MOSCOW, Idaho - Antwaun Sherman started things off right for the Idaho Vandals Saturday afternoon with a 100-yard kickoff return to score 14 seconds into their Sun Belt Conference game against Louisiana-Lafayette.        

            Jayson Bird, Rolly Lumbala, Bobby Bernal-Wood and Michael Harrington kept the offense rolling and defensive heroes came from all corners of the field as UI won 38-25 at the Kibbie Dome. Idaho improved to 2-5 overall and 1-2 in conference play; ULL is 3-4, 1-2.

            "It's fun to win," said Harrington, who was 21-of-28 for 197 yards with one TD strike - a 16-yarder to give Luke Smith-Anderson his first collegiate score.

            What truly was eye-popping about the day's events was the running of true freshmen Bird and Lumbala - both of whom eclipsed the 100-yard mark with Bird going for 134 yards on 16 tries and Lumbala covering 125 on 22 carries.

            "When you're running the ball and there is a huge hole, how hard is it to run?" said Bird, who had his second 100-yard-plus outing in three weeks. "You have to give credit to the front guys because they are doing well and making things happen."

            There is no doubt Sherman's kick return - the fourth 100-yarder in UI history and first since Montrell Williams in 1994  ?€“ ignited the Vandals. Although the teams traded punts for a few series, there was a feeling of confidence on the UI sideline.

            "It set the tempo of the game and the momentum and standard of what we need to do every single time," Smith-Anderson said.

            Lumbala gave the Vandals a 14-0 lead when he pushed through from the 2 with 1:49 to go in the first. Mike Barrow's second PAT was good (he wound up with five PATs and a 37-yard field goal).

            Idaho added another score, this time on Smith-Anderson's 16-yard reception five seconds into the second quarter, before ULL scored. While the Ragin' Cajuns matched Idaho's run of three successive scores, that two of their three were field goals was a telling factor in the play of the UI defense.

            "That was a key to the game - making them work for field goals and not getting touchdowns when they had such good field position," UI coach Nick Holt said. "That's what good defenses do and we're learning to be a good defense. I'm really proud of them."

            ULL closed to within a touchdown, 24-19, with 12:34 left in the game when Jerry Babb hooked up with Kemmie Lewis on a 39-yard scoring play.

            The Vandals, however, responded immediately with a 34-yard scoring run by Lumbala on their next series. Lumbala's run capped a run-dominated, eight-play drive.

            UI forced the Ragin' Cajuns to punt on their next series. The Vandals made the most of the field position generated by David Schexnayder's 27-yard punt when Bird bolted through the line and raced untouched 51 yards to score. Barrow's PAT made it 38-19.

            ULL added one late touchdown but the outcome already was settled. It made for an excellent, albeit day late, birthday present for Holt.

            "Whenever you win, it's great," Holt said. "It's the greatest thing in the world."