Vandals, Playoffs Disappear

In the span of seven days, Idaho went from scoring 55 points on Montana to putting up 19 against Weber State on Saturday.

The Vandals, unable to shake a season-long habit of playing well one half (usually the first) and poorly in the other, dropped a 25-19 Big Sky Conference decision to Weber State at Wildcat Stadium.

UI, 2-3 in conference and 3-4 overall, is almost certainly eliminated from league championship and postseason contention. Idaho has only missed the playoffs twice since 1983.

A crowd of 8,128 watched Weber State (3-2, 5-4) boost its playoff hopes.

WSU quarterback Roger Cook, taking advantage of the Vandals’ injury depleted secondary, completed 30 of 39 for 367 yards and two touchdowns. Idaho, which lost safety Montrell Williams to a seasonending knee injury last week, saw cornerback Arnold Gunn leave in the first half, apparently with a shoulder injury.

Eight Wildcats had receptions as Cook, who stepped in for the injured Bryan Martin two weeks ago, led Weber to its second straight win.

“Weber controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the line,” UI coach Chris Tormey said. “We didn’t ge enough pressure on their quarterback.”

The Vandals held a 16-7 with four minutes left in the first half, but WSU closed to 16-14 at half on Clemente Sainten’s 1-yard plunge.

Idaho went into an offensive shell in the second half. The Vandals, who scored 49 of their 55 points in the first half against Montana last week, had only 110 second-half yards, 51 on a lastditch drive that was stopped at the Wildcats’ 22.

On fourth-and-9 with 37 seconds to play, quarterback Eric Hisaw lobbed a pass up for grabs that was batted around before being hauled in by Weber’s Ian Franklin.

“The first half was great, everything was going good,” said UI senior receiver Dwight McKinzie, who had five catches for 112 yards and one touchdown. “I want to give a straight answer, but I don’t know what happened (in the second half).”

Idaho, which visits Northern Arizona next Saturday, lost its seventh straight road game. Tormey said it was impossible to maintain the frenzied emotion Idaho displayed last week, but he added that mature teams are ready to play every week.

Hisaw completed 15 of 28 for 241 yards and one touchdown, but the running game was limited to 106 yards on 40 attempts. Additionally, Idaho played much of the game without receiver Robert Scott, who went down with a wrist injury.

Idaho led 19-14 in the third quarter when Ryan Woolverton, who earlier missed a point-after, connected on a 52-yard field goal.

Weber State took a 22-19 lead on Pokey Eckford’s 24-yard TD catch with 5 minutes left in the third quarter and Scott Shields added a 30-yard field goal with 2:42 left in the fourth quarter.

Weber St. 25, Idaho 19

Idaho 3 13 3 0 - 19

Weber St. 0 14 8 3 - 25

IDAFG Woolverton 25 WEBMcGee 68 pass from Cook (Shields kick) IDAMcKenzie 34 pass from Hisaw (kick failed) IDAHisaw 8 run (Woolverton kick) WEBSainten 1 run (Shields kick) IDAFG Woolverton 52 WEBEckford 24 pass from Cook (Pelagio-Williams pass from Cook) WEBFG Shields 30

A-8,128.

IDA WEB First downs 20 20 Rushes-yards 40-106 32-66 Passing 241 367 Return Yards 69 57 Comp-Att-Int 15-29-1 30-39-0 Punts 6-49 7-35 Fumbles-Lost 1-1 1-0 Penalties-Yards 7-41 9-99 Time of Possession 29:34 30:26

RUSHINGIDA, Kidd 15-41, Williams 6-33, Griffin 2-20; WEB, Robinson 15-58, Sainten 12-32, Cook 5-(-24).

PASSINGIDA, Hisaw 15-28-1 241, Brennan 0-1-0 0; WEB, Cook 30-39-0 367.

RECEIVINGIDA, McKenzie 5-112, Gilroy 2-43, Griffin 2-23, Williams 1-23; WEB, McGee 5-129, Eckford 8-93, Young 5-39.