Akey sets his sights on upset in Boise

MOSCOW, Idaho – Five days before his team squares off with its most ardent rival, University of Idaho football coach Robb Akey made his stance on Boise State and the intentions of Western Athletic Conference officials abundantly clear.

“My goal is that on … Saturday night that I will be the least popular individual with every administrator within the WAC conference because we have taken the BCS hopes away from our conference,” Akey said Monday.

Boise State (9-0, 6-0) is No. 6 in the Bowl Championship Series standings going into Saturday’s showdown with Idaho at 12:30 p.m. A loss in any of its final four games would derail BSU’s chances to fill one of 10 BCS slots.

The Vandals (7-3, 4-2) have fallen 10 straight times to the Broncos, prompting Akey to say the UI-BSU series “needs to turn back into a rival game.

“I know I’m not supposed to not to say that because I’m supposed to pay homage to Boise State and we’re not even supposed to line up.

“Kickoff is at 1:30 (Boise time) and we’re going to get there around 11:30 so we make sure they can’t start without us,” Akey added. “We’re going to pin our ears back and get after it and we’re going to have a great time with this ballgame.”

Whether the Vandals will have their top quarterback, Nathan Enderle, for the biggest game of the year is still uncertain. Akey said Enderle (shoulder) will be a game-time decision. He wasn’t able to play in the loss to Fresno State last Saturday.

Cornerback Isaac Butts (hamstring) will return after a two-game absence while the status of safety Jeromy Jones (shoulder/collarbone) and left guard Mike Iupati (possible concussion) is up in the air.