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FACTS & STATS: Site: Kibbie Dome (16,000) -- Moscow, Idaho. Television: None. Home Record: LaTech 1-2, Idaho 1-2. Away Record: LaTech 0-2, Idaho 0-2. Neutral Record: LaTech 0-0, Idaho 0-0. Conference Record: LaTech 0-1, Idaho 0-1. Series Record: Louisiana Tech leads, 4-2.

GAME NOTES: A couple of Western Athletic Conference teams with identical records meet in Moscow this weekend, as the Idaho Vandals entertain the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at the Kibbie Dome.

Up until last week, the Vandals haven't really been a challenge for the rest of the teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision, but the squad managed to make it to overtime on Saturday in Charlottesville before bowing to Virginia in a 21-20 final. At this point, Idaho is a mere 1-4 on the campaign, the lone victory coming against North Dakota at home early in September by a score of 44-14.

As for the Bulldogs, their road to a 1-4 record has been much more painful, given how close the team has been to actually landing in the win column. The team has dropped two decisions to Southern Miss and Houston by a combined three points, and another 26-20 overtime setback to Mississippi State as well. Last week, the team was pummeled by Hawaii at home in the conference opener, 44-26, for their third straight loss. Like the Vandals, the only win thus far for the Bulldogs came against a member of the Football Championship Subdivision (Central Arkansas, 48-42 in overtime).

Idaho has won just two of the previous six meetings between the two squads, the most recent of those being a narrow 35-34 triumph two years ago in Moscow. Last season, LaTech captured a 48-35 triumph at home.

Quarterback Nick Isham accounted for four touchdowns, three through the air and another on a four-yard run midway through the fourth quarter, but it still wasn't enough as the Bulldogs took a tumble against Hawaii in Ruston. Isham connected on 29-of-51 passes for 305 yards, but was sacked four times and had a pair of passes picked off by the Warriors defense, one of which was returned 49 yards for a touchdown in the middle of the third quarter. Running back Lennon Creer failed to be a significant contributor with just 63 yards on 16 attempts. Creer, who ran for 179 yards and a pair of touchdowns against Idaho a season ago, has just one 100-yard rushing effort this year and that came against Central Arkansas when he raced for 177 yards and scored three times. Creer has scored in one way or another in every game this season, but the Bulldogs need more than him to get them over the hump on a consistent basis.

The Bulldogs knew full well what they were getting into when they sized up the Hawaii offense, or more specifically, quarterback Bryant Moniz. The signal- caller diced up the LaTech secondary for 410 yards and four touchdowns, although Christian Lacey, Matt Broha and Adam Hymel all broke in on Moniz and brought him down with sacks. Through five games, Lacey has just 18 total tackles for the Bulldogs, yet he leads the program in both TFLs with 5.5 and is also first in sacks with three. Broha (16 tackles) accounts for 3.5 TFLs and 2.5 sacks and has combined with Lacey to log 11 quarterback hurries, but other than those two the pressure getting into the backfield is not nearly as strong as it needs to be. Because of the weakened push at the line of scrimmage, the pass defense has been subjected to giving up a whopping 304.6 ypg which is seventh in the conference right now and 114th in the nation.

On the road and in overtime, Idaho head coach Robb Akey decided he was going to go for it all after Brian Reader hit Armauni Johnson with a 23-yard TD pass in the extra session, but Reader's two-point conversion try failed to find a receiver and the Vandals were sent home with yet another loss on Saturday. Reader finished the meeting 17-of-41 for 193 yards, but he was sacked twice and had two passes picked off. Princeton McCarty gained a team-best 90 yards rushing on 14 attempts, yet the team as a whole finished with just 103 net rushing yards. Running the ball has not been a strength of the Vandals by any stretch of the imagination this season, the team averaging a paltry 74.4 ypg which is last in the WAC and 118th in the country right now. Reader continues to fuel the offense with his nine passing scores, against just three INTs, but still he needs more from McCarty and the others coming out of the backfield.

Despite giving up 335 yards and a pair of touchdowns through the air and another 161 yards and a TD on the ground last week the Vandals still somehow found a way to make it to overtime before experiencing the pain of another failure. Virginia did help keep Idaho in the mix by turning the ball over three times and converting just 5-of-16 on third down, but still the Vandals were lucky to be in the situation they were down the stretch. Earning his place in the spotlight was Justin Hernandez who blocked a punt in the fourth quarter which was then returned for a touchdown. For his efforts Hernandez, who joined the Vandals as a walk-on, was named the WAC Special Teams Player of the Week. To the credit of the visitors, they came up with season highs of three sacks and 10 tackles for loss to keep things interesting. Unfortunately, after five games the Vandals are still one of the weakest teams in the nation in terms of sacks with an average of just one per game, the unit's 5.0 TFLs per outing ranking them fifth in the WAC and 83rd in the country at the moment.

Both of these teams are making it harder on themselves to come up with victories and even though the Bulldogs have been making it interesting with so many close calls, Idaho still figures to hold a slight advantage at home this weekend.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Idaho 21, Louisiana Tech 17