Idaho building confidence, faces tough test with Nevada

STANLEY BREWSTER/ARBITER FILE PHOTO Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick scores against the Broncos during their 2007 season at Bronco Stadium

Seven games into the season, Idaho is bowl-eligible and atop the WAC. Next Saturday will bring a tough challenge for head coach Robb Akey’s squad as they prepare to face Nevada and preseason offensive WAC player of the year junior quarterback, Colin Kaepernick.

Heading into the big matchup, expect to see a lot of offense. Kaepernick leads a Wolfpack attack that features three players with over 450 yards rushing on the season. Each and has averaged 45 points per game over their last three contests.

The danger starts with Kaepernick, who is a dual threat. He has run for 461 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown scamper, and has thrown for 1,109 yards with nine touchdowns and five interceptions on the campaign.

“The guy’s very good. He’s their trigger man. He’s about 6 foot- 2 inches, runs a 4.2 forty and he’s got an arm. There’s more threats than some of the folks we’ve played. They’re going to make some big plays,” Akey said of Kaepernick and the Wolfpack.

Akey emphasized it’s not all about Kaepernick when it comes to stopping Nevada.

“If you focus solely on him, there are two other running backs that can hurt you, and if you focus on the running game, he can hurt you with his arm,” he said.

An Idaho team with a newfound confidence expects to be up to the task of stopping the Wolfpack. 

“One of the things was getting the confidence built up for this team. Winning against Northern Illinois on the road and the Colorado State game played a big part in building up that confidence,” Akey said.

The next three weeks will set the stage for what could be the best Idaho-Boise State game in recent history. If Idaho is able to get past Nevada, Louisiana Tech and Fresno State, they’ll roll into Boise looking to crush Boise State’s BCS dreams.

Game time for the Nevada game is 2:05 p.m. MT and will be on ESPN Gameplan and ESPN360.com.

Related Posts:

1. Boise State Broncos vs. Nevada Wolf Pack – 11/27/09
2. Kaepernick lights it up as Idaho is handed its first WAC loss
3. BSU faces much-improved Idaho team
4. Terrapins shell too tough for Wolf Pack
5. ‘Taking back the WAC’ nearly a reality