Idaho intercepts win from USU

After winning their first home game last weekend, the Aggies couldn’t put together a win on the road as they lost 27-13 to the Idaho Vandals.

Utah State was down at the half 14-0 but put together a third quarter that got them back in the game.

Kevin Robinson scored five minutes into the third to pull the Ags within seven at 14-7. Robinson caught an 11-yard pass to cap off a 77 yard 4:53 drive. After a Marquise Charles interception, running back Chris Forbes broke a 51-yard run, but the extra point was no good so the Ags trailed by one entering the fourth.

In the fourth quarter, the Ags couldn’t put the ball into the end zone after holding Idaho to just two field goals to still have a chance at tying the game.

With less than a minute left and the Ags in Idaho territory, quarterback Leon Jackson III threw his third interception of the game, which was returned for a touchdown to clinch the win for the Vandals.

“Our guys believed they were going to score and tie the game and win it in overtime,” Utah State Head Coach Brent Guy said. “Then [Jackson] threw the interception. You can’t win with three interceptions.”

As for the Vandals, their quarterback Steve Wichman didn’t throw an incomplete pass until the third quarter. On the day, he was 20-25 for 238 yards and one touchdown.

The Aggie defense couldn’t get to Wichman at all in the first half, but the glaring defensive hole was stopping Idaho’s running game.

“When we needed [to stop the run] is when we couldn’t stop [it],” Guy said. “We’ve got to learn to play our base defense and stop the run.”

Thanks to their timely completions and their ability to convert on third down, 21 of the Vandal’s 32 minutes of possession were taken up on their four scoring drives while they only rushed for 101 yards on the game.

Tony Pennyman led the Aggies in receiving with seven catches for 89 yards, including a key catch on the first scoring drive in the third.

Jackson led the Ags in rushing for the second time in their first three games with 74 yards on 18 carries. Chris Forbes had just five carries but gained 59 yards thanks to his touchdown run in the third.

Idaho’s Rolly Lumbala scored on both of the Vandal’s first half scoring drives with runs of one and 12 yards. Vandal’s kicker Mike Barrow had a career high 46-yard field goal to put Idaho up four in the fourth. He added a 29 yarder with 2:38 left in the fourth to give the Vandals a seven-point lead.

After the 12 Aggie penalties in the UNLV game last weekend, the Ags committed just five penalties for 51 yards.

The Aggies return for Homecoming against San Jose State on Saturday at 1 p.m.

The Spartans are 1-3 and lost to Nevada 30-23 to open their conference schedule.

-krn@cc.usu.edu