Idaho
2024 FCS Playoffs Quarterfinal Preview & Prediction: No. 8 Idaho at No. 1 Montana State
No. 8 Idaho travels to No. 1 Montana State in the quarterfinals of the 2024 FCS Playoffs. Kickoff is scheduled for Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN. The Bobcats defeated the Vandals 38-7 in Week 7.
The winner will advance to face the winner of No. 5 UC Davis at No. 4 South Dakota in the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs.
2024 FCS Playoff Bracket
2024 Prediction Record: 170-45
2022-23 Record: 207-75
Kickoff: 8:00 p.m. CT (ESPN)
Line: Montana State (-13.5)
Series History: Idaho leads 26-20-1
Key Players: Montana State
Tommy Mellott (QB): 170-for-241 (70.5%), 2,256 Passing Yards, 26 Passing TDs, 1 INT, 659 Rushing Yards, 11 Rushing TDs
Scottre Humphrey (RB): 177 Carries, 1,325 Rushing Yards, 7.5 YPC, 14 Rushing TDs
Adam Jones (RB): 132 Carries, 973 Rushing Yards, 7.4 YPC, 10 Rushing TDs
Brody Grebe (DL): 33 Total Tackles, 9 TFLs, 7.5 Sacks, 3 PBUs, 8 QBHs
McCade O’Reilly (LB): 61 Total Tackles, 7.5 TFLs, 3 Sacks, 3 PBUs, 6 QBHs
Key Players: Idaho
Jack Layne (QB): 80-for-125 (64%), 1,233 Passing Yards, 12 Passing TDs, 3 INTs, 1 Rushing TD
Jordan Dwyer (WR): 67 Receptions, 1,003 Receiving Yards, 14.97 YPC, 10 Receiving TDs
Mark Hamper (WR): 47 Receptions, 950 Receiving Yards, 20.21 YPC, 6 Receiving TDs
Keyshawn James-Newby (DL): 58 Total Tackles, 14.5 TFLs, 10.5 Sacks, 13 QBHs, 2 Forced Fumbles
Tommy McCormick (DB): 99 Total Tackles, 2.5 TFLs, 3 INTs, 4 PBUs
Montana State dominated Idaho in the first matchup between these two programs this season. The Bobcats rushed for 360 yards and held the ball for over 37 minutes of the game, two things that the Vandals must limit this weekend. Idaho utilized that strategy in the 2023 season, holding the Bobcats to 128 rushing yards and limiting Montana State’s opportunities with 41 minutes of possession time.
The return of quarterback Jack Layne has helped the Vandals reach new heights offensively. In the past three games, Layne has recorded 830 passing yards, nine touchdowns, and only one interception. Layne’s absence limited the impact of two of the best wide receivers in the Big Sky in the first game. Jordan Dwyer and Mark Hamper have combined for over 1,900 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns this season.
Injuries have limited the Idaho rushing attack, adding to the importance of Layne’s return at quarterback. Deshaun Buchanan has done a solid job leading the run game, posting 472 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Establishing the rushing attack will be important for the Vandals, but the Montana State defense has held opponents to 3.5 yards per carry.
The Bobcats have the most explosive offense in the nation, averaging over 7.5 yards per play and posting a success rate of 54.7% this season. Quarterback Tommy Mellott is playing the best football of his career, including a season-high 300 passing yards in the second round. The Vandals struggled to contain Mellott in the first game, allowing 140 rushing yards and four total touchdowns.
Along with Mellott’s versatility, the Bobcats are dominant on the ground, ranking No. 2 nationally with 308.5 rushing yards per game. Scottre Humphrey leads the Bobcats with 1,325 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns. Freshman Adam Jones is the other half of an explosive 1-2 punch, posting 973 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.
In this first matchup, Idaho struggled to generate pressure and create negative plays consistently. It will be essential for Idaho’s front seven to keep the Bobcats off-schedule and behind the chains. Defensive end Keyshawn James-Newby leads the Vandals with 14.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks. The Vandals will need big games from linebackers Zach Johnson and Jaxton Eck, who have combined for over 200 tackles and 10 tackles for loss.
Montana State’s defense is the most underrated aspect of this team. The Bobcats have held opponents to 285.2 yards per game, highlighted by an elite passing defense allowing only 5.73 yards per attempt. Brody Grebe leads the Bobcats with nine tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks, while Kenneth Eiden IV can also take over a game off the edge. If the Bobcats can take away the deep ball, things can get very difficult for the Idaho offense.
This game will be more competitive than the last matchup, but I do not know if Idaho has enough firepower to escape with the upset win in Bozeman this weekend. Montana State is playing at an elite level on both sides of the ball, led by one of the most dynamic players in the nation. The Bobcats will pull away in the second half behind another signature performance from Tommy Mellott.
Prediction: Montana State (38-21)
Behind The Numbers: 2024 FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals Preview
2024 FCS Football Central Freshman All-American Team
2024 FCS Playoffs: Second-Round Recap
2024-25 FCS Football Head Coaching Change Tracker
Follow FCS Football Central on social media for ongoing coverage of FCS football, including on X, Facebook, and YouTube.
PAYETTE — A Payette mom’s bond was revoked Tuesday after she was charged with suffocating her twin children earlier this month and is believed to pose a danger to the life of her newborn child.
The case, which has drawn national headlines, concerns Andrea Renee Shaw, a 23-year-old Payette mother who in May 2025 said her 18-month-old fraternal twins died the same day, after receiving routine childhood vaccinations. In January, Shaw joined as a plaintiff in a federal lawsuit filed by Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccine organization founded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., with several other plaintiffs claiming vaccine injury or death.
Kennedy, who now serves as secretary of Health and Human Services, is no longer part of the group after taking on the cabinet position, as was reported by the Associated Press.
In Idaho, the twins’ deaths prompted a 14-month investigation by the Payette County Sheriff’s Department. On June 29, the investigation yielded a grand jury indictment of Shaw on two counts of first-degree murder by suffocation. If convicted, Shaw can be punished by up to life in prison or the death penalty, and the court would have the ability to order the penalties be served consecutively, or back to back.
Tuesday’s arraignment at the Payette County Courthouse was primarily attended by Shaw’s relatives and members of the media. Payette County Judge Kiley Stuchlik, who serves Idaho’s Third Judicial District, presided.
A key consideration for Stuchlik on Tuesday was a request from Joseph Filicetti, the legal counsel for Shaw, to have her bond reduced from $2 million to $100,000. Filicetti said this would allow for Shaw to care for a newborn girl, who, according to court documents, was born by caesarean section on June 25, four days prior to Shaw’s grand jury indictment.
State prosecutors objected to the motion for bond reduction, noting at hand was a potential death penalty case and asserting, unlike her husband, Shaw’s story repeatedly changed during questioning. Prosecuting Attorney Mike Duke said releasing Shaw would ultimately put the newborn’s safety at risk.
“That child is the most at risk. We do not think she should be allowed to be anywhere near any children, let alone her own children,” Duke said.
Stuchlik decided to revoke bond entirely, stating Shaw posed a “risk of safety” to the newborn child that was not known to Stuchlik or prosecutors when the $2 million bond was initially set.
Also for consideration Tuesday was a request to have grand jury transcripts of witness testimony provided to prosecutors and defense counsel to prepare their respective cases.
Idaho
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