Vandals get ready to turn up the tempo with quarterback Joshua Wood back under center
Apr. 2—MOSCOW, Idaho — For diehard Idaho football fans willing to get up with the sun to watch the Vandals go through spring practice and for the slightly less committed who show up for the Saturday mid-morning workouts, the best way to measure the Vandals' progress is to bring a stop watch. For Idaho coach Thomas Ford Jr.
, the goal this spring is "to play with better tempo. The No. 1 thing is the ability to go lightning fast.
" Starting quarterback Joshua Wood was on the same page with his coach after the second of 15 spring practices Thursday morning. "Absolutely. That's the key.
We want to play fast," he said. "We are doing more no huddle, more 'sugar huddle,' " a brief gathering just behind the line of scrimmage that gets a play in and the team lined up to run it before the defense can adjust. Secondarily, Ford said, "we (want players) to understand what we are really trying to accomplish, the 'why' of each concept.
" On defense, conversely, the goal is to blow it all up. As they worked in shells — shoulder pads and helmets — Thursday, Ford saw things on both sides of the ball that were encouraging. On offense, Wood, a redshirt junior, was mid-season sharp as a passer.