Even in what has been a losing season to date, you take your motivation wherever you can get it.

The movitation for the Idaho Vandals (2-5, 0-3 Big Sky) today against Idaho State (3-3, 2-1) — it’s an in-state matchup, it’s a game in the Kibbie Dome ... and, oh yeah, there’s last year game at Holt Arena in Pocatello, where the Bengals trounced the Vandals 62-28.

“I don’t want to necessarily say it, but you hate these guys,” Idaho junior nose guard Rahsaan Crawford said. “That’s what I been telling the guys — the season might not be going the way we wanted it to, but when it comes down to the state of Washington, and the state of Idaho, as far as FCS football, who runs it ... we’ve already got the battle of the palouse (a win over Eastern Washington) under our belt, now we’ve got to get the Battle of the Domes under our belt.”

Idaho coach Paul Petrino agreed.

“It’s homecoming. We’re 5-1 since I’ve been here on homecoming,” Petrino said. “We’re playing an in-state team ... there’s all kinds of things to be fired up about this week.”

“It reminds me of going into the Eastern game. we were fired up and ready to go,” sophomore tight end Logan Kendall said.

Idaho State has a new quarterback this year, but is still an explosive offense led by junior Matt Struck. He’s thrown for 1,358 yards in five games (he missed one game while in concussion protocol) with 15 touchdown passes and just one interception. Wide receiver Mitch Gueller is the school’s career leader in receiving yards, and is in the top 10 in career catches and touchdowns.

And Ty Flanagan is averaging around 100 rushing yards per game.

“We have to stay on the field this week. We have to keep their offense on the sideline,” Petrino said. “We’ve got to move the ball, but we’ve got to score points. We can’t just stay on the field; we have to end the drives with points.”

Petrino noted that Montana put pressure on Struck two weeks ago, “and it affected him a little bit.”

Idaho State jumped out to a surprising 17-0 lead in Missoula before the Griz caught fire and buried the Bengals 59-20.

“You’ve got to make quarterbacks uncomfortable in the Big Sky,” said Crawford, who said he’s looking forward to going up against ISU offensive lineman Zion Dixon, a transfer from Idaho and a former Lake City High standout. “If you do that, they will make more bad decisions.”