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.
BLACKFOOT — A large contingent of Blackfoot Police officers has cordoned off an area near the Taco Bell on Parkway Drive in Blackfoot.
Police responded around 5 p.m., according to multiple witnesses who contacted EastIdahoNews.com.
EastIdahoNews.com has reached out to Blackfoot Police for details.
We will update this story as we learn more.
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MISSOULA, Mont. — An Idaho Falls angler is back in the Idaho record books after landing a record-setting lake trout at Payette Lake.
Idaho Fish and Game said Dylan Smith caught and released a 43.25-inch lake trout on May 2, setting a new state catch-and-release record for the species. The fish surpassed the previous record of 42 inches.
The catch marks Smith’s second appearance in Idaho’s record books. He previously held the state catch-and-release lake trout record after landing a trophy fish in 2018 before that mark was later broken.
According to Fish and Game, Payette Lake has become one of Idaho’s premier lake trout fisheries thanks to years of management efforts aimed at improving both lake trout and kokanee populations.
Pride Month looks different this June along Boise’s Harrison Boulevard, where a long-standing tradition of hanging Pride flags on lamp posts has been put on hold after a new state law restricted which flags can be flown on government property.
For several years, Pride flags lined lamp posts along Harrison Boulevard in Boise’s North End neighborhood. But Idaho House Bill 561, signed by Gov. Brad Little in March, restricts which flags can be flown on government property, including the City of Boise’s Harrison lamp posts.
In response, a group of neighbors formed Pride North End and launched a distribution effort to help residents show support from their own front yards. The group has been making Pride flags and yard signs available to people who want to display them at home.
“I thought that I would…be a personal example of ‘yes, this is what I do.’ This is what I believe in,” said Edna Schochat, a North End resident.
Pride North End has already distributed more than 900-yard signs and 250 flags. The group’s original donation goal was around $2,000 to order 100 flags and 200 yard signs, but it has exceeded that GoFundMe goal, reaching $10,000 worth of donations.
The group plans to continue holding public flag and sign distributions through the end of the month.
“We cannot just say something without doing something that proves that we mean what we say,” Schochat said.
Pride North End said any leftover funds after materials are distributed will go to local LGBTQ+ nonprofits. A link to the group’s GoFundMe can be found here.
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