Turnovers Help Southwest Texas Overturn Idaho Vandals Suffer Third Loss In Four Starts Despite Edge In Yardage, First Downs

The Idaho Vandals lost four turnovers, and forced none while Southwest Texas State running back Claude Mathis romped for 165 yards and two touchdowns as the Bobcats upset the Vandals 27-21 before 7,047 at Bobcat Stadium.

For the second consecutive year, Idaho has started the season 1-3 while Southwest Texas State, trounced by Eastern Washington last week in Cheney, improved to 3-1 with a perfect 3-0 at home.

Idaho drove inside Southwest Texas State territory on 10 of 12 possessions, but scored just three times. Idaho’s turnovers led to 13 points for Southwest Texas State, a Division I-AA school.

The Vandals outgained the Bobcats 496 yards to 380 yards and had 33 first downs to just 19, but the numbers gave them little consolation.

“We weren’t able to stop the run consistently,”said Idaho coach Chris Tormey. “We were blitzing and playing straight man coverage to stop the run and we had some success, but then we would miss tackles. We would have the quarterback sacked or we would have Mathis in the backfield and we’d miss tackles, or they would break containment.”

“We didn’t punt once this game, we just didn’t capitalize on the opportunities that we had,” said running back Joel Thomas. “It’s just a matter of execution, but we turned the ball over four times and that killed us. It’s very frustrating for us. We can’t say that we should have done this or that because we didn’t.”

Thomas enjoyed his second consecutive 100-yard plus game, finishing with 128 yards on 22 carries and scoring two touchdowns. He moved into sixth place on Idaho’s career touchdowns list with 25. Idaho quarterback Ryan Fien came into the game leading the nation in total offense with an average of 418 yards per game. Southwest Texas State’s David Williams came into the game struggling, having thrown for only 322 yards in three games while tossing five interceptions and just one touchdown pass.

But Williams was more effective Saturday, completing 10 of 20 passes for 166 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. He also ran the ball 10 times for 42 yards.

Fien finished 27 of 45 for 307 yards with one TD and two interceptions. His TD pass came when he hit Robert Scott on a 2-yard scoring play with 6 seconds left in the game.

“They used three safeties,” said Fien of the Bobcat defense. “I’ve never seen anybody like it. Their whole game plan was to stop the pass. We had some fumbles and interceptions that really hurt us. They beat us plain and simple.”

The Vandals came into the game leading the Big West Conference in defense against the run, allowing only an average of 73 yards per game, but the Bobcats ran the ball 40 times for 214 yards and two touchdowns.

“Their whole (offensive) game plan was to run the ball and they came out and did that,” said safety Bryson Gardner.

But it was the turnovers that killed Idaho. For the season, Idaho has turned the ball over 15 times while forcing just one turnover, that coming in the season opener against Wyoming.

Saturday’s fourth turnover put the game out of reach.

Fien hit Antonio Wilson on a pass at the Southwest Texas State 22-yard line, but while struggling for extra yards Wilson was hit, fumbled and Southwest Texas defensive back William Welch made his third recovery of the game. Welch intercepted Fien twice in the first half.

The first possession of the second half seemed to swing momentum in Idaho’s favor.

The Vandals, trailing 14-7, held the Bobcats to three plays and a punt to start the third quarter. The Vandals took over at their own 38 and scored six plays later on a 1-yard run by Thomas. The PAT tied the score with 10:02 left in the quarter.

However, Mathis answered with a 22-yard run for Southwest Texas on the first play after the kickoff. A 33-yard pass from Williams to wide receiver Aaron Allen put the Bobcats at the Vandals’ 14-yard line. After Williams ran 13 yards on third-and-12 from the 16, Idaho held on for two plays before Mathis swept right end on third-and-goal from the 4 to put Southwest Texas State ahead to stay 21-14.

“The momentum was turning our way, but on our next series, we just lost all of our enthusiasm,” said Gardner. “We were just out there, not swarming to the football like we are taught to do.”

SW Texas St. 27, Idaho 21

Idaho 0 7 7 7 - 21 SW Texas St. 14 0 10 3 - 27

SWT-Allen 23 pass from Williams (Wieland kick)

SWT-Mathis 40 run (Wieland kick)

IU-Jo. Thomas 6 run (Scott kick)

IU-Jo. Thomas 1 run (Scott kick)

SWT-Mathis 4 run (Wieland kick)

SWT-FG Wieland 24

SWT-FG Wieland 39

IU-Scott 2 pass from Fien (Scott kick)

A-7,047.

Individual statistics

RUSHING-Idaho, Jo. Thomas 22-131, Pace 6-36, Griffin 2-17, Je. Thomas 4-11, Fien 6-14. SW Texas St., Mathis 28-173, Williams 10-50, Allen 2-8.

PASSING-Idaho, Fien 27-45-2-307, SW Texas St., Williams 10-20-0-166.

RECEIVING-Idaho, Griffin 9-107, R. Scott 6-50, A. Wilson 6-108, Jo. Thomas 4-31, Je. Thomas 1-5, Gilroy 1-6. SW Texas St., Adkins 3-34, Allen 3-80, Giddings 2-32, Hatton 2-20.