Another 1-win season for Vandals

From news services

BOONE, N.C. - The University of Idaho played toe-to-toe with the hottest team in the Sun Belt Conference on Saturday afternoon before enduring a penalty-filled second half en route to a 45-28 loss to Appalachian State to end the season before 19,721 at Kidd Brewer Stadium.

"They really controlled the third quarter," Idaho coach Paul Petrino said. "They just played keep-away. That's the way you want to play football."

Petrino also could lament the woulda, coulda plays - a touchdown, and three 20-plus gains, all called back because of penalties as well as three Appalachian State drives fueled by pass interference calls.

"You can't do that," Petrino said.

Idaho finished with its third straight one-win season, the last two under Petrino. The Vandals are 5-42 over the last four seasons, and 11-49 since winning the Humanitarian Bowl in 2009.

Taylor Lamb passed for 223 yards and three touchdowns for Appalachian State, which won its sixth straight game.

Lamb completed 13 of 20 passes and hit three different receivers - Shaedon Meadors, Tacoi Sumler and Bobo Beathard - for touchdowns as the Mountaineers (7-5, 6-2 Sun Belt) finished third in conference in their inaugural FBS season.

Appalachian State trailed early - Idaho drove 75 yards in 17 plays to lead 6-0, converting twice on third down and once on fourth. When the Mountaineers got the ball Lamb found Meadors for a 59-yard TD, the third time this season they scored on their first play.

Bentlee Critcher added a career-long 49-yard field goal and Marcus Cox scored twice.

Elijhaa Penny scored three touchdowns for the Vandals (1-10, 1-7).

Idaho scored on its first possession when Kris Olugbode capped a 17-play, 75-yard drive that included key third-down conversions with Matt Linehan passing to Jacob Sannon, and Penny and Olugbode picking up the rushing yardage. Austin Rehkow's PAT kick, however, missed and Idaho's lead as 6-0 with 7:35 left in the first.

Appalachian State hit back quickly with a 59-yard pass from Lamb to Meadors following a 36-yard kickoff return by Bobo Beathard. The PAT kick was good and the Mountaineers went up 7-6 with 7:18 to go.

The Vandals responded on their next possession, although the drive stalled and Rehkow was called on for a field goal. The 43-yarder gave Idaho a 9-7 lead with 3:20 left in the first quarter.

Again, the Mountaineers responded - with a 49-yard field goal by Critcher as time expired in the first quarter to give Appalachian State a 10-9 lead.

Idaho's next drive ended on a dropped ball and an incompletion at the Appalachian State 37 with 13:14 to go in the first half.

Appalachian State went up 17-9 when Lamb split the defense and found Sumler with a 32-yard scoring pass with 11:00 to go in the half.

The Vandals turned a stalled drive into good fortune when Rehkow's 58-yard punt was muffed and Trent Cowan recovered on the App State 5. Penny pushed through from 2 yards out to score with 9:00 to go in the second quarter. Idaho opted to try a two-point conversion to even the score but Aaron Duckworth was stopped in the backfield and the Mountaineers held onto a 17-15 lead.

Special teams came up big again for the Vandals when Tony Lashley blocked the Mountaineers punt on their next possession to give Idaho the ball at the Appalachian State 35. But the Vandals failed to capitalize after a penalty, a sack and a hurry left them with the ball at the 45.

Appalachian State, however, capitalized with a length-of-the-field drive. After being pinned at their own 9, the Mountaineers scored on a 1-yard run by Cox to cap a nine-play drive and go up 24-15 with 1:37 to go before halftime.

"We had it way more plays in the first half," Petrino said. "We just didn't get enough points."

Idaho was unable to find the end zone in the third quarter and the Mountaineers added to their lead by one score - when Lamb found Beathard on an 8-yard scoring play for a 31-15 lead with 7:18 to go in the third. They made it 38-15 with on Cox's 10-yard run with 10:51 left in the game.

Penny closed the gap to 38-21 with 7:32 left on a 7-yard run. The two-point conversion pass failed. The run capped a seven-play, 31-yard drive that was set up by Jayshawn Jordan's 69-yard kickoff return.

Both teams scored once more - Penny on an 8-yard pass from Linehan that brought his season TD total to 12 and his all-purpose rushing total for the game to 120 - 95 on the ground and 25 receptions.