It’s not Homecoming Week, but it might feel like it for Idaho quarterback Nathan Enderle.
Enderle grew up in Western Nebraska hoping to become a college quarterback, but knowing that his pass-first mentality didn’t mesh well with the run-heavy offense employed by the Cornhuskers of his youth.
So the North Platte native left home for Idaho, taking over a squad that was consistently among the nation’s worst and helping turn the Vandals into a bowl team with a prolific passing offense.
On Saturday, Enderle will take the field at Memorial Stadium to play the team he grew up cheering for.
He said he’s excited to compete in front of friends who haven’t been able to make the 1,200-mile trek from North Platte to Moscow, Idaho, but can handle the short drive to Lincoln.
“It’s going to be fun,” he said.
“It’s a great opportunity for my friends and family to come watch me live. A lot of them haven’t gotten to see me play before, so it’s a good deal.”
Now in his fourth year as the Vandals’ starter, many project Enderle to be picked early in next spring’s NFL Draft.
That’s a big leap for a quarterback who was the subject of intense criticism after Idaho won a combined three games in his first two seasons.
“My first two years, we didn’t have the success the fans wanted, so you know the first person they look at is the quarterback,” Enderle said. “I just try to brush that stuff off now.”
After dismantling North Dakota 45-0 and racking up 547 yards on offense last week, Enderle said his team is finally able to play a full game.
“We showed some flashes of being a good football team for the first two years, but we couldn’t go 60 minutes,” he said.
“When we played bad, we played real bad. People would hang four touchdowns in a row on us, and then you’re kind of out of the game.
“Our mindset changed, and we’re locked in for all 60 minutes.”
That philosophy showed itself in the 60th minute of last year’s Humanitarian Bowl.
Enderle clinched the 43-42 win over Bowling Green by leading the Vandals the length of the field in 34 seconds to a touchdown and two-point conversion.
None of that surprises Todd Rice, Enderle’s coach for one season at North Platte High.
Rice, who now coaches in Kansas, said Enderle was able to master his offense quickly when he took over.
“He really jumped in to learn the offense,” Rice said.
“Just a real high IQ guy. (Enderle) was a guy that could really carry that over and translate it.”
Rice also complimented Enderle’s easygoing personality, saying that despite being lightly recruited out of high school, he doesn’t hold a grudge.
For his part, Enderle said he isn’t bothered by the fact former Nebraska coach Bill Callahan didn’t offer him a scholarship.
“It’s their scholarship to hand out,” he said.
“I got a scholarship here at Idaho, and it’s been a really good spot for me.”
Enderle ranked fifth in the nation last year with a 122.37 quarterback rating and 15th in passing yards per game.
After calling last week’s defensive effort against Western Kentucky an “absolute embarrassment,” NU coach Bo Pelini said his team will be prepared for Enderle.
That said, Pelini has been impressed with the Idaho quarterback.
“I think he’s a good player,” Pelini said.
“He understands the offense. He makes good decisions. He’s pretty accurate.”
Nebraska defensive tackle Jared Crick, who once met Enderle at a track meet back in high school, said the Huskers feel confident facing an offense focused on pocket passing like Idaho’s.
“The fact that he is more of a pro-style quarterback, he is going to sit in the pocket,” Crick said.
“That definitely gives us an advantage of working our moves and hoping that he is going to stay stationary in the pocket. That will just give us a target.”
And while Enderle is excited to play close to home, he said he’s approaching the game just like any other and embracing the fact that most people think the No. 6 Huskers will win big.
“I don’t really care what fans or critics are going to say,” he said.
“My whole life I’ve been kind of an underdog, so I go into it preparing like any other game.”