It’s back. Finally. It’s back. After five years of hiatus the Battle of the Palouse is back on Saturday when Martin Stadium plays host to yet another Idaho-Washington State match-up.
A lot has happened since these two teams last faced each other. Three coaches have been fired and way too many games have been lost. Though, one of these teams has won a bowl game since then!
Did we mention that many games have been lost?
Washington State came into this season 12-49 since 2008, a losing record each season. Idaho not much better, 18-43 with a winning record in 2009.
That’s just the reason that the characters Idaho and WSU call its head coaches will be roaming the sidelines on Saturday. Mike Leach in his second season at Washington State has his Cougars sitting at 2-1. A win against Idaho would mean the Cougars would only need to win three of their remaining eight games to go bowling for the first time since 2003.
Paul Petrino is the fiery character leading Idaho, taking charge of a program that has only beaten two FBS teams in the last two seasons. Idaho would like to win this game because it really needs its first win under Petrino.
Leach said during his Monday press conference that he has never really met Paul Petrino, only his brother Bobby. That’s a shame. The two have a lot in common. They should hang out.
On to the game!
The game
Idaho (0-3) at Washington State (2-1)
Where: Martin Stadium, Pullman, Wash.
Where to watch: Pac-12 Networks (unless you have DirecTV, then you can’t watch)
Where to listen: Tom Morris will have you covered on the Vandal Radio Network
Can’t watch or listen? Follow @VandalNation on Twitter and keep up with the game on your desktop or mobile device.
Idaho against the Pac-12
Amazingly enough this will be Idaho’s first game against a Pac-12 opponent since playing at Washington in 2009. Probably because Pac-12 teams don’t shell out as much in guarantees as other conferences. Idaho is getting $550,000 from WSU for this one. In comparison, it got $410,000 from North Texas to fly to Denton. It will get nearly double the guarantee it’s getting from WSU for the game at Florida next season.
Essential links
The Loser’s Walk is back. Here is a tremendous feature on the topic from Theo Lawson.
Here is my game story preview focusing on the characters and match-ups involved
The two schools are competing in more than just football, Kaitlyn Krasselt reports
Former Idaho coach and WSU assistant Robb Akey is enjoying his time as just a dad, from Josh Wright of the Spokesman-Review
Idaho defensive end Maxx Forde grew up in a Cougar household, from Troy Warzocha of the Lewiston Tribune
The key match-ups
Offensive line, offensive line, the offensive line as well as the offensive line will be key for Idaho on Saturday. Chad Chalich and Josh McCain, Idaho’s two quarterbacks, have been hit behind the line of scrimmage 21 times in three games.
Although Idaho its best offensive output of the season last week by putting up 35, it was nine sacks that kept the offense from breaking out even further. For example, Idaho scored four touchdowns in the first half alone, which is more than the three combined touchdowns in the over five halves of football its played in 2013. However, the four times Idaho quarterbacks were sacked in the first half against Northern Illinois were all drives where Idaho did not score.
Needless to say that trend carried over to the second half.
“You got to be able to see blitzes and anticipate them, and that’s something we have to get fixed, and we will. It’s a big emphasis of ours this week. It’s a big emphasis of ours this week,” center Mike Marboe said. “It’s a little bit of film. It’s more just going against it, getting our reps at it … the more your rep something the better you get at it, that’s what (offensive line) coach (Jon) Carvin is trying to get done. Trying to get blitzes thrown at us as many times as we can in practice. By repetition we’re going to get better at it.”
The good news? Washington State has only put a quarterback on the ground three times all season.
If able to stand in the pocket Chalich and McCain have proven capable of moving a meticulous Idaho offense down the field and eat chunks of clock during scoring drives.
Look for Idaho to find even more creative ways to use its speed as well, as Washington State is the best and most athletic defense the Vandals have faced all year. Getting the ball to receiving play-maker Dezmon Epps and freshman running back Richard Montgomery will be a point of emphasis.
Defensively for Idaho it will on the linebackers. The bottom line here is that Idaho does not have the depth, talent or experience in the secondary to keep up with these Cougar receivers and passing schemes with just the secondary alone. Defensive coordinator Ronnie Lee will have little choice but to call for defensive packages that keep linebackers on the field. So it is on Eric Tuipulotu, Broc Westlake, Juan Martinez, Matt Willis and Marc Millan to demonstrate an ability to defend the middle of the field, stick with routes over the middle and keep receivers from getting yards after the catch.
But what about pressuring the quarterback?
Cougars’ quarterback Connor Halliday has only been sacked six times this season, a result of the quick-read, quick-release air raid offense.
“I guess you have to pick and choose a time when it’s time to pressure and when it’s time to play zone, that’s the key,” Ronnie Lee said. “And it’s a process you go through, you just play one play, one play at a time. Don’t worry about the first quarter, play that down, and whatever presents itself then I attack it full speed.”
Connections on both sides of the border
In the late 1980’s current Idaho DC Ronnie Lee was a defensive back at Washington State, busy with leading the conference in forced fumbles. His coach was Dennis Erickson, who had returned to the Palouse to coach the Cougars after leaving Idaho for Wyoming just two years prior.
Running around the locker room was Dennis Erickson’s young son, current Idaho quarterbacks coach Bryce Erickson. Lee followed the Ericksons to Miami after his graduation in 1989 to be a coach.
“I used to be Bryce’s babysitter when I was a (graduate assistant) for Dennis at the University of Miami,” Lee said. “Bryce will always let me know that I was a terrible babysitter.”
All grown up now, Bryce will be a part of the rivalry he’s been on both sides of.
“It’s what it’s all about,” he said. “For me being raised both in Moscow and Pullman it’s very special to me, and I’m proud to be on this side living in Moscow coaching for the Vandals.”
Quotes!
Mike Marboe on the rivalry aspect of the game: “It’s cool. I have family on both sides of it, I grew up in this culture and what not. So it’s cool. But you can’t make it too much of a big deal. You have to treat it like another game and prepare well and it’s going to be high emotion, no doubt. Not just for me but for the whole team, and I’m sure for them too. You run into (those players) all the time, we just live in the same community, so it’ll be a fun game. The last thing you can do is let the rivalry get to you and lose sight of preparation.”
Senior tight end Michael LaGrone on finally playing this game: “It means a lot, they’ve been trying to schedule this game since I’ve been here. They’ve said we’re going to play them and we never have, never have. Now we’re finally playing them, we’re all ready, I’m ready. We’ve been looking forward to this for a long time, I’m definitely excited about this game. We’re preparing for a win.”
Bryce Erickson on his father Dennis’ thoughts on the game: “We talked Sunday for a little bit, it was more about our game and their overtime loss to Oregon State. So, we’re both kind of telling each other to keep our heads up and keep grinding which we’ll both do but we haven’t really talked about that. He knows about the rivalry, it’s a special opportunity for both football teams and I can’t wait to line up against them on Saturday night.”