Idaho redshirt freshman quarterback Jake Luton looked confident during his first drive of the game as he led the Idaho offense down the field for a touchdown. Luton made his first collegiate start, replacing sophomore quarterback Matt Linehan who sat out with an injury.
After Arkansas State scored a touchdown to tie the game at seven, Idaho senior linebacker Chris Edwards answered by intercepting a pass and returning it for a touchdown to put the Vandals up 14-7.
The momentum switched to the Red Wolves after that as Arkansas State took control of the game and beat the Vandals 49-35 Saturday night at Centennial Bank Stadium in Jonesboro, Arkansas.
The Vandals (1-4 overall, 0-2 Sun Belt Conference) have a bye next week and then play Troy Oct. 17 on the road.
Idaho couldn’t stop the Red Wolves’ rushing attack as Arkansas State ran for 333 yards and six of their seven touchdowns were scored on the ground. Senior running back Michael Gordon led the ground attack with 26 carries for 221 yards and three touchdowns.
The Vandals led 14-7 but the Red Wolves scored 21 second-quarter points to go up 28-14 at halftime.
Luton completed 24 out of 42 passes for 166 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions. Luton used his legs at times as he rushed for three touchdowns.
Idaho senior running back Elijhaa Penny carried the ball 13 times for 99 yards and a touchdown. Most of those yards came on a 68-yard dash which almost resulted in his second touchdown of the night.
Garrett Cabeza can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @CabezaGarrett