Creampuff Almost Ruins UI’s Appetite

Idaho won a football game on Saturday and didn’t get to enjoy it much.

The Vandals beat scrappy Cal Poly San Luis Obispo 38-33 in the Kibbie Dome, but not before turning a 28-point third-quarter lead into a white-knuckle finish.

In the process, Idaho’s pass defense took a siesta - not an ideal way to go into a Big West showdown with preseason conference favorite Nevada coming up in two weeks in the Dome.

Idaho (2-3) is off next weekend.

Cal Poly’s I-AA Mustangs, setting school records in completions (31), attempts (62) and yards (410), scored four touchdowns in less than a quarter. The homecoming-bolstered 14,579 fans in attendance were well into reminiscing about their college haunts when they seemed to look up in unison at the scoreboard and discover that Saturday’s game wasn’t on ice.

“We figured we had ‘em,” Idaho receiver Robert Scott said. “We felt maybe they’d quit.”

Instead, Cal Poly quarterback Alli Abrew riddled the Vandals with what seemed like an endless succession of slant patterns.

The Mustangs (1-4) played the role of homecoming creampuff well in the first half.

Idaho’s David Griffin took off on five nomadic punt returns, netting 107 yards and setting up three short TD drives, one of which he took care of himself.

Griffin took a reverse handoff and chucked a 33-yard TD pass to Scott. How’s that for role reversal? Scott is Idaho’s backup quarterback and usually he’s the passer when Idaho runs the trick play.

QB Ryan Fien had his fifth straight 300-yard game. His 41-yard scoring completion to Tom Gamelin gave Idaho a 24-0 lead in the second quarter.

After Joel Thomas scooted into the end zone early in the third quarter, Idaho’s lead was 31-3. Then the highlight reel slowed to a crawl.

“We lost momentum and couldn’t get it back,” UI coach Chris Tormey said. “We were fortunate to be able to hold on and win.”

Idaho 38, Cal Poly SLO 33

Cal Poly SLO 0 3 10 20 - 33

Idaho 14 10 7 7 - 38

UI-R.Scott 33 pass from Griffin (T.Scott kick) UI-Joel Thomas 7 run (T.Scott kick) UI-FG T.Scott 26 UI-Gamelin 41 pass from Fien (T.Scott kick) SLOFG Beilke 27 UI-Joel Thomas 4 run (T.Scott kick) SLOFG Beilke 22 SLOAllshouse 11 run (Beilke kick) SLOLombardi 45 fumble recovery (Abrew run) UI-R.Scott 62 pass from Fien (T.Scott kick) SLOAllshouse 3 run (kick failed) SLOThomas 7 pass from Abrew (pass failed) A-14,579.

SLO UI First downs 26 18 Rushes-yards 29-61 36-99 Passing 410 338 Comp-Att-Int 31-62-2 18-35-0 Return Yards 10-103 11-247 Punts-Avg. 7-39.1 6-36.3 Fumbles-Lost 0-0 2-2 Penalties-Yards 12-83 7-69 Time of Possession 33:06 12:54 Individual statistics RUSHINGSLO, Allshouse 11-45-2, Young 11-41, Williams 1-(-8), Abrew 6-(-17). UI-Joel Thomas 22-77-2, Jerome Thomas 3-28, Griffin 2-18, Pace 1-6.

PASSINGSLO, Abrew 31-61-2-410. UI-Fien 17-34-0-305, Griffin 1-1-0-33.

RECEIVINGSLO, Thomas 13-200, Loud 12-130, Peck 2-50, Goldston 1-14. UI.-R Scott 5-110, Wilson 3-87, Joel Thomas 3-32, Gilroy 2-33.

Nevada 54, UNLV 17

John Dutton threw for four touchdowns and the Wolfpack (3-2) scored on their first five possessions on the way to a rout of the winless Rebels (0-6) in Las Vegas.

North Texas 24, N. Illinois 21

Robert Grant returned a fumble 89 yards for a touchdown to lift the Eagles (2-3) to a victory over the Huskies (1-5) at De Kalb, Ill.

, DataTimes