Juco imports give UI a boost

Harry · April 7, 2013

MOSCOW, Idaho – By his third day on the job, Paul Petrino had seen enough in the weight room and in running drills to make one definitive judgment: The Vandals badly needed junior-college running backs and linebackers.

Idaho ended up bringing in five early JC enrollees to compete for starting jobs at the two positions. And after Saturday’s sun-splashed scrimmage, the first of the spring, Petrino said it was the best move he and his staff have made.

“Thank God we did,” he said, “because the ones we got are really good players and we would have been in big trouble if we hadn’t done that.”

No junior-college addition stood out more than running back Kris Olugbode, who rumbled for 108 yards, scored four touchdowns and trampled two Idaho safeties in the open field. But he wasn’t the only one who opened eyes.

Running back Jerrel Brown showed a burst of speed and tough running style while rushing for 54 yards and two TDs. Linebacker Juan Martinez had a sack and returned an Austin DeCoud interception 59 yards for a TD, while Marc Millan, a 215-pound outside linebacker, led the team with 11 tackles.

Millan, Martinez and Eric Tuipulotu, all of whom signed less than three weeks after Petrino was hired in December, have done enough through five spring practices to excite the new coach. They formed the first-team linebacker crew Saturday, and they could be starters to open the season at North Texas on Aug 31.

Read more: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/mar/30/juco-imports-give-ui-boost/