randy isbelle, moscow-pullman daily news, moscow, idaho
·4 min read
Aug. 30—Last year, the biggest weakness for the Idaho Vandals was the offensive line.
With talent all over the skill positions and a stout defense, it was easy to look down on a unit that was trying to find itself.
In 2023, the Vandals had only one upperclassman in the OL room and even had to move former defensive lineman Abe Christensen over to start on the right side of the line in the final 10 games.
With the start of the 2024 season just two days away, on paper the roster looks just as inexperienced with no seniors and only two juniors, but offensive line coach Cody Booth is starting to build something with the position group.
There are three crucial questions Booth and the offensive linemen will have to answer this year:
Who are the starting five?
Booth is keeping his starters close to the chest in a bit of gamesmanship with their Week 1 opponent, Oregon (4:30 p.m. Saturday, Big Ten Network), which does not release a depth chart until the day of the game. But it is safe to say four of the five were decided at the end of last year.
In the final six games of the 2023 season, Booth used the same starting lineup in five of them. Four of those starters are back this year and excited to have redemption.
Junior Nate Azzopardi, who was named as one of the team's five captains, said that he was still angry with how he and his teammates performed last year. He said they have used that anger as motivation and have really pushed each other all offseason to not be looked at as the weak link this time around.
Azzopardi started every game in 2023 as a sophomore. He played all but two games at left guard and filled in at the center position for two games against Cal Poly and Montana.
Whether or not Azzopardi returns at center or guard, to his left will likely be junior Ayden Knapik, who started every game at the very important left tackle position a year ago.
The other tackle spot should be occupied by redshirt sophomore Charlie Vliem. The Duvall, Wash., native started 12 of the 13 games at right tackle, only missing the Northern Colorado game.
Sophomore Layton Vining took over the center position against Montana State and did not relinquish the spot over the final six games.
Who would be the fifth starter?
Redshirt junior Logan Harris appeared in 17 games over the past two seasons, but would love to get into the starting lineup.
Redshirt sophomore Paul Lindstrom was another defensive lineman last year that switched over to the offensive side. He appeared in seven games, but did not start. Redshirt sophomore Jack Foster got on the field in six games last year for the Vandals as well.
Mix those three with the 12 freshmen in the offensive line room and the one thing Booth has been growing is depth.
Booth said that the competition between those players all offseason long has really pushed the unit forward in ways he was very proud of.
Cohesion is always important for a team to function, but it is crucial for an offensive line to function. Having the same five guys start and play the majority of the time can do nothing but help the offensive line improve and play at its best, but it is just as important to have a solid backup plan and it seems like Booth has several.
How much can they improve?
Azzopardi, Knapik, Vining and Vliem combined to start 44 games last year and were on the field together for the final five of six. The hope is that another year with those four at the core will help improve the offensive line performance. However, there is a lot of room for improvement.
In 2023, Idaho allowed 32 sacks for a total loss of 190 yards. The 2.46 sacks allowed per game ranked 87th in the Football Championship Subdivision. Only Montana at 2.73 sacks allowed per game allowed was worse than the Vandals out of the teams that made it to the quarterfinal round of the playoffs.
Not much better was the fact that opponents tackled Vandal ball carriers for a loss 71 times for a total loss of 341 yards. The 5.46 tackles for loss per game tied for 56th in the FCS.
The task does not start with an easy assignment. Idaho opens the season against the No. 3 Ducks at Autzen Stadium at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. The Ducks had 34 sacks last year, tied for 27th best in the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2023.
Isbelle can be reached at 208-848-2268, risbelle@lmtribune.com or on X (formerly Twitter) @RandyIsbelle.
