Avoiding the trap before the Griz visit

Today, Idaho at Cal Poly, 5 p.m. * Streaming: ESPN+

By MARK NELKE

Sports editor

If Idaho, ranked No. 3 in the FCS this week, had any thoughts of looking past Cal Poly this week and ahead to next Saturday night’s visit by Montana to Moscow on ESPN2, all Vandals coach Jason Eck had to do was look at last week’s FCS results.

“How many top-25 teams lost? I think it was nine of 25,” Eck said earlier this week, in his weekly meeting with area media. “We just have to worry about getting better. We’re positioned well with where we’re at right now, in the nation and the scheme of things. But we have to take advantage of that. We have to continue to get better; we can’t rest on our laurels and think we’re good enough right now to do what we want to do. We have to continue to grow as a team … you can’t afford to have a week where you stay the same.”

That will be the focus for Idaho (4-1, 2-0 Big Sky) when it plays at Cal Poly (2-3, 0-3) today at 5 p.m. at Mustang Memorial Field in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

The Vandals are coming off a big win in Cheney over Eastern Washington, with the aforementioned Griz on the schedule for next week.

Today, the Vandals face a Cal Poly squad which opened conference play with losses to Portland State (59-21) and UC Davis (31-13). The Mustangs’ wins have come over UC San Diego and Division I newbie Lincoln University of Oakland, Calif.

Cal Poly coach Paul Wulff was formerly head coach at Eastern Washington and at Washington State. With the Mustangs, he succeeded Beau Baldwin, who succeeded him at Eastern. Baldwin is now offensive coordinator at Arizona State.

“I know his work well, he was one of the forefathers getting Eastern Washington rolling,” Eck said. “He knows how to win in this league, and I think he’ll do a good job down there. They’ve run the option offense for so long, and they’re transitioning from that, and they’re always growing pains when you’re doing that.

“I’m sure he’s going to get that place going.”

Cal Poly sophomore quarterback Sam Huard, a transfer from Washington and son of former Husky Damon Huard, has thrown for 862 yards and eight touchdowns with three interceptions. He missed last week’s game vs. UC Davis due to injury.

So the Vandals are preparing for any of three different quarterbacks today — Huard, Bo Kelly or Jaden Jones.

“We have to be ready for all those guys; they’re all a little different,” Eck said. “You have to study the tape, and see what they want to do with each guy. (Jones) wants to run a little more than the other guys.”

NOTES: Idaho and Cal Poly have met just once since the Vandals returned to the Big Sky in 2018 — Idaho won 21-9 in 2019 in Moscow. That was two coaches ago for Cal Poly, and one coach ago for the Vandals. This will be Idaho’s first trip to Cal Poly. … Cal Poly has been an FCS team since 1994. Idaho left the Big Sky after the 1995 season, and spent the next 22 seasons at the FBS level. Cal Poly is 34-50 in Big Sky play since joining the conference as an associate member in 2012. …Matyus McLain, a freshman from Priest River High, was the scout team player of the week for the Eastern Washington game.