Sun Belt: Vandals fade late against Aztecs
Quinn Kaehler threw for three touchdowns, Donnel Pumphrey and Chase Price each ran for a score, and the San Diego State Aztecs beat Idaho 35-21 in nonconference play on Saturday in San Diego.
Tied at 14 at halftime, Kaehler hit Eric Judge for a 58-yard go-ahead TD, then Price scored on a 5-yard run on the next drive.
Idaho (1-8) replied with a 51-yard TD pass from Chad Chalich to Joshua McCain to make it 28-21. Jerrel Brown fumbled on Idaho’s next possession, then Kaehler hit Ezell Ruffin on a 28-yard pass for the Aztecs (5-4).
“Until we quit hurting ourselves in key situations we’re not going to get over the hump,” said Idaho coach Paul Petrino. “To come in here and compete at their place and be that competitive shows how far we’ve come.
“We have to step up and be at our best when our best is needed.”
Kaehler was 14 of 22 for 249 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown pass to Ruffin. Pumphrey gained 142 yards on 26 carries, with a 5-yard scoring run in the first quarter.
Elijhaa Penny scored on a 2-yard run for Idaho. Chalich was 11 of 22 for 145 yards passing and scored on a 13-yard run.
Georgia Southern 28, Texas State 25: Matt Dobson returned an interception 100 yards for a touchdown to help the Eagles win their seventh-straight game, holding off the Bobcats in Marcos, Texas.
Georgia Southern, which came into the game averaging 519.3 total yards (9th nationally), was outgained 439-268, but Texas State couldn’t overcome a pair of third-quarter turnovers, which the Eagles turned into 14 points.
Appalachian State 31, Louisiana-Monroe 29: Bentlee Critcher kicked a 39-yard field goal with 29 seconds remaining to give the Mountaineers a victory over the Warhawks in Boone, North Carolina, in the first meeting between the two schools.
Two pass-interference calls on the Mountaineers’ 53-yard drive helped set up the winning kick.
Troy 45, Georgia State 21: Brandon Silvers threw for a touchdown and ran for a score to power the Trojans to a victory over the Panthers in Troy, Alabama.
Troy took the lead for good at the end of the first quarter on a 3-yard touchdown run from Brandon Burks that made it 14-7 and held Georgia State scoreless until the third quarter while putting the game out of reach and snapping a three-game skid.
Silvers was 17-of-21 for 111 yards passing, including a 31-yard TD pass to Bryan Holmes, and added 54 yards on the ground, capping the Trojans opening drive of the second half with a 30-yard touchdown run. Also scoring on the ground for Troy was Khary Franklin, Jordan Chunn and Josh Anderson.
Nick Arbuckle was 23 of 37 for 293 yards passing with three touchdowns and two interceptions for Georgia State.
Arkansas State 45, South Alabama 10: Fredi Knighten threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score to guide the Redwolves to a victory over the Jaguars in Jonesboro, Arkansas.
Knighten had touchdown throws of 47 yards to Dijon Paschal and 2 yards to Warren Leapheart along with a 17-yard run for a score, giving the Redwolves a 24-3 halftime lead.
Michael Gordon and Johnston White each added rushing touchdowns, and Artez Brown returned an interception 58 yards for a score to fuel the rout.
South Alabama was limited to 201 total yards.
| Ga. Southn | 7 | 0 | 8 | 2 |
| UL Lafayette | 5 | 0 | 6 | 3 |
| Arkansas St. | 4 | 1 | 6 | 3 |
| Texas St. | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 |
| App. St. | 3 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| S. Alabama | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| UL Monroe | 2 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| Troy | 2 | 4 | 2 | 8 |
| New Mex. St. | 1 | 5 | 2 | 8 |
| Idaho | 1 | 5 | 1 | 8 |
| Georgia St. | 0 | 7 | 1 | 9 |