Idaho ‘Fightin Taters’ ready to let loose in home opener

MOSCOW, Idaho – If all goes well, the buzz over a helmet decal will be the biggest feature of Idaho’s home opener Saturday against St. Thomas, from St. Paul, Minnesota.

The UI is celebrating Idaho’s agriculture, and the Idaho Potato Commission is sponsoring the game. Thus, the decal. Instead of a Block “I” or Joe Vandal image on the side of their helmets, the Vandals will be sporting a script “Fightin’ Taters.”

Asked if his players were working on retorts to what will almost certainly be on-field chatter about their logo from the Tommies, Vandals’ coach Thomas Ford Jr. basically said football isn’t brain surgery and some jawing between teams should be expected.

“If you don’t have fun, why are you doing it?” he asked rhetorically.

Well, to win is one answer.

After absorbing a frustrating 13-10 loss in an eminently winnable game against traditional rival Washington State in their season-opening contest, the Vandals are eager to pick up a “W” and begin a march to a fourth straight appearance in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

“We were definitely the more physical team. It was a really good effort,” Ford said of matching up with the Cougs. An outstanding Idaho defense limited WSU to just three yards rushing. The Vandals were led by senior linebacker Isiah King’s six total tackles and a sack.

Relative to the football aspect of taking on the Tommies, an Idaho team that reached the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs the past two seasons is hosting a team that has just completed an ambitious four-year transition from NCAA Division III to FCS.

The outcome should not be in doubt. Despite the Tommies’ 35-19 season-opening victory over Lindenwood, the Vandals ought to walk away with a win. St. Thomas is not the fastest team Idaho will line up against this year. Team speed might well be determinative in the outcome. But Upper Midwest teams are still channeling the 1970s NFL Minnesota Vikings. They are not adverse to lining up and banging heads. So, the game is probably not going to be a blowout.

“They may not be the fastest group we are going to play. But they play really hard,” said Ford.

“They play a lot of 12 and 13 personnel (two and three tight ends). Ground and pound,” he said. “They want to keep your offense off the field as much as they can.”

Idaho survived the WSU game without injuries, according to Ford. The Vandals will force St. Thomas’ defense to account for Idaho’s 188 rushing yards against the Football Bowl Subdivision Cougars, highlighted by quarterback Joshua Wood’s 101. Art Williams also rushed for 35 yards in 11 carries and Idaho’s lone touchdown, and Elisha Cummings got 40 yards on 17 rushing attempts.

The Vandals only threw for 33 yards as Wood completed 12 of 20 passes. But Idaho has a downfield passing attack it didn’t use often to test WSU’s tight zone defense.

“We’re going to open the playbook a bit” against St. Thomas, Ford promised. “This week there should be a little more space.”