Previewing the Huskies’ and Cougars’ opponents this week
HUSKIES OPPONENT THIS WEEK
IDAHO VANDALS (1-0 overall, 0-0 in Sun Belt)
2 P.M. SATURDAY, HUSKY STADIUM, PAC-12 NETWORKS, 1000-AM/97.7 FM
COACH: Paul Petrino (7-29 in fourth season at Idaho and overall)
AGAINST THE HUSKIES: Washington leads the series 35-2-2.
SCOUTING REPORT: Picked by league head coaches to finish eighth out of 11 teams in the Sun Belt this season after posting a 4-8 record last year, Idaho began its season with a three-point home victory over Big Sky foe Montana State. The Vandals led the game 20-7 in the second quarter before the Bobcats, coached by former UW assistant Jeff Choate, made it interesting. … Idaho totaled 225 yards rushing on 35 attempts, a healthy average of 6.4 yards per carry. Junior tailback Aaron Duckworth led the Vandals with 108 yards rushing on 14 carries, including a 43-yard touchdown run. The passing game didn’t fare quite as well. Junior quarterback Matt Linehan completed only 8 of 22 passes for 128 yards and an interception. Deon Watson led the team in receiving with two catches for 67 yards. … Defensively, third-year sophomore linebacker Tony Lashley led the Vandals with nine tackles and three tackles for loss, including one sack. Senior safety Russell Siavii had an interception, and Idaho held MSU to 300 yards of total offense and 4.1 yards per play. … This is Idaho’s penultimate season as a member of the Sun Belt. The Vandals will drop to the FCS in 2018 and compete in the Big Sky. … The Huskies are favored by 37 points. They were 26-point favorites last week against Rutgers.
DID YOU KNOW: Idaho defensive coordinator Mike Breske held the same position at Washington State from 2012-14 under coach Mike Leach.
2016 schedule
Sept. 1 W, 20-17, vs. Montana State
Sept. 10 at Washington
Sept. 17 at Washington State
Sept. 24 at UNLV
Oct. 1 vs. Troy
Oct. 8 at Louisiana-Monroe
Oct. 15 vs. New Mexico State
Oct. 22 at Appalachian State
Nov. 5 at Louisiana-Lafayette
Nov. 12 at Texas State
Nov. 26 vs. South Alabama
Dec. 3 vs. Georgia State
…
COUGARS OPPONENT THIS WEEK
BOISE STATE BRONCOS (1-0 overall, 0-0 in Mountain West)
7:15 P.M. SATURDAY, ALBERTSONS STADIUM, BOISE, IDAHO, ESPN2, 710-AM
COACH: Bryan Harsin (22-6 in third season at BSU; 29-11 in fourth season overall)
AGAINST THE COUGARS: Washington State leads the series 4-0.
SCOUTING REPORT: Boise State was picked by media to win the Mountain division of the Mountain West conference, and the Broncos began their season with an easy victory over Louisiana-Lafayette. They received 49 votes in the preseason Associated Press top 25 poll (30th-most), and 73 votes in the USA Today preseason coaches poll (29th-most). … BSU returns 13 starters – nine on offense and four on defense – including sophomore quarterback Brett Rypien, nephew of former WSU star quarterback Mark Rypien. The younger Rypien threw for 347 yards and two touchdowns in BSU’s opener after throwing for 3,353 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions with a 63.6 completion percentage in 11 games last season as a redshirt freshman. … Four starting offensive linemen also return from a team that finished with a 9-4 record last season. … The Broncos averaged 8.0 yards per offensive play against the Ragin’ Cajuns, and held ULL to just 267 yards of total offense. … Boise State has won 14 consecutive home openers. Its last loss in a home opener was to WSU in 2001. … The Broncos opened as 12-point favorites.
DID YOU KNOW?: Courtesy of BSU sports information: WSU is the only opponent Boise State has played at least four times and has not defeated.
2016 schedule
Sept. 3 W, 45-10, at Louisiana-Lafayette
Sept. 10 vs. Washington State
Sept. 24 at Oregon State
Oct. 1 vs. Utah State
Oct. 7 at New Mexico
Oct. 15 vs. Colorado State
Oct. 20 vs. Brigham Young
Oct. 29 at Wyoming
Nov. 4 vs. San Jose State
Nov. 12 at Hawaii
Nov. 18 vs. UNLV
Nov. 25 at Air Force
This story was originally published September 5, 2016 at 1:52 PM with the headline "Previewing the Huskies’ and Cougars’ opponents this week."