GREELEY, Colo. — One week after notching their most satisfying victory in more than three seasons, the Idaho Vandals suffered one of their most disappointing losses.

Idaho led by 14 points in the second half, but a combination of turnovers and penalties did in the Vandals in a 27-24 loss to the Northern Colorado Bears in the Big Sky Conference football opener for both teams Saturday before 5,373 at Nottingham Field.

The loss by Idaho (2-3) to Northern Colorado (1-4) came one week after the Vandals defeated preseason conference favorite Eastern Washington in a nonconference game.

“I think it was a little too much patting ourselves on the back after last week, said Idaho coach Paul Petrino, who ultimately blamed the loss on himself.

“It was a terrible job by me,” Petrino said. “I did a bad job of getting us ready to go all week. We were undisciplined; had way too many penalties. I think that loss is on me; it was a terrible job by me. I did not do a good job of getting the team ready. Made a couple bad calls that turned into unfortunate turnovers. Just all the way around, I did a bad job.”

The Vandals committed 13 penalties for 130 yards, the most in a single game this season. Idaho was flagged five times for 66 yards in the fourth quarter.

Nick Romano, a true freshman from Rocky Mountain High in Meridian, ran for 132 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries for Idaho.

Mason Petrino completed 19 of 33 passes for 227 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for 84 yards on 11 carries. But he also threw three interceptions — the first two in the red zone, including one in the end zone. His third pick was turned into the go-ahead field goal by Northern Colorado in the fourth quarter.

“Mason can’t throw the ball in the end zone with all those people around,” said Paul Petrino, his father. “His last interception’s on me; that was a stupid call. but the first two (interceptions), we can’t have that. Can’t have penalties.”

Idaho got on the board first on a field goal by Cade Coffey on the opening drive. After a touchdown for the Bears made it 7-3, UNC, Idaho responded. Romano got his first score of his Vandal career, a 27-yard rush, to start the second quarter. Mason Petrino then improvised on the run and found Cutrell Haywood in the end zone to make it 17-7, Vandals, at the break.

After a field goal by Northern Colorado, Idaho took the ball down the field in four plays, covering 75 yards in just 1:11, to get back up by two scores at 24-10 on another touchdown pass from Petrino to Haywood.

The Bears, who lost 50-0 to Sacramento State just two weeks ago answered two minutes later on a 36-yard pass to Willie Fairman from Jacob Knipp, a sixth-year senior. Knipp was 14 of 23 passing for 250 yards and two touchdowns.

Milo Hall, who ran for 135 yards on 39 carries, scored from 2 yards out to tie the game at 24 midway through the fourth.

Northern Colorado intercepted Petrino at the Vandal 36 with 7 minutes to play. That led to Ben Raybon’s tiebreaking 32-yard field goal with 4:06 remaining.

Petrino then led the Vandals to the UNC 45, but back-to-back unsportsmanlike conduct penalties — on Mason Petrino, then on Paul Petrino — forced a fourth-and-32 and an Idaho punt. Hall ran for 7 yards on a third-and-5 with 2:33 to play and the Bears ran out the clock.

Linebacker Tre Walker led the Vandals on defense with a sack and 12 total tackles. Kyle Perry, a redshirt sophomore from Sandpoint High, had seven total tackles.

N. Colorado 27, Idaho 24

Idaho 3 14 7 0 — 24

N. Colorado 7 0 10 10 — 27

First Quarter

IDHO—FG Coffey 23, 10:03.

UNCO—Lanckriet 58 pass from Knipp (Raybon kick), 3:23.

Second Quarter

IDHO—Romano 27 run (Coffey kick), 14:54.

IDHO—Haywood 13 pass from Petrino (Coffey kick), 5:11.

Third Quarter

UNCO—FG Raybon 45, 11:43.

IDHO—Haywood 19 pass from Petrino (Coffey kick), 10:32.

UNCO—Fairman 36 pass from Knipp (Raybon kick), 8:30.

Fourth Quarter

UNCO—Hall 2 run (Raybon kick), 7:10.

UNCO—FG Raybon 32, 4:06.

IDHO UNCO

First downs 27 22

Rushes-yards 39-270 48-161

Passing 227 250

Comp-Att-Int 19-33-3 14-23-0

Return Yards 42 111

Punts-Avg. 3-33.7 2-36.0

Fumbles-Lost 0-0 1-1

Penalty-Yards 13-130 5-60

Time of Possession 29:49 30:11

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING—Idaho, N. Romano 15-132, M. Petrino 11-84, A. Carter 10-44, K. Martinez 3-10. N. Colorado, M. Hall 39-135, J. Knipp 6-28, J. Ison 2-4.

PASSING—Idaho, M. Petrino 19-33-3-227. N. Colorado, J. Knipp 14-23-0-250.

RECEIVING—Idaho, J. Cotton 6-90, C. Haywood 6-63, C. Whitney 2-53, N. Romano 3-12, L. Kendall 2-9. N. Colorado, C. Lanckriet 3-80, W. Fairman 3-47, D. Warren 3-42, M. Hall 2-34, N. Sol 1-22, S. Flowers 1-14, J. Mitchell 1-11.