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#4 Idaho hosts BYU in Conference Matchup

The University of Idaho Vandals (4-0. 1-0) are coming off of their 2nd and final bye week of the season, and saw their position in the polls jump to the 4th best team in the country.

On Saturday, the Vandals welcome in the BYU Cougars (2-2. 1-0). The Cougars are scoring just 19.8 points per game which is 118th in FBS play, and are allowing 403.3 yards per game on defense, which is 80th best in the country.

Idaho is scoring at a 31.8 point per game pace, 37th in the nation and boast the top defense in America, allowing just 267.0 yards per game.

BYU is coming off of a big win at #24 Oregon last week, and a home win over winless ECU, the week prior to that contest. BYU opened the season by dropping their first two games, both on the road, at #10 Wisconsin and at Miami.

The Cougars offense is centered on a power run game, featuring senior running back, Rodney Brown.

Idaho will once again likely ride its defense and a balanced offense to take down the Cougars.

Coach Idaho Coach spoke about the game on his weekly radio show.

"Well, we have a really hot team coming in here, they just went into Autzen Stadium and beat Oregon, and now they're looking to follow that up by beating us in the Dome. BYU is a lot better than a 2-2 football team might tell you.

I think for us, we once again want our defense to continue to just do what they have been doing. Swarm the ball, play as a unit and play free.

On offense, I want to see some of our younger guys step up this week. Obviously, your upperclassmen are going to usually be your top guys, but we are young, and need some of these underclassmen to start showing up and making impacts in the game.

I think the key to winning on Saturday will be our mental approach. if something bad happens, don't get down on ourselves. Stay the course, and good things will happen."

ESPN College Football Analyst, Kirk Herbstreit has picked the Vandals to claim victory on Saturday. This columnist agrees.

Prediction:

Vandals: 38

BYU: 17

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#9 Idaho shuts down #15 Michigan State in 26-14 win

The 9th ranked Idaho Vandals (4-0. 1-0) used a stifling defense, shutting out Michigan State (3-1. 0-0) for the final 3 quarters en route to a 26-14 victory.

The Vandals totaled 304 yards of offense to just 233 by the Spartans. Michigan State had only 92 yards passing on 13 completions and were 1-6 on 3rd down.

Idaho technically lost the turnover battle 3-2, though one of those turnovers was on a hail mary to end the first half.

Idaho Quarterback, Dustin Coleman finished 14 for 22 for 216 yards for 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions.

Jacob Cowan carried the ball 23 times for 98 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Kevin Barnett had 8 catches for 102 yards.

Defensively, All-American cornerback, Lee Washington had 5 tackles and an interception. Jesse Berry had 3 tackles for loss from his defensive end position.

After trailing 14-6 after one quarter, Idaho outscored Michigan State 20-0 the rest of the way to win the ball game.

Coach Idaho Coach spoke with the media following the game.

"I was really proud of our guys today. Our defense continues to really impress me. I think in the past we may have had more star power on defense, but as a unit, these guys really play together and swarm the ball.

Offensively, despite a few turnovers, I thought we were better. We mixed in more play action passes and I thought that really helped to open things up both in the run and pass game. That is something that is on me to continue to tinker with and improve upon.

Getting a win over a team like Michigan State, and pitching a shut out for the final 3 quarters should give us a lot of confidence moving forward. Now it is on to conference play and accomplishing our goal of winning the conference championship."

Idaho hosts BYU next week in Moscow.

Final Score:

Vandals: 26

Spartans: 14

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#9 Vandals host #15 Spartans in huge non-conference matchup

The University of Idaho Vandals (3-0. 1-0) are coming off of their school's second national championship. So far this season, they have looked youthful, but talented, and yet maybe haven't faced truly elite competition. On Saturday, that will change, as the 15th ranked Michigan State Spartans (3-0. 0-0) invade the Kibbie Dome.

The Spartans have defeated Central Michigan, Boston College and Washington so far this season but are looking to take it up a notch with a win over the Vandals.

Idaho meanwhile has taken down, Wyoming, Iowa and California. A win over Sparty would be a signature for the Vandals as they enter the meat of the Pac-12 Conference portion of their schedule.

Michigan State has had a balanced attack on both sides of the ball this season, while Idaho has relied largely on its defense to win the Vandals games. Idaho enters Saturday's matchup with the 3rd best defense in the country, compared to Michigan State's 39th ranked defensive unit. Offensively, Idaho averages 33.7 points per game while the Spartans average 29.3 points per game.

