On Saturday, the #14 ranked Vandals traveled to Sacramento State to take on the #2 ranked Hornets.
After struggling to get much done in the first half, the Vandals battled in the second, but a Hornets score in the final two minutes sealed the game 31-28.
Sac State received the ball to start and got to work. The Hornets’ two-quarterback system has paid off all season, and it was no different in this game. Senior QB Asher O’Hara put in most of the rushing work as he held the ball for 20 yards. Senior QB Jake Dunniway used his arm to finish the drive with a 31-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Chris Miller, putting the Hornets up 7-0.
The next three drives ended with a missed field goal and two incomplete passes on fourth down. O’Hara ran to convert on third down to end the first quarter then started the second rushing for 10 yards to get another first down. Sophomore running back Cameron Skattebo was the other man in the backfield, making it even more difficult for Idaho to stop the run game. He rushed for 37 total yards on back-to-back plays before O’Hara took back over. Despite solid runs by both, the Hornets had to settle for a field goal to go up 10-7.
An illegal blindside block call backed Idaho up to their own 15-yard line to start the drive, but that wasn’t a problem for the Vandals. McCoy hit redshirt junior WR Jermaine Jackson for 36 yards before Idaho’s deep running core got to work. Sophomore RB Elisha Cummings ran for six yards before junior RB Aundre Carter came out to pick up 20 yards on third-and-two. Cummings went back out to pick up the final 21 yards to put Idaho in the endzone, cutting the Hornets’ lead down to three.
Sacramento took back over and continued to run through Idaho. Skattebo and O’Hara did most of the work, but junior RB Marcus Fulcher finished the job with a seven-yard touchdown run, putting the Hornets up 17-7.
With 1:36 left in the half, Idaho looked to bring their deficit down, but they couldn’t get anything going. Sac State got the ball back and ran out the clock to end the half up 10.
The Vandals received the ball to start the half, but they were still unable to go anywhere. They went for it on fourth-and-nine, but the pass fell incomplete, giving the Hornets the ball at their own 44-yard line.
A pass interference call on Idaho gave Sac State 15 yards and a first down to start the drive. From there, Skattebo and O’Hara got to work, combining for 20 yards on the ground. A rare O’Hara pass finished the drive as he hit senior WR Pierre Williams for an eight-yard touchdown to put Sac State up 24-7.
Halfway through the third quarter, the Vandals were finally able to have a good drive. Freshman RB Anthony Woods started the drive with a 10-yard run, then McCoy backed it up with a six-yard run of his own. Two incomplete passes followed before McCoy hit Jackson for a five-yard game on fourth-and-four to keep the drive alive. A pass interference call on Sac State allowed McCoy to hit Hatten for an 11-yard touchdown pass to make it 24-14.
The Vandals started the fourth quarter by punting, but they got the ball back instantly. The Hornets put Dunniway in to attempt a pass, but sophomore defensive back Marcus Harris blanketed Williams to snag his first interception of the season.
After the interception, Idaho started chunking down yards. The only double-digit play they made was a bobbled around pass from McCoy to Hatten. Hatten was also the recipient of the four-yard touchdown that brought Idaho within a score.
For the second time in three weeks, redshirt junior linebacker Paul Moala grabbed an interception one drive after another Idaho defender. The interception was followed by another Sac State pass interference call, giving Idaho the perfect opportunity to go up. Woods rushed for eight yards over the next two plays before McCoy hit Hayden Hatten for his third receiving touchdown of the half. With only 6:26 to go, the Vandals went up 28-24 for their first lead of the game.
After Idaho’s score, O’Hara did what he does best, running for 26 yards. Skattebo then took over, running for 18 yards across three plays. Skattebo, O’Hara and Fulcher took turns running before O’Hara put the finishing touches on the drive. With two yards to go, O’Hara took the snap, ran left, leaped into the air and corkscrewed over the Vandals’ defense to go up 31-28.
With 1:48 left, Idaho looked to either get into field goal range to go into overtime or win with a walk-off touchdown. McCoy hit Jackson for 18 yards, but that was it. He attempted to evade the defense on fourth-and-11, but he ended up getting sacked for 24 yards. Sac State then kneeled the ball to end Idaho’s five-game winning streak.
Despite some first half woes, McCoy still had a great game, going 18/33 for 207 yards and three touchdowns. Hatten was the receiver on all three, completing the hat trick with 113 yards on seven receptions. Cummings led in the run game for Idaho, rushing for 62 yards and one touchdown on 10 attempts.
Redshirt sophomore Mathias Bertram had a breakout game, leading Idaho in total tackles with 11. He was the only Vandal with double-digit tackles.
The Vandals will return to the Kibbie Dome with hopes of keeping their playoff dreams alive against Eastern Washington. The highlight of Parents and Family weekend will kick off on Nov. 5 at noon.
James Taurman-Aldrich can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @jamesaldrich25