Idaho brings new attitude

The Vandals won't get worn down by Waikiki this time

THE Idaho football team already has the T-shirts, the puka shells and the memories of sunburn in November. All that and a 52-21 loss.

It was a grand, old time in paradise until kickoff two years ago at Aloha Stadium.

"It was a fun experience," tight end Luke Smith-Anderson said. "Now we know what to expect. The crowd, the weather.

"We had a meeting today and Coach (Dennis) Erickson emphasized we're going there for a win."

IDAHO AT HAWAII When: Saturday, 6:05 p.m. Where: Aloha Stadium TV: Oceanic PPV 255; free Sunday rebroadcast, 10 a.m., KFVE (Ch. 5) Radio: KKEA, 1420-AM Tickets: $5-$38

You know a team is serious when it chooses to stay at Turtle Bay rather than Waikiki.

"You can get blinded by the sights. Waikiki can be a zoo," Smith-Anderson said.

The 2004 loss to the Warriors was Idaho's last game before it entered the WAC. It was the finale of a 3-9 season that included no byes, a fifth-place finish in the Sun Belt and the shooting death of cornerback Eric McMillan.

Focus was a little hard to come by for some.

"My freshman year I felt like the team didn't take it serious enough as a business trip," junior linebacker David Vobora said. "The bottom line now is we're going for the win."

The Vandals (4-4, 3-1 WAC) arrive tomorrow. They are coming off a 42-26 loss to undefeated Boise State last Saturday.

Idaho -- rejuvenated by the return of Erickson, who won two national championships at Miami and also coached in the NFL -- trailed its rival by just two points midway through the fourth quarter.

"We have a genius of a coach," Smith-Anderson said.

Still, the Vandals are 25 1/2-point underdogs Saturday. They lost 24-0 to UH at home last year.

Motivated:

UH sophomore outside linebacker Tyson Kafentzis said he gets especially pumped up to play Boise State and Idaho. The resident of Richland, Wash., had aspirations of possibly attending one of the colleges near his home.

"Idaho. I'm real excited to play against them because the school's only like 2 hours from where I grew up and they kind of overlooked me in the recruiting. I kind of have a little chip on my shoulder about that," Kafentzis said. "Even Boise State, too. They were recruiting me early and they kind of fell off. Me and my brother (former UH safety Landon), we loved when we got a chance to play these schools. Because take it out on them, pay them back for what they did."

Kafentzis didn't get much of a chance at Boise State on Sept. 23. He suffered an ankle injury in pregame warm-ups and played just a few downs before leaving the game. He hasn't played in a game since, but practiced yesterday and might play Saturday.

"I thought I was going to be ready to go last week, but the coaches thought I should get one more week rest," Kafentzis said.

Moving around:

Juniors Karl Noa and Amani Purcell are back at defensive end after being moved to outside linebacker. Noa, who made 10 tackles at Boise State, said he is trying to be ready for both positions.

"Mostly mental reps at outside today. Some reps at end, but not much," said Noa, who sat out much of yesterday's practice. "Minor. Got a charley horse today."

Short yardage:

Sophomore slotback Ryan Grice-Mullins, UH's leading yardage receiver last year, took team reps yesterday and looks like he'll be able to play Saturday after missing the last four games with an ankle sprain. Coach June Jones said Grice-Mullins will rotate with Ross Dickerson when he's ready to return. ... Sophomore wide receiver Dylan Linkner has returned to practice after recovering from his second hamstring pull since fall camp. ... Casey Purdy, a 6-foot-4, 280-pound offensive lineman, plans to join the Warriors. Purdy, a Word of Life graduate and former Pac-Five player, is back from Western Montana, where he was on the team for a week before he suffered an ACL injury.