In a huge development, Michigan State's star quarterback was injured in practice this week and will be out for 10 weeks or more, which should be music to the ears of the Idaho defense.

Coach Idaho Coach spoke about the matchup on his weekly radio show.

"This is obviously a big game and one that is getting a lot of national attention, as well it should. To have a Big 10 team coming to Moscow, Idaho, and one with the pedigree of a Michigan State is exciting.

Despite that, we have to play better than we have been. We are going to go with Dustin Coleman at quarterback this week. I thought he was the best at that position in our last game, and he was really impressive in practice this week, so he is going to start there for us.

In terms of this game, I think it really comes down to who is going to execute better. We turned the ball over 5 times last week. If we do that again, we're toast. This game will be all about the details, and that is what we have been preaching to our guys. The team that makes the fewest mistakes on Saturday is going to win."

ESPN College Football Analyst, Kirk Herbstreit has picked Michigan State to end Idaho's long home winning streak. This columnist disagrees. The injury to the Spartan's quarterback is a huge development. This one will be close though.

Prediction:

Vandals: 31

Spartans: 28

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#10 Vandals escape Cal with ugly 28-21 win

Heading into this season, most pundits believed that Akim Mills would be one of the best quarterbacks in the country. On Saturday, in just the 3rd game of the season, he found himself on the bench after throwing 3 first half interceptions.

Redshirt Sophomore, Andre Shaw started the second half at quarterback for the Vandals. He lasted one drive, going 1 for 3 with an interception of his own.

Dustin Coleman, the former All-American was the 3rd quarterback of the day to play for the Vandals, finishing the majority of the 2nd half action, he went 6 for 7 for 76 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception.

All told, the Vandals quarterbacks threw 5 interceptions and were sacked 5 times.

Jacob Cowan and the offensive line saved the day, as Cowan carried the ball 28 times for 213 yards and 1 touchdown in by far his best game as a college player.

Kevin Barnett caught 6 passes for 82 yards and 2 touchdowns. Dominic Henry hauled in 4 passes for 54 yards and a touchdown of his own.

Defensively, Jesse Berry had a huge game, with 2 sacks and 3 other tackles for loss. Corey Knox also tallied 2 sacks of his own.

Idaho was able to come away with a win thanks to allowing just a single touchdown in the second half, that came with 2:50 to play in regulation.

Coach Idaho Coach spoke with the media after the game.

"Well, obviously our quarterback play was horrendous. 5 interceptions, and 3 guys all threw at least 1 pick is a joke. Akim just wasn't making good decisions out there. Then Shaw came in and looked nervous. I thought Coleman looked the best of the 3, but he's a redshirt senior, and his interception was a terrible decision as well.

To be honest, I have no idea where we are at with our quarterbacks moving forward.

I thought Jacob Cowan was terrific. His vision, and ability to setup blocks is really special. Running for 200 yards on the road in a conference game isn't easy. He saved us today.

Considering all of our turnovers, I also thought our defense was pretty impressive. I really like the way we are playing on that side of the ball. We're hungry and fly around. I like what I see there.

Overall, I'm glad we won, but if we play like this on Saturday, Michigan State is going to beat us."

The Vandals return to Moscow this week to take on the Michigan State Spartans in a highly anticipated Top 25 matchup.

Final Score:

Vandals: 28

Cal: 21

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#10 Idaho Vandals head to Bay Area to take on Cal Bears

The 10th ranked University of Idaho Vandals (2-0. 0-0) have vaulted back into the Top 10 teams in the country during their bye week, and are set to open the Pac-12 season this Saturday in Berkeley, California against the Cal Bears.

The Bears opened the pre-season ranked 19th in the polls, but have gotten off to a slow start, and fallen out of the rankings. In week one, Cal narrowly beat FCS-West 31-28 and then fell last week in their home opener to Northern Illinois by a score of 31-19.

Early on this season, Cal is averaging just 25 points a game to Idaho's 36.5 points per game.

Defensively, Cal has allowed 315.5 yards per game, good enough for 22nd best in the country, while Idaho is allowing 292.5 yards per game, which is 13th best in FBS play.

Idaho is rumored to have running back, Jacob Cowan back this week, after injuring himself in the 2nd half of the Iowa game, two weeks ago.

Coach Idaho Coach spoke about the game on his weekly radio show.

"This is a classic trap game for us, and we have been telling our guys that all week.

We are coming off of a bye, we have Michigan State coming to Moscow next Saturday and it would be really easy to look past this Cal team, but I guarantee that we aren't going to do that.

Cal was ranked just 2 spots behind us in the pre-season poll, and they were there for a reason. After the slow start they have gotten off too, they know that if they open with a conference win over us, that all will be forgiven. We simply can't let that happen.

This game will be one in the trenches. I want to control the line of scrimmage, and be the tougher, stronger team on Saturday. It's time for our big boys to step up and dominate a game."

ESPN College Football Analyst, Kirk Herbstreit has picked Idaho to open their conference season with a road victory. This columnist agrees.

Prediction:

Vandals: 34

Bears: 24

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Vandals lock down Hawkeyes in 24-7 victory

Coming into the season, much has been written about the losses the Idaho Vandals (2-0. 0-0) have sustained on the defensive side of the football. On Saturday, the new look defense held the Iowa Hawkeyes (0-1. 0-0) to just a single score, despite being led by an All-American quarterback and a bevy of experienced receivers.

On the day, the Vandals defense forced 5 turnovers, including 4 interceptions, two of which came from Senior Free-Safety Lance Williams, who seemed to be all over the field on Saturday.

On the offensive side of the ball, Idaho was resilient, as Iowa's defense was also stout, but a commitment to running the ball and capitalizing on turnovers, won the day for Idaho.

Iowa would open the scoring with 2:34 to go in the opening frame on a 51 yard touchdown pass, those would be their only points of the day.

The Vandals would put up 14 unanswered points going into halftime, thanks to a Jacob Cowan rushing touchdown and a 7 yard touchdown pass from Akim Mills to Dominic Henry.

After halftime, Idaho was buoyed by a 50 yard field goal from Sophomore kicker, Colby Scott and a 1 yard touchdown run from Jay Thomas that put the game away, early in the 4th quarter.

Akim Mills finished just 11 for 23 passing for 173 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Many of Mills' incompletions were simply denied by great pass coverage by the Iowa defensive backs.

Jacob Cowan ran the ball 21 times for 87 yards and 1 touchdown. In the 2nd half, Cowan injured his back. His status moving forward is uncertain.

In relief, true freshman, Jay Thomas carried the ball 10 times for 26 yards and a touchdown.

Kevin Barnett had another big day catching the ball, hauling in 5 passes for 94 yards.

Defensively, Idaho had 7 tackles for loss and forced 5 turnovers.

Coach Idaho Coach spoke with the media following the game.

"I really liked what I saw from our defense. They were hungry, they were physical and we just seemed to be all over the ball. We looked fast and free. I was really impressed. Hats off to our defensive coaching staff as well, we looked really good on that side of the ball. Iowa has one of the best quarterbacks in the country and we shut them down.

Offensively, we were fine, I wish our completion percentage was higher, but Iowa is a tough team to look good against. A lot of our miscues were forced by them, it wasn't us just not doing our job. Sometimes the other guys are pretty good too.

It looks like Jacob Cowan is going to be down for a week or two, we've got a bye coming up so we'll see how that goes.

We've got a Top 25 matchup on the road coming up, so we'll need all the help we can get."

Idaho is set to take on the 15th ranked Cal Bears in Berkeley, California in two weeks.

Final Score:

Idaho: 24

Iowa: 7

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#15 Idaho returns home to host Iowa

The 15th ranked University of Idaho Vandals looked exactly like how many experts expected them to in their season opening game against Wyoming. The Vandals are fast, have loads of talent, but are also inexperienced compared to last year's National Championship team.

On Saturday the Vandals will open up their home schedule against the Iowa Hawkeyes (0-0).

The Hawkeyes are led by All-American quarterback, Brennan Green, who at 6'3" and 217pounds has the arm strength to throw the ball all over the field. Iowa's top 4 receivers are all upperclassmen with speed and experience.

Iowa also boasts a loaded defensive backfield with 4 seniors at cornerback that will look to shutdown Akim Mills and Idaho's passing attack.

Despite not playing a game yet, Iowa fell out of the Top 25 after being ranked 25th in the pre-season poll. A win over the Vandals would surely vault the Hawkeyes back into the rankings.

Idaho meanwhile will look to tighten up their effort from a week ago, when they turned the ball over 3 times, and allowed a 75 yard touchdown.

Coach Idaho Coach spoke about the game on his weekly radio show.

