Oct. 20—The Idaho Vandals will be wearing silver pants, yellow jerseys with black numbers and silver helmets for homecoming Saturday against Southern Utah.
Offensive lineman Leon Evans, defensive lineman Mitchel Jaskowiak and running back Hayden Kincheloe appeared at a uniform reveal at Moscow's iconic Corner Monday afternoon, looking ready to play, if somewhat self-conscious, although they were sampling nothing stronger than popcorn. It was the kind of goofy thing a team would do when it is feeling pretty good about itself.
That would be the Vandals now.
For 2-5 Idaho, 2-2 in the Big Sky Conference, homecoming might be a glimpse into the crystal ball that will reveal the remainder of Idaho's season.
Are the wins over number-one ranked and reigning national champion Montana State, 35-34, and seventh-ranked Montana, 42-35 aberrations for the Vandals or do they reveal the true character of an Idaho team that has finally figured out how to consistently play up to its talent?
Following the win against MSU, the Vandals fell to Weber State, 38-27. Then they came back a week later to upset the Grizzlies in Missoula, one of the toughest places to play in the Big Sky. As the remaining five games of the regular season loom, homecoming versus Southern Utah ought to be a definitive test.
The Thunderbirds (3-4, 2-2) beat Weber State, 47-42, fell to Montana by a touchdown, 28-21, and most recently beat UC Davis, 38-17. They are not pushovers. If the Vandals take care of business, however, it could be revelatory. It could set a course for the remainder of the season.
"They are a very, very good opponent," Idaho coach Thomas Ford Jr. said at Idaho's weekly news conference Monday. "They are one of the top rushing offenses in the country."
The Thunderbirds' Floyd Chalk leads the league averaging 6.6 yards per carry, 1,035 overall with nine touchdowns. Teams cannot sit on him, however, because quarterback Will Burns has rushed for 656 yards and nine scores. The Vandals' defense will have to be gap sound, according to Ford, and players will have to exercise discipline with their eyes.
"If your eyes get in the wrong place, they will gash you," he says. "We have to be disciplined with our assignments and with our eyes."
When the Thunderbirds look to pass, senior tight end, Joshua Accord, an Appalachian State transfer, is a tempting red zone target with six touchdowns, according to Ford.
"We have got to slow their running game," says Ford and make (Burns) one dimensional. "Make him throw."
Idaho defensive coordinator Lee Stalker says if the Vandals find themselves at the end of the game having to make a stop, the win against Montana "is a phenomenal feeling, a boost of confidence going into the future."
On the other side of the ball, Vandals quarterback Joshua Wood passed for 335 yards with three touchdowns against Montana and ran for 85 yards and a touchdown. That dominating performance also gives Idaho confidence heading into homecoming, says offensive coordinator Ian Shoemaker.
"If it takes 42 (points) again, it takes 42 again. Our job on the offensive unit is to be one point ahead."