‘Coach of the year’ candidate next for Boise State. He’s no stranger to Idaho
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Boise State hosts New Mexico Saturday as Jason Eck returns to Idaho turf.
- Eck led Idaho to three straight FCS playoff bids before joining New Mexico.
- New Mexico posts 3-2 start capped by UCLA upset; Boise favored by 16.5.
The head coach standing on the visiting sideline at Albertsons Stadium this weekend will be a newcomer to The Blue, but he’s no stranger to football in Idaho.
Boise State (3-2, 1-0 Mountain West) welcomes New Mexico (3-2, 0-1) to Albertsons Stadium on Saturday at 7:45 p.m. for its first conference home game of the season. The Lobos are trying to change their culture under the leadership of a man who made the University of Idaho an FCS playoff regular the past three seasons: Jason Eck.
New Mexico has been a Mountain West pushover for a decade, last enjoying a winning record in 2016. The Lobos have just 10 conference wins in the past eight seasons, leaving Eck with a tough task. But he knows how to build success, having done so with the Vandals, who went 26-13 in his three years there and made the playoffs every time, including two quarterfinal appearances.
Eck made the jump to Albuquerque last December and injected immediate enthusiasm. The Lobos’ three wins match or exceed the victory totals of every New Mexico team from 2017 to 2022, and despite a hiccup at San Jose State last weekend in a turnover-plagued game, things have been trending upward.
“Look at what he’s done in New Mexico in eight months, nine months. ... It’s impressive,” Boise State coach Spencer Danielson said.
New Mexico dropped its season opener 34-17 at No. 15 Michigan after trailing by just 10 heading into the fourth quarter. That was followed by wins over Idaho State, in-state rival New Mexico State and the Big Ten’s UCLA — the program’s first victory over a power-conference foe since defeating Arizona in 2008.
Then the Lobos stumbled in their conference opener, losing 35-28 at San Jose State in a game that saw starting quarterback Jack Layne — who followed Eck from Moscow to New Mexico — throw three interceptions.
“I’m not ashamed by any means where we’re at,” Eck told the Idaho Statesman on Wednesday in a phone interview. “I think we’re making progress, and this will be a great test for us” at Boise State.
Danielson noted at Mountain West media days that Eck had done a “phenomenal” job at Idaho, and earlier this week he said the New Mexico leader would be a “candidate for coach of the year” in the league. He also mentioned that he’d sent Eck a congratulatory text after the Lobos’ win over UCLA.
“My hat’s off to Coach Eck, and I don’t say that lightly,” Danielson said.
Eck said he appreciated Danielson’s comments — and noted that no awards are handed out after five games, two of which were losses. He also said he has the utmost respect for Boise State’s second-year coach and what he’s been able to accomplish.
“I think they’re a tough, fundamental team. They do a pretty good job of not beating themselves,” Eck said. “I know they’ve had a little penalty problems this year, too, but in general they’re sound.”
New Mexico will be leaning on a couple of players this week who are former Vandals: Layne and junior linebacker Jaxton Eck, who’s the coach’s son.
Layne has completed 69.5% of his passes for 1,162 yards and six touchdowns, but he’s also thrown seven interceptions. Meanwhile, Eck has a team-leading 46 tackles, and he will be a crucial player as the Lobos try to slow Boise State’s rushing attack and force quarterback Maddux Madsen into tough situations.
Madsen has found himself under scrutiny this season, particularly following Boise State’s 28-7 loss to Notre Dame last weekend, a game that featured four Madsen interceptions. He also wasn’t sharp in the season-opening loss at South Florida, but he’s mostly feasted on Mountain West opponents in his two seasons as a starter.
New Mexico’s defense is giving up 391 yards and 24 points per game, while the Broncos’ offense is tops in the Mountain West, averaging 479 yards and 32 points. Boise State is rushing for 197 yards per game.
“They have a good run game, and there are games where they’ve really got going offensively and they run the ball really well,” Eck said.
“So I think we’ve got to stop the run, and get them into some long-yardage situations where we can get a chance to rush the passer and hopefully get some pressure on Madsen, and maybe force him into some ill-advised throws.”
Boise State vs. New Mexico
- When: 7:45 p.m. Mountain time Saturday
- Where: Albertsons Stadium (33,000, turf)
- TV: FS1 (Noah Reed, Robert Smith)
- Radio: KBOI 670 AM/KTIK 93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)
- Records: Boise State 3-2; New Mexico 3-2
- Series: Boise State leads the series 13-1
- Vegas betting line: Boise State by 16.5
- Weather: 59 degrees, partly cloudy, 16% chance of rain
