Public Enemy #1: Robb Akey's case

OBNUG is in the process of deciding who should be this website's most hated villain. We'll be presenting the cases for all of the candidates over the next few weeks. Enjoy.

Robb Akey

Idaho head coach Robb Akey has his hands full turning around a moribund program that might be better off in I-AA. Nevertheless, Akey perseveres with his blind faith, his optimistic spirit, and most importantly, his mustache.

There are plenty of things to dislike about the man: his attitude, his smugness, the fact that his first name has more "b"'s than the Vandals have wins. But when it comes right down to it, Akey is reviled by OBNUG because of that larger-than-life caterpillar taking residence under his nose.

Like a rotund Samwise Gamgee accompanying Akey on his epic quest, the mustache is a willing partner to the coaching travails of Idaho's head man. Through wins and losses (but mostly losses), it rests on his cheeky grin, experiencing the highs and lows like a hairy best friend. And it drives us mad.

It bothers us. It taunts us. And it drives our curiosity. Just what is the deal with that nose beard? We would like some answers.

• What is hiding in that mustache?
  Akey's face rug could very well be used as a safe-deposit box of goodies, like a backpack for the nose. We imagine that Akey keeps the following things hidden in the follicle forest: gameplans, leftover bits of egg salad sandwiches, Nathan Enderle, and a wall calendar of the Palouse.
  
• Does the mustache have special powers?
  To keep such an obvious hygiene malfeasance around, Akey must be aware of some hidden powers to his mustache. Yet these powers obviously have no practical use in the real world, otherwise the Vandals would be a much better team and Akey would have a much better job. We think the mustache's special power is crosswords.
  
• What would happen if the mustache was gone?
  We think that Akey's lip hat is actually holding his face together.
  
• Does the mustache have a free will?
  This question delves into an area that we are not quite prepared to know about. We would prefer to stay with surface issues, like what is the mustache’s name and when is too much Just for Men too much.

Our obligation to detest Akey can be traced back to our obligation to detest all things Vandals.

Our obligation to nominate Akey for OBNUG Public Enemy #1 status? Purely the mustache.

Idaho's offense well ahead of its defense

The Vandals had their first scrimmage of the spring last weekend, and in a surprising turn of events, the offense showed up!

The Idaho offense had its way during Saturday's football scrimmage, racking up eight touchdowns and one field goal.

The news was encouraging for Idaho, until they realized that they could very easily give up 60 points to Utah State this season.

Idaho colleges... [Idaho Statesman]

Boise State scrimmage reaction

Friday's scrimmage was a fascinating departure from last year's Bronco football. With a dominating performance from the defense, Boise State gave fans an enticing taste of what may come this fall from the team's most maligned unit. Sure, we like our touchdowns and our Kellen Moore, but we also enjoy knowing that maybe, just maybe, Colin Kaepernick won't run roughshod over us again.

Final stats from Friday's scrimmage:

SCORING: Matt Kaiserman, 5-yard TD run (no kick attempted)
RUSHING: Ian Johnson 3 carries for 18 yards, D.J. Harper 3-16, Matt Kaiserman 5-15, Jeremy
Avery 3-10, Doug Martin 5-10, Jarvis Hodge 2-2
PASSING: Bush Hamdan 7-of-12 for 113 yards, Nick Lomax 6-8-52, Mike Coughlin 4-9-51, Kellen Moore 5-12-52
RECEIVING: Julian Hawkins 4 catches for 50 yards, Toshi Franklin 3-63, Austin Pettis 2-46, Doug Martin 2-26, Tanyon Bissell 2-13, Ricky Cookman 2-11, Titus Young 2-8, Tommy Gallarda 1-23, Kyle Efaw 1-11, Jeremy Avery 1-7, D.J. Harper 1-5, Mitch Burroughs 1-5

Scrimmage stories:

Statesman scrimmage recap [Idaho Statesman]
IPT scrimmage recap [Idaho Press-Tribune]
DBs making a difference [Idaho Statesman]
Hamdan leading QB race? Really? [Idaho Press-Tribune]
Photos from the scrimmage [Statue Left]
Back to square one with QBs [Fight, Fight, BSU]

Bold predictions for the week ahead

The week of the Blue & Orange game is upon us, and from the looks of Friday's scrimmage, there will be plenty of room for improvement for the offense. We expect to see big plays, long runs, and center-quarterback exchanges that don't result in turnovers. We're really not asking that much.

