Last year's run started with UNLV game

The Idaho Vandals (1-0) figure to be happy to see UNLV (0-1) come into the Kibbie Dome on Saturday.

Last year, the teams met in Week 4 in Las Vegas, and Idaho was coming off back-to-back losses to Washington and Washington State, following a season-opening win over Montana State.

In Sin City, Idaho led much of the way, and pulled out a 33-30 victory over the Rebels on a touchdown pass by Matt Linehan in overtime.

“Our guys finding a way to win there in overtime, winning on the last play of the game, really played a role in them starting to believe in themselves and finding a way to win,” Idaho coach Paul Petrino said. “And then we did the same thing a couple of weeks later at Monroe, winning on a last-second field goal.”

The UNLV win started Idaho on a run of eight victories in their final 10 games, capped by the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl win.

“Definitely last year was a turning point,” Idaho wide receiver Jacob Sannon said of the UNLV game.

Idaho lost to Troy at home the following week, then won at Louisiana-Monroe 34-31 on the aforementioned field goal. Idaho then routed New Mexico State, lost at Appalachian State, then won its last five.

“I just think it made ’em buy in even more to how hard we work, and the way we do things, and how that pays off,” said Petrino, in his fifth season as Idaho coach. “It was a big, big win for us, and helped spring us forward for the rest of the season.”

And, he said, carried the Vandals over into this year.

“Just the success of last year carried over all summer and into fall camp,” Petrino said. “They’ve really known how to work for the last three years. Last year our big thing was, ‘expect to win,’ and as the season went on, they did expect to win.”