Idaho Offense Sputters In Loss Oregon State Smothers Vandals 14-7 Despite Solid Effort From UI Defense

It is hard to pat yourself on the back and kick yourself at the same time.

But that’s the way Idaho’s defense is feeling today. Minus two plays, it smothered Oregon State’s option, only to see its stunning effort wasted in a 14-7 seasonopening football loss to Oregon State on Saturday in front of 32,024 at Parker Stadium.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the way the defense played,” new UI coach Chris Tormey said. “Our guys played lights out, with the exception of two plays.”

Those two plays - a 67-yard touchdown run by Cameron Reynolds and a 45-yard pass completion - were all the Beavers needed because their defense turned out the lights on Idaho’s offense.

Idaho’s nine second-half possessions resulted in 45 total yards. The Vandals’ four series prior to halftime went backwards 26 yards, with an interception. That’s 13 possessions for 19 yards.

“We just weren’t sharp, I know I wasn’t,” said UI quarterback Eric Hisaw, who was replaced early in the third quarter by Brian Brennan.

“Our defense was sensational. We’re sorry, I guess, because we didn’t hold up our end of the bargain.”

Outweighed by roughly 50 pounds per man by OSU’s huge but inexperienced offensive front, Idaho’s defensive line relied on quickness to flood the backfield, where they were joined by gap-shooting linebackers.

Asked if OSU’s option had been defended better in his five years as Beavers’ coach, Jerry Pettibone stuttered for a second and said, “Idaho did a good job.”

But he called OSU’s defensive effort on par with the one that stymied Washington State in a 21-3 victory last year.

It didn’t start off that way, even though OSU struck first.

Idaho spotted the Beavers a 7-0 lead four plays into the game when Reynolds took a counter handoff, twisted out of UI defensive end Barry Mitchell’s grasp at the line and ran untouched 67 yards.

UI pulled even with a 59-yard scoring drive, including 27 yards on the ground from Joel Thomas.

At OSU’s 26, Hisaw briefly bobbled a high shotgun snap, skipped out of the pocket and lobbed a TD strike to Dwight McKinzie.

Idaho had a chance to break the 7-7 tie, but Ryan Woolverton pushed a 23-yard field-goal attempt to the right early in the second quarter.

Idaho was in OSU territory on its next two possessions, but was stuffed as the Beavers’ defense turned aggressive.

OSU defensive end Ahmani Johnson, who played at Idaho for two years before transferring last year, had a huge game with three sacks, three QB hurries and 12 tackles.

“I’ve been motivated through fall camp and my emotions ran wild,” Johnson said. “It was for bragging rights, but it’s over now.”

Oregon St. 14, Idaho 7

Idaho 7 0 0 0 - 7 Oregon St. 7 0 7 0 - 14

OSUR-eynolds 67 run (Lund kick)

Ida-McKinzie 26 pass from Hisaw (Woolverton kick) OSUReynolds 2 run (Lund kick)

A-32,024

Ida OSU First downs 17 10 Rushes-yards 44-17 47-161 Passing 136 74 Return yards 22 33 Comp-Att-Int 16-40-2 5-15-0 Punts 12-33 13-35 Fumbles-lost 1-0 4-1 Penalties-yards 9-70 10-93 Time of possession 34:03 25:57

RUSHING-Idaho, Thomas 24-67, Kidd 5-16, Brennan 6-(minus 20), Hisaw 9-(minus 46). Oregon St., Reynolds 10-84, Thomas 5-24, Hawkins 8-22, Stewart 5-21, Alexander 4-11, Olford 1-1, Williams 1-1, Shanklin 13-(minus 1).

PASSING-Idaho, Hisaw 8-20-1-107, Brennan 8-20-1-29. Oregon St., Shanklin 5-14-0-74, Alexander 0-1-0-0.

RECEIVING-Idaho, McKinzie 5-69, Thomas 4-15, Griffin 2-14, Griggs 1-12, Pankratz 1-11, Warren 1-9, Scott 1-6. Oregon St., Blackwell 4-70, Reynolds 1-4.

Colorado St. 31, MSU 10

E.J. Watson rushed for 130 yards and a touchdown as the Rams beat the Bobcats at Fort Collins, Colo.

Montana St. 0 0 10 0 - 10 Colorado St. 14 7 3 7 - 31

CSU-Watson 1 run (M.McDougal kick) CSUStandifer 14 interception return (M.McDougal kick) CSUWorkman 39 pass from Moreno (M.McDougal kick) MSUFG Melone 32 CSUFG M.McDougal 45 MSUTurner 78 interception return (Melone kick) CSU-Washington 7 run (M.McDougal kick)

A-27,068

MSU CSU First Downs 19 21 Rushes-Yards 40-153 40-216 Passing Yards 135 141 Return Yards 89 55 Comp-Att-Int 16-37-1 9-27-2 Punts 6-40 5-36 Fumbles-Lost 2-1 2-2 Penalties-Yards 7-60 11-74 Time of Possession 32:46 27:14

New Mexico 45, N. Arizona 21

At Albuquerque, N.M., backup quarterback Donald Sellers ran for one touchdown and threw for another in a span of 91 seconds late in the first half as the Lobos beat the Lumberjacks.

N. Arizona 0 0 7 14 - 21 New Mexico 10 21 7 7 - 45

NM-Peterson 47 run (Cason kick)

NM-FG Cason 37

NM-Johnson 7 run (Cason kick)

NM-Sellers 4 run (Cason kick)

NM-Martin 14 pass from Sellers (Cason kick)

NM-Oliver 1 run (Cason kick)

NA-Calderwood 10 pass from Lewis (O’Leary kick)

NA-Lewis 1 run (O’Leary kick)

NM-Oliver 82 run (Cason kick)

NA-Flores 2 pass from Lewis (O’Leary kick)

A-24,894.

NAU NM First downs 22 21 Rushes-yards 29-109 48-329 Passing 281 165 Return Yards 0 5 Comp-Att-Int 27-38-0 12-16-0 Punts 3-35 3-29 Fumbles-Lost 3-3 0-0 Penalties-Yards 4-35 6-60 Time of Possession 29:09 30:51

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo