Vandals give away game to UC Davis late

From wire services and local reports

MOSCOW — The Idaho Vandals needed more late game heroics Saturday to keep their season alive. 

Instead, the Vandals were done in by a game full of miscues. 

An Idaho turnover led to UC Davis' go-ahead touchdown, then the Vandals threw an interception in the final minute and lost 28-24 to the Aggies in Big Sky Conference football before 7,254 at the P1FCU Kibbie Dome. 

After a 1-5 start, Idaho (5-6, 5-3 Big Sky) needed to win out for any chance to sneak into the FCS playoffs for the first time since 2024. Instead, the Vandals' playoff hopes are considered done, heading into next Saturday's reguar-season finale at Idaho State. 

"At the end of the day, when we have that many penalties, especially in critical moments, it's really difficult to beat a good football team," second-year Idaho coach Thomas Ford Jr. said on the Vandals' post-game radio show. "Davis is a good football team; they are ranked for a reason ... and we did not answer the call in terms of our discipline. They were much more disciplined, and we were not." 

Treynor Cleeland's fourth touchdown pass of the game, a 5-yarder to Edward Khutsishvili with 1:12 left, kept the playoff  hopes alive for UC Davis (7-4, 5-3), ranked No. 23 in the Stats Perform Top 25. 

Joshua Wood's 15-yard rushing touchdown capped a nine-play, 91-yard drive and gave Idaho a 24-21 lead with 7:57 left in the game. The Vandals got a stop on fourth-and-2 at their own 41 and quickly moved into the red zone before an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty pushed them back to the 28.  

Following a timeout, on third-and-18, Idaho lost a fumble on a botched double-pass. Back-up quarterback Israel Carter came in and his lateral was too high for Daveon Superales, and Jaden Few pounced on the ball for the Aggies. 

UC Davis drove to the go-ahead score, the key play coming when Kai Acia ran for an 18-yard gain on fourth-and-1 near midfield. 

Wood marched Idaho into UC Davis territory. On first and 10 from the Aggies' 31, Wood was pressured by Julian Fernandez and Porter Connors, and his pass fluttered and was intercepted by Brayden Rosa near the 10, ending Idaho's hopes.  

In addition to the two late turnovers, Idaho was penalized eight times for 77 yards.  

"Not only the penalties, but there were a couple of coverage busts that were inexcusable," Ford said. "We were not doing anything we were supposed to in the secondary, we had guys wide open down the field. Again, we actually got lucky a couple of times. There were a couple of plays where they threw an incomplete pass, and they had somebody wide open." 

Wood was 21-of-32 passing for 307 yards, which led 14-0 after Wood's 9-yard TD pass to Lonyatta Alexander Jr., his second career touchdown catch, both coming in the last two games. 

UC Davis pulled within 14-7 when Cleeland and Gbatu hooked up on a 64-yard score with 17 seconds left in the half. 

Owen Forsman (Lakeland High) kicked a 41-yard field to put Idaho up 17-14 late in the third quarter. 

The Aggies took their first lead on a 30-yarder from Cleeland to Gbatu early in the fourth. 

Cleeland was 20-of-29 passing for 276 yards. Samuel Gbatu Jr. had eight receptions for 172 yards and two TDs for the Aggies. 

"It's unlikely we're going to make the playoffs at 6-6, so we're going to put everything we possibly can into these game plans, and send these seniors out on a high note," Ford said.

Kickoff had been originally scheduled for 1 p.m. local time but was moved back to 5 p.m. due to Friday's nationwide FAA ground stoppage.   

UC Davis hosts Cal Poly next Saturday. 

UC Davis     0    7    7    14    —    28 

Idaho    7    7    3    7    —    24 

First quarter 

Idaho — Jezioro 63 pass from Wood (Forsman kick), 13:32 

Second quarter 

Idaho — Alexander 9 pass from Wood (Forsman kick), 5:14 

UCD — Gbatu 64 pass from Cleeland (Meyer kick), :17 

Third quarter 

UCD — Walsh 2 pass from Cleeland (Meyer kick), 5:44 

Idaho — FG Forsman 41, 1:35 

Fourth quarter 

UCD — Gbatu 30 pass from Cleeland (Meyer kick), 13:31 

Idaho — Wood 15 run (Forsman kick), 7:57 

UCD — Khutsishvili 5 pass from Cleeland (Meyer kick), 1:12 

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS 

RUSHING — UCD, Acai 7-35, Fisher 14-32, Cleeland 6-24, Walsh 4-12, Gbatu 3-7. Idaho, Wood 8-49, Bias 13-31, Miller 3-31, Golston 3-7, Carter 4-4, Kincheloe 1-1. 

PASSING — UCD, Cleeland 20-29-0-276. Idaho, Wood 21-32-1-307, Carter 1-1-0-9. 

RECEIVING — UCD, Gbatu 8-172, Khutsishvili 4-61, Williams 3-23, Hennessy 3-19, Walsh 1-2, Fisher 1-(minus 1). Idaho, Jezioro 6-114, Donnerberg 4-81, Alexander 4-46, McWilliams 2-23, Card 2-17, Harste 1-13, Superales 1-9, Bias 1-8, Carter 1-5.