Freshmen ignite Vandals

YPSILANTI, Mich. — Idaho picked up its first victory of the football season, rallying to outscore Eastern Michigan 45-41 Saturday on the strength of freshman running backs Jayson Bird and Rolly Lumbala, who scored three touchdowns apiece in front of a crowd of 18,920 at Rynearson Stadium.

The Vandals are 1-4 entering the Sun Belt conference schedule.

Bird led the running attack with 125 yards on 26 carries for the Vandals. Lumbala had 37 yards on 12 carries and scored the go-ahead touchdown with about 9 minutes left in the game.

The Eagles (1-4) jumped out to a 14-0 first-quarter lead, but were down 35-21 by halftime after Bird ran for all three of his TDs and Lumbala scored twice on 1-yard runs.

Eastern Michigan made a comeback in the third when Anthony Sherrell ran in two touchdowns to tie it at 38 following field goals from both teams, including a 52-yarder from Eastern Michigan’s Andrew Wellock.

Wellock then hit a 36-yard attempt early in the fourth to put the Eagles up 41-38.

But the lead was short-lived, as Idaho went ahead for good on Lumbala’s 1-yard run — the Vandals’ sixth rushing TD of the day.

Junior quarterback Michael Harrington was 28 of 36 for 318 yards for Idaho. Detroit Lions quarterback Joey Harrington was on hand to watch his younger brother play.

“It’s a great feeling to get our first win on the road entering the Sun Belt schedule,” said Idaho head coach Nick Holt. “I thought Mike (Harrington) played great, and our defense made stops when they needed to. I thought we just made more plays at the end of the game.”

Eastern Michigan’s Sherrell had a touchdown reception and scored three times on the ground to finish with 128 rushing yards on 26 carries.

Quarterback Matt Bohnet went 22 for 43 with two touchdowns and one interception for Eastern Michigan.

The loss was EMU’s third in a row, and the Eagles move to 1-3 on the season with a 1-1 Mid-American Conference mark.

After EMU took its final lead at the start of the fourth quarter, Idaho mounted the game-winning drive less than 6 minutes later, going 77 yards in 14 plays that ended with a 1-yard touchdown run from Lumbala with 8:57 left.

The Eagles marched down the field to the Idaho 27-yard line with less than 30 seconds remaining, but a Bohnet pass to wide receiver Eric Deslauriers fell incomplete on fourth down.

Receiving the ball first in the second half and EMU trailing 35-21, Wellock got the Eagles three points closer with a 52-yard field goal at 8:41, tying the school record.

Idaho answered with a field goal of its own, as Mike Barrow booted a 42-yarder with 5:53 left in the third quarter.

The rest of the third quarter belonged to the EMU offense, as Sherrell scored twice in just over than 3 minutes. At 4:50, he capped off a four-play, 29-yard drive with a 2-yard run that pulled EMU within 38-31.

At 1:46 of the third quarter, following an Idaho punt, Sherrell dashed 24 yards for his third rushing touchdown, and tied the game at 38 heading into the fourth quarter.

On Idaho’s ensuing drive, EMU senior safety Jerry Gaines forced and recovered a fumble at the Vandals 21-yard line, and Wellock capped off the turnover with a 36-yard field goal that gave EMU its first lead since 1:05 of the first quarter.

“The first half our defense was very suspect at best,” said EMU coach Jeff Genyk.

“We came out and made some adjustments in the second half and it was pretty positive to hold them to 10 points.”