‘This is a great challenge’: Idaho can ride high into Big Sky play with win over Abilene Christian

MOSCOW, Idaho – Last summer, this might have looked like a reasonable way to wrap up the nonconference games before heading into the Big Sky Conference season.

A year ago, Abilene Christian finished 5-6.

However, when the University of Idaho travels to Texas on Saturday to face the Wildcats for the first time, the fourth -ranked Vandals will be playing a Football Championship Subdivision team ranked 19th after fashioning a 2-1 record that consists of back-to-back wins after taking Football Bowl Subdivision Texas Tech to overtime before falling 52-51 in its opener.

The Vandals, also 2-1, have designs on a deep playoff run after reaching the FCS quarterfinals last year and played third-ranked FBS opponent Oregon within 10 points in their opening game before defeating another FBS foe, Wyoming, and FCS 17 th -ranked Albany University.

The prospect of taking on one more ranked team may have them wondering “does this ever get any easier?”

Idaho coach Jason Eck said the Wildcats pose “ a great challenge for us.”

On both sides of the ball.

Eck pointed to Wildcats quarterback Maverick McIvor, a graduate transfer, who has already completed 80 of 122 passes for 1,032 yards and seven touchdowns, without an interception. The Vandals, by contrast, have thrown only 70 times in three games, Eck pointed out.

“They throw it 40 times a game,” said Eck. “We have got to do a great job of getting some pressure on that guy.”

Vandals edge rusher Keyshawn James-Newby already has six sacks this year, including one against Albany.

One of McIvor’s favorite wide receivers is senior Blayne Taylor. A big target at 6-foot-5, 215 pounds, Taylor has 13 receptions for 206 yards and a touchdown.

“He’s a big dude,” says Eck.

The Wildcats are also big and fast up front on both sides of the ball. On defense, they feature redshirt senior Kaghen Roach, 6-5, 255.

“He stood out for me,” said Eck.

Roach has 21 total tackles through three games, including 4.5 tackles for loss. The Wildcats play multiple shifting fronts which will put a premium on blocking communication for an Idaho offensive line that has already lost two starters for the season to injuries. The Wildcats like to blitz in front of both zone and man coverages. Against Big Sky member Northern Colorado, which Abilene Christian beat 24-22 a week ago, the Wildcats “wanted to get their safeties in the box,” to counter Northern Colorado’s run game.

“They will leave their corners on an island,” Eck said. “They are not afraid to do it.”

The Vandals may see more of that, since they rushed for 247 yards against Albany in a 41-13 win, led by Nate Thomas with eight carries for 75 yards and two touchdowns, and Elisha Cummings with 11 carries for 71 yards.

Idaho quarterback Jack Wagner, who left the Wyoming game in the fourth quarter with a shoulder sprain, was not quite 100 percent but completed 10 of 20 passes for 156 yards with two TDs against Albany. The effort apparently did not set back his healing. Eck said Wagner will not be limited at all in practice this week.

In his weekly news conference, Eck offered some anodyne comments about realignment in the Mountain West Conference in 2026 and whether that league may try to entice the Vandals, Montana, Montana State, South Dakota State, South Dakota, North Dakota State or North Dakota to move up to FBS.

“We will see what happens,” Eck said. “If we can keep the Big Sky as it is, I think the Big Sky is a tremendous conference.”

Eck also addressed trying to get a game against Idaho’s former great rival, Boise State, which will join Washington State in a rebuilt Pac-12 conference in 2026. The Broncos are already playing Big Sky teams. They have a game scheduled against Portland State this week.

“We would love to play them,” Eck said of BSU. ‘I think we could have moved some things around and played them this year. But they didn’t want to play us for some reason.

“I would love to play them. We would be open to them if they want to play us.”

First the Vandals have what might be a formidable enough challenge in Abilene Christian.