THE FRONT ROW WITH MARK NELKE: Sunday, Sept. 6, 2015

"It's going to be a long season for the Vandals," was a typical response from Idaho's season-opening 45-28 loss to Ohio last Thursday at the Kibbie Dome.

And while, yes, there were some disturbing signs, there were some encouraging ones as well. If the troubling signs continue, it could be another long season. But if the positive signs begin to outweigh the negative ones, it could be a season of improvement in Moscow.

Some takeaways:

Can't stop Epps: Dezmon Epps, the Vandals' 5-foot-10, 175-pound receiver/punt returner, couldn't be stopped in the passing game. He caught 14 passes for 148 yards, mostly on catch-and-runs underneath the coverage. He will be a tough cover at the Sun Belt level.

Trouble was, there wasn't much production elsewhere. The Vandals finally got Deon Watson involved in the fourth quarter, where the Coeur d'Alene High product caught all five of his passes, for 48 yards and a touchdown, as well as a two-point conversion. Perhaps he'll be used a little more earlier in future games.

"We've got a lot of weapons on offense, including our running backs," Idaho quarterback Matt Linehan said. "As long as we continue to get better; we can't dwell on this loss."

One of those weapons is running back Elijhaa Penny, who ran for 69 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries, and also caught five passes for 32 yards.

"I've worked to become an all-purpose back in the offseason," Penny said. "Me catching the ball out of the backfield has just added to my game this offseason. I stay after practice catching balls; that's what we're all working on, being all-purpose backs."

Penny ran over a linebacker at the goal line on his second TD run. Idaho coach Paul Petrino said he needs to do more of that.

"I thought he played hard, he's got to break a few more tackles, though," Petrino said. "When you're one on one, you've got to win. That's how you're judged as a great player, you win one on one, and we need to do a little more of that.

But can't stop this, either: Idaho allowed Ohio, a ball-control and short passing team, to rack up 489 total yards, 205 on the ground. Giving up big pass plays has been a bugaboo for the Vandals in the past, and it continued on Thursday. In the first half, Idaho gave up pass plays of 55, 30 and 65 yards.

And when Ohio went to the ground to protect the lead and chew up the clock, the Vandals weren't much better there, allowing 5.4 yards per rush.

"Offensively, I thought we played well in the second half. Defensively, we've got to stop the run," Petrino said. "We've got to get a stop."

Falling behind 21-0 in the first quarter obviously is a problem, but that problem is compounded when the Vandals eventually find a way to move the ball, avoid sacks and turnovers, and score - but can't keep the other team from doing the same.

Linehan was sacked three times in the first quarter, but only once the rest of the game. And the Vandals did not commit a turnover after the first quarter - except for the Hail Mary interception on the game's final play.

"Offensively, I thought we got them tired in the second half," Petrino said. "But defensively, I thought they did the same to us. We've got to work hard, keep grinding, try to improve, and move forward."

Linehan has wheels: Mostly a pocket passer last year as a redshirt freshman, Linehan showed some speed on Thursday, scrambling and running from the read option. He dashed 17 yards on the option on fourth down, and scrambled for gains of 10 and 13 yards on a fourth-quarter scoring drive.

"He's very athletic," Petrino said. "He really increased his speed and his strength this offseason, so I do think that's something that can be one of his strengths. And it helped us."

"He's given me that liberty, to use my legs more," Linehan said. "I've gotten a lot faster in the offseason, so that's been part of the game plan."

Cancer still sucks: Just when you thought people might be getting numb to this prevalent disease, there's Jace Malek, the Idaho recruit from West Valley High in Spokane. Malek was diagnosed with cancer just before signing day with the Vandals in February, but Idaho honored his scholarship. He had a leg amputated recently but remains part of the team, sitting in on meetings, learning the ropes of becoming a coach, and is an inspiration to the team.

During his postgame news conference Thursday night, Matt Linehan suddenly became choked up and his voice softened when he was asked about Malek.

"It's a really inspiring thing, to see him out there," Linehan said. "He shows up every day, and he has just a great attitude, and he provides ... (at that point he paused to gather himself, and apologized to the media, though that was unnecessary) ... he's a great kid. Just to see him continue to fight, and to see him continue to show the courage, he always has a smile on his face. He's a great kid, and it's awesome to see him out there."

"You know, he's just a great young man," Petrino said of Malek. "He gives all those guys inspiration, and is just a great person. If we can do anything to make his day better, make him happy and make him more successful ... he has to leave again tomorrow (Friday) for chemo. He has it tough, but he's always positive, he's always upbeat. He's just a great person. That's something where we all need to keep praying for him."

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter@CdAPressSports.