Vandals can't stop Northern Colorado

From wire and news services, and local reports 

MOSCOW — The Idaho Vandals were without dual-threat quarterback Joshua Wood for Saturday’s Big Sky Conference football clash vs. Northern Colorado. 

But it was the Vandal defense which struggled the most, as the visiting Bears racked up 482 yards of total offense in a 49-33 whipping of the Vandals before a season-high crowd of 12,902 on homecoming at the P1FCU Kibbie Dome. 

“Not the result we were looking for, by any stretch of the imagination,” Idaho coach Thomas Ford Jr. said. “I knew that team was a good football team, and had players that could make plays ... that’s just not good enough. We were not good enough as a coaching staff, we weren’t good enough as a defense, offense or special teams, and obviously the buck stops with me. We’ve got to do a better job getting these guys prepared.” 

Eric Gibson passed for 350 yards and two touchdowns for Northern Colorado (3-3, 1-1 Big Sky). Several of the Bears’ scores were set up by long passes from Gibson to Carver Cheeks (9 catches for 120 yards) or Brayden Munroe (5 catches for 151 yards). 

“At the end of the day, if you are going to consistently allow them to complete vertical passes, it’s going to be impossible to get off the field,” Ford said.  

“First half, we just did not do a great job staying on top of routes. We knew this team was a vertical passing team, and we did not make plays when the ball was in the air. When it was a 50/50 ball, it was not 50/50 — those guys made plays. Those guys made the plays that we did not make.” 

Idaho had a bye last week after losing at Montana, but it was not announced that Wood was out until just before the Northern Colorado game.  

Jack Wagner, a redshirt sophomore who started several games last season due to injury, got the nod Saturday. He threw for 237 yards and a touchdown, was intercepted twice — including the Vandals’ first offensive play — and sacked three times. 

“I thought Jack did some good things, but he did not do a good job taking care of the football,” Ford said. 

Rocco Koch, the Vandals’ “running” quarterback, carried 10 times for 81 yards and two touchdowns, and also ran in a two-point conversion.  

“Rocco is a winner," Ford said. “I do think he provides a lot with his legs. I can see his role continuing to expand.” 

Led by Koch, Idaho ran for 203 yards, including 64 yards on 15 carries by Nate Thomas. 

Elisha Cummings, back from injury, ran for 40 yards and caught five passes for 67 yards, including a 39-yarder for a TD on a wheel route in the first quarter. 

Idaho totaled 440 yards and kept within arm’s length, but could not get Northern Colorado off the field. 

With 40 seconds left in the first half, Owen Adams kicked a 38-yard field goal to bring Idaho to within 28-17. 

But on third-and-2 from the Northern Colorado 33, Gibson threw deep to Munroe for a 57-yard reception. Kieryus Boone ran it in from 10 yards out on the next play for a 35-17 halftime lead. 

In the fourth quarter, Thomas scored on a 10-yard run with 7:49 left to keep Idaho to within 42-33.  

But on the first play after the kickoff, Gibson hit Munroe for 34 yards, leading to another score. On the next drive, Wagner was intercepted at the goal line. 

Idaho plays at Eastern Washington (2-4, 1-1) on Saturday. Ford said “we’re hopeful” to have him back for that game.

N.Colorado     13    22    0    14    —    49 

Idaho    7    10    8    8    —    33 

First quarter 

UNC — Price 1 run (Willig kick), 9:57 

UNC — FG Willig 52, 8:44 

IDAHO — Cummings 39 pass from Wagner (Adams kick), 5:18 

UNC — FG Willig 43, 2:35 

Second quarter  

UNC — Price 7 pass from Gibson (Munroe pass from Gibson), 13:13 

IDAHO — Koch 12 run (Adams kick), 7:50 

UNC — Munroe 22 pass from Gibson (Willig kick), 3:19 

IDAHO — FG Adams 38, :40 

UNC — Boone 10 run (Willig kick), :13 

Third quarter  

IDAHO — Koch 16 run (Koch run), 7:23 

Fourth quarter 

UNC — Cheeks 13 run (Willig kick), 12:58 

IDAHO — Thomas 10 run (McWilliams pass from Wagner), 7:49 

UNC — Johnson 18 run (Willig kick), 4:32 

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS 

RUSHING — UNC, Johnson 5-36, Guin 7-33, Boone 6-30, Gibson 3-15, Cheeks 1-13, Price 4-7, Gibbs 1-1. Idaho, Koch 10-81, Thomas 15-64, Cummings 7-40, Higgins 1-12, Kincheloe 1-5, Wagner 9-1. 

PASSING — UNC, Gibson 22-34-0-350, Munroe 0-1-0-0. Idaho, Wagner 21-33-2-237.  

RECEIVING — UNC, Cheeks 9-120, Munroe 5-151, Menegatti 4-54, Garrison 2-11, Guin 1-7, Price 1-7. Idaho, Cummings 5-67, Cortez-Menjivar 3-19, Bogan 3-16, McCraney 2-33, Jezioro 2-31, Superales 2-8, Thomas 1-21, Graves 1-16, West-Baranco 1-14, Matheney 1-12.