Idaho will bring an experienced and talented defense to challenge the Ducks on Saturday.
The Idaho Vandals were picked third in the Big Sky Conference this season largely due to their experienced defense.
Their game plan for 2024 is to play an overwhelming defense with an offense just good enough to put enough points on the board to propel them into the FCS playoffs.
Last season the defense was definitely good enough to lead the Vandals into the playoffs as it gave up just a little over 22 points per game. Idaho finished with a 9-4 record, and its season ended in the second round of the FCS playoffs, with a 30-22 loss to Albany.
But this year got off to a good start with three members of the Vandal defense being named to the preseason All-Big Sky team, leading the conference.
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Sophomore Dallas Afalava and senior Keyshawn James-Newby anchor a deep defensive line unit. Afalava and James-Newby both were credited with five sacks last season to tie for the team-high.
Afalava was named an FCS Football Central Preseason All-American. Both players were named among the top-25 returning FCS players at their respective positions.
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James-Newby had 38 tackles, seven for loss and five sacks last season and is expected to have an even bigger season in 2024.
In the third level of the Vandals defense is senior defensive back Tommy McCormick, who was also named to the preseason team. He is the leading returning tackler for Idaho and has earned All-Conference honors each of the last two years. He accounted for 62 tackles and five pass breakups.
A young and inexperienced Idaho offense is going to take their shot against the Duck defensive unit.
Every FCS team wants to go to a Division I stadium and pull off a major upset like Appalachian State did at Michigan in 2008. To do that, having a veteran group on both sides of the ball can go a long way toward shocking the world.
But for Idaho’s offensive unit in 2024, that’s just not the case.
The Vandals will have Jack Layne, a redshirt sophomore, under center. While he may be a veteran in the Vandals system, he doesn’t have the experience. Layne was a backup for his first two seasons until he was needed to start the Idaho State game last season.
As for the good news, Layne was successful as he was 20-of-26 on pass attempts, throwing for 275 yards, and throwing six passing touchdowns in the 63-21 win over their in-state rival.
The bad news is Oregon isn’t Idaho State and Autzen Stadium certainly isn’t the Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho. This will be somewhat of a homecoming for Layne as he spent his prep career at Lake Oswego and he was the Oregon State Player of the Year.
Unfortunately, Layne doesn’t have much experience around him either to help him out. His receiving corps is very young, comprised of mostly redshirt and true freshmen.
Idaho will get a significant look at those young receivers, especially if Jordan Dwyer can’t go. He’s their projected top receiver, but he has missed a lot of the fall camp due to injury. That gives freshmen such as Mark Hamper a few extra reps. Hamper scored a touchdown in the Vandals’ most recent scrimmage.
Running back Nate Thomas, a redshirt junior and transfer from South Dakota, might be difficult to bring down at 5-foot-8 and 210 pounds. Thomas missed the 2022 season due to injury and had limited carries (64) last season, but did gain nearly 400 yards and scored five touchdowns.
A Montana field investigation following the Sept. 8 mauling of a man by a grizzly bear has failed to locate a dead or injured bear.
A Montana field investigation following the Sept. 8 mauling of a man by a grizzly bear has failed to locate the bear believed responsible for the attack.
Rudy Noorlander was seriously injured during the attack in the Madison Range south of Big Sky. He remains in critical but stable condition.
One of Noorlander’s companions fired at the bear moments after it attacked, causing the animal to flee.
KateLynn Noorlander, Rudy’s daughter, has launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for medical costs. She stated that her father was trying to help hunters locate a deer they had shot when the bear charged him during a surprise encounter.
“Rudy aimed his gun at the bear but his firearm misfired, making his best choice of defense his fists as he did not have any time to get his bear spray from his backpack,” KateLynn stated in the GoFundMe post.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks explained Wednesday in a news release that an aerial search failed to locate a dead or injured bear.
“FWP grizzly bear specialists and game wardens, as well deputies from the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, revisited the attack site Tuesday,” FWP stated. “They searched the area near the attack site from the ground and with an infrared drone and didn’t locate a dead or wounded bear.
“However, they found signs of high bear activity, including the remains of a cached animal carcass, whitebark pine middens and bear scat. This evidence indicates the bear attacked defensively in a surprise, close encounter with the victim.”
