Idaho ranked 5/2 in Big Sky pre-season poll

Redshirt junior wide receiver Hayden Hatten was tabbed as the preseason offensive MVP, and Idaho was ranked fifth and second by coaches and the media, respectively. Six Vandals were named to the preseason all-conference team.
Jerry Rice Award winner redshirt sophomore Gevani McCoy, sophomore running back Anthony Woods, redshirt senior WR Jermaine Jackson and Hatten were named to the offensive team.
On the other side of the ball, junior defensive back Marcus Harris was the sole defensive representative. For special teams, the 15/20 field goal kicker, senior kicker/punter Ricardo Chavez, is the sole name.
McCoy entered the offseason as the fourth name on the depth chart but was named starting QB for the game against Washington State. Despite throwing two interceptions, one of which came at the end of the game, McCoy showed out in his first game as a starter. By the end of the season, he was 204/298 on passing attempts and only threw seven interceptions. He racked up a total of 2,719 yards and 27 touchdowns.
Of those 2,719 yards, 2,258 were made up by Hatten and Jackson. Both receivers racked up over 1,000 yards, making them the only 1,000-plus yard duo in the country returning to their team for the 2023 season.
Although he was a freshman, Woods turned heads last season. He racked up 872 yards and three touchdowns on 149 rushing attempts. He racked up over 100 yards in two separate games, hitting 139 yards against Portland State and 122 yards in the Battle of the Domes.
Although Fa’avae Fa’avae was the main name known in the defensive back lineup, Harris was a huge presence for the Vandals. He tallied 28 solo tackles, 25 assisted tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. He also snagged two interceptions and picked up one forced fumble. He returned one of the interceptions and the forced fumble for a touchdown.
Chavez joined the Vandals last season and made a huge impact. As a kicker, he hit on all his extra point attempts and only missed five field goal attempts. As a punter, he averaged 39.9 yards and only punted 34 times.
These six players were paramount in flipping Idaho football around in 2022. The team went from 4-7 to 7-5 with just one offseason and made it to the playoffs. Although they fell in round one, the Vandals’ spirits weren’t dampened.
While other teams across the country saw large portions of their teams leave through the transfer portal, Idaho had high player retention. On offense, the only departures were graduates. On defense, the loss was slightly larger as it took a hit through both graduation and the transfer portal. Despite those losses, the Idaho coaching staff was able to fill those holes through the portal and incoming freshman.
Although the Vandals made noise last season, “what (they) did last year really doesn’t matter anymore,” head coach Jason Eck said at the Big Sky media day. On top of pressures to be a great team, Idaho has a tough schedule, only playing four games at home.
Their first game is against the 2022 Big Sky football champions, the Sacramento State Hornets on Sept. 23 at 1 p.m. Home game two is homecoming against the University of Montana at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 14 on ESPN2. After a bye week, the favorite to win the Big Sky, Montana State, rolls into the Kibbie Dome for a 1 p.m. game on Oct. 28. The final home game is the Battle of the Domes against Idaho State, with a time yet to be announced.
When Idaho heads to Texas to play Lamar, Vandal fans will get a slight glimpse into what this 2023 team will look like. However, games two and three will be the most telling. They take on two FBS teams, starting with a 4 p.m. game against Nevada on Sept. 9. Their second game, and final game before conference play, is against California on Sept. 16 at 1 p.m.
James Taurman-Aldrich can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @jamesaldrich25