A rising young gunslinger and an influx of juco vets in the secondary should put the Vandals in better position to keep games close and maybe even steal an extra win or two (trips to USC and Auburn not included).

Offense

How the Vandals beat you: Paul Petrino, like big bro Bobby, wants to air it out. He’ll

loosen the reins on sophomore QB Matt Linehan, whose dad, Scott, is the OC of the Dallas Cowboys. As a redshirt freshman, Linehan had 231 passing ypg and a frustrating 18 picks. Idaho loses top WR Joshua McCain, but senior Dezmon Epps, the top WR in ’13, is back after a season-long suspension.

How you beat the Vandals: “We did a good job throwing the ball and started running better,” Petrino says. “We just need the balance and ability to do both to take pressure off the QB.” While there was balance (nearly 50-50 run-to-pass), a lack of consistency led to a stacked box: Idaho allowed 41 sacks (second most in the Sun Belt) and gained 3.6 yards per rush (third fewest).

Defense

How the Vandals beat you: After giving up 37 ppg in ’14, Petrino hired Wazzu D-coordinator Mike Breske, who will switch to a 3-4 scheme to take advantage of his unit’s speed rushers. Seniors LB Marc Millan and DE Quinton Bradley combined for 26 tackles for loss and 7 1/2 sacks.

How you beat the Vandals: Don’t be afraid to swing for the fences: Idaho gave up a Sun Belt–worst 64 plays of 20-plus yards, including 16 of 50-plus (only three FBS teams surrendered more). The majority of those home runs were through the air, and Petrino hopes his juco CB transfers -- Isaiah Taylor (Sacramento City College), Kendrick Trotter (San Joaquin Delta College) and Dontavius Hampton (Mesa College) -- will provide some big-play relief.