Vandals surrender lead, then rally to win in OT

From wire and news services 

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — Hayden Kincheloe ran it in from a yard out in overtime after Joshua Wood passed to Elisha Cummings for a 24-yard gain on first down and Idaho rallied last in a 35-32 victory over Northern Arizona on Friday night before 5,112 at Findlay Toyota Field. 

After Northern Arizona (5-4, 2-3 Big Sky Conference), ranked No. 21 in the FCS coaches poll, was forced to settle for Samuel Hunsaker’s 38-yard field goal to begin OT, Wood hit Cummings in the right flat and Cummings did the rest to set up Kincheloe’s plunge for Idaho (4-5, 2-3). 

Ty Pennington fumbled on a sack by Frederick Lujan III and former Lewiston High star Cruz Hepburn scooped it up and ran 63 yards for his first collegiate touchdown to give the Vandals a 26-7 lead with 9:04 left in the third quarter. 

Quran Gossett scored on a 1-yard run and Pennington fired a 57-yard scoring strike to Kolbe Katsis to cut it to 26-21 just 64 seconds into the fourth. 

Katsis raced 28 yards on an end-around, and a second two-point pass was successful for a 29-26 advantage after the first one was waived off when the lights went out in the middle of the play. 

Owen Adams’ 42-yard field goal on the final play snuck just inside the left upright and sent it to OT. 

Ryan Fontaine returned a punt he blocked 20 yards for a touchdown late in the first quarter to put NAU up 7-0. 

Wood answered with a 3-yard touchdown toss to Ryan Jezioro and a 25-yarder to Cummings. Cummings’ 22-yard touchdown run with 28 seconds left gave Idaho a 19-7 lead at halftime. Wood finished with 180 yards on 15-for-31 passing. Cummings carried 12 times for 106 yards. 

Pennington totaled 267 yards on 23-for-34 passing. Katsis had five receptions for 98 yards and Seth Cromwell had 116 yards on 18 carries. 

Idaho, which has won two straight after dropping four straight, plays host to UC Davis on Nov. 8.

Idaho     0    19    7    3    6    —    35 

NAU    7    0    7    15    3    —    32 

First quarter 

NAU — Fontaine 20 blocked punt return (Hunsaker kick), 1:59 

Second quarter 

Idaho — Jezioro 3 pass from Wood (kick blocked), 12:43 

Idaho — Cummings 25 pass from Wood (pass failed), 4:13 

Idaho — Cummings 22 run (Adams kick), :28 

Third quarter 

Idaho — Hepburn 63 fumble return (Adams kick), 9:04 

NAU — Gossett 1 run (Hunsaker kick), 5:06 

Fourth quarter 

NAU — Katsis 57 pass from Pennington (Hunsaker kick), 13:56 

NAU — Katsis 28 run (Stout pass from Pennington), 8:28 

Idaho — FG Adams 42, :00 

Overtime 

NAU — FG Hunsaker 38 

Idaho — Kincheloe 1 run 

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS 

RUSHING — Idaho, Cummings 12-106, Thomas 10-49, McWilliams 1-30, Wood 9-25, Kincheloe 2-4. NAU, Cromwell 18-116, Katsis 1-28, Gossett 7-13, Stone 1-4, Pennington 8-(minus 3), Eastman 1-(minus 12). 

PASSING — Idaho, Wood 15-31-1-180. NAU, Pennington 23-34-0-267. 

RECEIVING — Idaho, Cummings 5-78, McWilliams 2-27, Bogan 2-26, Jezioro 2-8, Hoffman 1-19, Superales 1-11, West-Baranco 1-9, McCraney 1-2. NAU, Katsis 5-98, Purdy 5-75, Stout 3-20, Raines 2-34, Eastman 2-16, Hubbard 2-2, Cromwell 1-9, Daugherty 1-6, Gossett 1-5, Cluff 1-2.