"Any time you play a team from the Big 10 you know that you are in for a physical battle. Iowa has a lot more experience than we do, but I think we probably have the speed and youth advantage on our side.

This is a game where we are really challenging our Senior leadership to take charge in practice and make our younger guys understand what it takes to beat a team like Iowa. This isn't some cakewalk home opener, this is a Top 25 team coming into our house that has the ability to beat us. We have to be ready."

ESPN College Football Analyst Kirk Herbstreit has picked Iowa to pull off the upset and beat Idaho in the Kibbie Dome. This columnist disagrees, but this one will be close.

Prediction:

Vandals: 35

Iowa: 34

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Vandals show promise and youth in 49-27 win over Wyoming

The new look Idaho Vandals (1-0. 0-0) rode a torrid start en route to a season opening victory over the Wyoming Cowboys (0-1. 0-0) on Saturday.

The Vandals put up 35 points in the first half, thanks to two touchdowns each from Jacob Cowan and Kevin Barnett, in addition to a pick-6 by Lee Washington.

Idaho led 35-17 at halftime. The Vandals would then open the 3rd quarter, as true freshman running back Jay Thomas returned the 2nd half kickoff 104 yards for a touchdown to open up the Vandals lead to 42-17.

Wyoming would score the next 10 points of the game, before Cowan would ice it with 2:16 left in regulation to cement the final score at 49-27.

On the day, the Vandals at times looked incredible explosive and fast, while at other times, looked young and disconnected. A forseeable outcome based upon the youth on the roster, combined with the amount of highly touted recruits.

The Vandals totaled 420 yards of offense, but turned the ball over 3 times.

Akim Mills completed 13 of 18 attempts for 278 yards and 2 touchdowns to go along with 2 interceptions.

Jacob Cowan in his first start, ran 23 times for 162 yards and 3 touchdowns.

All-American receiver, Kevin Barnett caught 5 passes for 97 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Senior outside linebacker, Bryan Smith had a monster day, totally 11 tackles, 3 of which were for a loss.

Sophomore defensive tackle, Corey Knox racked up 3 sacks on the day, and Lee Washington added 3 tackles to his interception for a touchdown.

Coach Idaho Coach spoke with the media following the game.

"I thought we did a lot of good things today. We looked fast and free, but obviously I don't like the 3 turnovers. We gave up a 75 yard touchdown on defense which is something I absolutely do not tolerate, but overall for a first game, I was pretty pleased with the effort.

I think we have a lot to build on moving forward, and I know our guys are excited to get back to Moscow to play in front of our fans."

Idaho hosts #25 Iowa, next week in Moscow.

Final Score:

Vandals: 49

Cowboys: 27

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#17 Vandals prepare to defend National Championship at Wyoming

The University of Idaho Vandals are once again back on the gridiron this week as they prepare to defend their 2nd National Championship.

The Vandals will be without a number of their major contributors from last year's team on both sides of the ball. The defense lost several starters, and the the offense lost Dylan Thigpen, who is arguably the greatest college football player of all-time.

Idaho will be led this year by Senior Quarterback, Akim Mills. Replacing Thigpen will be redshirt Sophomore, Jacob Cowan and true Freshman, Jay Thomas. The receiving corps only boasts 1 senior amongst its ranks. The offensive line has 2 senior starters. Defensively, Idaho will start 5 Seniors.

On paper, this would be what many will call a "rebuilding" year for Idaho, but those close to the team, say that expectations remain higher than ever within the Kibbie Dome.

Coach Idaho Coach spoke about the season opener on his weekly radio show.

"We are really excited to get going, and to see our new look squad on the field. We feel really strongly about our quarterback in Akim Mills, and its time to see how our highly rated recruiting classes are going to perform on the field. I know our coaches are excited about that.

While we're sad to see those Seniors depart that left after last season, I think a lot of guys on this team are excited for a fresh start. On the other side of the coin, we owe it to the Seniors that are still here, to give them their own shot at a National Title.

Wyoming is always a fun place to play for us. I think its a fun regional rivalry to compete in, and they always play a tough style of football.

We're focused on being the tougher, stronger team and use that to come out with a win."

ESPN College Football Analyst picked Idaho to win the game on Saturday. This columnist agrees.

