Idaho linebackers face difficult challenge in Montana State quarterback Tommy Mellott

MOSCOW, Idaho – A year ago, when Idaho took down Montana State 24-21 in Moscow, the Vandals got out to an early lead and forced the Bobcats to pass to try to catch up.

The Vandals defended well and limited MSU to fewer than 50 plays on offense, and the Bobcats failed to convert a game-tying field goal in the game’s final seconds.

Barring a similar fortunate convergence of events Saturday in Bozeman, when the seventh-ranked Vandals (4-2) face the third-ranked Bobcats (6-0), much of the burden of controlling MSU’s dominating ground game will fall to Idaho’s linebackers – Jaxton Eck, Zach Johnson and Isiah King.

Eck is the son of Vandals coach Jason Eck and is the Big Sky Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Week after making 10 tackles and intercepting a pass against Northern Arizona, which Idaho beat 23-17 last Saturday at homecoming.

Johnson, from Coeur d’Alene, is the legacy Vandal. His father Eric was an offensive lineman for Idaho from 1992-96 when the Vandals never had a losing season and twice won nine games. His mother Leah (Smith) was a volleyball and tennis star from that era, and one of her volleyball teams is in the UI Hall of Fame.

King, from San Diego, has emerged this year as a starter.

The group’s main job will be corralling Montana State quarterback Tommy Mellott. Mellott has been a four-year starter and is a force as a runner, with a career 6.5-yards-per-carry average, 2,268 yards in 348 attempts, and 30 touchdowns.

The Bobcats also challenge opponents with sophomore running back Scottre Humphrey, who has rushed for 409 yards in 50 attempts this year, with six touchdowns.

“We have got to get aligned really well,” Jason Eck said. “We have got to fit our gaps really well, and we have got to tackle really well.”

The message seems to have been successfully sent. Jaxton Eck and Johnson both emphasized the need to follow defensive keys against the Bobcats.

King added that the linebackers have to lock in on their assignments and bring “physicality.”

In practice this week, Idaho scout team quarterback Rocco Koch impersonated Mellott with a steady dose of play action and motion looks.

“They do a lot of motion to get your eyes,” Jaxton Eck said . “They try to get the quarterback in space. … We have to make them one-dimensional. Make them throw more.”

The Vandals in the past decade have a tradition of stellar linebacking with the likes of All-Sun Belt Conference selections Tony Lashley, Ed Hall and Kaden Ellis, and All-Big Sky Conference honorees Christian Elliss, Tre Walker and Fa’Avae Fa’Avae.

Johnson said while the history of those former Vandals does not weigh on the current crew, they are mindful of the responsibility to post similar accomplishments.

“It is not a legacy thing,” Johnson said, “but as linebackers, we take it on ourselves to lead the defense. It kind of goes through us.”

All three can anticipate more seasons representing the Vandals. King is a redshirt junior, Eck a sophomore, and Johnson a redshirt freshman.

King marvels at the pace of Idaho’s season.

“It is going good,” King said. “But it is going by so fast, week by week.”

“It’s going really fast. It’s October already,” Eck added.

Eck was born in Moscow when his father was an assistant coach at Idaho but went to high school in Brookings, South Dakota, where Jason Eck was the offensive coordinator at South Dakota State University before becoming Idaho’s head coach in 2022.

“It is kind of amazing that I was born here,” Jaxton said. “It is special to be back.”

He said the player of the week honor was the product of “just playing free, just flying around.”

King hopes that vibe carries over among all the linebackers when they take on the undefeated Bobcats and Mellott.

“It’s about getting people on the quarterback,” King said.