Idaho loses to Georgia Southern, falls to 0-6
There has been a trend with the majority of Vandal football games this season. The team falls behind early, makes a comeback, but still loses in the end.
Nathan Romans | Argonaut
Sophomore kicker and punter Austin Rehkow attempts a field goal during practice Sept.18 in the Kibbie Dome as Idaho coach Paul Petrino looks on. Rehkow won the Ray Guy Award’s National Punter of the week for his performance during the South Alabama game. The Vandals lost 47-24 Saturday at Georgia Southern in Statesboro, Georgia.
It was no different Saturday against Georgia Southern as the Vandals dropped to 0-6 in the 47-24 loss. Idaho now owns the longest active losing streak in the nation.
“We had it to within one touchdown, and that’s when we had the tipped ball for a pick,” Idaho coach Paul Petrino said. “It was a way closer game than that, but that’s how it ended up.”
Idaho trailed by 23 points halfway through the third quarter, but thanks to two-straight Elijhaa Penny touchdowns, the Vandals cut the deficit to nine entering the fourth quarter.
The 6-foot-2, 254-pound junior running back from Lakewood, California, carried the ball 21 times for 75 yards and three touchdowns.
Early in the fourth quarter, Idaho freshman quarterback Matt Linehan was intercepted by GSU safety Matt Dobson, who ran the ball back 26 yards for a touchdown. The Vandals never scored again following the interception.
Linehan finished 19-of-31 for 230 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception.
“We showed improvements on a lot of things, but we did some things well enough, that’s for sure,” Petrino said.
Idaho has lost 13-straight games and will attempt to put the streak to an end 2 p.m. Saturday against New Mexico State for Homecoming Weekend in Moscow.
With six national titles in almost a century of playing at the FCS level, Georgia Southern is the first team in Sun Belt Conference history to start its inaugural season 4-0.
The Eagles are currently in first place in the conference and will miss out on playing Arkansas State and Louisiana-Lafayette this season — arguably the two toughest teams in the conference.
The Georgia Southern rushing attack was as good as advertised against the Vandal defense. The Eagles rushed for 349 yards, led by sophomore running back Matt Breida, who finished with 155 yards.
“Tackle,” said Petrino of defending Georgia Southern’s option offense. “Freakin’ simple option defense. One guy has the dive, one guy has the quarterback, one guy has the pitch. We didn’t do that worth a damn. I thought that wasn’t very good.”
This Saturday against New Mexico State, the Vandals will take on an Aggie team that has lost five-straight games after it won its first two. NMSU is 2-5 and 1-2 in conference.
Korbin McDonald can be reached at [email protected]