MOSCOW, Idaho — If there was any question whether the Idaho Vandals would bring energy to their first fall scrimmage, it was answered almost immediately.
On the second drive of Thursday's scrimmage, backup quarterback Jack Wagner hit wide receiver Emmerson Cortez-Menjivar on a crossing route over the middle. Seconds later, the wideout was lit up by freshman defensive back Diezel Wilkinson, jarring the ball free.
It was the hit heard around Moscow today as the East Valley High School alum continues to vie for playing time as a freshman.
"Coach (Dan) Jackson and I were talking right before the scrimmage and he was telling me to play like I played in high school, play fast, play fearless and that is what I did. I saw the over route coming across and I had to go and make a play," Wilkinson said.
"He is a physical sucker, man. It was a good hit, I think it was good coaching because it was right in the strike zone below the head and that was the first thing I asked the ref because I knew he got him pretty good was if it was below the shoulder and all that and it was a good, clean, legal hit," Idaho Head Coach Jason Eck said.
The offense got things going when the scrimmage switched into red zone and two-minute drill situations.
"(The defensive guys) are on scholarship too, they are going to make plays, but I love how we responded. We came out and flushed it and moved on to the next play and had a really nice drive in the two-minute segment," Idaho starting quarterback, redshirt sophomore Jack Layne said.
Layne's two-minute drive ended in the first rushing touchdown for South Dakota transfer running back Nate Thomas.
"The defense just had the energy and momentum and we had to flip it. We had a meeting today talking about mental strength and being able to go into the next play and next drive and eliminate what happened in the past. That's all we needed to do, and that is what we did," Thomas said.
Just over a week into fall camp, Coach Eck is pleased with where his team is at.
"I thought it was a good go today, I thought it was a balanced scrimmage with positives on both sides of the ball and things we need to correct on both sides. There is going to be a lot of good teaching off the tape, but there will also be a lot of stuff that is positive on both sides of the ball as well," Eck said.
The Vandals will scrimmage one more time on August 17 ahead of their season opener on the road in Eugene against College Football Playoff favorite Oregon on August 31.
