Idaho goes searching for third consecutive victory
Oct. 1—After stringing two wins together for the first time since 2019, Idaho fans should be ecstatic about the possibility of a winning streak.
The Vandals will have an opportunity to their third straight as they play Big Sky Conference foe Northern Colorado at 6 p.m. today at the Kibbie Dome for homecoming.
The two teams are 2-2 overall, 1-0 in conference play and are close in almost every statistical category.
Here are some things to watch:
Line of scrimmage
The two teams' offensive lines come into this one playing underwhelmingly.
Northern Colorado has allowed a conference-high 13 sacks, with Idaho not far behind at 12.
Last week, the Vandals kept quarterback Gevani McCoy mostly clean, allowing just a single sack.
The Bears also improved last week in that area, as Dylan McCaffrey was sacked just once in their 35-14 win against Idaho State.
Northern Colorado has ran the ball for 338 yards so far, ninth-best in the Big Sky. Leading the charge is senior Elijah Dotson, who has 226 yards. His best outing came a week ago, when he had 24 carries for 102 yards against the Bengals. Outside of that performance, Dotson has been held to under 60 yards in every other game.
This will be a good test for an Idaho run defense that ranks sixth in total yards and seventh in yards per game.
With struggling offensive line play, it only makes sense the two teams probably will put the pressue on the quarterback. The Vandals are fourth in the Big Sky with seven sacks, and the Bears are last with four.
Keep the ball away
Idaho has kept things simple in their past two wins: holding onto the ball on offense and causing turnovers on defense. If the Vandals can repeat that model this week, they should have no issue.
The Bears don't run at a rapid pace and don't score a boatload of points. They're sixth in the conference with 100 points and seventh at 25 points per game.
If anything, Northern Colorado throws the ball pretty well. The Bears rank fifth as a team at 252.8 yards per game. Besides McCaffrey, Jacob Sirmon has 558 yards passing this season, ninth-best in the Big Sky.
The Bears are ninth in total offense, averaging 4.7 yards per play. If Idaho can limit the big plays, it should be in good shape.
Let McCoy, Jackson cook
The Bears' pass defense ranks near the bottom of the Big Sky at eighth in total yards, and the Vandals have an opportunity to take advantage.
McCoy is fourth in the Big Sky in passing yards at 775. One of his favorite targets is Jermaine Jackson, who is second in the conference with 336 receiving yards on just 14 catches.
Idaho has been big about establishing the run game and making sure there is a steady pace offensively. But don't be surprised if, against Northern Colorado, the Vandals take some shots down the field.
Idaho has shown some ability in the past for large gains, but it's been limited. Against a pass defense like the Bears, the Vandals just might take more chances down the field.
Pixley may be contacted at (208) 848-2290, tpixley@lmtribune.com or on Twitter @TreebTalks.
