One of the most anticipated matchups of the season takes place Saturday when Idaho football returns to the Kibbie Dome to face off against a regional rival.
The Eastern Washington Eagles visit the Vandals for the first time since Idaho has returned to the Big Sky conference, coming into the Kibbie Dome as one of the most explosive teams across all of FCS football.
Magic of the dome: The enchanted turf of the Kibbie Dome played to Idaho’s favor once again two weeks ago, with the Vandals picking up their first win of the season.
The Vandals simply play better and seem to be more comfortable inside the familiar dome, which will be greatly needed if they want to pull off the upset against Eastern Washington on Saturday.
Starting off hot: In order to keep up against the high-octane offense the Eagles bring, Idaho needs to bring intensity and composure early on Saturday.
So far this season, the Vandals have been outscored 6-20 in the first quarter and 21-55 in the second quarter.
Taking this game one quarter at a time will be key, and now with some consistency and clarity brought for the offense with the quarterback competition finally being decided, the Vandals need to convert red zone opportunities into touchdowns rather than field goals if the Vandals want to pull off the upset.
Slow and steady wins the race: Last week Idaho thrived against Wyoming because of the downhill running slow grind that Wyoming brought on offense.
The Vandals need to hold possession as long as possible and keep the Eagle offense off the field.
The defense will do its best against the national FCS runner-up from a year ago, so the game will come down to how senior quarterback Mason Petrino and the rest of the offense can perform against a fast Eastern Washington defense.
Preparing for the red scare: Year after year, the Eagles have remained one of the most elite teams in all of FCS football.
This year, experience won’t play to the Eagles advantage after losing 27 players this past year.
This means Idaho will have to adjust to the abundance of new talent that Eastern Washington will be bringing on Saturday.
The adjustment with the new team has brought troubles for the Eagles after experiencing a tough loss last week against Jacksonville State, blowing a 28-7 lead.
With the Eagles struggling during the opening part of the season, this may be the best opportunity for the Vandals to strike and steal a win from Eastern Washington.
David vs. Goliath: The return to the Big Sky for the Vandals last season didn’t play out like many might have hoped for.
This season Idaho has a renewed focus, buying into the culture and aiming to become a better team this season.
Saturday’s game will be the most pivotal of the season, giving fans a glimpse into what kind of Vandal team we should expect for the rest of the season.
If the Vandals can pull off the unthinkable on Saturday, the rise of success may be closer than many Vandal fans might have expected.
Where to watch: If you can’t make it to the game, the renewed rivalry will be ROOT SPORTS first game of the week on Saturday, where the game being available on the network.
Idaho will play the Eastern Washington Eagles 12 p.m. Saturday in the Kibbie Dome.
Follow Vandal Nation for live tweets throughout Saturday’s game and takeaways after Saturday’s action.
Chris Deremer can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @chris_DEREMER
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Non conference?