“We are grateful for everything that Jason has done to elevate Vandal football, Idaho Athletics, the University of Idaho, our community and state,” Idaho athletics director Terry Gawlik said in a statement. “We wish Jason, Kimberly and the entire Eck family the best of luck. Jason took over a struggling team and built a culture, brought excitement and winning back to the dome immediately. We now look to the future to find the next leader of the Vandal football program. The foundation for success has been laid and we will look to the future with the goals of winning Big Sky and national championships.”

Four key Vandals enter transfer portal

In the hours following Eck’s departure, at least four Vandals put their names in the college football transfer portal, including Layne and star wide receiver Jordan Dwyer.

Layne and Dwyer made their announcements on social media.

Layne started eight games for the Vandals over the past three seasons, beating Idaho State three times and leading the Vandals to a 6-2 record with him under center. His two losses were to Oregon and Montana State, the current No. 1 teams in the FBS and FCS, respectively.

The sophomore from Lake Oswego, Ore., passed for 1,477 yards, 14 touchdowns and four interceptions through six starts in 2024.

Dwyer, a sophomore from Puyallup Wash., entered the portal with two years of eligibility remaining. In three years at Idaho, Dwyer played two full seasons after playing just four games as a true freshman, making 109 catches for 1,651 yards and 18 touchdowns total.

Dwyer broke out in ‘24, making 78 catches for 1,192 yards and 12 touchdowns in a season that saw him become a feature of an Idaho offense that lost two star wideouts to NFL training camps in Hatten and Jermaine Jackson.

He wasted little time Saturday in announcing offers from Eck’s New Mexico, Nevada, Montana and Washington State among others.

A pair of Idaho All-Big Sky-Conference defenders also hit the portal on Saturday in defensive lineman Dallas Afalava and defensive back Dwayne McDougle.

The pair also made their announcements on social media.

Afalava anchored a dangerous unit and accounted for 31 tackles and 4.5 sacks through each of Idaho’s 14 games this season.

The Rainier Beach High School (Seattle) alumnus spent two years on the Palouse, accounting for nine sacks and 56 total tackles.

After three years in Moscow, McDougle also hit the portal on Saturday. McDougle redshirted in 2022, then played in 26 total games over the next two seasons, including each of Idaho’s 14 games in ‘24. The sophomore from Oakland made 87 total tackles with two interceptions and 11 passes defensed.

More Vandals could hit the portal in the coming days as Idaho searches for its next coach.

The following is a news release from the Idaho Dept. of Fish and Game.

IDAHO FALLS – Avian influenza remains a threat to wild birds across Idaho, and Idaho Fish and Game is aware of several locations reporting cases of wild bird die-offs. Unfortunately, the disease will have to run its course in most instances. Fish and Game personnel cannot respond to all cases of infected wild birds, but staff are actively working to pick up carcasses of birds in areas with the largest number of dead waterfowl.

“We are aware that sick and dead wild geese are currently being reported by the public in the Lake Lowell, Parma, and Fort Boise areas of the Treasure Valley, and we estimate the number of dead birds to be in the thousands,” said Fish and Game’s Wildlife Health Program Coordinator Stacey Dauwalter. “Fish and Game staff are working hard to remove the dead birds, as that is the best option we have to reduce impacts of avian influenza.”

According to Fish and Game Migratory Game Bird Coordinator Jeff Knetter, mortality events like this are currently widespread.

“Groups of dead light geese – which include blue, snow, Ross’s geese – have been discovered as far east as Indiana and Tennessee and as far south as Louisiana and Texas,” Knetter said. “While unfortunate, several thousand light geese dying in a mortality event does not present population level concerns; the number of birds impacted is a very small proportion of the overall population which exceeds a million birds.”

RELATED | Menan property under quarantine after bird flu wipes out majority of man’s flock

Avian influenza is carried primarily by waterfowl (geese and ducks) along their migratory paths from their summer habitat to their wintering grounds. Southwest Idaho has become an important migratory stopover in the relatively recent past—there has been a large increase in the number of white geese that stop here during fall over the last 15 years, and the same is true for birds heading back north in spring. As many as 30,000+ were counted at Lake Lowell last winter.

What to do (and not to do)

Live birds showing signs of illness should be left alone. Local wildlife rehabilitation centers are not currently accepting wild birds. There is no treatment or vaccine for avian influenza and moving sick birds may spread it farther.

Dead birds can be disposed of in the trash to ensure other animals do not contact or consume them. The best practice when handling the birds is to use gloves and a mask, and place them in a double-bagged trash bag. People should also make sure to wash their hands after handling birds.

Please report sick or dead wild bird observations on Fish and Game’s website to assist avian influenza surveillance efforts.

Hunters, please see this resource for more information.

According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control, bird flu viruses do not normally infect humans; however, sporadic human infections with bird flu viruses have occurred. Symptoms may include conjunctivitis, fever, lethargy, aches, coughing, or diarrhea.

Domestic birds and poultry are very susceptible to dying once exposed to avian influenza. Influenza is transmitted between birds through close contact (mucous), fecal matter, and sometimes through the air. It is also carried on objects such as tools, vehicles, clothes, and boots, which can transfer the virus from one location to another. Please contact the Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) if you have concerns about commercial or backyard poultry.

For more information for domestic poultry owners and others who house birds, visit this website or click here.

PALISADES – Idaho State Police is investigating a two-vehicle fatality crash on U.S. Highway 26 at milepost 391.

At 2:16 p.m. Saturday, Idaho State Police troopers responded to a two-vehicle crash on westbound US 26 at milepost 391. A 66-year-old man from Shelley was driving a 2018 Jeep Renegade eastbound on US 26. The Jeep Renegade crossed the center line around milepost 391, hitting a 2020 Freight 114SD Snowplow that was driving westbound. The Snowplow was driven by a 48-year-old man from Swan Valley.

The driver of the Jeep sustained critical injuries and died at the scene. The passenger of the Jeep, a 67-year-old woman, was taken by ambulance to a local hospital.

The drivers of both vehicles, as well as the Jeeps’ passenger, were wearing seatbelts.

The westbound and eastbound lanes of US 26 were blocked for about four hours.

Idaho State Police were assisted by Wyoming Highway Patrol, Idaho Transportation Department, Idaho Falls Ambulance, Swan Valley Fire Department, and Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office.