MOSCOW, Idaho - It is playoff time for the Vandals in the deep south. Idaho travels to Hammond, Louisiana, to face Southeastern Louisiana Saturday at 4 p.m. pacific in the first round. The Vandals are 7-4 while SLU is 8-3 and the Automatic Qualifier out of the Southland Conference. It is the first meeting of the two schools in program history.
ABOUT IDAHO: Idaho closed the season with a dominant win over Idaho State to retain the Battle of the Domes trophy. Gevani McCoy missed the game, but true freshman Jack Layne had a solid start for the Vandals.
Hayden Hatten had a career-high 158 yards and scored his 15th touchdown this season. Idaho notched four takeaways and now has 21 on the season to just eight turnovers.
Fa'Avae Fa'Avae is fourth in the Big Sky averaging 8.9 tackles per game.
ABOUT SOUTHEASTERN: The Lions are back in the playoffs for their third time in four seasons. They are a balanced team on offense, rushing for 181 yards and passing 250 per game. They give up 375 yards per game on defense. Like the Vandals, they are solid in the red zone. They have a two quarterback system with Eli Sawyer and Cephus Johnson III. Coach Frank Scelfo is 33-22 in his fifth season. SLU has won five-straight games.
PICK SIX
1. QB PERFORMANCE: Gevani McCoy has been outstanding this season. He is 11th in the FCS in completion percentage (67.9%) and fifth in the FCS in efficiency (168.4). When you include just FCS games, those numbers jump to 69.4% completion percentage and 175.1 efficiency rating. In just six games, he passed for more yards (1,359) than any Vandal player a year ago. He is the first Vandal to pass for more the 2,300 yards in a season since current WR coach Matt Linehan threw for 3,184 yards in 2016. McCoy was named to the Jerry Rice Award Watch List and was the Big Sky Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Week after leading the Vandals to the win over Montana. Idaho still has a pair of quarterbacks with game experience to back him up in
CJ Jordan and J'Borre Gibbs. True freshman quarterback Jack Layne was given time at the QB position against Drake and started the game against Idaho State.
2. BACK TO THE PLAYOFFS: The Vandals return to the FCS Playoffs for the first time in 27 years. Idaho spent 22 of those years in FBS and won three Bowl Championships during the hiatus. The Vandals are 6-11 in 12 playoff appearances all-time and made semifinal appearances in 1988 and 1993. Idaho has played three FCS playoff games in Louisiana, most of any state other than Idaho.
3. TURNOVERS: Despite playing games against Power Five opponents, the Vandals are up big time in the turnover margin. Idaho has 21 takeaways to just eight turnovers. Good enough for the seventh-best turnover margin in the FCS. In just five games, the Vandals topped the takeaway number from a season ago. Combined with the best time of possession mark in the FCS, Idaho is controlling the ball. Paul Moala, Murvin Kenion and
Tommy McCormick have four interceptions each. Idaho is the only team in the FCS with three players to have four or more interceptions.
Marcus Harris has turned two takeaways into touchdowns including a fumble return TD against WSU and a Pick Six against ISU.
4. IMPACT TRANSFERS: Six transfers are listed on the Vandal defensive two-deep, two transfers are listed on the offensive list and one special teams player. Paul Moala, a linebacker transfer from Notre Dame forced a fumble against WSU, made a goalline stop against Indiana and has four interceptions on the season. Juliano Falaniko, a defensive end transfer from USC had 29 tackles, including 4.5 TFLS and two sacks. Mathias Bertram a safety from New Mexico has 42 total tackles. Former NAIA All-American Jason Hahlbeck, a transfer from Morningside College, has missed games due to injury. Junior college transfer Ricardo Chavez is 12-15 on the year for field goals and is among the leaders in the FCS in made field goals and percentage. JC transfer Murvin Kenion III has three interceptions and a forced fumble this year and led Idaho in tackles against Portland State.
5. RECEIVERS: Hayden Hatten scored his 15th touchdown this season last Saturday against Idaho State, breaking a 54-year old Idaho record. He is now has the top spot in the FCS for TDs this season.
Jermaine Jackson is first in the Big Sky in yards per reception at 19.58. Jackson is second in the Big Sky in Yards per game and Hatten is first. Terez Traynor and Jordan Dwyer have all had big impacts, but have had injuries that have limited their availability.
6. NEW BUT VETERAN STAFF: With the coaching staff change, head coach Jason Eck changed the entire staff. Among the 10 assistant coaches, seven have served as a coordinator in a college football setting and running backs coach Thomas Ford is a former DII head coach. Stanley Franks Jr. and Matt Linehan both had outstanding careers as players at the University of Idaho. Eck, Luke Schluesner, Rob Aurich, Tyler Sutton Tyler Yelk all have FCS playoff experience.