Prediction:

Vandals: 38

Wyoming: 21

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Dynasty Season #6 - Season Preview

Recruit Pitch Rankings:

Coach Prestige: A+

Coach Stability: A

Conference Prestige: A-

Championship Contender: A

Stadium Atmosphere: A

Television Exposure: B+

Athletic Facilities: B-

Academic Prestige: C-

Pro Potential: D+

Program Tradition: C

Campus Lifestyle: D

—–

Pipeline States:

California. Florida. Washington. Alabama. New Jersey. Idaho. Texas. Montana. Louisiana, Nebraska

—

Recruiting Needs:

1 - P

–

Year 5 Schedule:

at Wyoming (#82)

vs. Iowa (#25)

at Cal (#19)

vs. Michigan State (#23)

vs. BYU (#104)

at Arizona State (#78)

vs. Oregon State (#50)

at Oregon (#9)

at Washington (#39)

vs. Washington State (#98)

at Arizona (#45)

vs boise state (#65)

—-

Idaho - Pre-season Ranks

#17 (#30).

Overall: 86. Offense: 91. Defense 83

Overall: B. Offense: B+. Defense: B-. Special Teams A-

------

—-

Conference Outlook:

Pac-16 North:

Oregon

Idaho

Washington

Arizona

Oregon State

boise state

Arizona State

Washington State

Pac-16 South:

Stanford

California

UCLA

Navy

USC

Army

San Diego State

BYU

---

Coaches Poll Top 10:

1 - Florida 2 - Tennessee 3 - Ohio State 4 - Clemson 5 - Texas 6 - Ole Miss 7 - LSU 8 - Houston 9 - Oregon 10 - Alabama —————– Toughest Places to Play:

Kibbie Dome:

9th (26th last year). A Overall. Average Attendance: 16,000.

----

Pre-Season All-Americans:

1st Team:

CB - Jeremy Kent

2nd Team:

WR - Kevin Barnett

CB - Lee Washington

SS - Marcello Hester

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Idaho Vandals sign #1 Ranked Recruiting Class

The University of Idaho is proud to announce the Dynasty Year 5 - recruiting class. This is the first class for Coach Idaho Coach to rank #1 in the country.

In total, Idaho signed two, 5-Stars. Twelve, 4-Stars and eleven 3-star recruits.

5-Stars:

81 Overall - ATH - Jay Thomas. 5'10" 184. Apex, NC

79 Overall - ATH - Colby Richardson. 6'0" 214. Cheektowaga, NY

4-Stars:

82 Overall - QB - Adam Pearson. 6'0' 198. Newberg, OR

79 Overall - CB - Justin Davis. 6'0" 176. Clifton AZ (JUCO)

77 Overall - SS - Matthew Washington. 6'0" 203. Brandon, VT

77 Overall - DE - Tristan Rogers. 6'0" 223. Lebanon, OR

75 Overall - ATH - Brian Henry. 6'0" 184. Williamsburg, VA

75 Overall - DE - Eric Johnson. 6'4" 235. Englewood, NJ

73 Overall - HB - Yusef Davis - 5'11" 194. Killeen, TX

72 Overall - OLB - Anthony Thomas - 6'2" 220. Moses Lake, WA

71 Overall - WR - Antonio Pryor - 6'6" 227. Salinas, CA

70 Overall - DT - Zac Mullins - 6'3" 272. Rotterdam, NY

68 Overall - TE - Willie Blair - 6'4" 267. Mason City, IA

66 Overall - ATH - Bryan Arnold - 6'3" 291. Cleveland, TX

3-Stars:

79 Overall - CB - Justin Davis - 6'0" 176. Clifton, AZ

73 Overall - OT - Brad Esley - 6'7" 298. Bellevue, NE

72 Overall - ATH - Eddie Tanner - 6'1" 186. Norfolk, NE

69 Overall - C - Cameron Henry - 6'3" 287. Ewa Beach, HI

68 Overall - WR - Kris Sanders - 6'7" 219. Westchester, FL

68 Overall - OLB - Larry Atkins - 6'3" 243. La Mirada, CA

67 Overall - OG - Anthony Gray - 6'4" 309. Millbrook, AL

67 Overall - CB - Danny Morris - 5'11" 166. Vidor, TX

64 Overall - C - Larry Moore - 6'3" 303. Chadron, NE

63 Overall - DE - Eddie Chandler - 6'2" 234. - Vero Beach, FL

63 Overall - G - Dylan Moyer - 6'5" 279. London, CN

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The Idaho Vandals are National Champions!

The University of Idaho is once again on top of the college football world following a 24-17 victory over the Clemson Tigers in the BCS Championship Game.

