body injury, is expected back against Portland State on Saturday (1 p.m., SWX/ESPN+). Last weekend, at “The Inferno” against Eastern Washington in Cheney, Wash., Wood was seen warming up with the No. 1 offense and stretching in a helmet and full pads before the game. He was a game-time decision, and it looked like he was going to play in the contest. However, he was scratched from the lineup and the Vandals were forced to go with their No. 3 quarterback, Jack Wagner, with No. 2 Sawyer Teeney also hurt. “He’s very close,” Ford said. “All indications point that Joshua will be back this week in the lineup for us. He’s going to be able to practice tomorrow, and we’re very excited to get him back. Obviously, he’s a dynamic player, not only with his legs, but certainly with his arm. And I think he’s a very good decision maker. “You look at his season, he’s really taken care of the football very well, and that’s something that we’ve had a little bit of issues with in his absence over the last two games.” Ford also said that Teeney will be back and healthy if his number is called. The true freshman has been out for the past few weeks with an ankle injury that he sustained in practice. Having Wood back in the lineup should spark the Vandals’ offense, which struggled mightily against the Eastern Washington defense. “Having (Wood) back, I think, will be huge, not only for our offense, but just for our team in general,” Ford said. “He’s one of our team captains and is a guy that’s always going to be leading, but it’s all always a lot easier to lead when you’re playing. And so I think that’s going to be a huge boost for our group.” WR Marquawn McCraney’s breakout As much as the offense had issues against the Eagles’ defense, redshirt freshman wide receiver Marquawn McCraney had a huge breakout performance for the Vandals. Returning to the team after offseason surgery on his knee, the wideout caught seven balls on 10 targets for 105 yards and a touchdown. McCraney was a three-star safety recruit coming out of Highline High School in the Seattle area. He received offers from Washington, Cal, Utah, USC, Arizona, Washington State and a few other schools. However, those schools wanted McCraney to play safety and he wanted to play wide receiver. Ford said after the game on Saturday that his breakout his a “huge positive” for the team. “You see the type of receiver that I believed in when Marquawn was a high school senior,” Ford said. “I’ll never forget before getting ready to play his junior year and he told me that he really wanted to play receiver, but everybody else wants him to play safety. And I said, ‘Well, I know you can play receiver at the University of Idaho.’ And so I think seeing his performance tonight validated that in every way. And I think he’s going to be a guy that you’re going to see a lot more of as we move forward in the season and beyond.” McCraney is hitting his stride midseason, and with Wood back at quarterback, the potential for him to complete this season as a top receiver for the Vandals is a real possibility. Junt can be reached at 208-848-2258, tjunt@lmtribune.com or on X (formerly Twitter) @TrevorJunt.
