FCS playoffs: 'Glory to God' ... Chavez boots game-winner as Vandals advance to quarterfinals

    MARK NELKE/Press With LJ Harm (47) holding, Ricardo Chavez boots a 28-yard field goal in overtime to lift Idaho past Southern Illinois 20-17 in the second round of the FCS playoffs Saturday night at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow.
  

By MARK NELKE

Sports writer

MOSCOW — Last year, the usually reliable Ricardo Chavez missed a field goal that would have kept Idaho’s season alive.

Funny how things come around.

Chavez drilled a 28-yard field goal in overtime as the Vandals came back and beat Southern Illinois 20-17 in the second round of the FCS playoffs Saturday night before 9,224 at the Kibbie Dome.

“Glory to God,” Chavez said. “It’s timing; maybe last year wasn’t my time. He prepared me all year long, grinding when no one’s watching. And it showed on Saturday night.”

Fourth-seeded Idaho (9-3), which notched its first FCS playoff victory since 1993, will play host to fifth-seeded Albany (10-3) in a quarterfinal game Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Kibbie Dome. Albany defeated Richmond 41-13 on Saturday.

The Vandals advanced on a day they trailed most of the game, and did not score an offensive touchdown until the fourth quarter.

“It wasn’t pretty, but there’s no style points in the playoffs,” said second-year Idaho coach Jason Eck, who guided Idaho to a playoff berth last year, the Vandals’ first since returning to FCS in 2017. “We battled and found a way to win. If you’d have told me we’d be in the quarterfinals in year 2, I wouldn’t have believed you. But we can win a lot of ways. We had a lot of mental strength tonight.”

Southern Illinois (8-5) did everything but win it at the end of regulation, moving the ball near the Idaho 20 and putting the ball in the center of the field for a field goal try. But Xe’ree Alexander of Idaho got a piece of Jake Baumgarte’s 41-yard attempt, and the ball fluttered short of the upright, causing overtime.

“We’ve had our struggles kicking the ball,” Southern Illinois coach Nick Hill said. “Not making that kick hurts.”

In OT, on third and 13 from the Idaho 28, SIU quarterback Nik Baker threw behind tight end Aidan Quinn, and Marcus Harris of Idaho intercepted near the 10.

On Idaho’s first play in OT, Woods circled left end and appeared to score — at least, that’s what the Vandal players and coaches thought, as they stormed the field. But he had stepped out of bounds at the 9, and the penalty on Idaho for those prematurely rushing the field pushed the ball back to the 24.

Four more runs by Woods brought the ball to the 9. One play later, Chavez came through.

“This is our first playoff win as a team,” Harris said, when asked the significance of Idaho’s first playoff win in 30 seasons. “This feeling is addicting, and we’re going to feed off that.”

With Idaho trailing 10-3 late in the third quarter, Jermaine Jackson returned a punt a career-long 88 yards for a touchdown to tie the game and give the Vandals some life.

“I got an opportunity, and you’ve got to make the most of the opportunities you get,” Jackson said.

SIU, however, answered with Ro Elliott’s second TD of the game, a 1-yard run early in the fourth quarter.

Idaho tied it at 17 on Woods’ 1-yard run with 4:17 remaining.

SIU then embarked on what it thought would be the game-winning drive.

“Coach Eck, I’ve got a lot of respect for him,” said Hill, who coached against Eck when Eck was an assistant at South Dakota State. “You’ve got a good one here.”

After a scoreless first quarter, Southern Illinois capped a seven-play, 88-yard drive when Ro Elliott broke away on third and 2 and raced 38 yards for a touchdown with 13:06 left in the half.

Idaho then tried some sort of jet sweep/double reverse. But when Jackson, who got the ball on the fly sweep, tried to pitch back to Jordan Dwyer heading the other way, the ball fell to the turf and Peyton Reeves, a 317-pound defensive tackle for Southern Illinois, picked up the ball and rumbled a few yards to the Vandal 17.

SIU lost two yards in three plays, and settled for a Baumgarte field goal and a 10-0 lrsf.

Idaho finally put together a drive late in the half. Facing a fourth and 6 from the Salukis 23 and time to go for it, Idaho opted to let the clock run down and Chavez kicked a 40-yard field goal as time expired.

Idaho was held to a season-low 287 yards. SIU totaled 314.

S. Illinois    0    10    0    7    0    —    17

Idaho        0    3    7    7    3    —    20

Second quarter 

SIU — Elliott 38 run (Baumgarte kick), 13:06

SIU — FG Baumgarte 36, 11:53

Idaho — FG Chavez 40, :00

Third quarter

Idaho — Jackson 86 punt return (Chavez kick), 2:45

Fourth quarter

SIU — Elliott 1 run (Baumgarte kick), 6:02

Idaho — Woods 1 run (Chavez kick), 4:17

Overtime

Idaho — FG 28 Chavez

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — SIU, Elliott 17-91, Strong 5-33, Hartrup 1-(minus 2), Baker 7-(minus 8). Idaho,m Woods 18-68, Romano 6-30, McCoy 2-(minus 18).

PASSING — SIU, Baker 20-34-1-198. Idaho, McCoy 15-23-1-182, Hatten 0-1-0-0.

RECEIVING — Cox 4-54, Davis III 4-54, Quinn 3-50, Hartrup 3-17, Strong 2-11, Benefield 2-11, Elliott 2-1. Idaho, Hatten 6-111, Romano 2-32, Jackson 2-20, Woods 1-7, Cox 1-6, Eck 1-5, Ivy 1-2, Dwyer 1-(minus 1).