Going into the last home game of the 2019 season, the Vandals hope to send off their seniors with another upset win inside the Kibbie Dome.
Idaho (4-6, BSC 2-4) will have to hold off the sixth ranked Sacramento State Hornets (7-3, BSC 5-1) if the Vandals want to bring in a victory on Senior Day.
Top level competition: The Vandals have possibly had one of the toughest schedules this season.
After difficult non-conference games against Penn State and Wyoming, the Vandals were able to upset the Eastern Washington Eagles at home.
Since then, Idaho has faced two top-10 FCS teams this season, and will play another top ten team Saturday.
The team’s worst Big Sky loss came a week ago to the currently fifth-ranked Montana Grizzlies by a score of 42-17 on the road in Missoula.
The last time Idaho faced a top competitor inside the Dome, the Vandals lost by six to Weber State.
The Vandals clearly play well in the Kibbie Dome, and that spark will be needed against possibly their toughest opponent yet — the Hornets.
Sacramento State: The Hornets have won five of their last six games after escaping with a win against Northern Arizona a week ago.
The balance on both sides of the ball can be tricky for the Vandals, with the Hornets ranking in the top three in total offense and defense among all of the Big Sky.
The Hornets score nearly 38 points per game this season and hold their opponents to nearly 23 points.
In three of the four Idaho wins this season, the Vandals have scored over 30 points. Senior quarterback Mason Petrino and the rest of the Idaho offense will need to find a way to score against the stingy Hornet defense.
Senior Day: On Saturday, many Vandals will be playing on the Kibbie Dome turf for the final time. Offensive lineman Noah Johnson, Petrino and
defensive back Lloyd Hightower are just a few of the big names Vandal fans will see for a final time this season.
Leading the Idaho offensive line, Noah Johnson has brought reliability and stability to the Vandals for the past four seasons.
In his freshman season, Johnson became an immediate starter and was named to the Sun Belt Conference All- Newcomer Team. The following season, he was named to the All-Sun Belt Second Team.
In his junior season, Johnson won All-Big Sky First Team honors and was named to the HERO Sports All- America Third Team, becoming the first All-American Idaho offensive lineman since Mike Iupati in 2009.
This season, Johnson has continued to become one of the biggest leaders on the offensive side of the ball for the Vandals.
On the other side of the ball, Hightower emerged as one of the many defensive threats for the Vandals in the secondary.
In his junior season, Hightower experienced a breakout season, finishing with 13 pass breakups on the year, the third best player in the Big Sky and the eighth best in the FCS.
This season, Hightower ranks eighth in the Big Sky in passes defended and ninth in interceptions, with possibly the highlight of his season coming against Idaho State to pick up two defensive touchdowns for the Vandals.
Behind Hightower’s veteran leadership, the Vandals have turned around their secondary unit to become one of the more respectable ones within the Big Sky Conference.
The Vandal career will finally come to an end for Petrino as well, who experienced possibly one of the most roller-coaster careers an Idaho quarterback has ever faced.
The quarterback turned wide receiver then back to quarterback has experienced maybe the most criticism by fans over the past four years, but has progressed into being a vital asset for this team when fully healthy.
Two of his top career performances have been inside the Kibbie Dome.
Last year’s comeback win over North Dakota solidified his place at quarterback after leading the offense downfield in the final minutes of the game to pull off the upset win.
This season, Petrino brought revenge for the Vandals against Eastern Washington, throwing for 240 yards and hauling in three touchdowns.
Many of the current Vandal seniors have experienced memorable moments throughout these past four years, and aim to make a few more against Sacramento State Saturday.
When/Where: Idaho will play Sacramento State 2 p.m. Saturday inside the Kibbie Dome.
Follow Vandal Nation for live tweets throughout the game and takeaways after Saturday’s action.
Chris Deremer can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @chris_DEREMER