Idaho Gets Revenge With 43-0 Win Idaho State No Match For Vandals This Time Around

Idaho’s Brian Brennan decided an air show was the best way for his Division I-A Vandals to erase the memory of losing to I-AA Idaho State the last time they played here.

The Vandals quarterback shredded the Bengals secondary for 313 yards and five touchdowns Saturday as Idaho (2-1) routed ISU (0-2) 43-0. The win avenged a 26-21 setback in 1995, the last time the two rivals met in Holt Arena.

Idaho, of the Big West Conference, led the Big Sky’s Bengals 16-0 after one quarter. Brennan hit touchdown passes of 18 and 4 yards to Antonio Wilson and Jerome Thomas, respectively.

The Vandals defense added a safety when it blocked an ISU punt into the end zone.

It was 29-0 at halftime as Brennan tossed two more TD passes, a 30-yarder to Leon Price and an 11-yarder to Willie Alderson.

Anthony Tanner scored on a 30-yard run early in the third quarter, and Brennan capped Idaho’s scoring with 4:14 left in the period when he found Ryan Prestimonico for 11 yards.

From there on, Vandal reserves flooded the field, and finally ISU’s Seth Burford got the Bengals moving. Still, it was not enough - Burford’s pass on a fourth-and-goal to Jess Delancy fell incomplete in the end zone, preserving Idaho’s shutout.

Price led Idaho’s receivers with 127 yards on five catches, while Tanner picked up 91 yards rushing on 14 carries.

Overall, Idaho had 554 total offensive yards to ISU’s 229.

Idaho coach Chris Tormey said the reasons were rather simple for the Vandals’ decisive victory.

“That’s what happens when you take care of business,” he said. “We’re a better team than we were two years ago, and Idaho State isn’t as good as they were two years ago.”

ISU coach Tom Walsh was disgusted with the Bengals’ effort.

“You can’t sit there and flop around and flounder and expect to win,” he said, adding that he had warned his players that the Vandals were likely to “win seven or eight at least in their conference.”

For the record, there are six teams in the Big West.

Idaho 43, Idaho St. 0

Idaho 16 13 14 0 - 43

Idaho St. 0 0 0 0 - 0

IDAHO - Wilson 18 pass from Brennan (Scott kick), 10:01

IDAHO - Safety, ISU punt blocked into end zone, 8:19

IDAHO - Thomas 4 pass from Brennan (Scott kick), 1:22

IDAHO - Price 39 pass from Brennan (kick failed), 8:21

IDAHO - Alderson 11 pass from Brennan (Scott kick), 2:33

IDAHO - Tanner 30 run (Scott kick), 8:35

IDAHO - Prestimonico 11 pass from Brennan (Scott kick), 4:14

A-7,613.

IDAHO ISU First downs 24 11 Rushes-yards 33-179 38-114 Passing 327 115 Comp-Att-Int 25-38-0 9-26-1 Return Yards 122 76 Punts-Avg. 2-47 8-36 Fumbles-Lost 2-1 0-0 Penalties-Yards 6-75 6-41 Time of Possession 28:38 31:22

RUSHING-IDAHO, Tanner 14-91, Thomas 8-24, Dean 3-21, Alderson 5-13, Brennan 1-12, Ah Hi 2-11; ISU, Nkeyasen 18-57, Burford 10-28, Joseph 4-22, Elgaaen 5-16, Whitworth 1-4.

PASSING-IDAHO, Brennan 24-34-0 313, Dean 1-3-0 14, Uranga 0-1-0 0; ISU, Burford 9-25-1 115, Simpson 0-1-0 0.

RECEIVING-IDAHO, Price 5-127, Wilson 6-56, Pankratz 3-51, Prestimonico 4-37, Townsley 2-23, Alderson 2-14, Stanbaugh 1-10, Thomas 2-9; ISU, Ernst 2-35, Delancy 3-30, McBride 1-18, Young 2-16, Nkeyasen 1-16.

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