Idaho
For Idaho, a win at Sac State means everything
Oct. 29—There’s a lot on the road at 6 p.m. at present when No.14 Idaho (5-2, 4-0) travels to Hornet Stadium to tackle No. 2 Sacramento State (7-0, 4-0) in an enormous Huge Sky Convention showdown.
For the Vandals, they’ve one other likelihood to play spoiler and proceed their unexpected run to a attainable bid to the Soccer Championship Subdivision postseason.
Here is how they’ll win:
Stopping the run
Nearly as good as Idaho’s offense has been at working the ball, it is simple to neglect how good the protection has been at stopping it.
The Vandals presently rank third within the Huge Sky in run protection, permitting simply 107 yards per recreation. Whereas this has been a giant issue all season in Idaho’s success, it’s going to be paramount towards Sacramento State, which prides itself on working the ball.
The Hornets are second within the Huge Sky at 262 speeding yards per recreation. They have an inclination to load the backfield with harmful runners, and never simply restricted to the working again place.
Sacramento State makes use of two quarterbacks, who every have the power to flee and run for chunk yardage. Asher O’Hara often will get designed run performs, and he is good on these. The senior is seventh general within the Huge Sky with 480 speeding yards and is second within the convention with 13 speeding touchdowns.
Sacramento State’s big-play man is sophomore working again Cameron Skattebo, who’s tops within the Huge Sky with 851 yards speeding. He would be the finest runner Idaho has confronted all season, so retaining him underneath wraps might be an enormous issue.
Power to go
Discuss two issues that go hand-in-hand. If the Vandals discover a solution to cease Skattebo and the Hornets’ speeding assault, they’re going to be pressured to go.
Idaho’s ball-hawking secondary has put the protection at plus-11 in turnover margin, second within the FCS.
Sacramento State is not a crew designed to go, utilizing the two-quarterback system to assist the run recreation.
Jake Dunniway is the Hornets’ most important thrower. He is sixth within the Huge Sky in passing yards with 1,405. Conversely, he is been picked off seven occasions, tied for third-most within the convention.
Idaho’s 16 turnovers are tied for first within the Huge Sky and third within the nation.
Return to their roots
Final week, Portland State held the benefit in time of possession towards the Vandals. Granted it was for lower than a minute, nevertheless it nonetheless was the primary time that had occurred to Idaho this season.
Regardless of that, Idaho nonetheless earned a 56-21 victory. Nonetheless, the Vandals might want to maintain the ball away from the Sacramento State offense.
That might be a tricky process. They’re going to have to seek out methods to ascertain the run towards the second-best run protection within the convention (107 yards per recreation allowed). The excellent news is the Vandals did it Oct. 1 at Montana. Whereas Idaho did not run for a ridiculous quantity of yards in that one, the dedication to the run allowed them to carry on to the ball and make sufficient performs with the play-action go.
That is the formulation for fulfillment.
Pixley could also be contacted at (208) 848-2290, tpixley@lmtribune.com or on Twitter @TreebTalks.