The Vandals have figured out a formula: take a bad WAC opponent, subtract Nathan Enderle, and you get acceptable single-digit losses and occasional wins. Brilliant!
Slowly, Vandal sophomore QB Nathan Enderle has been excluded from the Idaho offense, much to the delight of the team's win-loss record. Enderle's season high in passing was in September against Western Michigan in a game the Vandals lost 51-28. Since then, he has become less and less a factor to the point that he did not even muster 20 pass attempts in Idaho's last two games against San Jose State and New Mexico State.
What's the reason behind the sudden drop in passing plays? It's twofold.
- The running game. The Vandals have been successful on the ground the past few weeks, and it has taken the pressure off of Enderle to have to win games with his arm.
- Enderle cannot win games with his arm.
The second reason probably outweighs the first, and it is probably something that Robb Akey and staff discovered unwittingly halfway through the year. In games that Enderle attempts fewer than 20 passes, the Vandals are 2-1 and have outscored opponents 86-71. In games where Enderle attempts 20 or more passes, the Vandals are the Vandals.
In other words, all the Broncos have to do on Saturday is let Idaho pass and everything will work out just fine.
Read more: Nathan Enderle stats [ESPN.com]