Tonight, Weber State at Idaho, 5 p.m. — SWX, ESPN+ 

By MARK NELKE 

Sports editor 

Going undefeated at home in the regular season for the first time since 1996. 

Honoring 11 seniors on senior day. 

Both noble aspirations. 

But the Idaho Vandals have stumbled in their second-to-last regular season game the past two seasons, including two years ago when they fell to UC Davis on senior day. 

“Getting a win is the best way to honor those guys,” third-year Idaho coach Jason Eck said.  

Idaho (7-3, 4-2 Big Sky) plays host to Weber State (3-7, 2-4) tonight at 5 on senior day at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow.

If they keep winning, the Vandals are in line for a first-round bye in the 24-team FCS playoffs, and a home game in the second round. 

But it won’t be easy against a Weber State team that upset the Vandals 31-29 last year in Ogden, in the next-to-last game of the regular season. 

“Their record’s not where they like it to be, but you can see what this team’s capable of,” Eck said, noting Weber State’s win at Montana earlier this season. "This is going to be a battle, and we have to be ready to play a tough four-quarter game. We certainly can’t let a team like this play harder than us. They are more in the spoiler role. They were in that situation last year.” 

Since that win in Missoula, Weber has dropped four straight. 

Weber State quarterback Richie Munoz, who has passed for 2,173 yards and rushed for 289 can hurt teams with his legs as well as his arm. Damon Bankston is averaging more than 105 rushing yards per game. The Wildcats rank 10th nationally with 210.5 rushing yards per game. 

“They’ll move the pocket with Munoz,” Eck said. “We did a much better job against Portland State (and Dante Chachere) than we did against Eastern Washington (and Kekoa Visperas) of handling that mobile, scrambling quarterback 

“Bottom line, we’ve got to get teams in third and long, make them one-dimensional.” 

Former Vandal Kemari Bailey leads Weber State with 7.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles-for-loss. 

Eck said starting quarterback Jack Layne, who missed last week’s win at Portland State after suffering a wrist injury two weeks earlier against Eastern Washington, is “still up in the air” for today. 

With two other quarterbacks also out with injuries, Jack Wagner was the only QB to suit up at Portland State last week.  

“Last week our backup was snapping the ball to the running back,” Eck said. 

Wide receiver Mark Hamper got a few direct snaps, as did running back Art Williams. 

“It’s a way to use the quarterback run game without risking your quarterback getting tackled,” Eck said. 

If Layne was available today, it would likely only be in an emergency situation, Eck said. 

Seniors to be honored today include defensive back Tommy McCormick, linebacker Mathias Bertram, defensive linemen Jahkari Larmond and Keyshawn James-Newby, linebacker Syrr Barnes, defensive backs Corry Thomas Jr. and K.J. Trujillo, tight end Mike Martinez, defensive back/kick returner Abraham Williams, linebacker Spencer Fisher and defensive back Kyrin Beachem.  

Williams, who suffered a broken arm during the season, could get a medical redshirt and return next year. And a few others, based on COVID, might be eligible for an extra year.  

“I’d rather you have two senior days than no senior days,” Eck said.