Still getting stronger, No. 4 Idaho ready to open Big Sky play against UC Davis
At the University of Idaho’s weekly football press conference, coach Jason Eck reflected on the Vandals’ adventures so far.
“That which does not kill you makes you stronger,” he said.
Idaho opened its season by traveling to Eugene to take Oregon, ranked third in the Football Bowl Subdivision, into the fourth quarter before falling 24-14 in a game that seemed closer. The next week the Vandals went to Laramie to upset FBS Wyoming, 17-13, before making a brief stop at home to dispatch Football Championship Subdivision Albany, ranked 17th, 41-13.
And last week playing in the relentless Texas heat and humidity Idaho fended off FCS 19th ranked Abilene Christian that came roaring back from a 27-3 deficit before falling 27-24.
The 3-1 Vandals take to the road again to open Big Sky Conference play against another FCS ranked team, 14th ranked University of California Davis (3-1).
By now, and far from dead, Idaho ought to be bigger and stronger than Charles Atlas and totally immune to having sand kicked in its face. The Vandals for the second week are ranked 4th in FCS and have played the third toughest schedule in the division, according to Eck.
“A tough nonconference schedule gives us a good resume” for playoff seeding, Eck said.
Also, “it is fun to go into someone else’s place and win on the road.”
Davis, however, will be a tough out. The Aggies have not lost to Idaho since the Vandals left the Sun Belt Conference and FBS football and returned to FCS and the Big Sky Conference in 2018. Aggies senior running back Lan Larison was a 2023 Walter Payton Award finalist, a Walter Camp All-American and the Big Sky offensive player of the year.
“You have to gang tackle him,” said Eck. You are not going to tackle him one-on-one.”
Eck also said junior safety Rex Connors and graduate transfer cornerback Semaj Verner are among the Big Sky’s best defensive backs, and the Aggies are immense across an all-senior defensive line with 300-pound Evan Bearden, 375-pound Toki Princeton and 275-pound Zach Kennedy.
The Vandals withstood Abilene Christian’s fourth quarter comeback when sophomore defensive tackle Zach Krotzer sacked Wildcats quarterback Maverick McIvor and forced a fumble with eight seconds remaining, and freshman safety Matt Irwin recovered for Idaho.
“I am very proud of him,” Eck said of Krotzer. “He has always been a guy who has embraced his role – getting better. He always plays with tremendous effort. He is what our program is going to be all about, getting guys better in the program.”
The Texas humidity took a toll on the Vandals in the second half, and it may affect the way Idaho practices this week. The team will be paying increased attention to recovering from the Abilene weather.
“We have got to watch our guys in practice who have been playing the most reps,” Eck said. “The position coaches have got to get them the reps they need but not reps to get reps.”