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Idaho Football

Idaho senior linebacker Fa’Avae Fa’Avae will have chance to show tackling prowess against No. 3 Montana’s run-heavy game plan

Idaho senior linebacker Fa’Avae Fa’Avae runs through a drill before a scrimmage on Aug. 11 at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho.  (Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Review)
By Peter Harriman For The Spokesman-Review

MOSCOW, Idaho – For a resurgent Idaho football team that has won three straight games after opening the season with respectable losses to Washington State and Indiana, Saturday’s game against undefeated Montana in Missoula is a revealing test.

Are these the Vandals of the past five years who could rise up for surprising occasional wins against ranked opponents before receding to a losing season, or is this a team with the talent, scheme and confidence to propel a real win streak?

“It’s definitely a challenge,” Vandals senior linebacker and captain Fa’Avae Fa’Avae said of facing the Grizzlies. “There’s going to be adversity. We’ve got to show resilience from the first kickoff to the victory formation.”

This is a game that could highlight linebackers like Fa’Avae. The Grizzlies (5-0) like to load up with two and three tight ends and dominate with a power running game that sets up run-pass options, Idaho coach Jason Eck said.

“We like to run. They like to run,” Eck said. “We’ve got to find ways to run the ball. If they win the rushing battle, if they run for a lot more yards than we do, they win.”

Fa’Avae, Idaho’s leading tackler this season with 50, has led the Vandals in stops every game. “(Against Montana), he’ll have to play his best, with physicality,” Eck said of Fa’Avae.

Fa’Avae is eager to face the challenge.

“I hope they stick to the game plan and run the ball,” he said.

In a career that began with two seasons at WSU in 2018-19 before he transferred to Idaho, Fa’Avae has played as weakside, strongside and middle linebacker and at defensive end.

With the Vandals, he has found a home as the middle linebacker

.

As the anchor in Idaho’s defense, he likes the responsibility of calling out formations and communicating adjustments to the defensive linemen and other linebackers.

He has a good feel for covering short zones in Idaho’s pass defense, Eck said, but mostly Fa’Avae enjoys battling at the line of scrimmage and chasing running backs and scrambling quarterbacks.

With six regular-season games remaining, and a long way to go, Fa’Avae said he’s going after the program’s tackling record.

That would be Tom Hennessey’s single-season mark of 180 tackles set in 1986.

“He always plays with great effort,” Eck said of Fa’Avae. “We have challenged him to be more detailed.”

Fa’Avae has played for Mike Leach at WSU, and Paul Petrino and Eck at Idaho.

“They were great leaders in their own perspectives,” he said. “I learned a lot from each of them.”

But in his senior season, he is especially appreciative of Eck and the current Idaho staff, including defensive coordinator Rob Aurich, for holding players accountable to details .

“They do a great job of preparing us for game day,” Fa’Avae said.

After playing at 240 pounds a year ago, Fa’Avae dropped about 20 pounds this season and said he feels quicker. He also embraces the honor of being named a captain.

“It’s definitely a great feeling,” he said. “Thanks to my teammates and coaches. I’ve got to live up to it each week. I love my teammates and coaches, and I want to play for them for as long as I can.”

“(Fa’Avae is a) great leader,” Eck said. “One of the best I’ve been around. We have 80 people on the team, and he got like 78 votes for captain. It was almost unanimous. He brings energy every day. He likes to practice and compete.”

Fa’Avae’s leadership against the Grizzlies may be needed. Last year’s game in Moscow, won by Montana 34-14, was notably chippy.

“We’ve got to make sure we keep our emotions in check,” Fa’Avae said.

As a veteran – and a confident one at that – in a season when Idaho is showing signs of improving its program, Fa’Avae has a message for his teammates as they face perhaps their most consequential game so far against Montana.

“We’ve just got to give them four quarters of hell within the whistles,” he said. “Then we can point to the scoreboard when we win.”