For Immediate Release:
Vandals fall to Fresno State, 37-24
10/13/2007
MOSCOW ? It was a familiar story for the Idaho Vandals Saturday as the team fell behind Fresno State early and had a late charge fall short in a 37-24 loss at the Kibbie Dome.
“This team is fighting hard,” Idaho coach Robb Akey said. “We've got to play better football. Plain and simple, that's where it's at.
“It's not OK to keep being in a hole. We've got to perform better and it's time that we start making that happen.”
The Vandals outgained the Bulldogs 423-416, won the time of possession battle and converted 7 of 17 third downs, but in the end couldn't stop the Fresno State rushing attack, which put up 238 yards on the Vandal defense.
It was a game of runs as neither team reached the 200-yard mark in the passing game, but churned out the yardage on the ground. Idaho picked up a season-high 279 yards on the ground as Deonte' Jackson, the WAC's leading rusher, ran for 108 yards on just 11 carries and Brian Flowers picked up 71 on 19 carries.
Quin Ashley, who came in at quarterback throughout the game for a change of pace, picked up 62 yards in 11 tries.
For everything the running game was, the passing game was just the opposite as the Vandals completed just nine-of-22 passes for 144 yards, 54 of which came on a deep bomb to cornerback-sometimes-receiver Stanley Franks.
“We're able to run the ball well, but when you're running the ball well, people are going to bring safeties down and they're going to load the box,” Akey said. “We still need to be able to throw the ball a little more effectively out of both packages in order to have more success on the offensive side of the ball.”
Akey had talked about using Franks as a weapon on the offense and he came through with the big catch. Franks withstood a big hit as soon as he caught the ball, maintained his footing and waltzed in for the score.
With the score 31-7 in the third quarter and the Vandals desperately in need of some momentum, it came in the most unlikely way. With the ball on the 50 and a third-down-and-nine, quarterback Brian Nooy scrambled ahead to the Fresno State 47, where he took a big hit from two Bulldog defenders and lost the football.
The ball flew about 10 yards up in the air and backwards, but fell right into the waiting hands of Idaho's Jackson, who caught it in stride, juked out one defender and raced 50 yards down the sideline for a score.
“That was pretty huge, that trick play we put in there for Deonte',” Akey joked.
The Vandal defense beefed up and kept Fresno State out of the end zone for the rest of the game, but it was too little, too late, as the Idaho offense only managed to add a 42-yard field goal and a nine-yard Nooy-to-Peter Bjorvik touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.
David Vobora was all over the field once again for the Vandal defense, following up his career-high 18 tackles last week with 15 more today. Chris Smith and Shiloh Keo added 11 more each and also teamed up to create one of two turnovers by the Idaho defense when Smith stripped the ball from Fresno's Lonyae Miller and Keo jumped on it at the Idaho 48.
True freshman Maurice Shaw helped solidify himself as one of Idaho's top receiving threats with six catches for 70 yards. He was the only Vandal receiver with more than one catch on the day.
Idaho will look to end its five-game skid next week when the team travels to Las Cruces, N.M., to face the New Mexico State Aggies. The game will kick off at 5 p.m. (PST).
