Tuesday Morning Quarterback: Sometimes, it's more about belief than the Xs and Os

Dec. 5—Nothing about the fourth-seeded Idaho football team's 20-17 win over Southern Illinois in the second round of the Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs on Saturday at the P1FCU Kibbie Dome was pretty, but it didn't matter.

The Vandals were in a three-hour dog fight with the Salukis, and for the most part, it was the away team that was the aggressor. They never trailed throughout regulation and had complete control of the line of scrimmage, holding Idaho to a season-low 287 yards of total offense.

The Vandals' uncanny slow day at the office was their worst offensive output since a 24-17 loss to Washington State on Sept. 9, 2022 (273 yards).

The Southern Illinois defensive line, which anchors a rush defense that ranks No. 5 in the FCS, kept the Vandals' ground game at bay, especially in the first half.

The Salukis limited the Big Sky's No. 2 rusher, sophomore Anthony Woods, to just 26 yards on seven carries. Senior running back Nick Romano was held to just 30 yards on six carries.

The Vandals' reliable halfback tandem couldn't break free, and neither one of them recorded a rush of more than 15 yards throughout the game.

The first 30 minutes also lacked the presence of senior receiver Hayden Hatten, who had just one reception for five yards.

To be fair, sophomore quarterback Gevani McCoy completed just nine passes for 50 yards in the first half.

The Vandals entered the locker room trailing 10-3, and it felt like they left a lot on the field.

Idaho out-possessed Southern Illinois by more than eight minutes but averaged just 2.7 yards per play and was 2-for-8 on third down.

The Vandals also had a turnover deep in their territory that put them in a two-possession hole early. After receiving an end-around handoff from McCoy, Jackson attempted to pitch the ball to freshman receiver Jordan Dwyer on a double reverse. The exchange was too high for the 5-foot-11 wideout, leading to the turnover.

By halftime, Idaho had shot itself in the foot multiple times and, to be quite honest, was getting pushed around a little bit.

This is when the unmeasurables started to kick in.

Call it coach speak, cliche, whatever, Idaho coach Jason Eck has his guys ready to run through a wall to play another week of football.

Did the Vandals improve everything once the second half got started? Well, no. But those explosive plays they were missing started to rear their heads, the first of which came from second-team All-Big Sky kick returner Jermaine Jackson with 5:22 remaining in the third quarter.

The Oakland native made an 86-yard house call to tie the game at 10.

On the punt return, Jackson first demonstrated his shiftiness by making the first SIU defender miss so badly that he landed back in Harrisburg.

Jackson then used his speed to get by the next wave of defenders and turned on the afterburners, reminiscent of those who play on Sundays.

That punt return opened the floodgates and woke up what had become a restless crowd at the Kibbie Dome.

Idaho's stalwarts rose to the occasion during crunch time, with Hatten playing a key factor in perhaps the biggest drive of the season to tie the game at 17.

The Vandals went 83 yards on nine plays, and the Phoenix native collected 62 yards receiving on three receptions.

Idaho didn't record a play that went 15 or more yards until there was 9:12 remaining in the third quarter, which was a 19-yard connection between Hatten and McCoy.

The Vandals finished with five plays of 15 or more yards, and Hatten was responsible for four of those. The Walter Payton Award finalist finished with six receptions for 111 yards.

Once the game was in overtime, Idaho junior defensive back Marcus Harris notched an interception on a third-and-long.

Harris recording essentially the game-sealing interception was a cool moment for a guy who has been a veteran leader for a young secondary that has played exceptionally all season.

When it was time for senior kicker Ricardo Chavez to kick the 28-yard game-winner, there was never a doubt that the first-team All-Big Sky (and ambidextrous, in case you live under a rock) kicker was going to make history.

It was a nice little redemption story for the Los Angeles native, who missed a field goal to send last year's first-round game against Southeastern Louisiana into overtime (45-42, Nov. 26, 2022).

Chavez, much like Hatten, Jackson and Harris, has been a key contributor over the past two years, connecting on 31 of his 38 field goal attempts (81.6%).

It wasn't just the veteran guys that made a difference, either, as freshman linebacker Xe'ree Alexander blocked what would've been the game-winning field goal from SIU kicker Jake Baumgarte at the end of regulation.

Freshman defensive lineman Dallas Afalava was also constantly in the Salukis' backfield and freshman linebacker Dylan Layne notched his first sack of the season.

So despite a slow start, the result remains the same, and the Vandals will continue their playoff journey.

Idaho will next play Albany at 7 p.m. on Saturday at the P1FCU Kibbie Dome. The last time the Vandals hosted back-to-back FCS (formerly Division I-AA) playoff games was in 1988.

Pixley may be contacted at (208) 848-2290, tpixley@lmtribune.com or on Twitter @TreebTalks.