Vandals rally, but get stung late

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — With a marvelous second-half comeback, the Idaho Vandals nearly pulled off another signature victory Saturday night.

But the Sacramento State Hornets had other plans.

Quarterback Asher O’Hara spun and lunged into the end zone for a 2-yard score with 1:48 left and unbeaten Sacramento State held off Idaho for a 31-28 victory in a battle between ranked and unbeaten Big Sky Conference teams.

The teams entered unbeaten in conference play along with Montana State (7-1, 5-0). Neither faces Montana State this season.

Idaho (5-3, 4-1), ranked 14th in the FCS coaches poll, scored 21 unanswered points in the second half to take a 28-24 lead with 6:26 remaining. O’Hara led a 13-play, 75-yard drive capped by his game-winning run.

The Vandals got to the Sacramento State 42-yard line on their final drive, but Gevani McCoy was sacked on fourth-and-11.

“Proud of our team; I thought we battled in the second half, we gave ourselves a chance, by getting some stops on defense,” first-year Idaho coach Jason Eck. “Sac State, there’s a reason they’re 20-1 in their last 21 Big Sky games, and that was really a championship drive that they engineered.”

With top receiver Jermaine Jackson slowed by cramps, Hayden Hatten had a big second half. Hatten finished with seven catches for 113 yards and three touchdowns.

“We’re heading in the right direction; this was just a minor setback,” Hatten said. “It speaks volumes how much better we’ve gotten, but a game like this can show you how much better we can still get.”

O’Hara threw just two passes, one for a touchdown, and had 75 of his 129 yards rushing in the first half. Jake Dunniway was 6 of 17 passing for 81 yards with a touchdown pass and two interceptions for the third-ranked Hornets (8-0, 5-0). Cameron Skattebo had 134 yards rushing, 101 coming in the first half.

The Hornets racked up 299 yards rushing for the game and built a 24-7 lead with 7:40 left in the third quarter before the Idaho offense kicked into gear. Idaho answered with an 11-yard TD pass to Hatten.

Marcus Harris intercepted a Dunniway pass, leading to McCoy’s 4-yard score to Hatten that pulled the Vandals within 24-21. McCoy finished with three touchdown passes and was 18-of-33 passing for 207 yards.

Paul Moala’s interception led to another McCoy-to-Hatten TD pass, from 22 yards out, that put Idaho up by four.

Sac State then responded with its game-winning drive.

“There’s no moral victories, but I thought we battled,” Eck said. “Told them to hold their heads high, and we have some more work to do.”

Elisha Cummings ran for 62 yards and a touchdown, and Anthony Woods also ran for 62 yards for Idaho. Jackson had five catches for 57 yards.

Attendance was 21,195, the fourth largest and biggest non-Causeway Classic game (played against rival UC Davis) at Hornet Stadium.

Idaho plays host to Eastern Washington this Saturday at noon at the Kibbie Dome.