‘We’ll have a lot of eyes on us’: Idaho hosts Southern Illinois, looking for first playoff win since rejoining FCS

MOSCOW, Idaho – The Football Championship Subdivision’s two best conferences will be represented at the Kibbie Dome on Saturday, when the Idaho Vandals stage a long-awaited home playoff game.

The fourth-seeded Vandals (8-3), of the Big Sky Conference, entertain Missouri Valley Conference notable Southern Illinois (8-4) at 7 p.m. in Moscow.

It’s the first FCS postseason game to be played at the Kibbie Dome since 1993. ESPN2 will be in town for one of the Vandals’ most significant home games in program history.

“We’ll have a lot of eyes on us,” Idaho coach Jason Eck said. “It’s kind of the dessert (for college football fans around the country) – ‘FCS playoffs after dark.’ ”

The Vandals put together a memorable season under their second-year coach and punched a ticket to the playoffs for the second straight year – Idaho lost 45-42 at Southeastern Louisiana in the first round last season.

“Last year, it was a thrill to get to the playoffs,” Eck said after the Vandals closed their regular season with a 63-21 rout of Idaho State. “We don’t wanna do like we did last year, playing one playoff game and being done. We wanna play very well and make a run at this thing.”

Idaho, which fell one win short of a conference title, was one of four Big Sky teams to earn a playoff berth. The Vandals received a first-round bye, and spent the past two weeks scouting the Salukis.

“We kind of figured Southern Illinois would win, so we really spent most of our time over the last two weeks preparing for these guys,” Eck said. “I think we’ll have really good plans on both sides of the ball.”

Southern Illinois was one of six MVFC teams to reach the postseason – a conference record. The Salukis finished seventh in its conference, but they were competitive enough throughout the year to claim the conference’s final playoff berth.

Southern Illinois had a resume-boosting win over Football Bowl Subdivision program Northern Illinois. The Salukis went 1-4 this season against playoff qualifiers. They routed Austin Peay, but were handled by Youngstown State and North Dakota State.

The FCS playoff selection committee was probably encouraged by Southern Illinois’ showings against No. 1 seed South Dakota State and third-seeded South Dakota. The Salukis fell 17-10 to the Jackrabbits and lost 14-7 to the Coyotes.

Southern Illinois, ranked No. 14 nationally at the end of the season, had no trouble in the first round, breezing past Nicholls 35-0.

“This time of year, you gotta play at or near your best,” Eck said. “You gotta bring your ‘A game’ every week.”

Idaho’s offense will need an especially sharp outing against one of the nation’s top defensive units. Southern Illinois ranks third in the FCS in total defense (281.4 yards per game), fifth in rushing defense (92.9 yards per game) and sixth in scoring defense (15.8 points per game). The Salukis sit ninth in the nation in total sacks (36) and 11th in tackles for loss (89).

“It’s tough to find a weakness on their defense,” Eck said.

“The key (matchup) will probably be up front,” he added. “I think our matchups on the perimeter are pretty good against anybody, with guys like (receivers Hayden Hatten, Jermaine Jackson, Terez Traynor and Jordan Dwyer), but the key will be us doing a great job blocking things up and giving the quarterback time, because (the Salukis) have a good pass rush and a good blitz package.”

The young offensive line has been a relative weakness for Idaho throughout the season. The group has been better in the run game, but protecting quarterback Gevani McCoy has sometimes been an issue.

Still, Idaho boasts an explosive corps of skill players that won’t be overmatched by any team in the FCS. The Vandals have one of the best quarterback/tailback tandems in the FCS and arguably the nation’s top group of receivers, led by perhaps the most talented in the country in Hatten.

Idaho ranks 14th nationally in total offense (428.5 yards per game) and ninth in scoring offense (34.4 ppg). Idaho’s offense should be at full health this weekend. McCoy is expected to return from an injury that sidelined him for the season finale.

The Vandals’ defense should have an advantage against the Salukis’ midtier offense. Southern Illinois operates a balanced attack, splitting the rushes and passes about 50/50. Multiple receivers and tailbacks share the load but the unit is somewhat lacking in star power.

The Salukis rank 73rd in the FCS in total offense (344.2 yards per game) and 53rd in scoring offense (26.2 ppg).

“They have a pretty good knack for spreading the ball around,” said Eck, who’s familiar with eighth-year Southern Illinois coach Nick Hill’s spread system – Eck coached against the Salukis several times during his time with South Dakota State (2016-21).

Idaho has distinguished itself as one of the better defensive teams in the FCS. The Vandals sit in the top 10 nationally in total defense (292.5 yards) and passing defense (166.3 yards per game).

“(The Salukis) prefer to be low-scoring, control it, try to get the lead and be able to play good defense,” Eck said. “If you can get a lead on these guys, you put a little pressure on their offense to try and be more explosive. Getting off to a fast start will be critical in this game.”