The University of Idaho football team is opening their season against an FCS opponent for the first time since 2017.
Lamar University went 1-10 last season, only beating Nicholls 24-17. The Cardinals completed 154/322 of their passes, threw 10 interceptions and reached the endzone 11 times. They also rushed for 1,933 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Lamar has yet to announce its starting quarterback. Nick Yockey, sophomore Mike Chandler II and sophomore Jakolby Longino took the snaps last season, but Yockey is gone, and the other two are in a QB battle.
Junior Robert Coleman joins Chandler and Longino in the battle. Coleman transferred to Lamar from Mt. San Jacinto College, where he put up 3,012 yards and 28 touchdowns last season. He has the most experience and strongest stat lines of the three QBs.
Junior running back Khalan Griffin will be leading the ground game. Griffin received a preseason first-team All-Southland Conference selection after putting up 619 yards and six touchdowns last season.
Lamar’s defensive line is young, with only one starter returning. Junior defensive end Jaymond Jackson had 26 total tackles, three of which were tackles-for-loss, and one sack.
The secondary for Lamar is full of returners. Four of the six players who snagged an interception return this season. Junior defensive back Samuel Scaife IV led the charge with four interceptions and 38 tackles.
Sophomore DB Kristian Pugh and junior DB Ramond Stevens were named to the preseason all-conference team.
The Cardinals also have a new man at the helm. Pete Rossomando has spent almost 30 years in a coaching position, spending 10 years as a head coach. He’s brought in almost an entirely new coaching staff to help bring a winning record back to Beaumont.
For the Vandals, almost every question has been answered. The backfield is set with Redshirt sophomore QB Gevani McCoy and sophomore RB Anthony Woods. For the receiving core, redshirt senior wide receiver Jermiane Jackson, redshirt junior WR Hayden Hatten and redshirt sophomore tight end Jake Cox have been named to the starting positions.
Cox will be returning to his home state for his first game in Texas since 2020.
“My family and friends get to go to the game, so I’m ready to go down to Beaumont and kick some a**,” Cox said.
Between graduation and the transfer portal, Idaho’s defense looks vastly different than it did last season.
Junior DB Marcus Harris is the one of the biggest returning names as he was selected to the preseason All-Big Sky team. Junior DBs Tommy McCormick and Murvin Kenion III are also big returners for the Vandal defense.
Joining the starting lineup this season is graduate student linebacker Tre Thomas, who transferred from South Dakota.
Like Lamar, the Vandals’ defensive line took a hit. Three players, redshirt senior Ben Betram, redshirt sophomore Aamarii Notice and redshirt sophomore Zach Krotzer, return from last season. Of the three, Bertram was the only one who started in a game.
In order to bolster the line, Idaho brought in junior Jahkari Larmond from Lincoln. Larmond transferred to Idaho after putting up 29 tackles and a forced fumble down in Missouri.
Game one will be a test for both Idaho and Lamar. For Idaho, the biggest question is what the offensive line will look like. For Lamar, it’s the defensive line. For both, it’s how heat and hydration will impact the game.
“You’ve got to keep your general hydration up just for cramping and things like that,” head coach Jason Eck said. “You’re going to have moments of discomfort that you’ve got to push through.”
Idaho and Lamar will kick off their seasons at 5 p.m. on August 31. The game can be watched on ESPN+ or heard on The Varsity Network.
James Taurman-Aldrich can be reached at [email protected] or on X @jamesaldrich25