Struggling Weber State still a formidable foe for Vandals
Idaho at Weber State, noon * TV/streaming: ESPN+
By MARK NELKE
Sports editor
Before the season started, Idaho football coach Jason Eck penciled in the Weber State game as being the Vandals’ toughest road game in Big Sky Conference play.
But when Idaho, ranked No. 4 in the FCS, plays at Weber State today in Ogden, Utah, it will be the Vandals (7-2, 5-1 Big Sky) playing for postseason positioning, and the Wildcats (4-5, 2-4), a perennial FCS playoff team and a preseason top-10 team nationally, poised in the role of spoiler.
“We’re playing a Weber State team that is coming off one of their best games of the season,” Eck said, referring to last week’s 33-21 triumph at suddenly improved Idaho State in Pocatello. “They’re getting hot; they’ve found their answers at quarterback. Really, they kind of remind me of Montana, where they’ve settled in on their quarterback and had probably had one of their more impressive games the week before us.
“They’re very good on defense, and figuring out what they want to do on offense. So we have to have a great week of preparation, and up our championship behavior.”
Weber true freshman quarterback Richie Munoz has started the last three games, and completed 26 of 41 passes for 222 yards and three touchdowns, with one interception, last week at ISU.
“I think they’re certainly a dangerous team, and they’ve figured out their quarterback situation,” Eck said. “They’re playing to the strength of their guy. Munoz is … doing good things.”
Eck noted that last year in Week 10, Idaho traveled to UC Davis, which still had playoff hopes, and fell 44-26. UC Davis lost the next week to Sacramento State and failed to reach the playoffs.
Weber is not in that boat, but can still finish with a winning record by beating Idaho and Cal Poly next week.
Also, while seven Division I wins is considered the starting point for being considered for the 24-team FCS playoffs, well, you can never have too many wins.
“It’s shaping up to be a ton of seven-win teams,” Eck said. “The Missouri Valley could have seven, so I don’t think we can rest on our laurels, even though seven wins is usually a pretty good barometer.
“We’re probably definitely in with eight wins.”
Idaho, which won 27-13 at winless Northern Colorado last week, finishes the regular season at home next Saturday vs. Idaho State.
But, despite the Vandals’ current position, and their success this year and last, Idaho is trying not to look ahead.
“Obviously with all the noise going on around the Vandals right now, it can be hard at times,” Vandal cornerback Marcus Harris said. “But not looking ahead, and thinking of scenarios, but just getting back to … focusing on going one week at a time that way.”
Eck said Matt Herron, a redshirt freshman, is an outstanding defensive lineman. Redshirt sophomore defensive end Brayden Wilson has 12 tackles for loss. Linebacker Winston Reid was the preseason conference defensive player of the year.
“You want to make a struggling team beat you on their own merits, and not help them and assist them,” Eck said. “When you do some plays that can give them momentum, that can certainly flame their fire.”
Cameron Cope, a redshirt freshman defensive end from Coeur d’Alene High, has appeared in seven games for Weber State, with 17 total tackles, including one sack. Ammon Munyer, a returning missionary tight end from Lakeland High, has appeared in two games.