A disappointing start to Saturday’s game led to a forgettable Big Sky return for Idaho football.
The Vandals (1-2, BSC 0-1) dropped the Big Sky conference opener to the UC Davis Aggies (3-1, BSC 1-0) 44-21 Saturday in Davis, California.
The high-powered Aggie offense got things going early on their first possession, finding ease down the field before UC Davis quarterback Jake Maier found star wide receiver Keelan Doss for a 20-yard touchdown to give the Aggies an early 7-0 lead.
Idaho junior quarterback Mason Petrino started the game for the Vandals and received most of the snaps in the first half.
Idaho’s only score of the first half came on a late second quarter drive, with Petrino finding senior wide receiver David Ungerer for a 14 yard catch and run touchdown in the red zone.
Courtesy of the Idaho Athletic Department
Idaho senior running back Isaiah Saunders led the way in the first half for Idaho, with 60 rushing yards on 11 attempts.
Déjà vu hit again for the Vandals as UC Davis blocked sophomore punter Cade Coffey’s punt attempt for a touchdown to put the Aggies up 21-0 early in the second quarter.
The Aggie offense was unstoppable in the first half, scoring 20 points on 280 total yards. With a 27-7 lead at halftime, Idaho hoped to get things turned around in the second half during their Big Sky return.
The damage continued to pile on for Idaho in the third quarter, as it was outscored 17-0 and allowed UC Davis to extend its lead to 44-7 by the end of the third quarter.
The Vandals finally got going on offense in the fourth quarter, with Petrino kicking things off with a 46-yard pass to junior wide receiver Jeff Cotton for a touchdown to make it 44-14.
Petrino would find the endzone again in the final minute of the game with a 29-yard pass to freshman running back Roshaun Johnson to make the game 44-21.
It may look like Petrino could be the starter moving forward for the Vandals, who finished the game 23-41 for 284 yards passing, three touchdowns, and one interception as well.
Sophomore quarterback Colton Richardson only received a few snaps throughout the day, and could not find any rhythm on Saturday.
Saunders finished the game with 102 yards rushing on 20 attempts — the only running back to find any consistency through the ground game.
Although Idaho trailed the full game, the Vandal receiver core had quite a day, led by Ungerer, who finished the day with nine catches for 86 yards and a touchdown.
Cotton also had a nice night with five receptions for 79 yards and a touchdown as well.
On the defensive side, senior linebacker Ed Hall led the way with 12 total tackles.
The Vandals will return home to take on the Portland State Vikings Saturday 2 p.m. Saturday (Sept. 29) in the Kibbie Dome.
Chris Deremer can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @Cderemer_VN