The last time the Idaho Vandals faced off with their rivals from down the road in Pullman was during Jason Eck’s first year at the helm of the program. Despite leading by 10 after the opening quarter, the Vandals were outscored 24-7 in the remainder of the game, giving Washington State University their 10th consecutive victory over the Vandals, dating back to August 30, 2001.
Exactly 24 years after the first of these 10 Cougar victories, the Vandals kick off their season eight miles west on Highway 8 in what is anticipated to be an extremely competitive opening weekend showdown. Both teams are beginning new chapters within their respective programs, and they both have new head coaches who have everything to prove in this year’s edition of the Battle of the Palouse at Martin Stadium.
The Cougars’ new coach, Jimmy Rogers, formerly of South Dakota State University, takes the reins of a storied WSU program as they enter their final season as members of the “PAC 2.”
On the other side, the Vandals have an all new coaching staff, led by head coach Thomas Ford Jr., who has gone to great lengths to build a winning roster while maintaining Idaho’s championship culture. Under Eck, Idaho has clinched three consecutive FCS postseason berths, with Ford being on the staff for two of those three years.
Former Vandal gunslinger Matt Linehan was promoted from wide receivers’ coach to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks’ coach when Ford was hired. The new defensive coordinator, Cort Dennison, comes to Idaho after serving as the linebackers’ coach at Missouri State University.
In 2024, the Vandals had their third double-digit win season in program history, were a perfect 6-0 at home and won a home playoff game for the second consecutive season. As expected, this led to some key departures, including big names like Jack Layne, Keyshawn James-Newby, Deshaun Buchanan, Jordan Dwyer, Mark Hamper, Zach Johnson, Ayden Knapik and Dallas Afalava.
Though several of the players on last year’s team followed Eck to New Mexico and other key contributors hit the transfer portal, the Vandals have the second-most returning players among all Big Sky teams.
Ford emphasized the importance of the leadership roles that his returners have embraced, specifically captain Nate Azzopardi, wideout Emmerson Cortez-Menjivar, linebacker Isaiah King and the entire running back room.
“Leadership is going to be critical for us all season,” Ford said.
The Vandals enter 2025 ranked 12th in the AFCA FCS Preseason Coaches’ Poll. After finishing in the top three in the Big Sky in each of the last two seasons, Idaho is predicted by the Big Sky Coaches’ Poll to finish fifth. While he acknowledged the firepower that the team lost in the offseason, Ford believes this roster has the potential to be more physically dominant in the trenches.
“We want to be a physical team,” Ford said. “That is our number one thing in terms of our identity on the field.”
6’3”, 230-pound defensive end Donovan Parham, who is the only active player to have won the battle axe twice during camp, will replace James-Newby as the team’s juggernaut pass rusher.
While teams typically enter a rebuilding phase in the first year under new management, Ford emphasized that this team is not a rebuild. Ford also believes what sets this roster apart is the explosiveness of the offense and an increased focus on disciplined play.
“Those two things stand out to me as things we need to improve upon,” Ford said. “The progress overall has been very good. I think we’re right where we want to be.”
One of the biggest developments coming out of fall camp was the announcement of the team’s starting quarterback, Fresno State transfer Joshua Wood.
Wood, who the Vandals acquired later in this year’s transfer window, won the job over returning redshirt sophomores Jack Wagner and Nick Josifek.
There was intense competition in the quarterback room throughout Wood’s early months in Moscow, but he officially won the competition on Aug. 3. Wood likes the Vandals’ offense because “we can do anything and everything.”
Ford considers Wood to be a hard worker who doesn’t have an ego. Though Idaho has had an explosive passing offense for the last few years, due to Wood’s dual-threat ability, he has the potential to take over the game and open up more opportunities in the run game.
“We wanted to find a veteran guy and Joshua came along,” Ford said. “The relationship I’ve had with him in the past, it was kind of a match made in heaven. I don’t think we could’ve found a better guy.”
Both Ford and Wood mentioned that upon Wood’s arrival, his primary objective was to develop chemistry with his new team. Wood says it was a natural transition because of his previous relationships with many of the players on the team.
“I’ve known a couple of these guys, so meshing and gelling with them has been no problem,” Wood said. “The team welcomed me with open arms. The more you know your teammates, the harder they are going to play for you.”
One of the biggest losses from last year’s roster to this year’s is in the receiving core. Hamper and Dwyer were responsible for nearly 70% of the team’s receiving yards, meaning that for the second consecutive year, Idaho has some big shoes to fill in the wideout room.
After being asked several questions about the difference between Fresno and Moscow, and between the 2024 Vandals and the 2025 Vandals, Wood said he doesn’t like making comparisons.
“Coach Ford is doing a great thing here. Last year’s team and this year’s team, we don’t want to go back and forth and make that a discussion,” Wood said. “I don’t think there needs to be a comparison between Fresno and Idaho. We got guys here, and at the end of the day, we’re going to make plays and continue to move forward.”
The game against Washington State will kick off at 7 p.m. Aug. 30 and is viewable on the CW Network.
Liam Bradford can be reached at [email protected].