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MOSCOW, Idaho -- The last few years, three Mid-Columbians have been at their respective homes for the holiday season after spending the fall playing football for the University of Idaho.
This year, they tried something new -- spending Christmas in Idaho.
With their 7-5 record this season, the Idaho Vandals qualified to play in Wednesday's Humanitarian Bowl in Boise, where they'll take on the 7-5 Bowling Green Falcons on the blue turf at Bronco Stadium.
That's what happens when your football program goes from 1-11 to 2-10 to 7-5 in three seasons under head coach Robb Akey.
And for guys like Grandview's Brandon Artz, Richland High graduate Isaac Butts and Pasco's Eric Hunter -- all who play in the defensive secondary -- this bowl game business is new.
The team stayed in Moscow to work out before flying to Boise on Christmas Day and spending the last week preparing for the game and enjoying all the festivities such as sledding, bowling and various dinners.
"It's gonna be tough missing Christmas at home," Butts said in a phone interview last week. "No grandma's cooking. But I'll deal with it."
So will the others.
"My parents were up here and I just had my birthday," said Artz. "I'll go back to see my grandma in Grandview (after the bowl game). I like being up here."
And, Hunter added, this game is too important.
"In my whole 22 years this is my first Christmas I've missed, and it's kind of sad," Hunter admits. "But my parents get to watch me play on the 30th, and I'll be home on the 31st and get to open what presents I have."
All three players are juniors in eligibility.
Butts started seven games this season at cornerback, missing a few games after tearing a hamstring against Nevada mid-season. He has 34 tackles and a forced fumble.
Artz is backup at safety, and he has 18 tackles. Hunter is backup at both corners and plays on special teams. He has 12 tackles.
None of the three is surprised about the Vandals' on-field success.
"Coming in two years ago, we had a lot of young guys," said Artz. "It was just a matter of time before we put things together. This year, during the summer workouts we just bonded as a team. So we're not surprised."
Butts said it all starts with Akey, the former WSU defensive coordinator who moved eight miles from Pullman to wear Vandals colors.
"Coach Akey is one of the most motivated guys I know," Butts said. "All winter long while we were working out, he's telling us that we need to get to a bowl game."
All three knew they were on the cusp during that 2-10 2008 season.
"Last year when we looked at the game films, we knew we were close," Butts said. "We lost a few close games."
Hunter felt the turning point might have been the Vandals' 45-32 loss to Fresno State last year.
"We lost the game, but for the first time we felt that we had played as a team," Hunter said. "We finished up well."
And Artz felt the team had finally arrived as a bowl team this season, when on consecutive weeks Idaho rallied to beat North Illinois 34-31 and Colorado State 31-29.
"Against Colorado State, we came back in a game that was on television (ESPNU)," Artz said.
Winning football games has another happy result: Everyone on campus is more pleasant to the football players.
"It's much, much better," Hunter said. "Everybody seems much happier. There's more of a turnout at the games. And now students are asking us how much we're going to win by."
Artz sees that too.
"The other students are actually excited to talk to us about football," said Artz. "It's nice to walk into class and have them talk to us about Saturday's win, rather than why we lost another game. We're seeing a lot more black and gold around campus, too. Before, there was a lot of WSU stuff being worn on campus. But the bookstore is selling out (Idaho gear) like crazy."
Winning definitely brings people together.
"We were sick of losing," said Butts. "We're just a family. We're a lot more close."
Which is why missing Christmas at home doesn't hurt as much to these guys.
"I feel fortunate," said Hunter, "that I get to do this with my (Idaho) family up here."
Notes: Kickoff is at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, and the game will be televised on ESPN. ... Southridge graduate Clayton Homme is redshirting as a freshman tight end for the Vandals. ... Graduate assistant coach Matt Troxel is Southridge coach Andy Troxel's nephew and the grandson of the late Ed Troxel, former coach at Kennewick High and ex-head coach for Idaho football. ... Idaho has lost four of its last five regular-season games and has three straight losses entering the bowl game. ... Bowling Green, after a 1-4 start, rallied and won its final three. ... The two teams have one common opponent, Boise State. Idaho lost 63-25 to the Broncos while Bowling Green lost 49-14.
