Vandals look to rock the Dome for Eck's Idaho home debut

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

By MARK NELKE

Sports editor

Jason Eck saw the effect the student sections from Washington State and Indiana had on Idaho’s first two football games.

Now, he’s pleading for Idaho students to have the same impact today, when the Vandals (0-2) play host to Drake (0-2) today at noon at the Kibbie Dome, in Eck’s first home game as Idaho coach.

“I’d love to get the Dome rocking, like to see 10,000 in there, make it loud as heck and create some false starts,” Eck said earlier this week, in his weekly news conference with area media. “We moved the visitors bench so it’s right in front of our students and our band, so I’m hoping they can make life very difficult for the Drake Bulldogs on Saturday.”

Eck noted the improvements made from Idaho’s 24-17 loss at WSU to the Vandals’ 35-22 loss at Indiana — Idaho was better on third down than the week before, the Vandals ran the ball better, and the defense was better, at least in the first half.

But he also noted when the other teams stepped up their game in the second half — WSU trailed 10-0 in the first half before scoring 24 straight points, and Indiana scored three straight touchdowns in the third quarter after trailing 10-0 at the half — Idaho has to step it up as well, whether it’s against an FBS team, or a Big Sky Conference squad.

Still …

“I don’t think we’re a bad football team anymore, which is positive,” Eck said. “Now, we’ve got to improve to beat good football teams; I don’t think we’re there yet, to beat good football teams. I think we’re at the point now where we're not going to be a lousy football team, that just lays down for people.”

But he’s not exactly accepting pats on the back for coming close in two losses to Power Five programs.

“Our message this week is about us,” Eck said. “We’ve got to get better, we have to keep doing more of the behaviors to beat good football teams. We’re playing with great effort, we’re playing with energy, we’re motivated, we’re practicing hard — that’s some stuff bad football teams don’t do. But that probably is enough to get you to .500. Now, to start beating good football teams like we’ve played the last two weeks, you’ve got to really execute well.”

Still, Idaho has been pounded by Power Five programs for much of the past decades, so a pair of close games to start the Eck era is encouraging.

Another plus — Idaho is winning the turnover battle thus far this season, 5-2, something Eck has emphasized. And most of the mistakes the Vandals have made in the first two games are correctable, he said.

“I’ve been around some teams where you play these games and you kind of destroy the confidence of your team if you get blown out by a couple of those teams,” said Eck, who came to Idaho from another FCS program in South Dakota State. “That is a positive, I don’t think we’re going to be an unconfident team, but we need some victories, man.”

Drake is a place where current N.C. State coach Dave Doeren and former Montana State head man Rob Ash once coached. Ash was Drake’s head coach for 18 seasons (1989-2006). Doeren played at Drake and was a Bulldogs assistant coach for three seasons.

Eck remembers playing Drake quite a bit during his six seasons as assistant coach at South Dakota State — his last coaching stop before being named Idaho coach.

He said the Bulldogs’ quarterback, Ian Corwin, is “not a true pocket passer … they do a good job getting him on the move.”

Drake was routed 56-14 by North Dakota State, then lost 17-14 in overtime at home to Division II Missouri S&T.

But mostly, Eck said, the Vandals are worried about the Vandals, and getting better each week.

“They’re not going to be intimidated coming into the Kibbie Dome. They played at (defending FCS champion) North Dakota State their first game,” Eck said. “I hope we have a great crowd, but we’re probably not going to have a better crowd than North Dakota State had.”