Oct. 21—MOSCOW, Idaho — Saturday’s home game against Eastern Washington may determine for 5-3 Idaho, 2-2 in the Big Sky Conference, whether its glass is half empty or half full.
Half empty, and the Vandals’ struggle to defeat Cal Poly (2-5, 1-3) last week should result in a loss against an Eagles team that is better than its record (2-5-1-2), according to Idaho coach Jason Eck, a team that has been able to score prolifically against virtually everyone it has played.
Half full, and an Idaho team depleted by injuries demonstrated the resolve of Vandals reserves to step up, overcome a first-half 14-6 deficit against the Mustangs and withstand their late-game rally to keep Idaho’s goal of a deep playoff run intact. This Vandals team should be able to handle EWU before a desperately needed bye and emerge from the respite with the ability to run the table in its remaining games against Portland State, Weber State and Idaho State and finish 9-3, 6-2 and qualify for a favorable playoff seeding.
“We are ready for a bye week,” Eck acknowledged in a weekly press conference. “We have got to suck it up and get through this one.
“You can throw the records out. This is a big rivalry game,” he said of the impending battle with the Eagles.
EWU’s potent offense has Idaho wary. Eck called senior wide receiver Efton Chism, “probably the best receiver in our conference.” Heading into the Idaho game, Chism has 69 receptions for 750 yards and eight touchdowns.
“They are really trying to get him the ball,” Eck said.
Eck said the Vandals are preparing to face three EWU quarterbacks, seniors Kekoa Visperas, Jared Taylor and Michael Wortham. Visperas “is one of the better quarterbacks in the conference.” Taylor “played well against us last year (in a game Idaho won 44-36),” and with Wortham, “they do a little bit of everything with him,” said Eck.
He expects the Eagles to challenge Idaho’s attack with multiple defensive looks and frequent blitzes.
EWU may have to study up on multiple quarterbacks, too. Idaho’s season starter, Jack Layne, who has been out with a broken collarbone suffered in the season-opening game against Oregon is returning to practice this week. Pending the results of an x-ray, he may be cleared to play. Jack Wagner threw for 347 yards and three touchdowns against Cal Poly, and Rocco Koch ran for a touchdown and a two-point conversion against the Mustangs.
Wagner “had by far his most accurate game,” said Eck. “He still has got to get better with decision-making.” Koch, a 220-pound freshman “is a big, powerful guy,” according to Eck.
The Vandals rotated running backs Elisha Cummings and Nate Thomas through their first six games. But Thomas has been injured for the last two, and Cummings was also hurt and missed the game against Cal Poly. Eck said he is “optimistic” about Cummings being able to return against EWU but is doubtful Thomas will be healed. In the absence of those two, Art Williams and Deshaun Buchanan filled in and ran for 86 and 24 yards, respectively against the Mustangs. Buchanan also led Idaho with 49 yards in a 38-7 loss to Montana State, a 5.4 yards per carry average.
“On offense, we have a lot of younger guys playing,” Eck acknowledged.
Defense was a key strength for Idaho through the early season, but the grind of having played six nationally ranked opponents in their first eight games — without a week off — is catching up to the Vandals, Eck said. Against Cal Poly, “on our coverages, we were not quite getting to our landmarks,” Eck said, and the Mustangs were able to exploit that with short drops and throws that also significantly negated Idaho’s pass rush. Eck said he is sure EWU has seen that tape and may try similar ploys.
He also said the Vandals need to improve their tackling and take better pursuit angles against the Eagles.
A couple of seasons ago, when he was first hired, Eck dug out the old Governor’s Cup, the trophy the Eagles and Vandals played for before Idaho left the Big Sky Conference for a two-decade foray in the Football Bowl Subdivision before returning to the Big Sky and the Football Championship Subdivision. With a piece of white athletic tape and a black marker, Eck rechristened it the “Che Scow Cup.”
At the time, it seemed a tongue in cheek way to revitalize a rivalry. But for EWU, looking to salvage what it can of this season, and for Idaho, eager to prove to itself that its glass is still half full and a playoff run remains a possibility, the game looms in importance.
“It’s going to be a challenge,” said Eck. “We played our tails off last year.”
