Vandals eager for another shot at top-seeded Montana State
FCS quarterfinals • Idaho at Montana State • Tonight, 6 p.m. • ESPN
By MARK NELKE
Sports editor
The Idaho Vandals will have their starting quarterback, perhaps their most powerful running back, and a first-hand look at their opponent for the rematch tonight.
Whether that’s enough for eighth-seeded Idaho (10-3) to beat top-seeded Montana State (13-0) in the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs tonight in Bozeman, Mont., well, we’ll find out.
When the teams met during the regular season, on Oct. 12 in Bozeman, Montana State routed the Vandals 38-7.
“We’re excited to have another opportunity, but obviously it’s going to be a great challenge,” Idaho coach Jason Eck said. “They are a great team; I really don’t think they have any weaknesses. We’re probably going to have to play the perfect game to pull this off.
"But our guys are motivated ... we got embarrassed last time, and definitely want to have a better showing than the last time out.”
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jack Layne missed that Oct. 12 game after suffering a broken collarbone in the season opener at Oregon. Third-string QB Nick Josifek started the first Montana State game, but broke his collarbone against the Bobcats and second-stringer Jack Wagner finished the game.
Idaho has won six straight since that game.
Layne returned two weeks later and the Vandals have won all five with him.
“When we’re clicking on all three cylinders (offense, defense and special teams) we’re hard to beat, and a tough out, and just hoping we can put our best foot forward on Friday,” Layne said.
“It’s certainly reassuring for everybody when you have your starting quarterback,” Eck said. “We’re playing better on offense, we’re scoring points more consistently than we have been. But this will be our biggest challenge.”
Running back Nate Thomas, the South Dakota transfer who missed the first Montana State game, could return from injury tonight. He is Idaho’s leading rusher in what has turned into a four-pronged running attack.
In the first matchup, Montana State outgained Idaho 485-267 in total yards. MSU quarterback Tommy Mellott broke a 65-yard TD run in the first quarter, and finished with 148 rushing yards and two scores. He also threw for two scores. Scottre Humphrey ran for 124 yards on 19 carries.
“Scottre Humphrey probably forced more missed tackles by our team than anybody we played against all year,” Eck said of that first meeting. “We really struggled to tackle him. Some of the guys that have been really good players for us that have tackled well in a lot of games didn’t tackle well in that game. So I credit him for that. And Adam Jones is a heckuva back too. ... and Julian Davis is a good back too; he was a really good back last year when we played them.”
“I know the defense is going to be hungry,” said Zach Johnson, a redshirt freshman linebacker from Lake City High, who along with wide receiver Mark Hamper was named a freshman All-American earlier this week by FCS Football Central. “For us, it’s going to be a revenge game.”
Idaho is in the playoffs for the third straight season, all under Eck, and in the quarterfinals for the second straight year. A win would advance the Vandals to the semifinals for the first time since 1993, and for just the third time in program history.
The Idaho-Montana State winner will play the winner between No. 5 UC Davis and No. 4 South Dakota next week in the semifinals.
Nine weeks ago, Montana State jumped out to a 24-0 lead and was up 38-0 before Idaho scored in the final minute.
Idaho beat Montana State last year in Moscow, jumping out to an early lead and forcing the Bobcats to play from behind.
“I want to go play good, clean football,” Eck said. “We had some costly penalties last game, some costly turnovers, some things that were self-inflicted. I want to make sure we play good, clean football, and then if we get beat by a team that’s better, hat’s off to them.”