After an abysmal start to the season, Idaho (4-5, 4-2) has seemingly turned its season around in the past month. Now, with a chance to extend its winning streak to four games and strengthen its position in the FCS playoff race, the Vandals face one of their most important tests of the season against their closest conference rival.
The Vandals welcome the Eastern Washington Eagles (2-7, 1-5) to the P1FCU Kibbie Dome on Saturday for the annual battle for the Che-Scow Cup.
The Vandals have won four of their last five games, including three consecutive conference victories. Their latest came in a convincing 38-14 road win over Portland State, where quarterback Joshua Wood accounted for four touchdowns and the defense held the Vikings to just 13 rushing yards.
Head coach Thomas Ford Jr. said the team’s continued improvement has been a point of emphasis throughout the season, particularly as the Vandals enter the final stretch of their schedule.
“Don’t look at their record because they’re very dangerous,” Ford said of Eastern Washington. “They have a phenomenal quarterback in Nate Bell. One of the best quarterbacks in this league as far as a dual-threat guy.”
Bell has been the centerpiece of the Eagles’ offense, throwing for 2,482 yards and 19 touchdowns while leading the team in rushing with 384 yards and eight scores. His ability to make plays with both his arm and legs presents a challenge for an Idaho defense that has shown significant improvement over the past several weeks.
“He’s a guy that I think is super tough,” Ford said. “He got sacked 11 times last week and just kept on swinging and kept them in that football game.”
The Vandals will need to limit Bell’s opportunities while finding ways to create turnovers. Eastern Washington has struggled to protect the football at times, and Ford labeled the turnover battle as one of the most important factors in Saturday’s matchup.
Idaho’s defense enters the matchup after its best performance of the season against the run. The Vandals have also found success getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks, recording four sacks and eight tackles for loss against Portland State.
Ford credited the improvement of Idaho’s secondary, particularly its safeties, with allowing the defensive line to become more effective.
“I think we’ve really kind of simplified it for our kids, and I think you’ve seen them play a lot faster as a result,” Ford said.
Wood and the Vandals’ offense have been stellar during the winning streak. Wood ranks fourth nationally in total offense, averaging 325.6 yards per game. Against Portland State, he threw for 303 yards and three touchdowns while adding a rushing score.
Ryan Jezioro also enters Saturday coming off a career performance. He caught five passes for 194 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings, giving Idaho another explosive threat downfield. Tony Harste, who has averaged 86.7 receiving yards per game despite missing time with an injury, is expected to return against the Eagles.
Eastern Washington’s defense has struggled statistically, allowing 38.6 points per game, but Ford cautioned against judging the group solely by its numbers. The Eagles have created turnovers throughout the season.
“They’re incredibly disruptive,” Ford said. “They’re a physical group.”
Idaho leads the all-time series 20-10, but the Eagles claimed a 21-14 victory in Cheney last season. The Eagles took the Che-Scow Cup from the Vandals, and Ford said the result has remained on the minds of returning players.
“It’s easy to say this is just like every other game, but it’s not. It’s a big-time rivalry game,” Ford said. “Motivation on either side will be an issue this weekend.”
Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. PT, with the game airing on ESPN+ and SWX.