Idaho’s game-tying field goal attempt misses in playoff loss to Southeastern Louisiana

Idaho’s football season ended on a 39-yard field-goal attempt that went wide left with 11 seconds remaining.

But the wild ride the Vandals took their fans on before falling to Southeastern Louisiana University 45-42 on Saturday in the first round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs characterized their season. A resilient Idaho posted its first winning record since 2016 and debuted stars on offense who could shine for years to come.

The Vandals grabbed momentum early in Hammond, Louisiana, and dominated the first half in building a 21-17 halftime lead. After the Lions responded with 21 consecutive second-half points to go up 31-21, Idaho refused to fold and scored back-to-back touchdowns in the fourth quarter to go in front again 35-31 with 9:15 to play.

Immediately after SLU scored its 31st point, Idaho’s Jermaine Jackson took a kickoff at the 5-yard line and returned it 95 yards for a touchdown. After Idaho’s defense forced a three-and-out, the Vandals set out on a six-play, 70-yard drive that ended with Hayden Hatten’s leaping end-zone grab of Gevani McCoy’s pass on fourth-and-4 from the 32-yard line for their final lead (35-31).

What had been developing all the earmarks of a shootout took a big turn, however, in the Lions’ favor again. On fourth-and-2 at the Idaho 37-yard line, SLU quarterback Cephus Johnson faked a run to freeze the Idaho secondary and found Gage Larvadian with a jump pass that Larvadian took to the 1-yard line.

Carlos Washington Jr. scored from there to put the Lions ahead 38-35 with 5:13 to play. That was bad, but things got worse. On its next possession, Idaho gave up the ball when Zy Alexander jumped a McCoy pass intended for tight end Conner Whitney and returned the interception 48 yards for another touchdown that suddenly had the Vandals staring up at a 45-35 deficit with under 4 minutes to play.

Alexander picked off another McCoy pass on Idaho’s next possession, which normally have ended any Vandals threat. The interception, however, was waved off by a roughing the passer penalty on the Lions’ Arlen Williams. Given a reprieve, McCoy targeted Jackson with a pass that he took 70 yards before diving into the end zone to cut the deficit to 45-42.

After Idaho forced SLU to punt and the Vandals recovered the shanked kick at their 42-yard line, they drove to the Lions’ 22-yard line with 11 seconds to play. Ricardo Chavez drilled a 39-yard field goal from there that would have sent the game to overtime had the Lions not called their final timeout just before Chavez kicked. On his second attempt, the ball went wide left, allowing SLU to run out the clock and advance to a second-round game against Samford next week.

“Hats off to Southeastern Louisiana. … A lot of the things they did tonight were our recipe for winning,” Idaho coach Jason Eck said. “They ran more plays and they won the turnover margin.

“(Jackson) made two great plays, the kickoff return and the 70-yard pass, that got us back into it. We had a chance.”

Hatten, Jackson and McCoy had games that bode well for UI’s future. Hatten had nine catches for 209 yards and a touchdown, and Jackson caught five passes for 111 yards and a touchdown. Those two are on the All-Big Sky Conference first team.

McCoy, coming back from a knee injury that sidelined him in Idaho’s regular-season final game against Idaho State, completed 19 of 26 passes for 343 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. The interceptions plus a fumble recovery on the first play of the game may have provided all the margin the Lions needed in a close game.

For the Lions, Johnson completed 18 of 28 passes for 208 yards, and he ran for 69 yards and two touchdowns. SLU’s Jessie Britt led all rushers with 106 yards on 13 carries, and Washington added 41 yards and two rushing touchdowns.

Eck said the final play would not detract from the great season UI had.

“Our seniors are leaving a great legacy,” Eck said.

Weber State 38, North Dakota 31: The Wildcats withstood a fourth-quarter rally from the Fighting Hawks to advance in the FCS playoffs with a home win in Ogden, Utah.

North Dakota (7-5) outscored Weber State 14-0 in the fourth quarter.

Weber State (10-2) rushed the ball 59 times for 330 yards and four touchdowns. Josh Davis totaled 129 yards and scored two touchdowns to lead the backfield.

Weber State will play Montana State in the next round on Saturday .