DeKalb | The Huskies are taking their talents out west – way out west.

Following their bye week, the Huskies (1-0) will square off with the Idaho Vandals (0-2) Saturday at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho.

Located more than 1,700 miles from Huskie Stadium, this will be the Huskies’ longest road trip this season.

Coming off a thrilling season-opening victory and a bye week used to get healthy and prepare for Idaho, the Huskies are ready to go against the Vandals. Idaho lost its first two road games and will be playing its first home game this season.

“It’s a big game for us and for them,” said head coach Rod Carey in a news release. “For us, we’re coming off a bye week. That’s always a challenge after you have one game and a bye week. You want to make sure you don’t get rusty…it’s going to be a big game for them. They’re coming home and playing at home for the first time, so it’ll be a big emotional lift for them.”

The Vandals lost their first game to the North Texas Mean Green, 40-6. Despite falling to the Wyoming Cowboys in their second game, 42-10, the Vandals have improved under first-year head coach Paul Petrino.

“They have a new coaching staff,” said redshirt junior linebacker Michael Santacaterina in a news release. “The first two games they’ve looked pretty good on film. They improved from the first game to the second game, so we can only assume they’re going to improve for this game. It’s going to be about us this game, and preparing the right way and what we have to do to win.”

The Huskies have been preparing and game-playing for the Vandals for the past week and more. While the game is one thing, the 1,800-mile trip to the stadium and the two-hour trip from the hotel is a whole other beast.

“I have a bunch of concerns,” Carey said in a news release. “We’ve got a long trip out there, and then we’re staying at a hotel that’s about two hours away. We’re playing in a dome that can be loud, and we’re playing a team with their first home opener. They’re hungry, and they’re a well-coached football team. When you capsulize all that and you put it all in a bottle, you get concerned, but you want to deal with things straight on. You do not want to let anything be a surprise.”

The Huskies played far from a perfect game in the season opener, but Carey said he learned the team didn’t panic. The Huskies will need to keep their focus against the Vandals, taking things one step at a time if they want to bring home another victory.

“Overall, X- and O-wise, they’re a fine coached football team,” Carey said in a news release. “… We’ll get their best shot because it’s their first home game, and I expect them to come out on cloud nine. I’ve played at the Kibbie Dome before, and that place is a hard environment to play.”