Vandals’ New Look, Big Hopes | Spokane News

Idaho’s Vandals are firing on all cylinders as they head to California for their season opener, bringing a revamped offense and defense under second-year coach Thomas Ford Jr. After a rough 4-8 campaign last year, the team’s preseason camp showed remarkable continuity and quick adaptation to new schemes — a sign of improved communication and situational awareness. The defensive line, led by seniors HikifoOu Maile and Frederick Lujan III, is dominating drills, while edge rushers like Javen Augustus and Luke Teskey are forcing the offensive line to step up. Coach Ford’s physicality mandate is paying off, especially in the running game, where Hayden Kincheloe, Ferrari Miller, and Kenny Golston are primed to deliver punishing ground attacks. At quarterback, senior Joshua Wood is locked in as starter, but the backup battle between sophomore Sawyer Teeney and transfer Israel Carter is heating up — with a decision likely made at the last minute before kickoff. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/7e41bdca41374b2b