Short weeks can throw anybody off. Even coaches who have been through them before.

“As coaches you have to do about 3-4 days (of work) in 1 1/2 days,” Idaho coach Paul Petrino said Tuesday, during his weekly meeting with area reporters. “That’s why i almost didn’t come down here — I thought it was Thursday.”

Nope, Thursday’s actually Saturday this week.

Barring another mechanical malfunction with the plane, the Vandals (3-5, 2-2 Sun Belt) are already in Troy, Ala., for tonight’s ESPNU clash with the Trojans (6-2, 3-1).

Troy made headlines earlier this year by upsetting LSU in Baton Rouge. But the Trojans also lost to South Alabama, a team Idaho beat in double overtime.

“This is a game we’ve had marked on our calendars,” Idaho junior linebacker Tony Lashley said. “We know this and App State were going to be our two biggest matchups. We match up well with them.”

Troy runs a ball-control offense, with short passes complementing the running game.

“They do a good job of spreading the field, and when the box is light, then they have those big backs that run downhill,” Petrino said.

“What we’ve preached all seasons is winning third downs,” Lashley said. “It’s one of those offenses if you keep giving them chances, you’ll pay for it.”

The Vandals will face another veteran quarterback in Brandon Silvers, a four-year starter.

“That’s the way the league is this year,” Petrino said. “There’s a bunch of quarterbacks, it seems like you’ve played against them forever.”

Two years ago, the Vandals got a late start for Alabama because of plane issues, and didn’t land down there until morning, giving them little time to get ready for a mid-afternoon game. Somehow, Idaho won 19-16.

“That was probably as a big a turning point as we’ve had here,” Petrino said. “Our players realized how tough they were, how hard they worked and were able to overcome obstacles.”

The Idaho-Troy game is one of four games scheduled to be televised tonight, and the one with the latest kickoff.

Vandal senior wide receiver Alfonso Onunwor downplayed the short week, and the national spotlight.

“It’s all good. We feel good, and we’re ready to go,” he said. “To me, any kickoff is nice when I can go out there and play.”