Things to watch: Idaho hopes ‘crowd can have a factor’ in rivalry game against Montana

MOSCOW, Idaho – The Little Brown Stein trophy will be up for grabs Saturday when No. 3 Idaho plays host to the weekend’s most significant Football Championship Subdivision game.

The Vandals, looking to defend the Stein, entertain No. 16 Montana at 7:30 p.m. at the Kibbie Dome for their homecoming game in a pivotal Big Sky Conference matchup.

Idaho (5-1, 3-0 Big Sky) is perhaps the best story in the FCS this year. The Vandals have become a complete team under second-year coach Jason Eck.

Idaho breezed past Cal Poly 42-14 last weekend in San Luis Obispo to extend its winning streak to three games.

The Grizzlies (5-1, 2-1) have experienced some mixed results, but they’ve done enough to stay ranked and alive in the Big Sky. They seem to be finding their footing, coming off a 31-23 win at No. 18 UC Davis.

The atmosphere

The Vandals are expecting their first sellout crowd in 13 years. A national TV audience from ESPN2 will also be watching as Idaho stages one of its most anticipated home games in recent memory.

“I’m hoping our crowd can have a factor,” Eck said. “Not just come to watch, but make a difference.”

A rocking crowd should provide fuel for the Vandals, who are playing just their second home game of the season. But Montana tends to travel well. Plenty of Grizzlies fans will make the 250-mile drive to Moscow, setting the stage for a raucous environment.

It’ll be worthwhile to “take a moment to look around and soak in the atmosphere, and appreciate everything that’s going on,” receiver Hayden Hatten said. The Kibbie Dome hasn’t seen such an event in quite some time. As Eck said, this is what regional rivalries are all about.

This is the kind of setting that was promised when Idaho moved back to the Big Sky in 2018. Now, the Vandals are again relevant in the FCS and in hosting nationally significant Big Sky games.

Ground game is key

Two of the “biggest factors” that will decide this game, according to Eck – “finding a way to run the ball and stopping (Montana’s) run game.”

The Vandals rank 16th nationally with 204.5 yards per game on the ground. Tailback Anthony Woods has emerged as one of the most productive runners in the country (662 yards, 10 TDs).

But Montana’s rushing defense is the best Idaho has seen this season. The Grizzlies rank eighth nationally at 88.3 yards allowed per game. Montana has held three opponents under 100 rushing yards. The Grizzlies surrendered a season-high 136 yards in their worst performance – a 28-14 loss at Northern Arizona on Sept. 23.

“They only give up 3.2 yards per carry,” Eck said. “I feel like we’re running the ball better than we were at this point of the season last year.”

The Vandals managed just 91 yards on 44 rushes in a 30-23 win at Montana last season.

The Grizzlies might not be as dominant up front as they’ve been in the past, but they still succeed with front seven play. Montana makes use of blitzes to disrupt plays in the backfield. Defense is the primary strength for Montana, which ranks 15th nationally in scoring defense and 40th in total defense.

Idaho has improved significantly on the defensive side of the ball. The Vandals boast one of the top defensive backfields in the FCS – ranking No. 11 with 166.8 pass yards allowed per game – and their front seven is more disruptive than it was last year. This game will be a test for Idaho’s rushing defense.

The Grizzlies’ offense has been erratic through the air, but Montana’s ground game is reliable. The Grizzlies opt to run the ball on 60% of their plays, and they average 158 rushing yards per game.

Record watch for Hatten

Hatten is one touchdown shy of tying Jerry Hendren’s Idaho career record for receiving scores (27).

Matching – or breaking – that record this weekend would be extra sweet for Hatten.

“(A win) would mean a lot for me,” Hatten said. “Montana and Eastern Washington are like my two ‘personal vendetta’ teams.”

In Missoula last season, the All-American Idaho wideout piled up 149 yards and two TDs on nine catches in the Vandals’ upset win. After that Oct. 15 game, Hatten recorded at least one TD in each of Idaho’s final six contests, and posted five games of 100 or more yards. He wound up atop the Big Sky in receiving touchdowns (16) and yards (1,209).

It’s been a relatively slow start, statistically, to the 2023 season for Hatten. Perhaps a big game against Montana can trigger a similarly impressive second half of the season for the Big Sky’s preseason offensive player of the year.

Hatten has accumulated two touchdowns and 430 yards on 35 catches through six games. He hasn’t recorded a 100-yard game, but Hatten has “opened up some one-on-one opportunities for other guys, and he has probably helped our run game, as well,” Eck said.

“He’s having a really good year. It hasn’t led to as many touchdowns as last year, but I think that’s because of all the attention he’s garnering,” Eck said. “I think a lot of teams are trying to take him away or limit him, but he’s still being productive.”

Idaho might find a better advantage through the air against the Grizzlies, who rank 107th in the FCS in passing defense (262.8 yards). Montana surrendered 359 passing yards to UC Davis last week.