No. 4 Vandals to open Big Sky play with tough test

The schedule does not get any easier for the No. 4 Idaho Vandals as they head down to sunny California to open Big Sky competition against No. 14 UC Davis at 7 p.m. today.

It is the third consecutive Saturday that the Vandals will face off against a ranked opponent and the fourth time in five weeks that Idaho will be playing a game away from the P1FCU Kibbie Dome.

The calendar might read September, but today’s contest has a lot of season-long implications. With six of the 12 teams in the Big Sky Conference ranked in the latest Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll, there is very little room for error for any team that has aspirations of a conference title.

Both Idaho and UC Davis have followed a similar path leading into the matchup at UC Davis Health Stadium in Davis, Calif. Both teams are on three-game winning streaks after losing to a Football Bowl Subdivision “Power Four” opponent in the season opener.

“Coach (Tim) Plough has done a good job everywhere he has been. Their defensive coordinator I have a lot of respect for,” Idaho coach Jason Eck said. “I thought they defended us really well a couple of years ago. This will be a challenge, but this is why you get into playing football or coaching football. You like challenges, so it is a good opportunity.”

One-Lan wrecking crew

Senior running back Lan Larison entered the season with a lot of hype. The Caldwell, Idaho, native had 1,101 rushing yards and scored 15 total touchdowns in 2023 and was a Walter Payton Award Finalist last season. The performance aided Larison in being named the 2024 Big Sky preseason offensive MVP.

The 6-foot back has been as advertised in his senior season. Larison has 393 yards on the ground and 196 yards receiving with five touchdowns in the first four games.

His 589 all-purpose yards on offense account for 45.6% of the Aggies’ offense. Larison has gained over 160 yards in all three games against FCS opponents.

“They do a great job with their zone game, their counter game and their down hill runs. He is also a weapon in the pass game,” Eck said. “They will have a lot of things where they are releasing him out, get him in the route concept. He is a guy where you have to know where he is and account for him.”

In the 2022 win over Idaho, Larison only had seven carries as the second string running back, but averaged 9.9 yards per carry for 69 yards and scored a touchdown.

Tough test for Wagner

The Aggies have held opposing defenses to 215.3 passing yards per game and that is without junior defensive back Rex Connors the last three games. The defensive back had an 11-tackle performance in the season opener against California.

Connors is a Buck Buchanan Award preseason watch list member and received the most votes on the All-Big Sky preseason team for the defensive back position. Idaho is preparing for the junior to be back this week.

UC Davis has 16 pass breakups as a team, led by senior defensive back Kavir Bains with five. Linebacker David Meyer is tied for fourth in the FCS with 41 total tackles this year. Meyer also has two interceptions.

Idaho quarterback Jack Wagner has shown flashes throughout his two starts this year, but the Vandals are still waiting for the true freshman to put together a strong full 60 minutes. Wagner is 40-for-78 (51.3%) passing for 510 yards this year. Last week, the freshman had a solid first half against Abilene Christian with 225 yards.

After the first half, Idaho went into a more run-focused attack and Wagner only had 28 yards through the air. After scoring early in the second half, the Vandals did not put up another point.

Running game focus

Facing a difficult secondary, there will be even more importance on running backs Eli Cummings and Nate Thomas having strong performances.

Idaho attempted to lean on the duo last week, but against the strong front-seven of the Wildcats, the Vandal offense stalled.

Idaho’s offensive line continues to improve and has done a fantastic job at keeping Wagner clean in the pocket, but now it is time for the unit to take it to another level and create running holes for the backs to run through.

“They have a very veteran defensive front,” Eck said. “All those guys played against us two years ago. It will be a great challenge and a great opportunity.”

The Vandals are averaging 4.7 yards per carry with Thomas and Cummings being evenly successful. In each of the last three games, Idaho has carried the ball over 30 times and that game plan is unlikely to change as long as UC Davis does not jump out to a large lead early.

One of two remaining items on Eck’s list

Since Eck was named the head coach at Idaho, the Vandals have had a lot of success against Big Sky opponents. Idaho is 12-4 against conference opponents after back-to-back 6-2 seasons in league play. During that time, Eck has been able to earn a victory against nine of the 11 other teams in the Big Sky.

The two opponents he is yet to beat are UC Davis and Weber State. The Aggies spoiled Idaho’s senior day in 2022 with a 44-26 win. The Wildcats earned a 31-29 home win against the Vandals last year.

UC Davis has had the Vandals’ number over the years, winning the last four meetings. The lone Idaho win came back in 1997 when Chris Tormey was UI’s head coach and the Vandals won at home 44-14. There have been six head coaches between Tormey and Eck.

The basics

What: Idaho at UC Davis

When: 7 p.m. Pacific today

Where: Davis, Calif.

Streaming: ESPN+

Radio: KOZE-AM/FM (950/95.5), KZFN-FM (106.1), KORT-AM (1230), KLER-AM (1300)

Isbelle can be reached at 208-848-2268, risbelle@lmtribune.com or on X (formerly Twitter) @RandyIsbelle.