Here is what else we see happening this week.

• Former BSU CB Chris Carr, now officially a Tennessee Titan, will take another step toward replacing Adam "Pac-Man" Jones when Carr comes up with his own video-game-themed nickname: Chris "Qbert" Carr.
• After the success of the Beat Coach Pete 5k race last weekend, college coaches across the country will set up their own races to benefit scholarship programs. Mark Mangino and Charlie Weis will replace running with chalupas.
• Paul J. Schneider will find a place where his unique voice truly belongs: play-by-play at the gates of heaven.

Boise State scrimmage #2 recap

The Boise State defense came to play in the Broncos' second scrimmage. The offense? Not so much.

The only touchdown of the day was scored by freshman Matt Kaiserman near the end of the scrimmage, and the offense looked very little like the explosive group seen at the first spring outing. Are we worried? Absolutely not! We loved what we saw from the defense, and we can't wait to see how the unit does during the season. Here is some more detail from the scrimmage:

• All four quarterbacks played much more evenly than they did in the first scrimmage. Moore came back to the pack a little, and Coughlin and Lomax stepped up their games. As a whole, though, there were very few fireworks.
• Hamdan and Coughlin made some nice throws on the run, moving out of the pocket.
• Austin Pettis and Titus Young have soft hands. Both made some strong sideline catches, and each had good grabs on fade patterns during drills.
• The defensive line was downright dominant at times. We took particular note of Phillip Edwards and Sean Bingham. Edwards turned away a shovel pass and wreaked havoc in the backfield. Bingham recorded a sack and blew up several plays.
• There were multiple miscues with shotgun snaps.
• The running backs had few opportunities to shine since there was such little running room. D.J. Harper and Doug Martin moved the pile a couple of times.
• Derrell Acrey had some big hits, and he took an interception to the house during a pre-scrimmage drill.
• Kellen Moore might be staring down his receivers.
• The best plays by the offense were seam routes by tight ends and wide receivers. Julian Hawkins, in particular, looked strong running down the middle.
• Brandyn Thompson sat out, leaving the Broncos without their top two corners (Kyle Wilson is also out for the spring). Still, the offense had trouble moving the ball through the air.
• The front seven were stout, but they failed to force turnovers.
• A lot of credit should go to the linebackers. They were reading plays well and putting themselves in good positions.
  
• Four words: Doug Martin. Short Yardage.
  

WIR: Radios and scrimmages

Week in Review (WIR) feels that the big news about the Boise State radio contract has taken quite a bit of attention off of the Broncos' spring practice. This afternoon is the second public scrimmage, and it seems to be flying under the radar.

Not our radar. We have had this date circled since it was announced, and we can't wait to see how the Broncos are progressing. Our prediction: touchdowns, tackles, and turnovers. Not necessarily in that order.

In the meantime, here is the best from the last week.

• Carr going to Titans?
• Hawaii rebuilding with the help of Coca-cola.
• Enjoy Duke, Sean Renfree.
• OBNUG picks linebackers and cornerbacks.
• Beefcake photography courtesy of the Vandals.
• Ellis Powers changing positions.
• Brennan goes under the knife.
• Bronco Nation podcast featuring us.
• Boise State football goes global.
• Blue Turf Towel controversy.
• No more Paul J.; KBOI loses contract.

We'll post a scrimmage recap later tonight, and we'll be back with much more scrimmage talk on Monday. See you then, Bronco fans.

Beat Coach Pete on Saturday

Running? No, thanks. We get winded from typing.

Beat Coach Pete 5k for Student Scholarships [BSU.edu]