A Vandal coaching reunion of sorts in Laramie

If Paul Petrino, Jason Gesser and Chris Tormey wind up on the field near each other prior to today's game, imagine the conversation they could have.

All three interviewed for the head football coaching job at Idaho last fall - a job ultimately given to Petrino.

Gesser was a Vandal assistant the past two seasons - and was interim head coach for the last four games after Robb Akey was fired as head coach during the season. Tormey, a former Vandal player, was Idaho head coach from 1995-99 - which included its first Humanitarian Bowl berth in 1998.

These days, Gesser is quarterbacks coach at Wyoming, and Tormey is defensive coordinator.

Then again, all have more pressing matters these days - helping their teams win for the first time this season when they meet today at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie, Wyo.

Both are 0-1, Idaho losing 40-6 at North Texas, and Wyoming falling 37-34 at Nebraska.

One of Idaho's best games in last year's 1-11 season was a 40-37 overtime loss to the Cowboys in Moscow. Brett Smith threw five touchdown passes for Wyoming, including a 25-yarder to Jalen Claiborne in OT to win the game. Smith completed 23 of 35 for 365 yards; Dominique Blackman was 34 of 46 for 306 yards and three scores for Idaho.

Smith is back, and passed for 383 yards and four touchdowns vs. Nebraska last week. Claiborne caught seven passes for 88 yards and two scores last week. Wyoming outgained Nebraska 602-530 in total yards.

"(They) seem to have a great quarterback," Idaho coach Paul Petrino said. "Looks like their head coach (Dave Christensen) is calling their plays now, which is probably going to make them a lot harder to defender. I remember when he was at Missouri, and he does a great job calling plays. I thought they played their tails off against Nebraska, and had a chance to win it. We have to be ready to go down there and give great effort on every play."

Unlike last week's Idaho depth chart, which was blank, this week's came with names, and redshirt freshman Deon Watson from Coeur d'Alene is listed as the starter at "X", or wide, receiver. He started there last week as well.