Vandals welcome Northern Arizona homecoming

MOSCOW, Idaho – Idaho returns to the P1FCU Kibbie Dome for just its second game of the season, but will face its fourth consecutive team when it hosts 24th-ranked newcomer Northern Arizona in Moscow. Idaho head coach Jason Eck compares Northern Arizona to the Idaho 2022 squad, which made a playoff appearance in its first season under corner. The Lumberjacks, under first-year coach Brian Wright, earned an impressive win over Sacramento State in their Big Sky opener. The Vandals are 3-2 after a late comeback against UC Davis failed.

ABOUT IDAHO: The Vandals' five opponents were either FCS teams or FBS opponents, with four of the first five playing on the road, leaving Idaho 3-2 after the difficult stretch. Keyshawn James Newby is second in the FCS with 6.5 sacks in five games. The Vandals rank fifth in the FCS in sacks as a team despite playing two FBS teams with a strong tradition of offensive line play. quarterback Jack Wagner was solid, picking up wins in his first three starts. Nate Thomas Lead the Vandals with four rushing touchdowns this season Jordan Dwyer has three receiving TDS.

ABOUT NORTHERN ARIZONA: Quarterback Ty Pennington came with Wright from DII Pitt State and justified the move to FCS football. So far this season he has thrown for 843 yards and six touchdowns with no interceptions. He has distributed the ball to 14 different receivers and 12 different players have rushing yards. Alex McLaughlin leads the defense with 34 total tackles and 3.5 sacks this year. Brian Wright comes to Idaho after compiling a 33-8 record at Pitt State. He is an experienced coach who has been coaching since the mid-90s and has been the head coach since 2020.

 

CHOOSE SIX

1. ECK'S VANDALS OVERFLOW THE MOUNTAIN WEST AGAIN: Idaho is now 2-0 in games against Mountain West programs Jason Eck after defeating Wyoming 17-13 last Saturday in Laramie. The Vandals have given up a total of just 19 points in two games against Mountain West opponents over the last two seasons and have allowed just one touchdown between the two games. The win helps put Idaho in a great position to advance to the FCS portion of the schedule.

2. STREET WARRIOR: Idaho is at home at the P1FCU Kibbie Dome after playing four of its first five away games to start the season. The Vandals played consecutive FBS opponents at Oregon and Wyoming before hosting a ranked UAlbany team at the P1FCU Kibbie Dome before traveling to Abilene Christian. The Vandals have a 3-2 record in their first five games after coming off a loss at UC Davis. In the first two seasons under coach Eck, Idaho won as many road games (eight) as in the previous six seasons.

3. YOUTH IN INJURY: There are 54 offensive players listed on Idaho's roster. First: transfer tight end Mike Martínezis listed as senior. Of the 54, 46 are listed as freshmen or sophomores. The youth movement in Idaho's offense is real, but the talent to match is there after the Vandals compiled top-10 recruiting classes in the FCS each of the last two years.

4. START Freshman: Starting quarterback to open the season Jack Layne was injured in the fourth quarter of Idaho's season opener at Oregon. He is expected to be out for an extended period of time, which opens the door for redshirt freshmen Jack Wagner take the starting role. Wagner started the Wyoming game with his first eight passes before finishing the game 12-for-21 for 101 yards and a touchdown. He threw no interceptions and was sacked only once in the 17-13 season. He had another solid performance against UAlbany, throwing for 156 yards and two touchdowns. Idaho is 5-1 under corner as the season-opening backup QBs start the game.

5. EXPERIENCE IN THE TRENCHES: Idaho has swapped starters at nearly every qualifying position on offense, both at corner and two of three linebackers, but the lineup is a different story. Seven of last season's 10 offensive linemen return, including four starters. On defense, six of the eight return, including all four starters from last season. Last year, nine of the 10 players on the O-line depth chart were freshmen or sophomores, and while there still isn't a single senior on the O-line, the group has the playing experience of a much older team.

6. DOMINANT D-LINE: Idaho's defensive line has shown it can play with anyone. It faced two strong FBS units and came away with seven sacks in a Big Sky Conference win. Keyshawn James Newby is second in the FCS with 6.5 total sacks in three games, surpassing his total of five sacks all of last year. The Vandals held Oregon to just 24 points, the first time an FCS team held Oregon to under 35 points. As a result, both teams remained scoreless in the third quarter and Wyoming only managed one touchdown on the day. Dallas Afalava has two tackles for loss, a sack and a fumble recovery. Idaho did not allow a touchdown from the first quarter of the Wyoming game until the final minutes of the UAlbany game. The Vandals also held UC Davis to just 26 rushing yards.