Big Sky Roundup: Idaho State upsets FBS Nevada

Matt Peterson fell on top of an onside kick with less than a minute to play, preserving Idaho State’s 30-28 victory in Reno, Nevada, its first over an FBS opponent since 2000, and foiling a Nevada comeback Saturday night.

Parker Johnson kicked three field goals and Tanner Gueller passed for a pair of touchdowns as Idaho State (2-1) built a 30-7 lead before Nevada (0-3) closed with three unanswered touchdowns.

Gueller passed for 269 yards and Michael Dean added 133 yards and a touchdown on five carries.

Kaymen Cureton went 19 for 33 for 205 yards and three touchdowns for Nevada, including a pair of TD strikes to Wyatt Demps – of 10 and 3 yards – in a 153-yard fourth quarter as the Wolfpack closed to within two points.

A two-point conversion pass failed with 58 seconds remaining and ISU, which had lost 27 straight games to FBS opponents, recovered the ensuing onside kick.

Nevada outgained Idaho State 423-383 in total yards, but lost three turnovers and the Bengals sacked Cureton four times.

Weber State 31, Sacramento State 24: Stefan Cantwell passed for one touchdown and ran for another and the Wildcats held off the Hornets in Sacramento.

Drew Batchelor had two touchdown receptions, including one from wide receiver Andrew Vollert on a trick play to open the scoring, for the Wildcats (2-1), who played their Big Sky rival in a nonconference game.

After Batchelor’s first score, the Wildcats made it 16-0 as Jonah Williams blocked a punt and recovered it in the end zone. Going for two points after each touchdown, Vollert threw the third two-point conversion after Cantwell hit Batchelor for a 12-yard score.

The Hornets (1-2) answered with two quick touchdowns before halftime, Kevin Thompson and Jaelin Ratliff hooking up for a 42-yard score and Malcolm Thompson returning an interception 15 yards.

Sacramento State opened the third quarter with an 11-play, 80-yard drive capped by Andre Lindsey’s 3-yard run but Cantwell’s rushing touchdown got that back. The Hornets kicked a field goal with 10:17 to play but didn’t threaten on their final two possessions.

Weber State finished with 279 yards of total offense and Sacramento State had 220. Safety Mister Harriel had 16 tackles, four for losses, for the Hornets.

UC Davis 37, Portland State 14: Jake Maier threw for 316 yards and three touchdowns and helped lead the Aggies to a 37-14 win over the Vikings in Portland.

After taking an early 3-0 lead on Max O’Rourke’s 22-yard field goal, Ryan Parenteau blocked Hayden Crowden’s punt that Darryl Graham scooped up and returned for a 9-yard score to make it 10-0 for UC Davis (2-1).

Before halftime, Maier threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Moore for a 17-0 Aggies lead. Jalani Eason put Portland State (0-3) on the board with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Darnell Adams to conclude an 11-play, 65-yard drive.

Maier added two more scores connecting with Ethan Hicks from 2 yards out and Keelan Doss from 12 yards to seal the win.

Eason threw two touchdowns and the Vikings ground game churned for 246 yards on 42 carries.

Saturday’s game was a non-designated conference clash between the two Big Sky Conference foes.

Southern Utah 24, Northern Iowa 21: Patrick Tyler threw for 200 yards and a touchdown and Manny Berz’s 26-yard field goal with 1:50 remaining helped the Thunderbirds hold off the Panthers in Cedar City, Utah.

James Felia’s 20-yard touchdown run with 4:35 left in the third quarter put Southern Utah (2-1) up 21-10. But halfway through the fourth, Eli Dunne threw a 21-yard scoring pass to Trevor Allen then found Briley Moore for the 2-point conversion.

Austin Errthum’s 30-yard field goal tied it at 21 with 5:37 left to play. On the next drive, the Panthers stuffed Patrick Tyler for no gain on fourth-and-1 at Southern Utah’s 42.

Northern Iowa lined up for a 53-yard field goal attempt with 3:00 to go, but Errthum’s attempt was blocked and Jarmaine Doubs returned it 29 yards to the Northern Iowa 17 to set up Berz’s game winner.

Felia ran for 92 yards and scored twice.

Dunne led Northern Iowa (1-2) with 284 yards rushing. Northern Iowa rushed 29 times for minus-14 yards.

South Dakota 45, North Dakota 7: Chris Streveler threw for 290 yards, including a touchdown, and ran in two more scores to lead the Coyotes past the Fighting Hawks in Vermillion, South Dakota.

Kai Henry also ran in two touchdowns, including a 34-yard run up the middle, and Ben Klett had a 7-yard TD run late in the game as South Dakota notched its first 3-0 season start since 2006.

Streveler was 23-for-30 passing and piled up another 62 yards on the ground. His first touchdown came late in the first quarter as he scrambled around the left end for 7-yard score. He later connected with Shamar Jackson with 10 seconds left in the opening half on a 13-yard touchdown pass and then got his third TD on a 14-yard quarterback draw.

The Coyotes also got a 21-yard field goal from Ryan Weese.

North Dakota (1-2) was held scoreless until the fourth quarter when Travis Toivonen hauled in a 10-yard touchdown throw from Keaton Studsrud.

Montana 56, Savannah State 3: Gresch Jensen was called off the bench early in the second quarter, rushed for his first career touchdown and threw for 178 yards and three more as the Grizzlies walloped the Tigers in Missoula.

Starting quarterback Reese Phillips suffered a leg injury while scrambling on a broken play and had to be carted off the field. Jensen, a redshirt freshman, completed 11 of 15 passes in relief, finding Keenan Curran for a pair of scores and Samari Toure for another.

Phillips had completed his first 13 passes for 148 yards before the injury.

Alijah Lee rushed for the first two touchdowns of the game, finishing with 10 carries for 74 yards. Montana (2-1) piled up 561 yards of total offense and scored at least one TD in every quarter.

Jensen scored his first career touchdown on his second series.

TJ Bell went 9-for-19 for 142 yards, for Savannah State (0-2) but was intercepted twice.