Dutton’s Big Day Dumps UI 470 Passing Yards Leave Vandals At A Loss

John Dutton passed for 470 yards and four touchdowns to lead Nevada to a 42-23 victory over Idaho on Saturday.

Dutton completed 24 of 32 passes while setting a career high for yardage as Nevada (2-5) broke a four-game losing streak by winning its Big West opener.

Idaho (4-3, 1-1) got 349 passing yards from quarterback Brian Brennan, who threw a school-record 64 passes, completing 33. He threw touchdown passes of 9 and 7 yards in the fourth quarter to Antonio Wilson, who finished with 12 receptions for 142 yards.

But the Vandals yielded 595 yards to Nevada, including four scoring drives of 71 or more yards in the first half as Nevada took a 28-0 lead at the break.

The Wolf Pack led 42-3 after three quarters.

Chris Lemon rushed for 120 yards on 21 carries for Nevada, which avenged its only conference loss last season, a 24-15 defeat at Idaho.

Dutton passed for 288 yards and three touchdowns, two to Trevor Insley, in the first half. He completed 15 of 21 passes in the half, and was successful on his first seven passes of the second half.

Insley finished with six catches for 142 yards.

Idaho had three sustained drives in the first half, but failed to score on each. Troy Scott missed field-goal tries of 43 and 46 yards, and Nevada’s Don Morgan batted away a fourthdown pass in his end zone after Idaho had driven to the Wolf Pack 2.

Brennan was intercepted by Nevada’s Arona Taele on Idaho’s first possession of the second half. On the next play, Dutton hit Darin Higgins along the left sideline for a 49-yard TD play and a 35-0 lead.

Scott’s 28-yard field goal in the third quarter finally got Idaho on the scoreboard.

After a 1-yard run by Lemon made the score 42-3, Brennan passed 9 yards to Wilson with 12:35 to play.

Dutton’s passing total was the sixth-highest in Nevada history.

Brennan’s 64 passes broke the Idaho record of 62 set by Ken Hobart in 1983.

N. Iowa 35, Younstown St. 32

Shane Fortney passed for 293 yards and two touchdowns as Northern Iowa held off a Youngstown State rally at Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Youngstown State (6-1 overall, 1-1 Gateway Conference), the top-ranked team in I-AA, is playing its first year in the Gateway. No. 24 Northern Iowa is 4-3, 3-1.

MEMO: Changed in Spokane edition.