The investigation has concluded but the area remains under an emergency closure implemented by the Custer Gallatin National Forest.
Oklahoma continues to look for receiver help via the transfer portal and offered Big Sky All-Conference selection Xavier Guillory. From @thatmanbryant
Oklahoma has made it clear that they are looking for seasoned wide receiver help this winter. They’ve sent out multiple offers to wide receivers in the transfer portal and continued that trend with an offer to Idaho State transfer Xavier Guillory on Monday.
Guillory stands 6-foot-2 per Idaho State’s official roster. In his collegiate career, Guillory has 91 catches for 1,373 yards and nine touchdowns. He’s averaged 15 yards per reception. Guillory was also a Big Sky All-Conference selection.
With Oklahoma’s interest, it brings his offer total to 14.
Guillory has received offers from Arizona State, Colorado, Hawaii, Louisville, Miami (Ohio), Montana, Montana State, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Utah, and Washington State, among others.
Guillory also made it known to Huffman that he really wants to find a way to get a visit in with the Sooners.
Prior to the Oklahoma offer, it seemed like a two-horse race between Arizona State and Washington State. With Oklahoma tossing its crimson cap into the mix, it’s officially a three-team race, with the Sooners coming in hot. A visit to Norman could give Oklahoma a serious chance at turning this recruitment on its head and putting itself in the driver’s seat.
Oklahoma offers the brightest lights out of any of his offers, but Guillory is from Spokane, Washington. That could give Washington State an advantage if playing close to home means a significant amount for the sophomore wide receiver.
With the departure of Theo Wease and other depth options via the portal, Oklahoma is looking for talent for the wide receiver room. You can never have enough playmakers at the wide receiver position.
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Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.
Big Sky, Missouri Valley Conferences move to spring football. This will have big draft implications for Trey Lance and Dillon Radunz
In recent weeks, several conferences in the Football Bowl Subdivision altered their schedules to conference-only formats in an effort to forge ahead with a season during the continued COVID-19 pandemic.
Their counterparts at the Football Championship Subdivision, however, are moving in a different direction.
The first conference to announce such a move was the Big Sky Conference, home to teams as Eastern Washington, Montana and Montana State. In a statement from one of the conference’s athletic directors, Darren Dunn from Northern Colorado framed the decision in terms of health and safety:
We have worked tirelessly with the Big Sky staff, our staff, coaches, medical experts and local and state health officials over the past months to determine a safe and feasible path forward. We feel, for the sport of football, it is best to play the Big Sky Conference schedule in the Spring. Statement from University Northern Colorado Head Football Coach Ed McCaffrey: While I am deeply disappointed for our guys and coaches, I understand and applaud our leadership for making the difficult decision to put the health and safety of our student-athletes first. There are still a lot of unknowns but we will use this time to further player development within the program and will be ready when we get the opportunity to play.
Perhaps more notable is the decision from the Missouri Valley Football Conference, home to the North Dakota State Bison, winners of three-straight FCS titles. Their decision to move to the spring was first reported on Friday morning by Ross Uglem of 247sports:
Sources: the MVFC will announce this afternoon that they're canceling their fall season, but will attempt to move to the spring. Details at @BisonReport: https://t.co/N4kxnICWE9
Then the conference confirmed this news late on Friday.
With NDSU facing a spring schedule, two players have massive decisions to make: quarterback Trey Lance and offensive tackle Dillon Radunz.
Both players are viewed as potential first-round selections. Lance has become a darling of the draft media world, starting during this past season and reaching a fever pitch when ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. immediately named him as one of the top quarterbacks to watch in the aftermath of the 2020 NFL Draft. For more on what Lance brings to the table as a prospect, be sure to read this film breakdown on the NDSU passer. A rising redshirt sophomore, Lance was not a lock to even enter the draft, despite the lofty expectations in front of him. He could decide to simply play in the spring and look to the 2022 Draft, opt-out and enter, or potentially look to transfer to a school and play this fall, although time is running short.
