Vandals still in search of that elusive first win
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 33 minutes AGO
Abilene Christian at Idaho • Today, 1 p.m. • TV: SWX/ESPN+ • Radio 1230 AM, 107.1 FM
By MARK NELKE
Sports editor
Start faster.
Run the football.
Continue the improved defensive play.
That’s the formula second-year Idaho football coach Thomas Ford Jr. hopes results in a victory today, when the Idaho Vandals play host to Abilene Christian at 1 p.m. at the P1FCU Kibbie Dome in a matchup of 0-3 teams.
“We’re not playing up to the standard that we know that is here,” Ford said earlier this week, in his weekly meeting with area media. “We’ve got to get that fixed in a hurry.”
In the season opener, Idaho fell behind Cal Poly 14-3 and 21-10. The Vandals eventually tied the game and went ahead, then lost 38-34 on a TD in the waning seconds.
The following week at Utah, it was 17-0 Utes after the first quarter, against a ranked FBS squad that pummeled Arkansas 43-10 last week. Onto the next ...
Last week, in their home opener, the Vandals fell behind Lamar 20-3 at half before rallying, but coming up short in a 23-17 loss.
“We have to play better offensively, especially in the first half,” Ford said. “We have to get back to our standard here. We expect to win.”
Idaho is averaging just 105.3 yards per game on the ground, at 3.1 yards per attempt. The Vandals’ top running back has just 58 net rushing yards in three games.
Idaho’s top rusher is quarterback Joshua Wood, with 133 net yards (178 before counting sacks).
Ford said Abilene Christian boasts a bigger defensive front than did Lamar, which held Idaho to 91 yards on the ground (counting sacks).
He said getting behind the chains, as well as falling behind on the scoreboard, impacts the number of running plays called.
But ...
“I think we’ve got to be committed to the run early,” Ford said. "We can’t rely on Joshua playing hero ball to help us win ballgames.
We think Joshua is the best quarterback in the offense, but he can’t do it all by himself.”
Like Idaho, the Wildcats of Beaumont, Texas have a loss to a ranked FBS foe (Texas Tech, 33-10). Abilene Christian lost to No. 20 Lamar 21-14 in the season opener, and to No. 9 Stephen F. Austin 26-7 last week.
Alex Broome, ACU’s top rusher (127 total yards, 5.3 yards per carry) did not play last week, but Ford expects to see him today.
“We expect that group to be hungry,” Ford said of Lamar.
How big is today’s game?
After Abilene Christian, the Vandals have a bye week before reigning FCS champion Montana State travels to Moscow on Oct. 2 for a Friday night game.
“Our team is extremely motivated to defend the Dome. We did not defend the Dome last week,” Ford said.
Potato Bowl champs to be honored: During the game, Idaho’s 2016 team which defeated Colorado State 61-50 in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise will be honored. Matt Linehan passed for 381 yards and four touchdowns in that game, as the Vandals finished 7-4 and improved to 3-0 in bowl games. Idaho dropped back down to FCS in 2018 after 22 seasons in FBS.