Things to watch: Quarterback health major issue for Vandals as season wears on

Having split a pair of games against two Football Bowl Subdivision opponents (lost to Oregon, beat Wyoming) and playing six nationally ranked teams in the past seven weeks, Idaho, coming off a 38-7 drubbing at the hands of Montana State, is in desperate need of a bye.

Cal Poly isn’t that. But facing the Mustangs (2-4, 1-2 Big Sky Conference) in only the Vandals’ third home game might be the next-best thing.

“We are not going to lose our confidence,” Idaho coach Jason Eck said. “The three teams we lost to are a combined 20-1.”

Here are three things to watch as the Vandals (4-3, 1-2) seek to get their season back on track Saturday.

1. Can Idaho get through this game without losing another quarterback? The Vandals’ starter at the beginning of the season, Jack Layne, is still recovering from a collarbone injury suffered in the opener against Oregon.

Jack Wagner, who has started five games, is still feeling the effects of a shoulder hurt against Wyoming, according to Eck.

Nick Josifek, who started against Montana State, is gone for the rest of the year with a broken collarbone .

Wagner, who has completed 66 of 132 passes for 837 yards with six touchdowns and four interceptions, and who has rushed for 48 yards this year, is likely to get the start against the Mustangs.

Behind him is freshman Rocco Koch. Until now, he has spent the season running the scout team and has not played a down of football in a game. But Koch will be the backup this week.

After him, it gets scary. The Vandals’ emergency quarterbacks are three freshman recruited to other positions who last played quarterback in high school: defensive back Aaron Kinsey, from Rogers High School; linebacker Wayne Queen, from Lake City High School; and wide receiver Marquawn McCraney, a wide receiver from Highline High in SeaTac, Washington.

2. Is Deshaun Buchanan the real deal? The redshirt freshman from Chandler, Arizona, came on in relief of injured starting running back Elisha Cummings in the second half against Montana State and delivered Idaho’s few offensive highlights. He ran for 49 yards in nine attempts and caught a 9-yard touchdown pass for the Vandals’ only score. “He did a great job. He was our offensive player of the game,” Eck said. Cummings may play against Cal Poly, Eck said, but Idaho likes to rotate running backs. Nate Thomas filled that role until he injured a shoulder against Northern Arizona. “Eli has a better chance of getting back this week than Nate,” Eck said. If so, Buchanan will probably get the call to team with Cummings.

3. Will Elijah Ponder go out on high note against Vandals? Cal Poly’s redshirt senior defensive lineman recorded a pair of sacks against Idaho last season. Overall, Ponder had 10 sacks in 2023. This year Ponder has 26 total tackles, including 7.5 for loss, four sacks and a fumble recovery. The Mustangs line him up at both defensive end and as an interior lineman. With Idaho’s precarious situation at quarterback, the Vandals will do well to keep close track of him.