Vandals rout Portland State, snap four-game losing streak

From wire and news services and staff reports 

MOSCOW — The Idaho Vandals got their starting quarterback back on Saturday and looked like, well, the Idaho Vandals again. 

Joshua Wood passed for 259 yards and threw for all four of his touchdowns in the first half as Idaho routed the Portland State Vikings 45-6 in Big Sky Conference football before 7,040 at the P1FCU Kibbie Dome, ending a four-game losing streak.

Wood, a redshirt sophomore and a transfer from Fresno State, suffered a lower-body injury in the second half of Idaho’s loss at Montana. He missed the Vandals’ games vs. Northern Colorado and Eastern Washington. 

“I was very excited to be out there with my teammates, be with my brothers and have some fun,” Wood said. 

“I just think he has a great ability to see what the defense is doing pre-snap, and get the ball out on time,” Idaho coach Thomas Ford Jr. Said. “I think we struggled with that the last couple of weeks without him. Getting the ball out on time and being confident in his reads was huge. And obviously, he’s got the ability to extend plays.” 

Wood connected with running back Eli Cummings on a 64-yard catch-and-run TD, and also hooked up with Noah West-Baranco from 48 yards, Marquawn McCraney from 24 yards and Emmerson Cortez-Menjivar from 6 yards out. The last one sent Idaho (3-5, 1-3 Big Sky) into the locker room with a 28-6 halftime lead. 

“I think this team is a very good team that lost its starting quarterback and struggled a little bit on offense the last two weeks,” Ford said. “I think what you saw is us get healthy, get our guy back, and turn into the confident team that knows it can beat anybody that we play. I think that’s what we are going to be hanging our hat on the rest of the season.” 

Mathias Uribe of Portland State (0-8, 0-4) kicked a 27-yard field goal that capped a 15-play, 60-yard drive and made it 3-0 with 3:55 left in the first quarter.  

Two plays from scrimmage later, Cummings caught a short pass and broke several tackles as he worked his was across the field on his way to the end zone for a 64-yard touchdown that gave the Vandals the lead for good. 

Cummings, who also had been dinged up, finished with four receptions for 100 yards, and ran for 65 yards on eight carries. 

"He’s 100 percent healthy,” Ford said. “We didn’t have a pitch count; we wanted to get him the ball every way possible.” 

In the second half, Idaho backup quarterback Rocco Koch came in on third-and-1 and, after a run fake, lofted a pass to a wide-open Jake Cox, who raced untouched for a 42-yard touchdown about two minutes into the second half. It was Koch’s first passing touchdown as a Vandal. 

Cummings ran for a 13-yard touchdown with 6:50 left in the third quarter. 

Jhamell Blenman had his second interception in as many weeks for the Vandals, who recorded two sacks. Redshirt freshman Isiah Bivins had his first career interception. 

True freshman quarterback Sawyer Teeney made his Vandal debut in the second half.  

Cruz Hepburn (Lewiston High) led Idaho with nine tackles. 

“I thought this was the best game we’ve played in terms of offense, defense and special teams,” Ford said. “I’m really excited for this group to get this (winning) feeling back.” 

Portland St.     3    3    0    0    —    6 

Idaho     7    21    14    3    —    45 

First quarter 

PSU — FG Uribe 27, 3:55 

IDAHO — Cummings 64 pass from Wood (Adams kick), 2:49 

Second quarter 

IDAHO — West-Barranco 48 pass from Wood (Adams kick), 12:07 

PSU — FG Uribe 40, 8:38 

IDAHO — McCraney 24 pass from Wood (Adams kick), 4:57 

IDAHO — Cortez-Menjivar 6 pass from Wood (Adams kick), :17 

Third quarter 

IDAHO — Cox 42 pass from Koch (Adams kick), 12:47 

IDAHO — Cummings 13 run (Adams kick), 6:51 

Fourth quarter 

IDAHO — FG Adams 44, 11:38 

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS 

RUSHING — PSU, Smith 9-42, Thompson 16-36, Avery 4-34, Sagapolutele 3-18, Newman 2-6, Team 1-(minus 1). Idaho, Cummings 8-65, Thomas 7-41, Wood 2-24, Matheney 4-18, Teeney 4-8, Koch 1-7, Kincheloe 1-0. 

PASSING — PSU, Sagapolutele 7-14-1-41, Smith 7-13-1-141. Idaho, Wood 15-22-0-259, Teeney 2-4-0-4, Koch 1-1-0-42.  

RECEIVING — PSU, Thompson 4-22, Newman 3-32, Loville 2-59, Ingman 2-38, C. Miller 1-19, Lynch 1-10, A. Miller 1-2. Idaho, Cummings 4-100, Cox 4-63, McWilliams 3-50, McCraney 2-35, West-Barranco 1-48, Cortez-Menjivar 1-6, Matheney 1-4, Thomas 1-(minus 1), Bogan 1-(minus 4).