VANDAL NOTES
In their 28-14 loss against the No. 11 UC Davis Aggies on Saturday, the Idaho Vandals struggled to play complementary football, which ultimately led to the team’s downfall. Once the defense finally got going and held the Aggies to just seven points in the second half, it was too late for the offense to execute and have a three-score comeback.
A sluggish start and missed chances on offense buried Idaho early.
Idaho coach Thomas Ford Jr. said he was impressed with the team’s resolve and the way that they battled through adversity. However, without both sides playing well at the same time, something that Ford has harped on for most of the season, it is difficult for Idaho to steal wins, especially going against good teams like the Aggies.
To win the next two weeks and to send the seniors out on a high note, against Sacramento State and Idaho State, the two sides will have to sync up again. The Vandals (4-6, 2-4 Big Sky) next face the Hornets (6-4, 4-2) at 6 p.m. Saturday (ESPN+) in Sacramento.
Idaho defense showing up
The Idaho defense is No. 3 in the Big Sky Conference in total defense and No. 3 in scoring defense. The Vandals are just behind the two conference juggernauts, Montana and Montana State in both categories.
The Vandals had the opportunity to give in down three scores against UC Davis, but did not, Ford said.
“I thought our kids played exceptionally hard and showed their resolve once again,” Ford said. “I mean, we went down 28-7, fumbled the ensuing kickoff, they recovered it at like the 20 and we held them out. And they (didn’t) score a single point the rest of the game.
“And so I think our defense has really continued to get better every week. Our players are getting a lot more experience. A lot of those young secondary guys are now more veteran-type guys. They’ve been in the fire, they’ve made the mistakes that young players make, and now they’re really growing.”
Idaho held UC Davis to 430 yards of total offense, with just 178 allowed in the second half. Idaho also intercepted UCD quarterback Caden Pinnick twice.
