Rams give Vandals the boot

FORT COLLINS, Colo. - Ben Deline had a chance to redeem himself. The Idaho Vandals did not.

In a back-and-forth game that was marred by penalties and miscues, Colorado State came back to beat Idaho 36-34 as time expired when Deline hit the mark on a 35-yard field - just minutes after he missed the PAT that could have tied the game.

Idaho (2-2) yielded 494 yards to the previously winless Rams. In contrast, Idaho's offense rolled for 459 in a game during which quarterback Nate Enderle completed a career-best 83.3 percent (25 of 30) of his passes.

"We didn't capitalize on the opportunities we had," Enderle said. "We have to execute day in and day out. I felt like if we would have executed, we would have won the game."

Colorado State (1-3) snapped a 12-game losing streak.

"Colorado State played a great football game," Idaho coach Robb Akey said. "They made plays today."

Following a T.J. Borcky touchdown, DeLine, who kicked two other field goals, missed a point-after attempt that would have tied the game at 34-34 with 6:24 left.

Colorado State (1-3) set up the game-winning kick with a drive that started at its own 16 with 2:38 to play.

After Thomas, a true freshman who passed for 386 yards, completed four passes and John Mosure added a 2-yard run, Idaho was called for having 12 men on the field and the ball was moved to the Vandals' 24-yard line.

"We were in the substitute package and didn't get communicated well enough to guys on the field," Akey said. "One of the guys that needed to hear it, didn't hear it and didn't get himself off the field."

The Vandals' first drive ended when they came up short on fourth-and-one, while the Rams' initial drive wound up a missed field goal attempt.

Idaho's second drive sputtered as well and Trey Farquhar kicked a 31-yard field goal.

Idaho went up 10-0 on Kama Bailey's one-yard run with 11:57 left in the first half. His run capped a 10-play drive that was set up by Aaron Grymes' interception.

Farquhar booted a 32-yard field goal for a 13-0 lead with 4:32 left in the first half.

CSU scored on Raymond Carter's 1-yard run with :39 left in the second quarter to cut Idaho's lead to 13-7. The Rams followed immediately with another score after Enderle fumbled as he was sacked at the Idaho 33. The go-ahead score was a 23-yard pass from Pete Thomas to Raymond Carter with :08 left in the half.

In the third quarter, Enderle capping an eight-play, 61-yard drive with a 7-yard pass to Armauni Johnson to put up 20-14.

CSU came back with a 37-yard field goal by Ben Deline to close to 20-17 before Enderle found Maurice Shaw with 37-yard yard pass to push the Vandals out to a 27-17, lead. The Rams responded with a 72-yard pass from Thomas to Carter to cut Idaho's lead to 27-24.

CSU tied it on a 30-yard field goal by Deline with 11:36 remaining.

A 59-yard hook-up between Enderle and Justin Veltung put Idaho up 34-27 with 9:46 to go.