MOSCOW, Idaho - The Idaho football team's ugly 16-14 Sun Belt Conference loss to the University of Louisiana Monroe was shrouded in flags. Yellow penalty flags, to be exact.

A game in which the Idaho offense mustered 293 yards, 110 yards were returned on penalties.

"It was really sloppy," head coach Nick Holt said. "I'm sure their coach feels the same way, but they got the win so they feel a lot better than we do."

Holt didn't stop there.

"It's the worst football I've seen. Ever," said Holt, whose frustration was clear as he addressed the media after the game. "I've never seen anything like it. Just bad football. Really bad."

For the Indians, the triumph ended a run of frustration.

"This win is a long time coming," UL-Monroe coach Charlie Weatherbie said." The defense really hung in there and our offense moved the ball when we needed to."

As the Vandals (1-5, 0-2) struggled to line up correctly or start their plays at the right time, the Indians (1-4, 1-1) made just enough mistakes - 16 penalties for 168 yards - to keep the game close.

A week after scoring 45 points against Eastern Michigan, the Vandal offense consistently failed to string a scoring drive together, thanks largely to self-created mistakes.

A week after allowing 41 points against Eastern Michigan, the Vandal allowed a versatile UL-Monroe offense to gain only 256 yards.

"We wasted a good effort on defense because there's guys playing their butts off against a good offense," Holt said. "We did a bad job as coaches. We really did today. Really. Bad. Job. And we'll address that, too."

The Indians' swift quarterback, Steven Jyles, led his team with 69 rushing yards and 139 passing yards.

His best play - and perhaps the most pivotal play of the game - came late in the third quarter, when he connected with Charles Estes in the middle of the field for a 39-yard touchdown. That play gave the Indians a 13-7 lead that they did not relinquish.

Vandal wideout Bobby Bernal-Wood caught 10 passes for 92 yards, and Wendell Octave caught four passes for 47 yards, including a touchdown.

"I mean, after the game I can't say we didn't pass the ball, I can't say we didn't catch the ball, I can't say we didn't move the ball," Bernal-Wood said. "All I can see is penalties."