For the second week in a row, the Idaho football team couldn’t hold onto a big first-half lead.
The Vandals led South Alabama 24-7 at halftime but the Jaguars stormed back and won 52-45 Saturday in Mobile, Alabama.
Idaho’s offense produced big numbers again. Idaho sophomore quarterback Matt Linehan completed 26 of 39 passes for 317 yards with two passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and one interception.
Idaho junior tight end/receiver Deon Watson was one of Linehan’s favorite targets as the Coeur d’Alene native caught seven passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns.
Senior running back Elijhaa Penny was the workhorse again for the Vandals as he carried the ball 35 times for 135 yards and two touchdowns.
Idaho (3-6 overall, 2-4 Sun Belt Conference) will play two of its last three games at home, starting with Appalachian State (7-2, 4-1) at 2 p.m. next Saturday at the Kibbie Dome.
South Alabama’s special teams and its defense helped the Jaguars climb back into the game in the third quarter.
Sophomore running back Xavier Johnson cut the Idaho lead to 24-14 after the Tampa, Florida, native returned the opening kickoff in the second half for a touchdown.
Later in the quarter, South Alabama junior safety Devon Earl scooped up a Penny fumble and returned it 57 yards for a touchdown to cut Idaho’s lead to 24-21 with 4:19 left in the third quarter.
The Jaguars’ special teams came up with another big play a little more than one minute after they cut the Vandal lead to three points.
South Alabama freshman cornerback Jalen Thompson blocked junior Austin Rehkow’s punt and senior cornerback Margo Reed recovered the ball and returned it six yards to the Idaho 6. Reed also intercepted Linehan in the fourth quarter.
On the next play after the blocked punt, South Alabama senior quarterback Cody Clements ran the ball into the end zone for the 6-yard touchdown and the Jaguars took the lead 28-24 with 3:08 left in the third.
The Jaguars (4-4, 2-2) scored 28 unanswered points to take their first lead of the game.
The Vandals would head into the fourth quarter with a 31-28 lead after Penny scored on a 19-yard touchdown run.
With the Vandals trailing 52-38, Linehan scored his second rushing touchdown of the game with a 1-yard run to cut Idaho’s deficit to 52-45 with 1:23 left in the game.
South Alabama’s Braedon Bowman recovered Rehkow’s onside kick and the Jaguars ran out the clock.
Garrett Cabeza can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @CabezaGarrett