MOSCOW - Tracy Carter sat on the 25-yard line by himself for a moment late in the first half, after the Idaho sophomore got rocked once again while returning a kickoff.

His Vandal teammates had to be wondering what smacked them around as well on Thursday night at the Kibbie Dome.

The Bowling Green State Falcons, a young squad coming off a two-win season, dominated the Vandals 32-15 in the season opener before an announced crowd of 12,173 in the remodeled Dome.

"Really disappointed in the way we played tonight," Idaho coach Robb Akey said. "I thought we had a good camp, and I thought we prepared well for this game. I did not like what I saw tonight, and that will not be acceptable. I need to see a better response from getting hit in the mouth."

The Vandals, just one win from a second straight bowl game last year, had problems all over the field after scoring the first touchdown just six plays into the game.

After a spirited first defensive series, Idaho was unable to put any pressure on Bowling Green quarterback Matt Schilz. The Vandals also mixed in several blown pass coverages and some sloppy tackling. Bowling Green, after turning the ball over on downs in its first possession, scored on five straight possessions in the first half to lead 30-7 at intermission.

"We got too complacent with ourselves when we came out and stoned them on the first drive,” Vandals linebacker Tre’Shawn Robinson said. “We didn’t keep our eyes on the prize. When you beat yourself, that really hurts.”

Idaho was also missing its top two receivers, Preston Davis and Justin Veltung, to injuries, and it showed with some mixups between quarterback Brian Reader and his receivers.

Reader, who backed up Nathan Enderle the past two seasons, was 10 of 24 for 79 yards with one interception in the first half, and finished 19 of 43 for 177 yards and two touchdowns. He was intercepted once, sacked four times and lost two fumbles.

After that first TD, Idaho punted on its next five possessions and was intercepted just before the half. The Vandals also punted on its first three possessions in the second half.

“We had a couple three-and-outs, and that really killed our momentum, and when they started scoring, it’s on us as much as it’s on the defense,” Reader said. “We were not as mentally sharp as we could have been.”

Idaho scored on the first possession, when Reader rolled left and tossed a 5-yard touchdown pass to Michael LaGrone. The TD was set up by a trick play. Backup quarterback Logan Bushnell went in motion, took a lateral from Reader and hit a wide-open Mike Scott down the right sideline for 51 yards to the Bowling Green 25. Had the pass not been underthrown, it would have been an easy touchdown for the Vandals.

Bowling Green tied it midway through the first quarter when Eugene Cooper beat free safety Gary Walker on an out-and-up for a 76-yard touchdown pass from Schilz, a sophomore and returning starter.

Later in the quarter, Cooper turned around safety Trey Williams on a short out pattern and turned it into a 24-yard TD reception for a 14-7 Bowling Green lead.

Bowling Green made it 20-7 when Jordan Hopgood sifted through some sloppy tackling and walked in on a 9-yard sweep around left end on the first play of the second quarter.

On the ensuing kickoff, Tracy Carter muffed the ball trying to field it and the ball went out of bounds at the 3 yard-line.

Anthon Samuel’s 1-yard run made it 27-7 with 11:10 left in the half. When the Falcons had to settle for Kyle Burkhardt’s line-drive 38-yard field goal on their next possession, it almost seemed like a moral victory for the Vandals.

Schilz was 12 of 15 for 248 yards and two TDs in the first half for Bowling Green, which totaled 377 yards in the first half.

The Falcons went conservative in the second half, and Idaho pulled within 30-15 on Reader’s 25-yard touchdown pass to Armauni Johnson (and two-point conversion pass to Johnson) with 14:44 left in the game.

The Vandals forced a punt, but it was downed at the 2. On the next play, Idaho’s Ryan Bass never made it out of the end zone, getting tackled for a safety.

Reader lost two fumbles in the second half as the Falcons’ pass rush was able to tee off on him.

“This is an embarrassing game for us, a tough loss for us, but what can you do,” said Bass, the Arizona State transfer who rushed for 44 yards on 12 carries.

Bowling Green finished with 478 total yards. Schilz passed for 291 yards and two scores, and Samuel rushed for 141 yards and a score. Idaho rushed for just 52 yards and totaled 280 yards.

“I wish I could say it was tricks (that beat us),” Akey said. “We did not execute well, and it hurts me to say that.”

Notes: Idaho’s next game is Sept. 10 at home vs. North Dakota ... Even Idaho’s good plays went for naught. In the first half, Carter’s kickoff return to the Bowling Green 31 was called back by a block in the back. In the third quarter, Michael Cosgrove forced a fumble on a sack of Schilz, but a Falcon lineman recovered. ... After not punting at all in the first half, Bowling Green punted six times in the second half and turned the ball over on downs on its other two possessions. ... All-Western Athletic Conference punter Bobby Cowan got off a 71-yard boot in the first half. Lefty Brian Schmiedebusch of Bowling Green answered with a rugby-style 81-yarder in the third quarter.