Idaho Vandals, Washington State ‘ORs’ collide tonight in season opener

Idaho at Washington State, Tonight, 7 p.m., CW, KXLY 920, 100.7 FM

By MARK NELKE 

Sports editor 

Not all FCS vs. FBS matchups are created equal. 

Partially based on recent history, the FCS Idaho Vandals don’t feel like heavy underdogs as they head into tonight’s season opener vs. the Washington State Cougars at 7 p.m. at Gesa Field in Pullman. 

“We're not playing someone that came off a national championship run ... we feel confident we can compete with them,” first-year Idaho head coach Thomas Ford said. 

WSU leads the series with Idaho 72-17-3. The Cougars have won the last 10. Idaho last beat WSU in 2000, when the Vandals won in Pullman for the second straight season.

More recently, the teams last met in 2022, with WSU holding off the Vandals 24-17 in the season opener. 

Ford was an assistant at Idaho that season.  

“I don’t think we’re any more motivated for this game than any other,” Ford said. “We’re excited to play this game because it’s the opportunity we have. It just happens we get to sleep in our own beds for an away game. I don’t know if there’s extra motivation; I know our guys are excited to play an FBS opponent. And to be able to do that 8 miles down the road is not a bad deal.” 

Meanwhile, over in Pullman, the Cougars have not announced a starting quarterback — at least publicly. Zevi Eckhaus returns after starting the Holiday Bowl last year, but three other QBs are in the mix. Rogers said the Cougs decided on a starter last week, but plan to keep that info under wraps to the rest of us until the game starts. 

In fact, a glance at Washington State’s two-deep released earlier this week does not list ANY starters. At each position, there is one name listed, than an “OR,” then a second name. 

First-year Cougars coach Jimmy Rogers said with roughly 75 new players in the program this year, “the reality is, it’s going to be an OR at every position. If you don’t come out and produce, the next guy needs to be ready.” 

Then, after another question from the media about the depth chart, Rogers replied, “you guys are loving this ORs thing ... I might have to keep it going.” 

Most of the players and coaches from that 2022 game are long gone.  

WSU was hit particularly hard by the transfer portal following last season, when quarterback John Mateer left for Oklahoma, and Jake Dickert took the head coaching job at Wake Forest. 

Rogers, head coach at South Dakota State (where he played from 2006-09) the past two seasons and a Jackrabbits assistant for 10 seasons before that (he was co-defensive coordinator there when former Idaho coach Jason Eck was offensive coordinator), brought several of his South Dakota State players with him to Pullman. 

While WSU is being coy about its starting QB, Idaho named Fresno State transfer Joshua Wood its starter early in fall camp. Ford is also excited about his backup, true freshman Sawyer Teeney from Silverton (Ore.) High. Silverton played at Coeur d’Alene on Friday night. 

Rogers said of Wood: “I think he’s a really mature kid, has a really good arm, an elite mover, He’s a dynamic playmaker, and we need to make sure that we handle our end on defense.” 

The Vandal offensive line has been a bit of a scapegoat in recent years, but “I feel good with the offensive line being that engine starter,” Ford said. 

To pull off the “upset,” Ford said he didn’t think Idaho had to do anything unique. 

“We feel with our personnel and our scheme and our want-to, we are confident, because of the work we’ve put in,” Ford said. "It (tonight’s game) can be a great measuring stick for us. If we want to be a Big Sky contender, if we want to be a national contender, you’ve got to be able to beat FBS teams. I think our guys are extremely motivated by that, and they definitely know the history, for sure.” 

LOCAL WATCH: On this week’s Idaho two-deep, redshirt sophomore Matyus McLain (Priest River High) is listed as a starting defensive end, redshirt freshman Owen Forsman (Lakeland) is the kickoff man, and redshirt sophomore Alex Green (Lake City) is the backup at left guard.