Ground game could spell doom for Vandals

A crystal ball isn't needed to predict how Idaho's contest against Georgia Southern might go down.

The high-flying Eagles (2-4, 3-0) are the first-place team in the Sun Belt and boast the most dangerous rushing attack in the nation, statistically speaking. On the opposite sideline, the Vandals (0-5, 0-3) will be looking to snap a 12-game losing streak and shore up its rushing defense, which is giving up the second-most yards per game. That being said, coach Paul Petrino isn't exactly waving a white flag.

"They're a team that we can go beat and a team that we can go play with," Petrino said. "We just have to go battle them and find a way to get it done. I think our players should feel like they've proven to themselves that they can play with all the teams in this league. Now it's time to step up and find a way to get a win."

Georgia Southern - which averages 375.8 rushing yards per game - is quite possibly the fastest team in the Sun Belt and has the two top rushers on the conference. Quarterback Kevin Ellison has racked up 637 yards and five touchdowns, while running back Matt Breida as accumulated 676 yards and eight scores this year. Together, the tandem make defending the option quite difficult.

"He reminds me more of a wide receiver," Idaho linebackers coach Eric Brown said of Ellison. "He throws the ball well on the run, but he's more a pure option quarterback. I don't want to say he's not a dual-threat, because he can throw the ball, but he's a run-first guy. He's basically a receiver playing quarterback."

Idaho's defense, which was gashed for 390 yards on the ground against Texas State last week and allows 257.6 per contest, will need to limit the big plays it surrenders today.

"Any time you play an option quarterback, it's all about doing your job," Brown said. "We can't let our eyes get stuck in the backfield."

On offense, Idaho will need another strong performance from quarterback Matt Linehan, who has thrown for more yards in his first five games than any other quarterback in school history. With the redshirt freshman at the helm, the Vandals have the 13th-best passing attack in the nation.

As sharp as Linehan has been, Petrino said it's not hard to be optimistic about the future. His squad just needs to get that elusive win and regain some of its confidence.

"When you won year after year, players step on the field and expect to win and that's where we need to get," Petrino said. "We need to start winning so three years down the road, when Matt's a senior, and when we step on the field every game, the whole team expects to win and there's no question we're going to win."

Kickoff is 3 p.m. today. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3 and on AM 1400 ESPN Radio.

Ben Handel can be reached at (208) 883-4629, or by email to bhandel@dnews.com.