The casual observer notes the long passes being completed, the receivers running free through the secondary, and the gaudy passing numbers given up by the Idaho defense.

Vandals coach Robb Akey sees that as well, but he also sees the problem as more of a team effort - his team needs to put more pressure on the quarterback.

"I'm very disappointed that we only have two sacks (on the season)," Akey said the other day, in his weekly teleconference with local media. "That's obviously not good enough. Those long balls are harder to complete when the quarterback is under duress. That's something that we've got to get better at.

"I think we need to pitch a fit a little bit better (up front) so we can get off those protection blocks better than we have been, but we do need to make our presence felt on that quarterback better than we have been. And we're not going to be shy about bringing pressure."

Idaho (1-3) is giving up an average of 301.8 passing yards this season - though the Vandals do have five interceptions. Akey says he'll try man-to-man pressure, zone pressure - whatever works, starting at Virginia (2-2).

"When we're in man pressure, I'm very well aware that we're putting corners on islands," Akey said. He added the pass rushers have to make sure "we don't let that island become Gilligan's Island and lasting forever. We need to make that be a short period of time. We have to improve at that, point blank. It's got to be better. I'm one that felt it was going to be better coming into the season. We've got to have a more successful pass rush, there's no question about that."

Akey said offensive lineman Jordan Johnson, out with an injury the past couple weeks, possibly could return this week, as could injured running back Ryan Bass, the Vandals' top rusher with a pedestrian 117 yards in three games, who was sidelined last week.

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