MOSCOW, Idaho — Following a massive victory over Montana State on Saturday, the Idaho Vandals are now ranked No. 3 in the nation.
Head Coach Jason Eck wants to see the same level of intensity and focus during practice this week as the Vandals prepare to face a Northern Colorado team seeking its first win of the season.
"We cannot have our preparation look differently now. We need to take care of our business and we cannot get ahead of ourselves because Northern Colorado has caught our attention. Their record is not indicative of how good that team is," Eck said.
Despite a sterling first half performance, the Vandal defense surrendered 21 second half points to Montana State on Saturday. So, Coach Eck wants to limit explosive plays this week.
"We have given up a huge play on the same route two weeks in a row and that is something we need to fix as coaches. You are always going to have some mistakes in a game, but when something happens two weeks in a row, that falls on us. We need to get that fixed and make sure we have guys in the right spots and make sure we are in the right coverages so we can execute," Eck said.
As Coach Eck mentioned, Northern Colorado has had two close one score games against Weber State and Sacramento State this season.
"We cannot sleep on anybody just because of where they are at. I think Ed Lamb, their coach, is a really good coach and I am sure he will have them ready to play, so we need to keep the focus on ourselves and getting better as a team this week," Eck said.
In injury notes, edge rusher Keyshawn James-Newby will miss his second consecutive game due to an upper body injury, but Coach Eck expects him to be ready for the Weber State game on November 11.
The Vandals and Bears will kick it off in Greeley, Colorado Saturday at noon.
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