QB1 and QB1A this week for Vandals
The current depth chart for the Idaho Vandals lists junior Mason Petrino OR sophomore Colton Richardson as the No. 1 quarterback.
More accurately, it should say AND.
Both signal callers are expected to play on Saturday, when Idaho plays at Fresno State in the season opener at Bulldog Stadium.
“Going into this game, I’m going to play them both, quite a bit,” said Paul Petrino, Mason’s father, who is beginning his sixth season as Idaho head coach. “And the only thing that would affect that is if they were totally unable to protect themselves.”
Who plays in a particular series will be determined by the game plan in that particular series — unless the play is better suited for the quarterback who’s not in the game at the time.
“There could be times, within the drive, that they run the play in,” Paul Petrino said. “There’s definite plays in the game plan where I’m going to use one or the other for that play. So within a series, if it’s one of the guys’ series, if there’s a call where the other guy has gotten a majority of the reps on that play, he’s gonna run that play.”
Mason Petrino, a Pullman High grad, threw seven passes as a freshman, and started two games at quarterback last season. He threw for 248 yards and three touchdowns last year, with two interceptions.
Richardson, from Lewiston High, played in the last two games of last season after Petrino (and, before that, starter Matt Linehan) got hurt, including a start in the season finale at Georgia State, where he passed for 228 yards and a touchdown in a 24-10 Vandal victory. All told, Richardson passed for 395 yards and two touchdowns last year, with one interception.
Asked to note the different strengths of his two No. 1 quarterbacks, Petrino politely declined, noting the other teams watch/read these interviews, too. But in general, Mason Petrino is more known for his running, Richardson for his passing.
“They both really improved in fall camp,” Paul Petrino acknowledged. “They’ve improved their knowledge of football, and they’ve done a good job of moving the team.”
NOTE: Saturday’s game will be produced by Stadium and broadcast exclusively on Facebook. A link is available at GoVandals.com.