Then there is Radnuz. The left tackle and rising redshirt senior might not be the household name that his quarterback is, but is viewed quite favorably in the scouting world. In their preseason Big Board, The Draft Network has Radunz ranked as third-best offensive tackle, and the 30th player overall TDN had this to say about the NDSU starting left tackle over the past two season:
Dillon aligns at LT for the Bison spread offense. He is a sufficient athlete with regards to his agility and fluidity in his movements. He has good body control and balance and is rarely on the ground. In the run game, he’s got sufficient initial quickness out of his stance. Radunz is physical and tough and plays with good block temperament as he finishes. He’s sufficient at getting on moving defenders at the second level. In the passing game, he is proficient and wins with good technique, competitiveness and toughness. He is good in his pass set and his lateral agility allows him to redirect on a cross face or counter move by the defender. His technique with regards to hand placement is good. His punch is sufficient and plays with sufficient length on the perimeter. His short set anchor is sufficient but his competitiveness and toughness shine to allow him to successfully handle bull rushers who have gotten under his pads.
With the constant need for starting tackles in the NFL, Radunz could have solidified a first-round position – and an early one at that – with a solid fall. Now he faces a difficult decision with this move by the MVC.
In a conversation with Pac-12 journalist and commentator John Canzano of Oregon Live, Big Sky Commissioner Tom Wistrcill offered remarks on various subjects connected to the loss of football games against Pac-12 opponents. The Big Sky joins the Mountain West in possibly losing revenue — or at the very least, needing litigation to fight for that revenue — due to the Pac-12’s recent decision to move to a conference-only game schedule.
Observers have various views on the Pac-12’s decision, which followed the Big Ten’s decision to move to a conference-only schedule. Wistrcill’s comments to Canzano might reshape some of those opinions.
One set of remarks in particular do not look good at all for Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott.
Here, below is the relevant segment of Canzano’s article on his discussion with Wistrcill:
“Portland State had non-conference football games scheduled at Arizona (Sept. 5) and at Oregon State (Sept. 19). Those two now-cancelled games would have provided $950,000 in guaranteed compensation to the PSU athletic department budget.
“Wistrcill said he was particularly frustrated that the Pac-12 and others canceled the non-conference games without offering a chance to meet Pac-12 COVID-19 testing standards.
“’I think a lot has been made for the different testing procedures for the virus and how teams are going to prepare for that,’ he said. ‘I think it was disappointing that we weren’t even given the opportunity to meet the standards they set (for testing). Set the money aside, those games are good for everybody.’”
“Wistrcill said he’s done a lot of thinking about the safety of games.
“’I can make the case that it’s safer for Portland State to play Oregon State than it is for Oregon State to play UCLA. Safer for Idaho to play Washington State than it is for Washington State to play Arizona State. It wasn’t surprising that it happened with the Pac-12 after the Big Ten made the decision. They do lots of things together,’ he said. ‘I was disappointed that our schools didn’t even get a chance to try and meet the standards.’”
It’s not a complicated point to grasp: The Pac-12 might have had perfectly good reasons to use a conference-only schedule, but whatever decision it made, it should have at least allowed other affected parties to put forth a plan.
Realize this: The other Power Five conferences — the Big 12, ACC, and SEC — are likely to attempt to play at least one nonconference game if not more. The Pac-12’s stance toward the Big Sky, plus the Mountain West and other conferences affected by the Pac-12’s schedule adjustment, will look different — read: worse — if the Big 12, ACC, and SEC do indeed schedule nonconference games AND manage to play them this fall.
Campers in Montana were awakened early in the morning when a bear began pushing or “falling” on their tent.
Two campers on private land in Montana were awakened early last Thursday morning when a large animal believed to have been a bear began pushing or “falling” on their tent, wildlife officials reported Tuesday.
The campers began kicking and yelling to scare the animal away. In doing so, one camper, a woman, was bitten through the tent, according to the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
The suspected bear then left the campsite without the campers seeing it. But based on the animal’s behavior and nature of the bite wound, the FWP determined that it was an adult-age bear, though no bear tracks were found to determine whether it was a grizzly or black bear.
The unidentified victim sought medical treatment for “relatively minor” injuries.
The incident occurred in Beehive Basin just northwest of Big Sky,
“Initial details of the incident indicate the bear’s behavior was likely investigative, not predatory, and that the bite was defensive,” the FWP said. “The victim reported that their food was stored securely in their vehicle, not in the tent, and that they were wearing clean clothes.”
The U.S. Forest Service and the FWP posted warning signs in the area, where wildlife officials will monitor closely for potentially hazardous bear behavior.
