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Idaho Football

Things to watch: Idaho and Southern Utah play for pride with their seasons already lost

By Peter Harriman For The Spokesman-Review

MOSCOW, Idaho – Idaho and Southern Utah are churning through the final weeks of unsatisfying Big Sky Conference seasons. The Vandals came into the year hoping to challenge for a conference title and a spot in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. SUU, in its final season after nine years in the Big Sky, no doubt hoped to leave on a high note before moving on to join the reconstituted Western Athletic Conference.

The Vandals bring a 2-6 record, 1-4 in the Big Sky, into their final home game Saturday. The Thunderbirds are 1-8, 0-6.

They are at the bottom looking up, but the game no doubt still matters to both.

Here are three things to watch on Saturday.

1. Who wants it more? SUU is coming off a one-point loss to nationally ranked Montana in Missoula. The Thunderbirds are that close to demonstrating they are a better team than their record. Idaho will showcase 13 seniors playing their last home game. Coach Paul Petrino has made a point all week of sending off an academically successful senior class, that persevered through the COVID year, in style with a victory.

2. Idaho’s secondary: The Thunderbirds have thrown for 2,038 yards this year with one big receiver, 6-foot-3-inch Brian Schenks (33 catches, 424 yards, five touchdowns), and one elusive one, 5-10 Ethan Bolingbroke (51 catches, 491 yards, two touchdowns) being the primary targets for quarterback Justin Miller. The Vandals counter with a pair of senior starters in the secondary in safety Tyrese Dedmon (38 tackles, one tackle for loss) and cornerback Jalen Hoover (11 total tackles, one tackle for loss, one pass breakup). But to keep the Thunderbirds in check, newcomers like redshirt freshman Marcus Harris (35 tackles one tackle for loss) and freshman Arnell Walker (26 tackles, one tackle for loss, are going to have to elevate their play to be just as solid as the seniors in pass coverage.

3. Gadget plays: Petrino, in his weekly news conference, said this could be the game to pull out all the tricks Idaho has been working on throughout the season but has yet to find an opportunity to employ. The Vandals have some good ones. Keep an eye on punter Caleb Lightbourn. He can do even more on the field than average 45.1 yards per punt.