If getting spanked at home by a team they were favored to beat didn’t light a fire under the Idaho Vandals, well ...

“I feel that our team is a lot more motivated now,” Idaho senior running back Aaron Duckworth said earlier this week, reflecting on last Saturday’s 44-16 drubbing by UNLV in the Kibbie Dome.

“UNLV is a team we definitely could have beat, and I feel we definitely beat ourselves.”

Idaho managed just three first-half points, and trailed 34-10 after three quarters at home to a team that had lost at home the previous week to a 45-point underdog.

“We had a lot of missed assignments,” Vandal senior defensive lineman Arie Anderson said. “We didn’t execute like we should. Kinda started slow.”

This week, Idaho (1-1) travels to Kalamazoo, Mich., to face Western Michigan (0-2).

The Broncos played USC and Michigan State tough in their first two games this season, following a Cotton Bowl appearance last year.

“I feel that they’re another obstacle in our way; nothing we should be intimidated by,” Duckworth said.

“We just didn’t come out fast enough (vs. UNLV), and they came out fast. This week we’ve definitely got to step on the pedal faster.”