After a 9-3 season and finishing third with a 6-2 conference record, the Idaho Vandals received the number eight seed in the FCS Playoffs, getting the final advantageous seed to receive a first-round bye. This is their second straight season receiving a bye, with last year’s team being the number four seed in the playoffs. Idaho will be tuned into the first-round matchup between number nine Richmond and Lehigh on Nov. 30, as the winner will travel to Moscow to play the Vandals for a quarterfinal spot.
A lot of people aren’t too familiar with either of these teams, considering both are in the Eastern United States. Lucky for you, I am here to save the day and give you some insight on who we will see in Moscow on Dec. 7, and how our mighty Vandals will match up against my predicted winner.
Starting off with the home team, the number nine-seeded Richmond Spiders. Richmond finished their season 10-2 and went undefeated in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Conference, winning their second straight conference championship. Richmond could have been the number eight seed over Idaho, with a very impressive resume.
Richmond averages 28.1 points per game, the exact same average as Idaho. Their offense seems to rely more on their impressive run game, as the team averages under 200 passing yards and game, and their running back Zach-Palmer Smith has an impressive 1275 yards and 13 TDs on the ground.
The thing that stands out the most for the Spiders is their defense. They have the eighth best scoring defense in the country, only allowing 17.5 points per game. The Spiders also have forced 21 turnovers on the year and have a +9-turnover margin.
Moving on to the Lehigh Mountain Hawks, this is their first postseason appearance since 2017, finishing 8-3 and winning the Patriot League, and are actually unranked in the FCS Coaches Poll. Lehigh succeeds heavily on their top defense which is ranked seventh in the country for yards allowed per game.
Lehigh’s defense is led by defensive lineman Matt Spatny, who currently has the second most sacks in the country with 11.5. The only person ahead of him? Richmond’s Jeremiah Grant. One big concern is the team’s ability to win the turnover battle, with them having a zero for their turnover differential.
Now for their matchup, this will be a big preview for what we will see next week in Moscow. Both teams have good defenses that dictate their games, as their offenses aren’t as high powered. I think a big tell is the level of competition, with the CAA being considered generally a better conference than the Patriot League, Richmond will be more battle tested.
I think because of Richmond’s ability to force turnovers, and Lehigh’s inability to limit turnovers, the Spiders will take advantage and move on to face our Idaho Vandals.
Now for the matchup of Idaho and Richmond, this game will come down to the small things. Third-down conversions are a huge aspect of a football game, and with Idaho being a very successful third-down offense, and Richmond having a resistant third-down defense, I think it comes down to who can win that battle.
Another thing I want to point out is that the Vandals have committed 24 more penalties for 120 more yards. Idaho will need to focus on limiting the smaller mistakes to limit penalties. Idaho will need to focus on stopping Richmond’s running game, and the Vandal offense needs to get the pass attack going early to open up the running ability.
This game can go either way, coming down to who can win on third down, who can win the penalty game, and if Idaho can succeed through the air to opening up the run game more. However, the Vandals and Vandal fans will have to wait until after Nov. 30 to know who stands in the way of a second consecutive quarterfinal appearance.