MOSCOW - When second-year Idaho head coach Robb Akey took his supposedly improved Vandals to Tucson, with shiny new Nike uniforms to boot, he was chomping at the bit to size up their progress.

Thunder, lightning and torrential rains delayed kickoff, but after Vandal kicker Vincente Rico's foot crushed the pigskin 70 yards to open the game, progress was nowhere to be found.

By midnight, the only positive came by way of the foot of punter T.J. Conley, who had seven punts for a 48.6 average, with a long of 58.

A shell-shocked Akey had just faced what legendary Texas Longhorn coach Darrell Royal faced many years ago with a youthful program. His words aptly put it: "They cut us up like boarding house pie. And that's real small pieces."

Burying a 70-0 mauling by the Wildcats, a team head coach Mike Stoops called his "best in five years," is no easy task. But both Akey and his boss, athletic director Rob Spear, went to work on damage control at full throttle.

Today's encounter with the Idaho State Bengals (3 p.m., Altitude) is a somber, but defining event in Idaho football. Anxious fans await today's response to what was hoped to be a breakout season for the Vandals.

"I apologize to our fans and I will guarantee to you that it will get fixed," Akey said.

Said Spear: "We got hit in the mouth and we laid an egg. They need to know they have to focus every game, every snap - have to practice hard. We have to get off to a good start."

ISU enters this afternoon's game coming off a 49-7 loss to perennial Western Athletic Conference power Boise State. The Bengals showed toughness and the ability to move the ball on the blue turf. The Bengals will test the Vandal resolve to re-ignite their season.

Akey realizes Deonte' Jackson's game-high of 25 rushing yards; an offensive production of 112 yards and a Nathan Enderle outing of 10-for-25 with three picks will not cut it against ISU. Throw in a tentative defense that gave up 265 rushing yards and 256 passing years against Arizona and nervous chatter has spiked in the Vandal Nation.

Said Akey: "There will be soul searching and we got to get ourselves from the practice field to the game field and be able to execute like we have in practice. I am very confident things are swung around to the right way."

Doubling down on accountability is what Akey has been doing this week in preparation for the Bengals.

"When guys don't perform the way they need to, or don't execute the way they need to, what that does to everybody else, they understand what that can turn into. It can get out of hand," said Akey.

Today, Idaho and Idaho State meet for the 38th time. The series has Idaho leading 26-11 with their last meeting being two years ago during Dennis Erickson's brief second tour of duty. That Kibbie Dome encounter was a nail-biter with Idaho recovering an on-side kick to preserve a 27-24 win.

Both running back Devon Sturdivant and starting defensive end Taylor Rust remember that narrow win. Their priority all week is to shake last week's inept performance. Both are products of Boise's Timberline High School. And both were teammates of Bengal quarterback Russell Hill (2,313 yards and 14 TDs in 2-007).

"We can't dwell on last week. We gotta close that door," said Sturdivant. "Russ has an arm, he can go deep and he is accurate. He will attack and we are going to attack. It's going to be physical."

Sturdivant remembers the leadership that Hill brought to the field.

"He helped me a lot with my run game. No doubt, he's solid and will come in swinging," Sturdivant said.

Rust would like to greet his old teammate with a big Vandal hug in the version of a sack.

"I'd like to go after him, you bet," said Rust, who became Hill's friend in grade school. Rust and Sturdivant remember Hill's skills in leading Timberline to a 9-2 season. Both were seniors and Hill was a junior. "He knows success and will be coming in here to play. I'll be after him though."

How will the Vandals respond this afternoon? Rust feels good about the week of practice and response by the team.

"We did one day on correcting and considered it over. We have learned a lot and have studied film. We're ready."

Akey has summed up the staff and team's feelings about getting to play a game.

"We get the bad taste out of our mouths and we get an opportunity to play here at home."

Notes: Idaho's Tyrone Novikoff (shoulder/ankle strain) is expected to play today, while tight end Peter Bjorvik and defensive end Aaron Lavaria are questionable. Out for the game are offensive guard Mike Iupati (shoulder) and offensive tackle Matt Cleveland (ankle). â€- Idaho's defensive line coach Johnny Nansen coached at ISU from 2001-2003. â€- Akey played collegiately at Weber State, so he went up against Idaho State four times from 1984-88 in Big Sky Conference play.