In a hard fought game that saw two of the best offenses in the nation struggle to gain momentum, the running game of Idaho and a timely interception by the Vandals defense, proved to be the difference in the ball game.

Idaho opened the scoring with a 40 yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead late in the first quarter. Clemson would respond with the next 10 points of the game, but a classic 2-minute drill drive by Idaho, capped by a Dylan Thigpen touchdown run would knot the score at 10-10 at halftime.

After a scoreless 3rd quarter, the Vandals found the endzone once again to open the 4th quarter.

With Idaho now leading 17-10, Jeremy Kent made the play of the day, picking off a pass down the deep sideline and returning it 49 yards to setup another Thigpen touchdown to stake Idaho to a two score led at 24-10 with 2:07 remaining in the game.

Clemson would not go quietly, as with 47 seconds left, the Tigers banged in another touchdown to cut the Idaho lead to 24-17.

On the ensuing onsides kick, Idaho tight end, Kevin Burnett made the recovery and the Vandals kneeled out the clock to claim their second ever National Championship.

Dylan Thigpen finished the game with 35 carries for 182 yards and 3 touchdowns. Dustin Coleman completed 10 of his 15 passing attempts for 129 yards and 1 interception.

On the day, Clemson outgained Idaho 303-295. Perhaps the margin came from 3rd and 4th down conversions. Idaho finished 5-11 on 3rd down and 3-3 on 4th down. Clemson was just 2-5 on 3rd down and 0-1 on 4th down. The Vandals also claimed the ever important turnover advantage, 2-1.

Coach Idaho Coach spoke with the media following the game.

"I am so happy for these players, man. We have had a lot of ups and downs in that locker room, but we stuck together and I think we played our two best games of the season in our last two games.

Getting Dylan Thigpen this win in his final game as an Idaho Vandal was so important to me and our team. He might be the greatest college football player of all-time and we couldn't let him down. Obviously he was awesome today, as usual, but we just wanted it so badly for him.

Our defense kept us in that game, with their starting quarterback out and then for their starting running back to go down early, it clearly gave us a better chance to win the game, and I genuinely feel sorry for those kids. I know what it takes to get here, and for them not to get a chance on this stage, it really stings.

Our university, alumni and just our whole state has been with us on this ride and for it to end in this fashion is just so fantastic. I'm elated, I'm relieved, I'm exhausted, and I can't wait to go have about 15 tubs at the Corner Club.

Go Vandals."

Final Score:

Idaho: 24

Clemson: 17

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#1 Vandals to play #2 Clemson for National Championship

The University of Idaho Vandals are back in the National Championship Game. The #1 ranked Vandals will take on the #2 ranked Clemson Tigers. Both teams come into the game 13-0.

Clemson has the statistical advantage in nearly every category. The Tigers have the 3rd best offense in the country, yardage wise, including the 5th best passing attack. On defense, Clemson is 2nd overall, 7th against the rush and 3rd against the pass. Clemson is also a +8 in turnover margin, good enough for 9th best in the nation.

Idaho has the top scoring offense in the country at 42.5 points per game. Offensively, Idaho averages 440.5 yards a game, good enough for 27th best in America. Defensively, Idaho is 11th overall, boasting the best rushing defense in FBS play.

Clemson's Quarterback, Zerrick Cooper has been fantastic this season, throwing for 2,767 yards and 29 touchdowns. Cooper has also racked up 613 yards rushing and will be a key to the game.

Idaho is led by running back, Dylan Thigpen who has gained 2,615 yards on the ground and scored 44 touchdowns just this season. Thigpen averages 201.2 yards rushing per game.

Coach Idaho Coach spoke about the game on his weekly radio show.

"For us in preparing for a game of this magnitude, we really are focusing on not over coaching our guys. We have to trust our guys and keep things simple.

Clemson is such a good football team, they're so fast, that we can't give a bunch of complicated concepts to our guys. We want them to just go out and play Idaho football and not be thinking about 20 different things pre-snap.

Obviously, this game likely comes down to if they can stop Dylan Thigpen and if we can stop Zerrick Cooper. I don't think that is a big secret.

We have a lot of confidence in our group and we can't wait to go out and play football. At the end of the day, it is just a game and once they kick the thing off, it's the same deal we've been doing all season."

ESPN College Football Analyst, Kirk Herbstreit picked Clemson to upset the Vandals and win the National Championship.

This columnist disagrees. Dylan Thigpen is on a mission, and won't be denied.

