Vandals brought plenty of juice, roll past Portland State
From news services and local reports
HILLSBORO, Ore. — It was a potential trap game for the suddenly hot Idaho Vandals, against the two-win Portland State Vikings.
But Idaho was the aggressor early, scoring on its first possession and answering Portland State's first score and coasted to a 38-14 Big Sky Conference football victory Saturday afternoon before 1,910 at Hillsboro Stadium.
Joshua Wood passed for 303 yards for Idaho (4-5, 4-2 Big Sky), which has won three straight, and four of five. It was his sixth 300-yard passing game of the season.
Ryan Jezioro had a career-high 194 receiving yards on five catches, including a 77-yarder from Wood in the final minute of the first half to send the Vandals to the locker room with a 24-7 lead.
Idaho won the toss and took the football again to start. Wood connected with Zack Card on a 28-yarder for a quick 7-0 lead.
Lakeland High product Owen Forsman, last week's Big Sky Special Teams Player of the Week, booted a 47-yard field goal with just under two minutes left in the second quarter to extend the Vandal lead to 17-7.
Idaho forced a punt, and on the first play Wood threw deep to Jezioro, who muscled his way through three would-be tacklers and dove into the end zone.
Idaho scored on its first drive of the second half, Damonte Bias running it in from 6 yards out.
Freshman Kenny Golston rushed for a season-high 55 yards, 47 on a fourth-quarter run that set up Wood's 1-yard run for a 38-7 lead.
Helped by four sacks from Idaho, Portland State finished with just 13 yards on the ground.
The Vikings tried three quarterbacks — Gabe Downing, then Tyrese Smith, then John-Keawe Sagapolutele — who combined to go 29 of 40 through the air for 281 yards.
Terence Loville, a transfer from San Jose State and nephew of former Oregon running back Derek Loville, had nine catches for 114 yards and two touchdowns for Portland State.
Idaho plays host to Eastern Washington next Saturday.
Idaho 14 10 7 7 — 38
Port. St. 7 0 0 7 — 14
First quarter
Idaho — Card 28 pass from Wood (Forsman kick), 12:08
Port. St. — Loville 4 pass from Downing (Hossmann Lees kick), 3:09
Idaho — Bias 6 pass from Wood (Forsman kick), :55
Second quarter
Idaho — FG Forsman 47, 1:55
Idaho — Jezioro 77 pass from Wood (Forsman kick), :44
Third quarter
Idaho — Bias 4 run (Forsman kick), 13:07
Fourth quarter
Idaho — Wood 1 run (Forsman kick), 6:25
Port. St. — Loville 2 pass from Sagapolutele (Hossmann Lees kick) :51
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — Idaho, Golston 8-55, Bias 12-50, Wood 8-42, Miller 4-14, Carter 2-7, Card 1-(minus 2). Port. St., Thompson 11-39, Naby 2-0, Sagapolutele 2-(minus 3), Smith 5-(minus 8), Downing 3-(minus 15).
PASSING — Idaho, Wood 16-25-1-303. Port. St., Downing 14-21-0-140, Sagapolutele 6-8-0-76, Smith 9-11-0-65.
RECEIVING — Idaho, Jezioro 5-194, McWilliams 3-32, Card 1-28, Superales 1-15, Taylor 1-13, Bias 2-10, West-Baranco 1-10, Golston 1-2, Donnerberg 1-(minus 1). Port. St., Loville 9-114, Shelton 8-83, Beaman 4-32, Newman 2-26, Thompson 5-25, Raby 1-1.