It wasn’t always consistent, but Idaho got the win fans were hoping for.
The Vandals got their first Big Sky Conference win since 1997 by beating Portland State 20-7 in the Kibbie Dome Saturday afternoon. Idaho put together plenty of big stops on third down and converted when it mattered most, going 3-3 on fourth down conversions.
After facing an unstoppable UC Davis offense the week prior, Idaho clamped down on Portland State’s attack. The Vikings managed only 261 yards of offense and seven points after putting together 421 yards and 23 points against Montana State the week before.
Junior quarterback Mason Petrino orchestrated the offense throughout the first half, completing 12 of 16 passes including a touchdown to redshirt junior wide receiver Jeff Cotton. Petrino also rushed for 19 yards on eight carries in the half.
Idaho’s defense got in on the action with a bizarre five-play sequence in the second quarter. Portland State lined up to punt, but punter Ben Niesner was unable to manage a high snap. After scrambling around in the backfield, Niesner was able to take off for 27 yards and give the Vikings a first down. The special teams mishap turned out to be more galvanizing than demoralizing, after a sack by senior linebacker Kaden Elliss on the ensuing third down locked up Portland State’s drive.
Back for another punt attempt, Niesner was able to handle the snap but had his kick blocked by sophomore defensive back Jalen Hoover. Senior defensive back Lloyd Hightower scooped the ball up and ran it back 32 yards for an Idaho touchdown.
The Vandals faced somewhat of an offensive malaise in the second half. After putting up 20 points in the first two quarters, the team held the ball less in the second half and was forced to change strategies.
After holding the ball for nearly 19 minutes in the first half, Portland State’s offense found some rhythm that reverberated when Idaho’s offense was on the field. Petrino managed only 52 yards passing in the second half and was forced to scramble often to little avail.
In spite of the uneven passing attack, senior running back Isaiah Saunders paced the offense with 99 yards on 22 carries. The defense held strong against the Vikings, who also switched quarterbacks partway through the third quarter from Davis Alexander to a more running-focused player in Jalani Eason and then back to Alexander.
Regardless of whoever was under center or in shotgun, the Idaho defense was prepared. The Vikings had only one trip into the red zone against Idaho, which resulted in their only score of the game.
After sticking with a two-quarterback system for the first three weeks of the season, Idaho Head Coach Paul Petrino stuck with junior quarterback Mason Petrino for the entirety of Saturday’s game. Sophomore quarterback Colton Richardson participated in only two days of practice prior to the game due to a rib injury suffered against UC Davis.
Idaho quelled some of the issues they had been facing with turnovers after coming into the game with a Big Sky-worst -9 turnover margin with zero turnovers forced. The offense put together a relatively clean game, save for the untimely interception thrown by Petrino in the fourth quarter. The Vandals were averaging three turnovers a game coming into the matchup with Portland State.
Idaho will travel to Pocatello to take on Idaho State at 2:35 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 6).
Jonah Baker can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @jonahpbaker