A ‘challenge’ and an ‘opportunity’ for Vandals at Montana

Today, Idaho at Montana, noon. TV: SWX. Stream: ESPN+. Radio: 92.5 FM, 1080 AM

By MARK NELKE

Sports editor

It’s not a do-or-die game by any means.

But today’s football game at Montana is perhaps the most-anticipated game for the Idaho Vandals since they returned to the Big Sky Conference in 2018.

Idaho (3-2) and Montana (5-0) are both 2-0 in conference. The Griz are ranked No. 2 and 3 in the FCS polls, and picked to win the Big Sky.

Idaho has not threatened to reach the FCS playoffs since it dropped back down from FBS, but a new coach and its first 2-0 start in league since 2009 has created a buzz in Moscow.

“We have a great challenge and a great opportunity in front of us,” first-year Idaho coach Jason Eck said. “I think Montana is a great football team. The Sagarin ratings have them as the best team in FCS football. I’m voting them No. 1; they’ve really controlled all five of their games. I think they’re very good on both sides of the ball … they have a very veteran coaching staff. I’d say the two toughest places to play in FCS football are their stadium and the Fargodome (home of North Dakota State).

“A great, great challenge for our players, a great opportunity, and we’ve done a good job going 2-0 in our first two conference games to make this a big game,” Eck added. “We’re going to have to play our best football, and hope they don’t play their best football, to have a chance in a game like this.”

Both teams are coming off bye weeks.

Montana has handled Idaho in their three meetings since Idaho returned to the Big Sky, winning by margins of 19, 25 and 20 points.

“They’re playing hard, they look really physical, which is how they’ve been, they look like they’re enjoying the game and having fun playing,” Montana coach Bobby Hauck said of Idaho. “They’re highly efficient (on offense), and they’re not turning the ball over (2, in five games).”

Idaho quarterback Gevani McCoy is third in the FCS in completion percentage (72.8).

The noon PDT matchup at 25,217-seat Washington-Grizzly stadium officially sold out last Friday, a full week before kickoff.

To prepare for the crowd noise, Eck said earlier this week the Vandals would move inside the Kibbie Dome during the offensive portion of the practice, so they could crank up the noise — similar to what Eck’s former team, South Dakota State, did before playing at North Dakota State.

“You can’t allow them to have big plays and energize the crowd and rattle you,” Eck said of playing the likes of Montana and North Dakota State. “There’s a lot of teams that lose those games in the first 10 minutes because they get rattled.”

Noise or not, Montana figures to be a load.

Eck praised the Grizzlies’ “downhill running game,” and said “they have elite players at all levels of their defense.”

Montana linebacker Patrick O’Connell leads the Big Sky in sacks (7) and tackles for loss (9). Cornerback Justin Ford led all of college football with nine interceptions.

And the Griz are allowing just 2.2 yards per rushing attempt.

“We have to find a way to run the ball on them,” Eck said. “If they win the rushing battle, it’s going to be very tough to win this game.

“In our losses we got hurt with the downhill running game.”

Kale Edwards, a redshirt sophomore from Coeur d’Alene High, is listed as a backup defensive end, but has especially made his mark on special teams. He has one forced fumble and one fumble recovery, plus a sack and two tackles for loss.

“I don’t think they’re going to be in awe of us rolling in there,” Eck said. “I think we have a confident team. I don’t think we’re going to back down going into this game at all.”

Montana has won the last seven matchups for the Little Brown Stein, dating back to 2000. Idaho’s last win came in 1999, when the Vandals were in their fourth season in FBS.

Whatever the result today, Eck is trying to keep the matchup in perspective.

“Obviously this would be a huge win for us, and reignite the rivalry. Rivalries aren’t always rivalries if one team always wins,” he said. “Montana is one of those teams you can play pretty well and they can still beat you. If you lose a game like this, it’s not a death knell.

“Great opportunity, but not a must-win.”