Vandals can't catch Bobcats
SAN MARCOS, Texas - Idaho was unable to build on the momentum from last week's first victory of the season, getting gashed for more than 300 yards on the ground as Texas State rolled over the Vandals 38-7 in a Western Athletic Conference game before 16,973 at steamy Bobcat Stadium.
"It was a miserable game," Idaho coach Robb Akey said after the Vandals dropped to 1-1 in the WAC and 1-6 overall. "We have to play better on defense. We didn't tackle well. Texas State played well. It was a bad combination."
The Vandals managed just 315 yards on offense - 211 on 19-of-34 passing (two interceptions) and 104 rushing. Meantime, the crafty Bobcat offense covered 519 yards, with 337 of those on 47 carries by a fleet of deceptive backs and another 182 through the air.
"Defensively, we just didn't play well," Akey reiterated. "We have to stop the running game. That's the bottom line.
"That was real disappointing."
Texas State (3-3, 1-0 WAC), in just its second year as an FBS program, struck first with a length-of-the-field drive capped by a 31-yard scoring pass from Sean Rutherford to Andy Erickson midway through the first.
Idaho didn't convert on its first drive when Trey Farquhar's 55-yard field goal attempt fell just short.
Penalties were big for both teams the remainder of the quarter and the Bobcats' lone score held up as the first-quarter tally.
Rutherford called his number on four successive plays and scored on a 9-yard run with 6:55 to go in the first half for a 14-0 Bobcats' lead.
Idaho benefited from an offside penalty after the ensuing kickoff and started its first scoring drive at the Texas State 30. Dominique Blackman went deep to Jahrie Level on first down for a 38-yard pickup to the Texas State 32. Ryan Bass covered 21 yards on the next play and added another 8 to take the Vandals to the Bobcats' 3. James Baker finished it off with a bullish 3-yard run with 5:07 left in the second. Farquhar's kick was good to close the gap to 14-7.
The Vandals held on Texas State's next possession when Will Johnson's 47-yard field goal try sailed wide left.
Idaho's final drive of the first half also fell short when Blackman attempted a deep pass to Lovett in the end zone.
The Vandals failed to move the ball on their first possession of the second half - and the Bobcats had the opposite outcome on their initial drive of the third. Benefiting from the short field because of the failed Idaho drive, the Bobcats needed just six plays to cover 49 yards and score on Terrence Franks' five-yard run with 10:19 left in the third for the 21-7 TSU advantage.
Despite facing a third down and 30 at the Idaho 46, the Bobcats still managed to score on their next possession on Johnson's 35-yard field goal for a 24-7 lead with 1:33 left in the third quarter.
Marcus Curry danced through the Vandal defense on TSU's next drive to score from 24 yards out for a 31-7 lead with 13:54 left in the game. The Bobcats' final tally came on a six-yard run by Duke DeLancellotti with 2:04 to play.
Rutherford completed 14 of 19 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown and rushed 15 times for 85 yards and another score for Texas State, which did not turn the ball over.