Fall camp kicks off for Akey's Vandals

MOSCOW - There is no doubt that the early days of August are some of Robb Akey's favorite days of the year. After all, these are the days he welcomes his football team back to campus and sets the team about making them be everything they can be.

"It's a new beginning - a new beginning and we can make anything happen," said Akey as he greeted the University of Idaho Vandals on their first day of fall camp. "We get to make our mark on a new season."

Akey greeted a team for which he has high expectations. The impact of consistency in recruiting and coaching over the past four years is showing in the depth, skill and physicality of the team, which further fuel the expectations that this year's team can prove the prognosticators, who voted the Vandals sixth in the conference preseason polls, wrong.

"We need to go out there with a chip on our shoulder and do what they say we can't do," Akey said.

When the Vandals take to the field today for the first on-field session of fall camp, a strong group of veterans will be on hand. The cornerstone of every offense and defense is in the lines, where Akey likes what he sees in terms of size, athleticism and experience.

Defensively, senior tackle Mike Cosgrove (one of two defensive captains) is being looked at to lead the charge along with end Benson Mayowa, who had an outstanding spring. The linebackers, with senior and captain Tre'Shawn Robinson as the keystone, has experience with the likes of Homer Mauga and Conrad Scheidt prepared to help make up for the loss of an injured Robert Siavii - one of the Vandals' leaders a year ago. In the secondary, Akey is looking to Quin Ashley, who has spent time on both sides of the ball since joining the Vandals as a freshman, to be an impact player along with Gary Walker, Aaron Grymes and Matthew Harvey. The good news among that group, Akey said, is there are players pressing those with more experience for playing time.

Offensively, Brian Reader takes over as quarterback replacing four-year starter Nate Enderle but Reader's time as an understudy and occasional starter give Akey full faith in him. In front of Reader (also a team captain) is a line that boasts plenty of experience with tackles Matt Cleveland and Tyrone Novikoff (a captain) and guard Sam Tupua. Out of the backfield is the extremely versatile Kama Bailey, who enters the season as Idaho's all-time kickoff return leader, as well as veterans Princeton McCarty and Troy Vital, and transfer Ryan Bass, who sat out 2010 after transferring from Arizona. Taylor Elmo, Clayton Homme, Mike LaGrone and Derek Wieting are in the mix at tight end, while veterans Preston Davis, Armauni Johnson and Justin Veltung return to the receiving corps.

The specialists - kicker Trey Farquhar and punter Bobby Cowan, are back but steady long snapper Chris Ramos has graduated, which leaves that chore in the hands of newcomer Marius Burgsmueller, who came to Idaho from Germany a year ago.

"We have the opportunity to be a good football team," Akey said. "We have a chance to do some good things."

The Vandals kick off the season on Thursday, Sept. 1, against Bowling Green State University - the team they beat to win the 2009 Humanitarian Bowl.