Box Score
DENTON, Texas - Saturday's losses were more than on the scoreboard.
In addition to Idaho falling to North Texas 51-29, the Vandals also were stung by injuries to freshmen backs Jayson Bird (knee) and Rolly Lumbala (shoulder) - losses that left UI with fullback Willie Sipoloa operating out of the backfield. Junior college transfer Antwaun Sherman didn't make the trip to Denton because of a leg injury sustained during practice.
The Vandals dropped to 3-8, 2-5, while UNT secured the Sun Belt title and won its 24th successive league game to go to 6-4, 6-0.
Idaho's biggest bugaboo was penalties, which stalled repeated forays into the red zone. Then, of course, there was the matter of stopping Jamario Thomas - the nation's leading rusher. Thomas scored four times, the last a 15-yard fourth-quarter scamper that dimmed UI's chances of digging itself out of a 30-8 hole.
"A lot of stuff was working but we killed ourselves with penalties," quarterback Michael Harrington said.
The game wasn't completely without positives. The Vandals showed a resilience that kept UNT on its toes until the final whistle and true freshman receiver Desmond Belton emerged as a sure-handed and savvy receiver. Belton finished with eight catches for 156 yards; Bobby Bernal-Wood had 12 for 137.
"I'm really proud of the offense," coach Nick Holt said reeling off the names and the efforts of Harrington, Sipoloa and true freshman receiver Belton. "They played their butts off."
Sipoloa's effort was nothing less than heroic. Having practiced only a handful of downs last Tuesday, he took to heart Holt's admonish to "go out there and have some fun."
He finished with 15 carries for a rugged 53 yards and one touchdown.
As for getting a handle on the speedy, shifty Thomas, it was clear from the outset that would be a monumental chore. He finished with 291 yards on 28 carries to go with the four touchdowns.
"He's a great running back," linebacker Cole Snyder said. "He'd turn that corner and there was no stopping him."
The Vandal defense did stiffen but he'd already scored on runs of 70 and 31 yards in UNT's first two possessions.
Thomas immediately displayed the speed and elusiveness that have made him the nation's No. 1 rusher when he took an option pitch around left end and scampered 70 yards to score. The PAT kick, however, was blocked and UNT's first possession left it with a 6-0 lead.
UI's first possession showed promise before back-to-back sacks pushed the Vandals back from the UNT 15 to the UNT 31. An eight-yard run by Lumbala put the ball at the 24 but Mike Barrow's 41-yard field goal attempt missed.
Thomas struck again on another short series by the Mean Green. He gained just two yards on first down but a personal foul penalty on the Vandals gave UNT the ball at its own 42. Scott Hall and Johnny Quinn hooked up for a 27-yard pickup on the next play to set up Thomas' second TD - a 31-yard scamper into the end zone with 8:00 to go in the first quarter. This time the kick was good and the Mean Green led 13-0.
Penalties were the culprits in the Vandals' second possession, which also wound up a missed field goal. UI advanced to the UNT 2 after a 31-yard Harrington-to-Belton pickup and a roughing the passer call. But, a false start and a low block backed up the Vandals to the UNT 22. An incompletion and a no-gain by Lumbala left Barrow with a 39-yard field goal attempt that drifted wide to the left.
Nick Bazaldua put the finishing touch on UNT's next possession with a 27-yard field goal. The Mean Green dug deep into UI territory because of a pass interference call but were pushed back after a personal foul call. Bazaldua's kick cleared the crossbar with 9:48 to go in the first half and boosted UNT to a 16-0 advantage.
After trading possessions, the Vandals scored for the first time when Harrington found Bobby Bernal-Wood with a four-yard pass with 2:28 left in the half to cap the seven-play, 51-yard drive. Harrington then hooked up with Luke Smith-Anderson for the two-point conversion. By then, however, the Vandals were without any of their regular running backs.
The Vandals started the second half with a drive into UNT territory that was quashed when Markeith Knowlton picked off a Harrington pass and returned it to the Mean Green 43. UNT struck quickly. Hall found Andy Blount with a 43-yard scoring pass for a 23-8 Mean Green lead with 13:12 to go in the third.
After another UI punt, Thomas capped a 61-yard drive with a one-yard plunge for his third score of the day and a 30-8 North Texas lead with 5:55 left in the third.
Harrington came up with a couple big plays on the Vandals' next drive, which culminated in his own sneak from inside the UNT one with two minutes left in the third. However, his pass to Brian Yarno for the two-point conversion was short and UI trailed 30-14. Impressive in the drive, though, was Harrington's 36-yard connection with Desmond Belton that came under a heavy UNT rush.
The Vandals continued to battle but UNT always responded and UI never could come closer than eight points.
