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Vandals trample Aggies

Idaho's Lee Smith attempts to elude the tackle of Drew Pearson Saturday. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
From News Services The Spokesman-Review
Idaho's Lee Smith attempts to elude the tackle of Drew Pearson Saturday. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

LOGAN, Utah – The Idaho Vandals started out in low gear, found cruise control and breezed to a 41-21 victory over the Utah State Aggies in a Western Athletic Conference opener for both teams on Saturday.

Idaho (2-3) spotted Utah State (0-5) a 14-0 lead before scoring 41 unanswered points en route to its victory.

The Aggies, who had not scored an offensive touchdown in their first four games, took the opening kickoff and marched 71 yards in 10 plays – scoring on a 6-yard run by Marcus Cross at the 11:10 mark.

Following the score, Utah State recovered a pooch kick at the Idaho 21-yard line and five plays and 2:54 later quarterback Leon Jackson hit tight end Jimmy Bohm for a 1-yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead.

The two quick scores served as a wake-up call for the Idaho defense.

After producing 92 yards on their first two possessions, the Aggies’ next eight drives ended with five punts, two interceptions and a fumble.

The Vandals made the most of their first opportunity on offense. Idaho quarterback Steve Wichman directed an 11-play, 78-yard scoring drive that ended when Jayson Bird found the end zone on an 8-yard run with 3:23 left in the quarter to cut the lead to 14-7.

Idaho closed to within 14-10 with 6:52 remaining in the second quarter on a 19-yard field goal by Tino Amancio after a 12-play, 67-yard drive stalled on the Utah State 2-yard line.

Then came the play of the game for the Vandals.

Utah State took the ensuing kickoff and marched from its 27-yard line to the Idaho 7. On first-and-goal, Idaho’s Stanley Franks picked off a Jackson pass and raced 98 yards for a touchdown and the Vandals never looked back.

“That turned everything around,” said Idaho coach Dennis Erickson. “That play turned the momentum – turned how we felt about ourselves at halftime.”

Instead of looking at a possible 21-10 deficit at the half, the Vandals found themselves up 17-14.

“I got a clear look at the ball,” Franks said. “Our backs were against the wall right there.”

Idaho stretched its lead to 24-14 on its second possession of the third quarter.

Starting from their 18-yard line the Vandals ran off 12 plays, with the final one resulting in a Wichman 4-yard TD pass to Eddie Williams.

Idaho’s defense forced a three-and-out from the Utah State offense and Wichman drove the Vandals to the Aggies 25 before they settled for a 42-yard field goal from Amancio and a 27-14 lead.

A pair of big plays by the Vandals defense sealed the win.

First, with Utah State looking at a first-and-10 on the Idaho 38, Shiloh Keo intercepted a Jackson pass and returned it to the Aggies 36.

Seven plays later, Brian Flowers ran 6 yards for a touchdown to extend Idaho’s lead to 20 points.

The Vandals’ second big play of the second half came on the Aggies’ next possession with backup quarterback Riley Nelson at the helm.

After a pair of 15-yard penalties against the Vandals helped the Aggies move from their 24 to the Idaho 18, Nelson was hit in the backfield and fumbled. Idaho’s Artis Ratti snagged the ball in midair and raced 74 yards for a touchdown and a 41-14 lead with 7:02 left.

“It was a good win for us,” said Erickson. “I thought our guys showed a lot of character when we got down 14-0. It was just a good win. We needed one badly.”

Wichman completed 10 of 20 passes for 188 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. Bird rushed for 52 yards and a TD on 13 carries, while Flowers rushed 11 times for 42 yards and a score.