THE FRONT ROW WITH JASON ELLIOTT: Sept. 6, 2014

Congratulations to the Idaho football team on its first win of the season.

No, it's not confidence that they'll beat Louisiana-Monroe later today, but for what happened last weekend in the scheduled opener against Florida in Gainesville.

THANKS TO some nasty weather, kickoff was delayed right before its scheduled 4 p.m. PDT start time.

Then again after teams had gotten warmed back up and ready to play.

And again, some three hours later after a Florida player had returned the kickoff 64 yards, when another bolt of lightning was seen around the stadium.

The resulting rainstorm made the field unplayable, not even the following day, and was eventually canceled on Wednesday due to scheduling conflicts throughout the rest of the season.

In one of Idaho's "money" games this season, Florida also agreed to pay the $975,000 they promised, as well as refund tickets for the game.

Florida's decision to pay Idaho might have been the biggest win the Vandals could have hoped for last weekend.

Florida, which also might be in the mix for the SEC championship game, didn't want to play the game in December, with the thinking that they could end up in that game.

Hopefully, the Gators don't stumble this season, because playing Alabama, Florida State, Georgia and LSU this year, being bowl eligible without that game might be a little sketchy.

Meanwhile for Idaho, the Vandals got a chance to see a big stadium - albeit for only a few hours - and got to travel as a team across the country as a group.

Who knows if that helps or not, but it doesn't hurt to come away without any injuries.

IF THIS game was scheduled a little later in the season, like October or November, it might have led both sides to actually wait a day to play.

By then, those bowl games and other factors might have came into play a little more than a nonconference game in August.

A few years ago, lightning in the area threatened home games for the Coeur d'Alene and Lake City high school football teams. Lake City continued, while Coeur d'Alene - which was the closest to danger - was delayed.

They kept going, because the teams had made a long trip here, and you don't necessarily reschedule games in high school sports unless absolutely needed.

Wallace and Kellogg - two teams separated by 10 miles in the Silver Valley - haven't played each other since a night when rain and lightning halted the 2007 game in Kellogg.

Florida and Idaho also announced on Wednesday that they'll try it again in 2017, back in Gainesville.

A lot can change before then - players or coaches can leave - or both teams could opt that it's not best for where the programs are heading.

Besides, if two schools separated by 10 miles can't do it - how will two teams 2,746 miles away do it?

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d'Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at jelliott@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter at JEPressSports.