There aren't a lot of more intriguing stories this season than Idaho. After years of being in the abyss of college football, known more for seasons of double-digit losses than anything positive, the once-proud FCS program that has struggled virtually since the start of its time in the Football Bowl Subdivision is bowl-eligible.
This weekend, the Vandals travel to play in-state rival Boise State, an opponent Idaho hasn't beaten since 1998. No one would argue that the Vandals have any pressure, as Boise State needs to win out in order to have a shot at a BCS bowl. Idaho coach Robb Akey is fully aware, and he talked about it Monday.
As reported by ESPN.com's Graham Watson on
Twitter, Akey made it clear that he hopes his team can be the "bad guy" this weekend, costing his conference (and school) a big bag of money.
"I want to be the least popular individual with all the WAC administrators ... If we take care of business, there will be no BCS bowl for the Boise State and no BCS money coming to the conference."
You have to love Akey's candor. His team has been a blowout victim over and over again in the last decade. The only time they were even remotely competitive was when former coach Dennis Erickson returned for a one-year stint after he got fired from another NFL job. He left, and things went quickly south as Akey tried to get the program on stronger footing.
Just 3-21 over his first two years, Akey has guided Idaho to a 7-3 start, including 4-1 at the Kibbie Dome, an old indoor facility in Moscow where the Vandals hadn't won more than twice in a single season since 2000.
With that as a background, Akey sees a chance to help gain visibility for his program this weekend. Boise State isn't just another game on Idaho's schedule. They're an in-state opponent, the only one the Vandals play on a regular basis (Idaho State is a Football Championship Subdivision program that sporadically shows up). More than that, Boise State is the benchmark by which the rest of the WAC is measured right now.
If Idaho can find a way to even keep it close on the smurf turf Saturday afternoon, Akey will have really accomplished something. And if his comments about ruining Boise State's BCS chances help fire his team up towards that goal, it was well worth saying on Akey's part.
When you are talking about coaches' dealings with the media, it's rarely a good idea to get on a guy for telling the truth. That's all Robb Akey has done here.
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