NFL News NFL News, Reports and Updates
Oct. 14—MOSCOW, Idaho — Wounded and embarrassed following a 38-7 shellacking at the hands of Montana State that cost Idaho a starting quarterback and its top-10 ranking in the Football Championship Subdivision, the Vandals (4-3, 1-2 in the Big Sky Conference and now 13th-ranked) will look to get their season back on track Saturday in Moscow against Cal Poly, which is challenged in its own right. The Mustangs are 2-4 overall, 1-2 in the Big Sky.
In his weekly press conference Monday, Idaho coach Jason Eck acknowledged of the 6-0, league-leading and 3rd-ranked Bobcats “that was a tough game for us the other night. It was like a heavyweight fight. Hyped up. We got our butts knocked out.”
Nonetheless, he was quick to add “we are not going to lose our confidence. The three teams we lost to (Oregon, California Davis and Montana State) are a combined 20-1. We have got a resilient bunch. I think we will respond well and practice well this week.”
The Vandals will have to do so with a seriously depleted roster at quarterback. The season starter, Jack Layne, is still out with a broken collarbone suffered against Oregon. His backup, Jack Wagner, has had a hand in all four Vandals victories but is still battling the lingering effects of a shoulder injury suffered against Wyoming in the season’s second week. Wagner gave way to walk on Nick Josifek as the starter against the Bobcats. But Josifek was lost for the season with a collarbone injury himself in the first quarter.
Wagner came on in relief against MSU, and Eck said “we have got a lot of confidence in Jack Wagner.” Behind him, the Vandals have only freshman Rocco Koch, who has spent the season running the scout team. Idaho will work to get Koch ready to play this week if he is needed. To replace Koch on the scout team, the Vandals will tap one of several freshmen recruited…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/idaho-picks-itself-off-mat-020200339.html
Author : The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
Publish date : 2024-10-15 02:02:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
