Vandals talk about football, new traveling trophy at Big Sky Kickoff event

July 23 – AIRWAY HEIGHTS, Wash. – The 2024 Big Sky Kickoff media day brought a lot of excitement, a lot of anticipation and a lot of questions on Monday at the Northern Quest Resort and Casino.

For the Idaho football team, there are many more roster questions than last year, but the team is eager to prove itself and anticipates another strong season.

“Last year, we were coming into this event where we had a group of established first-team all-conference players,” Idaho coach Jason Eck said. “Now we have some potential all-conference starters. To me, that’s the fun, that’s the development part of coaching.”

The Vandals will enter the season without last year’s leading passer, top two rushers and top three receivers.

In their place is a bunch of hungry freshmen ready to prove they are ready for the opportunity. Wide receiver Michael Graves is the only senior on the offensive side of the ball.

“There will definitely be opportunities for some guys to step into those roles,” Eck said. “I think some guys have really embraced it.”

Redshirt sophomore Jack Layne will assume duties behind center, replacing quarterback Gevani McCoy, who is now at Oregon State. And if Layne’s two games against Idaho State over the past two seasons have proven anything, it’s that he’s ready for the moment.

“Jack has really gained a lot of trust in his teammates with how well he has played in the Idaho State games the last two years, especially last year,” Eck said.

Layne completed 49 of 69 passes in his Vandal career for 693 yards with eight touchdowns and one interception. He recorded 275 yards and six touchdowns against the Bengals last November when he got the call for the injured McCoy.

Eck pointed out that tight ends like Jake Cox could be more involved with Layne at quarterback. The coach also believes that receivers Jordan Dwyer and Mark Hamper have worked and can have impactful seasons.

“They’re not household names among their fans yet,” Eck said. “But I expect a lot of these guys to be household names to their fans by the end of the season.”

One name senior defensive lineman Keyshawn James-Newby thinks will be a household name is redshirt junior running back Elisha Cummings.

“The kid is unstoppable,” James-Newby said. “I fought to face him and that’s saying something. He’s fast, he’s low (and) he’s strong in the weight room and everything else.”

Cummings redshirted last season after recording 429 yards on the ground in 2022, when he scored four rushing touchdowns, caught two scores and threw a touchdown pass to McCoy.

On the defensive end, the Vandals bring back eight starters and plenty of senior leadership. Eck hopes their experience on defense will not only make them difficult to guard, but also force their own offense to improve during practice.

“I’m really excited about our defensive line. We have a lot of talent there and a lot of guys who have played a lot of football. I think we’re going to make a leap there,” Eck said. “I think the secondary has a lot of experience with guys who (played) a lot of football. At safety, they’re guys who played a lot of football at Idaho. At corner, they’re some guys who played football elsewhere, but they still have a lot of experience at that level. FCS.”

Senior defensive back Tommy McCormick, who wore a chic white jacket, was excited about the opportunity to be a senior leader of a defense he called “young and hungry.” He said the goal is to play fast and physical and create as much damage as possible on the opposing attack.

Idaho opens the season on the road against now-high school Oregon on Aug. 31. The opportunity to play a top 10 FBS team in a wild environment to open the season is something the Vandals are excited about.

“My 13-year-old son Palmer won that new NCAA game,” Eck said. “He said, ‘Dad, just so you know, I think Oregon is the better team in this game. Thank you, Palmer. It will be a fun atmosphere, I know our players are very motivated and excited.

The home opener is a rematch of the 2023 FCS quarterfinals when Albany returns to the Kibbie Dome on September 14. The Great Danes scored 16 points in the fourth quarter to eliminate Idaho last season. Both teams will have a different look. Eck believes Albany has no starters on defense.

“I’m definitely excited that we were fortunate enough to have the chance to get that rematch earlier in the season,” McCormick said.

The regular season ends Nov. 23 in Pocatello, where the Vandals will face in-state rival Idaho State for the newly created Potato State Trophy that replaces the Battle of the Domes Trophy. The old trophy was introduced in 2018, but was discontinued with the trophy’s sponsor, Idaho Central Credit Union, dropping the sponsorship and not allowing the trophy’s continued use.

Eck created a temporary trophy by placing a Mr. Potato Head on top of the previous base, but now the rivalry has a new prize that comes in at just under 20 pounds.

“I think traveling trophies are something really unique and special for college football,” Eck said. “I’m excited about this opportunity.”

Isbelle can be reached at 208-848-2268, risbelle@lmtribune.com or on X (formerly Twitter) @RandyIsbelle.