The incident comes on the heels of a grizzly bear attacking a mountain biker near Big Sky in the last week of May, according to the Billings Gazette. The biker is said to have likely surprised the grizzly bear after rounding a sharp corner on the trail. He sustained injuries to his face and back.
The FWP issued these recommended precautions for avoiding negative encounters with bears:
Be aware of your surroundings and look for bear sign.
Carry and know how to use bear spray.
Stay away from animal carcasses.
Travel in groups and make noise whenever possible.
Follow U.S. Forest Service food storage regulations.
If you encounter a bear, never approach it. Back away slowly and leave the area.
If a bear approaches your tent, make your presence known gradually. If it attempts to enter your tent, fight back.
Photos courtesy of the CPW and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Did the Eagles Predict the Rise and Fall of Boise State Football? Will the “New Kid in Town” stay around forever? Contact/Follow @jessetachiquin & @MWCwire The year was 1976. The Eagles (Glenn Frey, Don Henley, and company) released their hit single …
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Did the Eagles Predict the Rise and Fall of Boise State Football?
The year was 1976. The Eagles (Glenn Frey, Don Henley, and company) released their hit single “New Kid in Town”. It rose to No. 1 in the charts and is widely regarded as one of the band’s greatest hits.
1976 was also the year a small school in Idaho that, believe it of not, named Boise State (Boise is a city, not a state) joined Division 1-AA. Was this song a prophetic warning from Henley and the boys about the New Kid in Town? Let’s dive into the lyrics.
There’s talk on the street; it sounds so familiar.
Great expectations, everybody’s watching you.
Boise has joined Division 1 football! It’s the Big Sky Conference, it ain’t intramurals. As the program started as a JUCO program, joining Division 1 football is a big deal.
People you meet, they all seem to know you.
Even your old friends treat you like you’re something new.
Idaho and all of their Big Sky friends probably
Johnny come lately, the new kid in town.
Everybody loves you, so don’t let them down.
Ok big shot Broncos, show us what you’ve got. (They proceed to win the 1980 D-IAA Championship)
You look in her eyes; the music begins to play.
Hopeless romantics, here we go again.
The Broncos were happy to be with their Big Sky brothers but let’s be honest, the company in the conference were never pretty enough for these boys from Idaho (the state that is home to the city of Boise). This hungry junior college still wants more glory.
But after a while you’re looking the other way.
It’s those restless hearts that never mend.
Boise soars to great heights with their new girlfriend, the WAC, and the BYU/Utah/TCUless Mountain West
Johnny come lately, the new kid in town.
Will she still love you when you’re not around?
What happens when Boise State falls off and newer, prettier teams come around? Will the fans still be there? Has the nationwide luster that came with Boise State football already worn off?
There’s so many things you should have told her,
But night after night you’re willing to hold her, just hold her.
Tears on your shoulder.
Why were the Broncos so quick to jump on new opportunities? Do they have no loyalty? Will their lack of appreciation of their peers come back to bite them?
There’s talk on the street; it’s there to remind you
It doesn’t really matter which side you’re on.
You’re walking away and they’re talking behind you.
The Mountain West was always going to be a better landing place than where they came from but would it ever be enough and can they really leave now? How resentful are the rest of the programs in the conference?
They will never forget you till somebody new comes along.
Where you been lately? There’s a new kid in town.
UCF, Memphis, North Dakota State??? Some other school named after a real place?
Everybody loves him, don’t they?
And he’s holding her, and you’re still around. Oh, my, my.
There’s a new kid in town, just another new kid in town.
Ooh, hoo. Everybody’s talking ’bout the new kid in town.
Ooh, hoo. Everybody’s walking like the new kid in town.
Boise State, your run will be over one day. Are you gonna find the one to be with forever or are you going to follow the ways of your vagabond BYU brethren?
There’s a new kid in town. I don’t want to hear it.
There’s a new kid in town. I don’t want to hear it.
There’s a new kid in town. There’s a new kid in town.
There’s a new kid in town. Everybody’s talking
There’s a new kid in town. People started walking
There’s a new kid in town.
There’s a new kid in town.
In conclusion, it’s impossible to know if the Eagles were writing about the rise and fall of Boise State football. Who will the New Kid in Town be? Have we already seen the passing of the torch?
