COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Defending their dome .... Vandals remain hot, down Weber State in home finale

MOSCOW — The second-to-last game of the regular season hadn’t been kind to the Idaho Vandals the past two seasons.

And it didn’t look that way again on Saturday during senior day at the Kibbie Dome, when Idaho trailed Weber State. 

But, led by Jack Payne and Mark Hamper, the Vandals put a strong second half together to beat the Wildcats 31-24 in Big Sky Conference play before 9,851.

“So proud of our team,” Idaho coach Jason Eck said. “Again, I really thought we battled. The first half didn’t go quite the way we wanted it to. But I was pretty calm at halftime; I knew we could play better.”

Layne threw three touchdown passes to Hamper, two of them on flanker screens, and Cameron Pope kicked field goals of 50, 48 and 36 yards for Idaho.

“That screen play is one of my babies,” Eck said. “I love that play. We hadn’t really gotten it going as much this year. It was like an old friend coming back in town to hang out. What a job by Hamper … after the catch was so important, he had 134 yards after the catch.”

Layne was 18-of-27 passing for 283 yards and an interception and Hamper finished with 187 yards receiving on eight catches.

“You’ve just got to do what is asked of you, and accept that role,” Hamper said. “That’s what I did today, and that’s what I’ve been doing all season. Just grateful to get into the end zone.”

The Vandals (8-3, 5-2 Big Sky Conference), ranked No. 10 in the FCS coaches poll, have won four games in a row and five of its last six. Idaho's losses this season have come at Oregon (No. 1 in the AP Top 25), at FCS No. 4 UC Davis and at FCS No. 2 Montana State.

Kyle Thompson kicked a 31-yard field goal to cap a 12-play, 65-yard drive for Weber State to trim Idaho’s lead to 23-17 with 3:42 to play. Three plays later, on third-and-4, Layne threw a short pass to Hamper, who weaved in and out of defenders on his way to a 74-yard touchdown and, after Layne hit Emmerson Cortez-Menjivar for the 2-point conversion, the Vandals took a 14-point lead with 1:45 to play.

Richie Munoz connected with Jacob Sharp on a 57-yard throw-and-catch for Weber State (3-8, 2-5) that capped the scoring with 43 seconds to play but Idaho’s Jordan Dwyer recovered the ensuing onside kick to seal it.

“We had some adversity today; we lose Keyshawn (James-Newby) in the first half, we lose Day Day (Buchanan) in the first half, Art Williams couldn’t finish the game. But our team kept fighting, what a legacy for our senior class, to be undefeated at home for the first time since 1996. I think we’re in the playoffs, but we’re not done. We’ve got to go try to earn that first-round bye.”

Malakai Williams had two sacks for the Vandals.

“There’s no drop-off,” Williams said. “Whoever comes in is going to play their heart out; I truly believe that.”

The Wildcats have lost five consecutive games.

Noah Kjar’s 47-yard kickoff return set up Richie Munoz’s 1-yard sneak for a 14-10 Weber State halftime lead.

Idaho took a 16-14 lead with a pair of third-quarter field goals. Layne’s arm was hit and his wobbly pass intercepted by Weber near midfield. But the Vandals forced a turnover on downs at the Idaho 37.

Idaho wraps up the regular season next Saturday at Idaho State.

Weber State 0 14 0 10 — 24  

Idaho 7 3 6 15 — 31

First quarter

IDAHO — Hamper 36 pass from Layne (Pope kick), 6:39

Second quarter

WEBER — Nead 1 pass from Munoz (Thompson kick), 12:12

IDAHO — FG Pope 50, 2:41

WEBER — Munoz 1 run (Thompson kick), :20

Third quarter

IDAHO — FG Pope 48, 12;14

IDAHO — FG Pope 36, 2:22

Fourth quarter

IDAHO — Hamper 16 pass from Layne (Pope kick), 8:28

WEBER — FG Thompson 31, 3:42

IDAHO — Hamper 74 pass from Layne (Cortez-Menjivar pass from Layne), 1:45

WEBER — Sharp 57 pass from Munoz (Thompson kick), :43

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING  — Weber, Bankston 11-54, Munoz 9-12, Godley 5-7, Cormier 2-4, Jennings 1-1. Idaho, Williams 10-67, Thomas 13-46, Layne 3-22, Buchanan 4-11, Hamper 1-1, Cortez-Menjivar 1-0, Team 4-(minus 11).

PASSING — Weber, Munoz 20-32-0-207, Jennings 2-2-0-11. Idaho, Layne 18-27-1-283.

RECEIVING — Weber, Sharp 3-67, Godley 6-35, Record 1-30, Cormier 2-17, Bennee 1-17, Bankston 2-12, Session 1-10, Nead 2-10, Chretien 2-9. Kjar 1-7, Knudson 1-4. Idaho, Hamper 8-187, Dwyer 4-34, Martinez 3-28, Buchanan 1-17, Moore 1-9, Cortez-Menjivar 1-8.

    IDAHO ATHLETICS Idaho redshirt junior defensive lineman Malakai Williams brings down Weber State quarterback Richie Munoz during Saturday's Big Sky Conference game at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow.