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.
MERIDIAN — Former Idaho state Rep. Dorothy Moon was elected to her third term as chair of the Idaho Republican Party during last week’s Idaho GOP Convention in Meridian.
Moon announced her candidacy for a third term as chair earlier this month after first being elected in 2022 and again in 2024. In this year’s election, Moon received 306 votes, former Idaho state Sen. Steven Thayn received 155 votes and Mark Fuller, the previous Idaho GOP first vice chair, came in third with 134 votes. In receiving just over 51% of the vote, Moon was able to narrowly avoid a runoff.
In his challenge to Moon, Thayn called for fostering a greater sense of unity among members of the party.
“Unity does not mean uniformity of opinion,” Thayn said in a prior news release on his candidacy. “Nor does it mean forced agreement. Forced unity always leads to tyranny. Real unity is voluntary. It is built through listening, respect, and a sincere effort to solve problems together.”
In the initial announcement of Moon’s campaign, she highlighted improvements to voter turnout and the defeat of the 2024 ranked-choice voting ballot initiative as among key party successes during her most recent term.
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.
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