‘Belief’ at the heart of 18th-ranked Idaho’s first FCS playoff appearance since 1995

Standing at the podium addressing the media, University of Idaho center Logan Floyd took a moment to thank his football coach.

The Vandals wouldn’t be in this position without him.

“I just want to thank the coaches, because they came in here and they believed in us from the beginning,” Floyd said. “They didn’t try to come in here and bring a bunch of new guys in. Like (coach Jason) Eck said, ‘These guys are our guys, and we’re gonna do it.’

“Having that belief in this team, I think that’s what carried us to make it to the playoffs this year.”

The 18th-ranked Vandals (7-4) earned an at-large bid into the FCS playoffs and will face No. 17 Southeastern Louisiana (8-3) on Saturday at Strawberry Stadium in Hammond, Louisiana. Kickoff is 5 p.m. Mountain time, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+. It is the first meeting between the two teams.

The winner will travel to face sixth-seeded Samford (10-1), which received a bye, in the second round Saturday, Dec. 3.

“It means everything to me. Going out there and playing with my brothers, this is the last time that I will be able to play college football, so making the playoffs is something special,” Floyd said. “It just shows how we’ve all bought into this process the coaches are trying to show us. We’re changing the culture around here at the University of Idaho. You see it a lot with our fans, our school, there’s a bunch of excitement coming in towards the program.

“The only way is up for this program, and I’m super excited to see where it goes. But first I’m super excited to see how we play this weekend.”

It is Idaho’s first playoff appearance since returning to the FCS a few years ago and 12th playoff appearance overall. The last time Idaho made an appearance in the FCS playoffs was also in Louisiana against a Southland Conference team — in 1995. The Vandals lost to then-No. 1 seed McNeese State in the first round in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

The Vandals face a Southeastern Louisiana team making its third playoff appearance in four seasons, including home wins in 2019 and 2021. The Southland Conference champions enter the postseason on a five-game winning streak.

“The football playoffs aren’t like the NBA Finals where it’s best of seven.,” Eck said. “You’ve got one shot and you’ve got to be at your best. ... There’s no do-overs.”

The Vandals’ playoff bid comes as a tight-knit Moscow community still grieves the loss of four University of Idaho students who were found dead Nov. 13 in an off-campus house. The Moscow Police Department and other agencies investigating the quadruple homicide still have no suspect.

“Obviously there’s nothing we can do to bring back the lives of these people,” Eck said. “But we can help the healing process for the community and things by giving them a little distraction and giving them something they can smile about and be excited about.”