It’s a rivalry that seemingly makes too much sense not to play.
The game, which has been played 90 times before, is the “Battle of the Palouse” between Idaho and Washington State and is the football manifestation of the student-body rivalry between the two campuses, which stand only eight miles apart.
For ambiguous reasons the rivalry had been put on halt, believed to be former Idaho coach Robb Akey’s preference not to play the school he was an assistant at for eight seasons.
That is until Saturday, when the two programs will jump start the rivalry at Pullman’s Martin Stadium for the first time since 2007.
Kick-off is 7:30 p.m.
“They’ve been trying to schedule this game since I’ve been here,” senior tight end Michael LaGrone said. “They’ve said we’re going to play them and we never have, never have. Now we’re finally playing them, we’re all ready, I’m ready. We’ve been looking forward to this for a long time.”
While nobody currently on Idaho’s staff has coached or played in a Battle of the Palouse, connections on both sides of the border are excited to take part in the revival of the bout.
“This is what it’s all about,” said Bryce Erickson, Idaho quarterbacks coach and son of former Idaho and Washington State coach Dennis Erickson. “For me being raised both in Moscow and Pullman it’s very special to me, and I’m proud to be on this side living in Moscow coaching for the Vandals. I’m excited about the opportunity.”
Playing for Dennis Erickson while at Washington State was Idaho defensive coordinator Ronnie Lee, who has yet to step foot in Martin Stadium since graduating in 1989.
“I have not been over to see it, I’ve driven by it once or twice, and it looks great,” Lee said of the newly-renovated stadium.
The actual feeling of a rivalry has been overall absent, though. Washington State is on its second year of the Mike Leach rebuilding plan, coming into the weekend riding two straight wins. Idaho is looking for win No. 1 under Paul Petrino.
“They’ve done a real good job, they’re probably a little bit ahead of schedule, probably going through a little bit last year what we’re going through right now, but they’re a little bit ahead of schedule,” Petrino said.
The lack of a rivalry feeling between players and coaches isn’t surprising. The lull in the rivalry has transcended coaching staffs on both sides of the border. Emotions may run high, but the greater goals for both programs transcend whatever feeling of rivalry that may exist. Washington State wants to play in a bowl game in 2013, Idaho wants a statement win.
“It’s cool. I have family on both sides of it, I grew up in this culture and what not,” center Mike Marboe said. “So it’s cool. But you can’t make it too much of a big deal. You have to treat it like another game and prepare well and it’s going to be high emotion, no doubt.”
Consistency, picking opportunities the key
To say Mike Leach likes to pass might be the biggest under-statement in college football. Cougar quarterback Connor Halliday has notched 144 pass attempts in three games and has only been sacked six times. A lot of that is how quickly Washington State gets rid of the ball. Idaho will be transitioning from athletic quarterbacks who like to manipulate running lanes to a tall, lanky passer who prefers to stand in the pocket.
“We’ve seen it all this season,” Lee said. “… You have to pick and choose a time when it’s time to pressure and when it’s time to play zone, that’s the key. And it’s a process you go through, you just play one play, one play at a time.”
Last week Idaho played defense on Northern Illinois’ Jordan Lynch by keeping him on the sideline. When the offense was rolling the Vandals were eating chunks of clock to the tune of 19 minutes in the first half. For that to happen an offensive line that has given up 21 sacks the first three games will be counted on to give quarterbacks Chad Chalich and Josh McCain time to operate, which is what happened in the first half last Saturday.
“You got to be able to see blitzes and anticipate them, and that’s something we have to get fixed, and we will. It’s a big emphasis of ours this week,” Marboe said. “It’s a little bit of film. It’s more just going against it, getting our reps at it … The more your rep something the better you get at it, that’s what coach Carvin is trying to get done.”
Another guarantee
This doesn’t quite have the feel of Idaho’s normal “money” games, does it? Well, it is one. Washington State accounts for $550,000 of the approximately $2.3 million Idaho will receive in 2013 “guarantee games.”
Will the rivalry continue? Petrino said it depends on what Idaho’s schedule looks like with its Sun Belt schedule, but that he’d like to see either the Battle of the Palouse or the Governor’s Cup against Boise State back on the schedule on a regular basis.
It’s unlikely either of those match-ups would occur at the Kibbie Dome.
Sean Kramer can be reached at [email protected]