Prediction:

Vandals: 38

Clemson: 31

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#1 Vandals dominate Stanford 49-10 in Pac-12 Championship Game.

The University of Idaho Vandals (13-0. 10-0) haven't exactly looked like the best team in the country over the past few weeks. On Saturday, they once again took their rightful place as the top team in the country after a 49-10 beat down of the Stanford Cardinal (9-4. 7-3) in the Kibbie Dome.

Stanford would open the game with a quick scoring drive, ending with a 35 yard rushing touchdown to stake the Cardinal to a 7-0 lead. Following that score, the Vandals would outscore Stanford 49-3 the rest of the way.

Idaho got three touchdowns in each half from Dylan Thigpen. Thigpen finished the day with an astounding, 48 carries for 300 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Quarterback Dustin Coleman finished 12 for 18 for 231 yards with 1 touchdown pass and 1 interception.

Kevin Barnett was Coleman's favorite target on the day, hauling in 8 passes for 119 yards.

All told Idaho had 544 yards of offense to 239 for Stanford. The Cardinal had just 74 yards passing and were 0-6 on 3rd down.

Coach Idaho Coach spoke with the media following the game.

"Well that is certainly more like it. We played perhaps our best game of the season today, and I was just really impressed with our players. Stanford is a heck of a football team and we really took it to them. It told me a lot about the character of our team that we were able to go out in a huge game and bring our best effort.

I thought our coaching staff had a great gameplan, and the our players just went out and executed it.

Dylan Thigpen is the best player in college football, I don't care about the Heisman Trophy at this point. He had 48 carries for 300 yards and 6 touchdowns, in the Pac-12 Championship Game. He's the best player.

Now, we likely will have a spot in the National Championship game, and we will have to take our effort and execution to an even higher level. We always preach that pressure makes diamonds, and we can't wait to make some more diamonds."

Final Score:

Vandals: 49

Stanford: 10

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Vandals prepare to host the Pac-12 Title Game vs. #17 Stanford

The #1 ranked Idaho Vandals (12-0. 9-0) have had a busy and productive week. As the in-season recruiting period ended, 24/7 Sports ranked Idaho's class as the best in the nation. A first for Coach Idaho Coach and his staff. The Vandals signed two, 5-stars, eleven 4-stars and ten, 3-stars. Idaho's class had the highest number of 4-star signees in the country.

On the playing field, the Vandals are set to face the #17 ranked Stanford Cardinal (9-3. 7-2) in the Pac-12 Championship Game on Saturday night in the Kibbie Dome.

Stanford's success has been based on its prolific offense this season. The Cardinal averaged 35.8 points per game (15th), 259.8 yards rushing per game (9th) and 208.9 yards passing per game (63rd). To add to that formidable offense, Stanford also has the 17th best defense in the country, including the 7th pass defense in FBS play.

Stanford is led by their Redshirt Senior, Quarterback, K.J. Costello and Junior running back, Adam Lynch. Those two star players present a myriad of challenges for the Vandals defense.

Despite their successes, Stanford is coming off of back-to0-back losses to #19 Cal and #18 Notre Dame.

Coach Idaho Coach spoke about the game on his weekly radio show.

"Well, this is obviously a huge game for us, and one in which we have an opportunity to achieve one of our goals that we have every year as a program, which is to win our conference championship.

Stanford is an excellent team, especially offensively. I think for us, and this won't be a big secret, but we are going to want to force them to become one dimensional and just rely on throwing the football. We want to by physical and disruptive against the run and if we can do that, we might have a shot at slowing them down.

On offense, just be who we are. Run the ball, be physical and when the time is right, take advantage of big plays.

At this point in the season, it is on the players to go out and make plays. We believe in our guys and are looking forward to Saturday night."

ESPN College Football Analyst, Kirk Herbstreit has picked the Vandals to win the game, and this columnist agrees, but its going to be close.

Prediction:

Vandals: 35

Stanford: 31

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#1 Vandals offense awakens in 52-35 take down of boise state

In a rivalry game, sometimes players are able to elevate their game to a new level. On Saturday, boise state quarterback, Camron Humphrey completed his first 21 attempts of the game, on his way to a 28 for 32, 315 yard and 2 touchdown performance. Despite his play, the broncos were unable to overcome Dylan Thigpen and the Idaho Vandals.

The game began with a 17 play drive by Idaho, that included two different 4th down conversions, that was capped by a Dylan Thigpen 5 yard touchdown run to take a 7-0 lead.

