It is nearly a month into the college football season and there has been plenty to unpack through the first three games of the season.
Idaho football has played two games to start the season, splitting its record at 1-1, with both ending in blowouts on both sides.
When the Vandals traveled to take on Fresno State, plenty of fans were quick to jump off the wagon after an agonizing loss on the road.
The following week, Idaho came home for an impressive game on both sides of the ball to pummel Western New Mexico.
Chris Deremer
With conference play just around the corner, could these two non-conference games be pivotal into shaping Idaho’s season? Absolutely.
The Fresno State Bulldogs may be Mountain West champions by the end of winter, and potentially playing in a New Year’s Six Bowl. If that loss did anything for Idaho, it made them stronger and helped them learn how to deal with speedy receivers and a poised quarterback.
For many Vandals it was their first time ever seeing collegiate football action, and to have that be against the potential Mountain West champions could be nerve-wracking.
The following game, Idaho came home and looked quite like Fresno themselves in many ways, stomping Western New Mexico in the process.
The polar opposite outcomes to both games could be a huge building block to help Idaho make this season memorable, and it isn’t the first time they have used devastating losses to fuel the fire.
In 2016, Idaho had a brutal start to their non-schedule dropping two blowout losses to Washington and Washington State. All hopes for a bowl win that season or even a winning record were highly questioned after those games.
Instead of giving up on the season, Idaho marched on and ended the season with a bowl victory, and a chance to make a final statement in the FBS.
Could a similar situation be in the cards for the Vandals?
Fresno State’s 38-14 win over UCLA could be a blessing in disguise for the Vandals and a building block on the way to winning the Big Sky and having an opportunity to be in the FCS playoffs.
Every team faces adversity, and every great team learns how to overcome that adversity. In the following weeks we will start to learn the true culture of this Idaho squad.
If Idaho wants any extra fuel for this season, remembering a loss like that is crucial, and doing everything for that to never happen again could make this Vandal team hungry for revenge.
Even though Idaho can’t exactly get revenge against the Bulldogs, why not just take out the anger on the rest of the Big Sky?
A loss like the season opener can be easily forgotten, but Idaho should embrace it and learn from it.
Idaho currently has a record of 1-1, and while both games may seem like no big deal, Vandal fans may look back at this by the end of the season as the moment where the Idaho dominance began.
Chris Deremer can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @Cderemer_VN