Commentary: A different feel watching Idaho football these days
When I took over the Idaho football beat for the Lewiston Tribune this summer, I knew that I was going to have to do a lot of research to get reconnected with the Vandals.
I was someone who would keep an eye on what Idaho was doing, but would have never called myself a fan of the team. The amount of times I have been to the Kibbie Dome to watch the Vandals play over the past 20 years could easily be counted on one hand and the last time was seven years ago.
My father and I went with my then 8-year-old son, Chase, to Dads’ Weekend on Oct. 28, 2017, when Idaho hosted Louisiana-Monroe. Even now, I struggle to even remember anything about that game. A lot of that was because the atmosphere was forgettable.
The things that I can remember from that experience was my father teaching my son the Vandal fight song and having Chase dance around and point any time Idaho earned a first down. We had a lot of empty seats around us and while the official box score said 10,705 were in attendance, it did not feel that way.
The Vandals jumped out early in that game and had a 28-7 halftime lead before eventually winning 31-23 to improve to 3-5 that season. Current receivers coach Matt Linehan had three touchdown passes as the senior quarterback on the team.
Fast forward to last Saturday, my first Idaho game in nearly seven years, and the atmosphere was completely different. The attendance numbers show that only around 700 more people attended the rematch between Albany and Idaho than that 2017 game, but the decibel level would disagree.
There is always an added buzz to a team that is winning. What coach Jason Eck is building in Moscow is something special.
That build starts with the personalities that Eck and his coaching staff have recruited to Idaho. There is a sense of pride and determination with every player that I have had the pleasure of talking to this fall. Teammates hold each other accountable, but are also there to lift a teammate up.
The energy level that the Vandals showed in a near-upset of Oregon in the season opener and the win over FBS-foe Wyoming were one thing. The energy level that they showed in the home opener at the Kibbie Dome was on a whole different level.
As I sat in the press box, it was fun to watch students and fans file into the stands and feel the slow build of energy that they brought with them. The first appearance of the band got the place rocking and there is just something fun about an active Kibbie Dome atmosphere.
The Vandals are bringing a product to the field that just has its own energy to it. It is hard not to get excited when you watch the Idaho defense fly all over the field and swarm to a ball carrier. It is easy to get consumed in the energy that Eck brings to the offense with his use of trick plays and aggressive mentality. Not to mention a special teams group that has proved with a punt return touchdown on Saturday that it can break one open at any moment.
There is so much give and take when it comes to a team on the field and the fans in the crowd. For years, it felt like the players on the turf were giving it everything they had, but because of bad results or maybe a bad aura to the team, the fans did not return the favor. The Eck-era feels different.
Last Saturday was my first Vandal football game in nearly seven years and it was an absolute blast. The best part is there were still plenty of open seats to be filled and make the next home game that much better.