Idaho gears up for Montana State's stingy defense
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 4 years, 4 months AGO
Today, Idaho at Montana State, noon. TV: SWX, ESPN+ (stream). Radio: 92.5 FM
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Looking to back up a victory with another victory for the first time in two seasons, the Idaho Vandals travel to Bozeman, Mont., today to face Montana State in Big Sky Conference football at Bobcat Stadium.
Idaho (3-6, 2-4 Big Sky) last won two games in a row in 2019, beating Idaho State 45-21 and then Cal Poly 21-9, both at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow.
Last week, Idaho defeated Southern Utah 42-24 at the Kibbie Dome.
Idaho has lost seven straight road games. The Vandals' last win on the road was at Northern Arizona, 60-53 in the 2019 season finale. Idaho's last win outdoors was at Georgia State in Atlanta in the 2017 season finale — Idaho's last game in the FBS Sun Belt Conference before returning to the FCS and the Big Sky.
Idaho is guaranteed a losing season for the fifth straight year, but still have the attention of coaches from Montana State (8-1, 6-0), which is tied for first in the conference with Sacramento State, and in the hunt for a favorable seed in the upcoming FCS playoffs.
"You watch this team (on video) and you can't figure out how they're 3-6," Montana State defensive coordinator Freddie Banks said of Idaho. "This is a good football team."
Bobcats head coach Brent Vigen echoed those feelings.
"I know the season hasn't gone the way they'd want in terms of record," he said, "but Idaho has a very good team. They have good talent, they're well-coached."
Idaho averages 180.8 rushing yards per game. Last week, senior running back Roshaun Johnson rushed for a school-record six touchdowns, accounting for all of the Vandals' TDs.
Montana State surrenders 119.0 yards a game on the ground, 28th in the FCS. The only two Big Sky opponents to rush for more than 100 yards against Montana State this season were Cal Poly, which sprung a surprise by utilizing the triple option, and Idaho State, which did most of its groundwork in the fourth quarter when the game had been decided.
MSU's defense allows just 280.2 yards a game, 11th-most in the FCS.
Last week, Montana State held Eastern Washington's high-powered offense to 314 yards in a 23-20 victory at Cheney. Three weeks earlier, EWU piled up 837 yards on Idaho in a 71-21 clobbering at Roos Field.
The Bobcats lead the Big Sky with 227.8 rushing yards a game. The Vandals allow 180.8 yards a game on the ground. Isaiah Ifanse leads the Big Sky with 124.9 rushing yards a game, second in the FCS.
Next week, Montana State travels to Montana for the regular-season finale.
Tyson Pottenger, a true freshman defensive back from Coeur d'Alene High, has seen action in a couple of games for Montana State.