For a team with just one victory at this point of the season, success is measured by winning individual battles, and getting a little bit better each week.

The Idaho Vandal football team travels to New Mexico State on Saturday, looking for a victory to send them into the offseason with at least some momentum to build on for next year.

Both teams, past Western Athletic Conference foes and independents this year, who both join the Sun Belt Conference next year in football, are 1-10 coming into the season finale.

“It would be a huge difference for us going into the offseason,” Idaho coach Paul Petrino said. “I think it would give you great momentum going into the offseason, working out, just believing in everything you’re doing. To be honest with you, the guys that are left here, the guys that are practicing, you always talk about those private victories, but we’re getting to where they’re learning how to practice every day where they’re really bought in, and it would be huge to help them buy in even more to finish the season with a win.”

A total of 15 freshmen have played for the Vandals this season, giving Petrino hope for the future. Two of them, of course, are redshirt freshmen from Coeur d’Alene High in quarterback Chad Chalich and wide receiver Deon Watson. Two that Petrino mentioned on Monday, in his weekly news conference with area media, were a pair of offensive linemen — guard Steven Matlock and tackle Mason Woods.

“Probably as much as anything, our guys have continued to show up and practice hard,” he said. “And the ones that are left have a good attitude ... and we’ve gotten better. We’ve improved each week.”

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Speaking of Chalich ... : Petrino said Chalich, who started Idaho’s first seven games but suffered a shoulder injury early in that seventh game and hasn’t played since, probably won’t play in Saturday’s finale.

“Chad’s been working hard each week,” Petrino said. “He’s being doing the rehab about as hard as you can do it, trying to give it everything he’s had for this team to try to get back ... I would say it’s 50/50, but I wouldn’t expect him to play.”

Chalich’s stats to date: 113 completions in 184 attempts for 1,224 yards and five touchdowns, with three interceptions. Also, he rushed for 423 gross yards, 212 net.

If Chalich doesn’t start, senior Taylor Davis would start his fifth straight game for the Vandals. Petrino has praised the play of late by Davis, who started four games in his career prior to this season.

“He’s stepped up his focus,” Petrino said. “When he stays focused, and he really understands what’s going on. He can throw the ball, he’s talented, he’s just got to stay focused and believe in his eyes and what he sees. But he’s worked hard, and I think he’s improved every week. He threw for 300 yards the week before (against Old Dominion), and he’s done some really good things for us. I’m proud of him.”

Aftermath of Florida State: Petrino listed five Vandals who he thought played well in last Saturday’s 80-14 loss to the No. 2 Seminoles in Tallahassee — receiver/kick returner Dezmon Epps, wide receiver Najee Lovett, cornerback Roman Runner, linebacker Marc Millan and running back Richard Montgomery.

To be honest with you, we played harder and tougher in that game than we did (against) Washington State or Fresno (State),” Petrino said.

Runner, a senior and a junior college transfer, was a wide receiver his first 1 1/2 season with the Vandals, before switching to defense.

“He came to me and wanted to go over there, wanted to help the team,” Petrino said. “Very unselfish, wanted to do everything he could to help us win ... that’s a game tape he’ll have to save for the rest of his life. He can always put that on and show how well he played against the No. 2 team in the country. Roman’s just a tough kid and a competitor, and I was just very happy for him, and hopefully he can come out and finish with back-to-back good games. 

“Any time you have a kid that comes in and wants to do what’s best for the team, and then goes out there and backs it up, you’ve just got to take your hat off to Roman. I said it to the team last (Sunday) night, if we can get everyone to play the way Dezmon Epps, Najee Lovett, Roman Runner and Marc Millan played in that last game, you can probably throw in Richard Montgomery, when we get all 22 guys playing like that, that’s when we’ll be in great shape.”

Looking ahead to next year: Idaho had a bye week the week before the Florida State game, and Vandal assistant coaches spent several days on the road recruiting. Once Saturday’s game in Las Cruces, N.M., ends, Petrino and the Vandal assistants will switch full force into recruiting mode.

Asked what Idaho’s recruiting needs were, Petrino said “we need help at every position,” and added they plan to sign 10 or 11 junior college players.

“We need to fill some holes,” Petrino said. “We need to make competition at every single position, and we need it because there’s hardly anyone (14 players) left in that sophomore class. That’ll be the starting point. We’re probably going to go hard at defensive back, we need help there, we need a couple defensive linemen, a couple linebackers. 

“Offensively, we definitely need to get a couple JC O-linemen to come in here, just to make more competition, even though we’ve had about nine guys play there this year,” he added. “I’d like to get one great receiver. We already have a couple of high school receivers committed, maybe one great JC receiver, and probably a junior college running back.”