Paul Petrino did not, as far as we are able to discern, find any spare assistants lurking in this overturned barrel. (AP)

By Holly Anderson

Friday night’s Idaho spring game was characterized sunnily in a school release that praised “a potent offense with a hungry, hard-hitting defense.” Today, the Vandals have found themselves still hungering on defense — for coaches. [SFX: CLOWN HORN] The school announced Monday that linebackers coach Mike Anderson and defensive line coach Patrick Libey have both left not just the Vandals, but football:

University of Idaho football assistants Mike Anderson and Patrick Libey have left the program to pursue opportunities in the private sector. Anderson was offered part ownership and is the manager of an start-up company in Lewiston. He said until the offer was presented, he never envisioned leaving coaching. [...] Libey has decided to pursue other career opportunities and extended his best wishes to Petrino and the Vandals.

Anderson and Libey were, according to Idaho’s athletic department, the only two Vandal alumni on Paul Petrino’s new staff.

Fresno State’s offense gets plenty of attention, but Phillip Thomas would have you know the Bulldogs are also ranked seventh nationally in pass efficiency defense. (Courtesy of Fresno State Athletics/Cary Edmondson)

Our weekly highlight show of lesser FBS luminaries. Non-AQs and independents, be welcome.

Profile in Ownage: Phillip Thomas, SS, Fresno State

It’s nine weeks into the first season of the Tim DeRuyter era at Fresno State, and if your thoughts turn to the Bulldogs, they probably turn to quarterback Derek Carr, the younger brother of David currently putting up more than 300 yards of offense a game, or Robbie “Mighty Mouse” Rouse, the diminutive back who scored four touchdowns in a quarter against Colorado. But as the season winds down, we’d suggest familiarizing yourselves with the body of work being assembled by senior strong safety Phillip Thomas. The Bakersfield, Calif., native has recorded an FBS-leading seven interceptions through two months of play, three of which he returned for touchdowns, and one fumble recovery. He’s also forced three fumbles, made seven tackles for loss and collected three sacks.

“This 3-4 defense that we run, we learned it from Dick LeBeau and the Steelers, and Phillip’s our Troy Polamalu,” DeRuyter told SI.com. “Where you’ve gotta have a guy who’s gonna be a difference-maker, you can blitz him, you can have him in pass coverage, you can have him as a run-force player, he can play man coverage and he can disguise everything? That guy, for us, is Phillip.”

Thomas is keying a major defensive turnaround. A team that ranked 116th nationally in turnover margin last season is up to 11th in 2012, thanks in large part to a player who spent most of his junior year watching from the sidelines on one good leg.

“I know we’ve had a reputation here offensively,” said DeRuyter. “When you’ve got players like Derek and Robbie, it’s deservedly so.

“What I think people don’t know is Phillip didn’t play a year ago.”

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• Live to win. Never forget. Robb Akey is out at Idaho, and we are sad. We will remember Akey’s time at Idaho with great fondness, entirely because of this:

• The news Nick Saban doesn’t want you to hear. The latest BCS standings have Alabama, Florida, Kansas State, Oregon and Notre Dame in the top five. Among other undefeateds: Oregon State clocks in at No. 7; Mississippi State sits at 11; Rutgers and Louisville are 15-16. The lowest-ranked undefeated team is also brand-new to the BCS standings: Ohio, in at No. 24. Also new to the standings this week: No. 22 Michigan and No. 25 Wisconsin. Falling out: Cincinnati, TCU and Iowa State. This week marks the Crimson Tide’s longest No. 1 streak in school history, but you didn’t hear that from us.

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