Welcome To The Big Waste Fumbles, Penalties Cost Idaho Against Utah State, Ex-Coach

Idaho was poised to deliver the bonecrusher late in the second half.

It did. To itself.

In the span of 15 plays, when Idaho could have wrapped up a pivotal Big West Conference football win, the Vandals fumbled twice and committed three costly penalties.

UI essentially said to Utah State: We don’t want it, you can have it.

Utah State took the gift and ran off with a wildly entertaining 35-28 victory before 13,712 Homecoming fans on Saturday at Romney Stadium.

“It was in our hands,” UI senior offensive lineman Dan Zeamer said. “We made too many mistakes. It’s tough, really tough.”

Idaho dropped to 3-4 overall and 1-1 in conference. Utah State stands atop of the Big West at 5-4 and 3-0. The Vandals, who entertain Eastern Washington next Saturday, will need a bundle of help to bypass Utah State and earn the conference’s berth to the Las Vegas Bowl. The loss is particularly damaging because Big West tiebreakers favor Nevada (2-1) and Utah State over Idaho.

“All week long they kept saying, ‘Let’s show him, let’s show them.’ Our kids took that to heart, and defended my honor,” said USU coach John L. Smith, the former Vandals coach who was emotional afterward. “I really wanted it (the win), until I saw (UI tight end) Andy Gilroy at the end. He’s a special kid.”

The Vandals scored two lightning quick touchdowns midway through the third quarter to escape a 21-14 halftime hole.

Idaho’s defense allowed only two third-quarter first downs and everything was on course as UI moved to the Aggies 15, mainly on the strength of Antonio Wilson’s acrobatic 38-yard reception. Idaho lost possession on a questionable fumble call. Freshman running back Tom Pace said he was on the ground - with the ball - when an Aggie wrestled it away underneath a mass of humanity.

Idaho’s defense held, but the offense stubbed its toe again. A center snap from the shotgun formation hit running back Joel Thomas, who was in motion, and bounded to USU’s Danilo Robinson.

“The center (Bill Verdonk) said he couldn’t hear me (calling signals),” quarterback Ryan Fien said. “That’s a frustrating way to lose.”

This time USU capitalized. Abu Wilson plunged in from the 1 on fourth down for the tying score with 8:48 remaining. The drive was aided by a personal foul on Idaho that pushed USU to UI’s 7.

With momentum fully on its side, Utah State got the game-winner on its next possession as Wilson scored from the 2.

Idaho had two more chances. Antonio Wilson, who had a huge game with eight catches for 206 yards, made another leaping reception to gain 36 yards. But linebacker David Gill sacked Fien on second down and the Aggies held on downs.

A last-minute series ended when Fien was intercepted by Donald Dicko.

“We had our opportunities,” dejected Vandals coach Chris Tormey said. “How many times did we get in the red zone and not score? We’ve been fairly efficient in the red zone (before this).

“Utah State made the plays in the fourth quarter and we didn’t.”

Four times in the first three quarters Idaho drove to USU’s 30 or closer, coming away with no points.

Idaho’s offense was one dimensional, in part because the field was muddy from Friday’s snowstorm. A snowplow cleared 6 inches of snow from the field Saturday morning and the contest was played in surprisingly decent weather.

With its running game grounded, Idaho turned to Fien, who fluctuated between brilliant and errant. Fien’s right arm, Robert Scott’s left arm and the 6-foot-3 Wilson’s high-jumping ability carried UI’s offense throughout.

Fien rolled right and hit David Griffin for a 17-yard TD to tie the score at 21 in the third quarter.

On the ensuing play, Troy Scott’s pooch kickoff landed in the muck at USU’s 30 and backed up like a balata golf ball into Gilroy’s hands at the 32.

The Vandals used trickery to score on the next play. Scott took a double-reverse handoff and lobbed a TD strike to Wilson, who again outjumped USU defenders. Wilson finished with three TD catches.

Idaho rushed for only 72 yards. Fien was 27 of 53 for 387 yards.

The teams each chalked up two first-quarter TDs. Idaho’s scores came on Fien-to-Wilson connections covering 59 and 7 yards. Freshman running back Demario Brown scored all three Aggies touchdowns. On his 8-yard cutback run that tied the score at 7, three Vandals lost their footing in the mud chasing Brown.

Brown put USU up 21-14 2 minutes before half as he rushed for 56 yards and caught a 21-yard pass to account for every yard in a 77-yard drive.

Idaho blew three scoring chances in the second quarter.

Jason Shelt’s leaping interception gave UI possession at Utah State’s 25, but Fien eventually was picked off in the end zone.

Idaho started its next drive at the Aggies’ 36, moved to the 22 and then retreated backward out of field-goal position. Another Vandal drive came up empty when Troy Scott’s 40-yard field goal attempt was deflected by a USU player just after liftoff.

Utah St. 35, Idaho 28

Idaho 14 0 14 0 - 28 Utah St. 14 7 0 14 - 35

Idaho-Wilson 59 pass from Fien (T. Scott kick)

USU-Brown 8 run (Knorr kick)

Idaho-Wilson 7 pass from Fien (T. Scott kick)

USU-Brown 19 run (Knorr kick)

USU-Brown 7 run (Knorr kick)

Idaho-Wilson 17 pass from Fien (T. Scott kick)

Idaho-Wilson 32 pass from R. Scott (T. Scott kick)

USU-Wilson 1 run (Knorr kick)

USU-Wilson 2 run (Knorr kick)

A-13,712.

Idaho USU First downs 26 26 Rushes-yards 26-103 44-217 Passing 419 267 Comp-Att-Int 28-54-2 18-40-2 Return Yards 159 77 Punts-Avg. 7-35.9 7-37.4 Fumbles-Lost 2-2 1-0 Penalties-Yards 11-129 8-102 Time of Possession 29:23 30:37

Individual statistics

RUSHING-Idaho, Joel Thomas 18-55, Fien 5-18, Jerome Thomas 1-2, Griffin 1-2. USU, Brown 27-144, Sauk 5-51, Wilson 10-21, Mullins 2-(-11).

PASSING-Idaho, Fien 27-53-2 387, R. Scott 1-1-0 32. USU, Sauk 17-39-2 241, Mullins 1-1-0 26.

RECEIVING-Idaho, Wilson 8-206, Griffin 8-102, R. Scott 4-37, Gilroy 3-39, Joel Thomas 3-31, Pankratz 1-6. USU, Jenkins 10-159, Brown 3-49, Chavez 3-42, Turner 2-17.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color photo