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	Sunday, September 3 Schedule hurts Idaho's chances of winning mark
	By Mike Sorensen Special to ESPN.com Idaho Vandals 1999 record: 7-4 (4-2 Big West) Coach: Tom Cable Returning starters: 14 (7 offense, 7 defense) Outlook John Welsh is the starter at quarterback after sitting out half of last season because of a broken ankle. Anthony Tenner and Willie Alderson bring experience to the running back position, while Chris Lacy leads a talented group of receivers. Lacy was a second-team all-Big West performer as a kick returner, where he led the league with a 27.9 average. Also back are Jeffrey Townsley and Rossi Martin, the top two receivers from a year ago and tight end Mike Roberg, a second-team all-league selection in '99. The defense is led by linebacker Chris Nofoaiga, who earned Big West defensive player of the year honors as a junior. The Vandals also have two of the top returning defensive linemen in the Big West in Ryan Knowles and Will Beck and three returning starters in the secondary in Dennis Gibbs, Cleavon Bradshaw and Brad Rice. Placekicker Ben Davis has one of the strongest legs in America (a 62-yard field goal in junior college, 55- and 52-yarders the past two years), but needs to work on his consistency. Keep an eye on ... Senior linebacker Chris Nofoaiga. He earned Big West defensive player of the year honors in 1999 after leading the league in sacks with 10 and finishing second in the league in tackles with 11 per game. He also returned two fumbles for touchdowns. Nofoaiga will be the anchor to a defense that returns seven starters. It's a good season if ... The Vandals can produce a winning record. Sure they play a pair of Big Sky schools in Montana and Montana State, neither of which is a pushover, but the rest of their non-league schedule is brutal. They play three Pac-10 schools -- Washington, Oregon and Washington State -- on the road, along with West Virginia away from home. They'll almost have to run the table in league play to end up with a winning overall mark.		AROUND THE BIG WEST Arkansas St. Boise St. Idaho New Mexico St. North Texas Utah St. ALSO SEE Final season in wild Big West