The 2nd quarter would see both squads score two touchdowns. The most explosive play from scrimmage on the day, came when Akim Mills, who stepped in for 1 single play after Dustin Coleman was shaken up, found Ken Jones all alone behind the defense for an 83 yard touchdown. That was Mills' only snap of the day.

The first half ended with a beautiful 2 minute drive by the Vandals that ended with Dustin Coleman finding Kevin Barnett in the end zone with just 2 seconds left before intermission, to provide Idaho with a 21-14 halftime advantage.

Coleman finished 11 for 17 for 136 yards and 1 touchdown. Kevin Barnett caught 4 passes for 38 yards and a touchdown. Ken Jones hauled in 4 for 121 yards and a touchdown. Dominic Henry also had a nice game with 3 catches for 57 yards.

After taking the second half kickoff, the broncos were able to tie the score on a 42 yard pass play. That was a short lived tie, as Brandon Luckett took the ensuing kickoff 108 yards to restore the Idaho lead at 28-21. The broncos would respond once again, on an extended drive to knot the score at 28 all, with just 3 minutes left in the 3rd quarter.

That is when Dylan Thigpen went to work. The Vandals scored the next 21 points of the game to take a 49-28 lead with 3:23 left in the game. Thigpen was sensational, and the Idaho offensive line was opening up huge holes for him to run through. On the day, Thigpen carried the ball 34 times for 190 yards and 3 touchdowns.

boise state scored a final time with 1:43 to go, as Idaho was in a prevent defense and just trying to kill the remaining time on the clock.

A somewhat unpopular and controversial field goal by the Vandals with 5 seconds to go, provided the final margin at 52-35.

Coach Idaho Coach spoke with the media following the game.

"Well, I was really happy with our offense today. That is what I wanted to see. I thought we looked like the best team in the country on that side of the ball.

On defense, I was really unsatisfied. Sure, their quarterback had a great game, but we didn't do enough to make him uncomfortable. We have to get a better pass rush and we also have to cover better down the field.

Overall, I'm happy, but I still think there is plenty of work to do.

With that said, I don't think there was any doubt who the best team in the state of Idaho is."

Final Score:

#1 Vandals: 52

broncos: 35

[govandalsncaa]

Vandals look to buck the Broncos in Battle for Idaho

The top ranked University of Idaho Vandals are coming off of a performance last week, that did not live up to their lofty standards. The Vandals did emerge with a victory over the University of Arizona, but in terms of style points, there were few in the 27-21 win.

This week, Idaho faces off against their bitter rivals, the boise state broncos. The broncos are 5-6 (2-6) coming into the game, with a chance to become bowl eligible with an upset win over the Vandals.

The broncos come in to the game with two clear issues. boise state is just 103rd in the country in rushing offense, and 106th in passing defense. Those are both important points that Idaho will certainly look to exploit.

boise state is coming off of 3 straight losses, at Oregon State, vs. Oregon and at Washington. Despite being under .500 for the season, the broncos have been in nearly every game, and that is something that will certainly be discussed on the Idaho side of things.

On the Idaho side of the ball, the big talk is at the quarterback position. After being benched last week, Akim Mills is reportedly splitting time with Dustin Coleman in practice, and the starter will be a game-time decision.

A win will for the Vandals will secure their place in the Pac-12 Championship Game and continue their path towards another National Championship Game.

Coach Idaho Coach spoke about the rivalry matchup on his radio show this week.

"Well, this week has been pretty tough for our players. Our coaches, myself included have been on them hard, all week. This was a re-focus and rededication week. All of us have hopes of a Conference Championship or National Championship when the season begins. But, we feel like we have gotten complacent and lost sight of why we are here.

We have had some former players come in this week and talk to our guys about what it means to play against boise and how it impacts our university and community.

Our guys have to get back to the idea that this team is bigger than any individual player. This is a group effort, across our state and country to put our guys in a position to win football games. From the popcorn salesman to the strength coach, to me.

We know that for our opponent this week, that this is their biggest game of the year. They have a bunch of recruits coming in to visit. We know this is their Super Bowl. And we fully intend to spoil the party.

I've had the guys in a cage this week in practice, and on Saturday, I'm letting them out."

ESPN College Football Analyst, Kirk Herbstreit has picked the Vandals to win the game on Saturday. This columnist agrees.

Prediction:

Vandals: 42

broncos: 21