UI ready for clash of 2 top-10 teams in Bozeman

The No. 7 Idaho Vandals face the toughest Football Championship Subdivision test of their 2024 regular season when they travel to Bozeman, Mont., to face undefeated No. 3 Montana State today.

The game between two top-10 teams is scheduled to kickoff at 7:15 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN 2.

Idaho (4-2, 1-1) is looking to win at Bobcat Stadium for the first time since 1991. Montana State (6-0, 2-0) is attempting to be the first FCS team to reach seven victories and remain unbeaten.

The Vandals will once again rely on the running game, but junior running back Elisha Cummings is dealing with a shoulder injury and might see limited action for Idaho. Freshman Art Williams could see more significant time alongside junior Nate Thomas if Cummings is not at 100%.

Montana State has dominated its last five opponents, winning by at least 17 in all five games and building a 30-point victory in two of them. The Bobcats opened the season with a 35-31 comeback win over Football Bowl Subdivision opponent New Mexico. MSU scored two touchdowns in the final 4:35 for the victory.

Today’s contest will be the fifth consecutive game that Idaho has faced an FCS program ranked in the top 25.

“If you want to be a really good team you have to be very consistent. You have to be at or near your best every week,” Idaho coach Jason Eck said. “If you have weeks where you are not, you are probably going to get beat when you play a competitive schedule.”

Strength vs. strength

In six games, Montana State has rushed for 1,792 yards (298.7 yards per game). Compare that to Southwestern Athletic Conference member Mississippi Valley, which has played five games on the year and has a total of 300 yards on the entire season.

MSU sophomore running back Scottre Humphrey has topped triple digits in four games. He has 668 yards on 92 carries and has scored eight rushing touchdowns.

Quarterback Tommy Mellott is also not afraid to run as he has 273 yards and five scores on the ground.

On the other side of the ball, Idaho has one of the best rushing defenses in the league. The Vandals have allowed 93.3 yards per game on the ground, eighth best in the FCS.

In four games against ranked-FCS opponents, UI has allowed just 77.25 rushing yards per game. The Vandals held UC Davis to 26 yards on 31 carries in a game that the Aggies were trying to ice the game on the ground.

Eck said that it will be important to contain the Bobcat rushing attack, force third-and-long situations and allow the Idaho pass rush to “pin their ears back” and attempt to create havoc in the backfield.

A veteran MSU quarterback

Mellott is participating in his fourth season with Montana State and has taken advantage of being the main signal-caller for the first time.

The Butte, Mont., native shared time with Sean Chambers the last two seasons, but now he is the main quarterback and Mellott has run with the opportunity.

The 6-foot senior has completed 79-of-115 passes for 1,082 yards with 12 touchdowns and no interceptions.

“(Mellott is a) great quarterback who has played a ton of football for them,” Eck said. “He is a great passer. He is a tremendous runner as well that you have to account for.”

Two-headed UI quarterback room

Against Northern Arizona last Saturday, the Vandals swapped the quarterback role between freshmen Jack Wagner and Nick Josifek. Both QBs were given two drives at a time at the position.

It is unknown exactly if Eck will follow that same game plan or not this week, but it does look like both Wagner and Josifek will get an opportunity today.

In his Monday press conference, the Vandal head coach said that Wagner had a better practice week than Josifek did before the game against NAU and that was the reason he had the first chance. He noted that the same philosophy, along with the health of both throwers, would assist in his decision.

For what it is worth, the Idaho game notes list Wagner above Josifek on the depth chart. However, it is listed with an “or” between the two names to denote that it is not a locked-in decision.

Bobcats looking for revenge

Last season, it was Idaho that defended its home field in a tough 24-21 victory after MSU missed a late game-tying field-goal attempt.

The only offensive player who gained a yard last year for Idaho who will be on the field today is wide receiver Jordan Dwyer. The wideout had two catches for 12 yards in last year’s game.

Mellott only completed 12-of-24 attempts for 191 yards and two touchdowns against the Vandals in that contest.

“We kept those guys off the field pretty well last year,” Eck said. “They only had like 47 plays. I am not sure we can count on that going that way again, but that is probably the most effective way to stop them is to have them on the sidelines.”

Safety Tommy McCormick led Idaho with eight tackles and defensive tackle Dallas Afalava had the lone Vandal sack. Both will be on the field for the visiting team.

True home field advantage

Idaho and Montana State have split the last 10 prior meetings, with the home team winning every contest since 1992. The Vandals won a neutral site game in Pullman in 2000.

The Vandals are looking to win in Bozeman, Mont., for the first time since 1991 when they won 48-14. Montana State earned a 20-13 victory in 2021 the last time the two teams met at Bobcat Stadium.

“One of the great venues and one of the best true home field advantages in college football,” Eck said. “It is going to be a great challenge for us.”

Under head coach Brent Vigen, Montana State is 25-1 at home in his three-plus seasons at the position. The lone loss came in the FCS playoff quarterfinals to North Dakota State, 35-34. The game went to overtime and was decided on a missed extra-point attempt by the Bobcats.

Idaho seeing a familiar face to the valley

MSU sophomore defensive tackle Alec Eckert was a two-year captain for the Lewiston Bengals in high school and has started multiple games for the Bobcats.

Eckert was named to the All-Inland Empire League first team when he finished second in the state in sacks his senior year with the Bengals.

He spent his first three seasons at Washington State, redshirting in 2021 and playing in three total games in 2022 and ’23.

This season, Eckert has played in all six games for the Bobcats with seven tackles in five starts.

The basics

What: Idaho (4-2, 1-1) at Montana State (6-0, 2-0)

When: 7:15 p.m. Pacific today

Where: Bozeman, Mont.

TV: ESPN2

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.