Departing Vandals Receive Chilly Sendoff At Bozeman

Idaho keeps getting the same parting gift on its farewell tour of the Big Sky Conference: A loss.

And the Vandals can’t take ‘em back to the return counter either.

Montana State presented Idaho with a numbing 16-13 football defeat on a nasty, windy, rainy Saturday in front of a shivering crowd of 3,117 at Reno H. Sales Stadium.

Idaho, which will join the Big West Conference after this season, was given every opportunity to win by its defense and MSU’s generosity.

The Vandals couldn’t come through.

And now, almost certainly out of the Sky title chase, Idaho is 0-2 in conference, its worst league start since an 0-3 under Dennis Erickson in 1984. That team won its final four.

Idaho is 1-3 overall. The worst UI starts in recent memory: 0-2 in 1989, 2-5 in 1984 and 0-5 in 1978.

“We’re all in shock right now,” said senior receiver Dwight McKinzie.

“It’s a bad dream,” said senior quarterback Eric Hisaw, who relieved starter Brian Brennan in the final quarter.

“Idaho is not a 1-3 ball team, period,” Hisaw added. “I don’t care what anybody says, we’re not a bad team, we’re a dang good team. We’re just in a fog right now.”

In a game reduced to a battle in the trenches by the conditions, the Vandal defense held MSU without a first down for five straight series in the second half.

Defensive end Barry Mitchell batted a pass by MSU quarterback Jeff Tuss and linebacker Jason Shelt made a diving interception at MSU’s 38 with 7:24 left.

Hisaw entered, completed two third-down passes to David Griffin and Idaho elected to take Ryan Woolverton’s 32-yard field goal rather than go on fourth-and-11 at the 16. That narrowed MSU’s lead to 16-13 with 2:07 left.

The Vandals’ Robert Scott recovered the ensuing onside kick at UI’s 44. On fourth-and-1, Idaho went to its power formation, but linebacker Brian Pepper shot through a seam and buried Lavoni Kidd in the backfield.

The fourth quarter was a virtual replay of last week’s loss at Idaho State. In that one, Idaho’s defense gave the offense several late chances but it couldn’t cash in.

“It’s been the story of our year,” UI coach Chris Tormey said. “We move the ball well early in the game. In the second half, we’ve lost offensive consistency.”

Idaho opened with a flawless first-quarter drive. Kidd, subbing for the injured Joel Thomas, ran through gaping holes for 33 yards on four attempts. Linebacker Dave Longoria, reverting to his high school days as a running back, hurdled in for the score from the 1.

Woolverton tacked on a 31-yard field goal just before the end of the first period and UI led 10-3.

MSU (1-1, 4-2) responded behind gritty running back Matt Engelking, who finished with 165 yards, and effective play-action and/or roll-out passes by Tuss.

Controlling the ball for 11 of the 15 second-quarter minutes, the Bobcats tied it on a 1-yard sneak by Tuss.

That drive was kept alive when MSU, facing third-and-1, sprang an odd formation. Two linemen and a receiver shifted out wide left, forming a fence for tight end Scott Harry, who caught a screen pass and rambled for 13 yards.

Engelking thrived in the miserable conditions. Though he’s probably the “25th or 26th (fastest)” player on the team, according to MSU coach Cliff Hysell, the hard-nosed junior plowed up the middle and around end for yardage.

Kidd accumulated 105 tough yards, but Idaho’s line wasn’t nearly as effective after the opening drive. Brennan started 3 of 4 for 73 yards, but completed just 8 of his next 23. In fairness, Brennan suffered an injury early in the second quarter, described by Tormey as “like a hip-pointer, but more in the back of his hip.”

Hisaw was 3 of 5 for 32 yards.

“We were just looking for a spark,” Tormey said of the QB change.

MSU opened the third quarter with a 68-yard march, scoring on Tuss’ 2-yard bootleg. A bad snap blunted the point-after and MSU led 16-10.

UI tight end Andy Gilroy left the game in the second half. He was being checked for a possible collapsed lung.

Montana St. 16, Idaho 13

Idaho 10 0 0 3 - 13

Montana St. 3 7 6 0 - 16

UI-Longoria 1 run (Woolverton kick) MSUGroshelle 38 FG

UI-Woolverton 31 FG MSUTuss 1 run (Groshelle kick) MSUTuss 2 run (kick failed)

UI-Woolverton 32 FG

A-3,117.

UI MSU First downs 15 19 Rushes-yards 39-105 47-180 Passing 205 149 Return Yards 83 47 Comp-Att-Int 14-32-0 14-31-1 Punts 7-33 7-36 Fumbles-Lost 2-1 3-1 Penalties-Yards 10-79 5-54 Time of Possession 29:44 30:16

RUSHINGIdaho, Kidd 31-105, Brennan 3-4, M. Williams 2-3, Longoria 1-1. Montana St., Engelking 36-165, Morgan 2-14, Hopkins 1-6.

PASSINGIdaho, Brennan 11-27-0-173, Hisaw 3-5-0-32. Montana St., Tuss 14-31-1-149.

RECEIVINGIdaho, Griffin 6-64, Gilroy 2-49, McKinzie 3-47. Montana St., Bragg 2-31, Morgan 2-27, Hopkins 3-26.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo