Idaho's Vandals secured a berth in a post-season bowl for the first time since their victory in the 2009 Humanitarian Bowl. They improved to 7-4 overall and 5-2 in the Sun Belt after downing South Alabama 38-31 with a performance that reflected the path they took to their other six victories – with significant contributions from every phase of the game.
There were Isaiah Saunder's career-best 142 yards rushing – a high out of the backfield for a Vandal this fall. His 23 carries and three rushing touchdowns also were bests for an Idaho player this season. A Vandal has scored three or more rushing touchdowns only 25 times in school history.