Sep. 12—MOSCOW, Idaho — On their second trip from New York to Moscow in two years, Albany University offensive linemen may be approaching Idaho’s senior edge rusher Keyshawn James-Newby with admiration akin to awe.
Against third-ranked Oregon, of the Big 10, against whom he got two sacks, and against Mountain West foe Wyoming, where he got three (almost four if an offsides call had gone his way) James-Newby has shown he can be as instant as a beam of light in getting into opponents’ backfields and disrupting plays at the Football Bowl Championship level, the highest level of college football.
The Vandals in their home opener Saturday entertain the 1-1 Great Danes, who knocked Idaho out of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs in the second round last year, 30-22. But James-Newby is not dismissing Idaho’s first game against an FCS foe after two weeks of standing up to FBS competition following a narrow 10-point loss to the Ducks, 24-14, and a 17-13 upset of the Cowboys, as a step down in quality.
“What is the expression? Hard work beats talent. It doesn’t matter if it is FBS or FCS. It is how much effort you put in,” James-Newby says. At 6-2, 240, he is no giant at defensive end himself, and he does not plan to come up short in effort against Albany.
The Big Sky Conference co-defensive player of the week, following his work against Wyoming, James-Newby left practice Wednesday like a guy who had just finished an especially grueling shift in a mine or similar grinding occupation. He had shucked his shoulder pads late in the workout and spent the remainder of it making big arm swings to convince a trainer that his shoulder was still functional. But he shrugged off the medical attention.
“I rolled it wrong,” James-Newby said matter-of-factly of his injury and asserted he is good to go against the Great Danes.
While he is the face of a deep defensive line rotation for the Vandals this season, James-Newby demurs that Idaho’s outstanding defensive performances in its first two games is all about him.
One of his teammates, 6-1 290-pound sophomore tackle Dallas Afalava, like James-Newby a preseason all-Big Sky Conference defensive player, characterizes James-Newby as “a big character, and he can back it up, too.”
For his part, James-Newby says of playing next to guys like Afalava “it’s lit to have the people next to you as good as you.”
This is the second year he and James-Newby have played on Idaho’s line together, Afalava says, and they are building chemistry as an offense-wrecking unit. So far this year, Jame-Newby has 10 total tackles including his 5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles. However, with 6 tackles, including 2 tackles for loss, a sack and a fumble recovery, Afalava makes offenses pay if they routinely assign extra blockers to James-Newby.
“We just came together,” Alafava says of their partnership in mayhem.
He chuckles and says “no,” he doesn’t feel he has any ownership in James-Newby’s sacks, but James-Newby says of all his linemates “I need all three of these guys to go as crazy and as hard as me. All of that matters.”
Idaho’s defense may have to carry the Vandals against Albany since Idaho’s quarterback rotation is getting tested. First-game starter Jack Layne was knocked out late in the second half against Oregon with a broken collar bone. Redshirt freshman backup Jack Wagner mopped up against the Ducks and led Idaho over Wyoming, until he went out in the final six minutes of that game himself with a shoulder sprain.
Another redshirt freshman, Nick Josifek, finished up against the Cowboys. Behind him, the Vandals have a pair of true freshmen. Rocco Koch was at least recruited at a quarterback. Matt Irwin, who was recruited at a safety, played quarterback in high school and has been working with the quarterbacks this week in practice.
Wagner has been able to practice this week, though, and Idaho coach Jason Eck holds out hope that he will be available against the Great Danes.
Neither James-Newby nor Afalava dwells on the fact that Albany ended Idaho’s season last year in the Kibbie Dome. Afalava says that in his second season as a starter he has more responsibilities than he did a year ago but claims “there is no personal agenda for anybody.”
James-Newby agrees. “I think it is going to be real exciting,” he says of the game. “But is a regular game. There is no revenge.”
However, after coming home following two weeks on the road “I am excited to see our fans,” he says. With a Vandals crowd having learned to appreciate what an outstanding defense Idaho has this year, James-Newby figures “we get the noise now.”
