SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Idaho Vandals turned in another total team effort in dispatching Texas State 47-14 and winning their sixth game of the season to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2009.
 
The Vandals (6-4, 4-2) are the third Sun Belt team to reach the magic number of six total victories.
 
"It was huge," coach Paul Petrino said. "I just got done telling them I've never been prouder of a bunch of assistant coaches and players in my whole life. They came through a lot. All this has happened, that has happened …. They just stayed focused."
 
They piled up 490 yards total offense and held the Bobcats (2-7, 0-5) to 175, which includes -18 on the ground – the combination of a tenacious defense and some of their own miscues.
 
Quarterback Matt Linehan had a stellar outing as did his fleet of receivers (he used nine) and running backs (seven – including his own 24 yards). One of the stars of the backfield came in an unexpected form – the 280 pounds of defensive tackle/part-time fullback Tueni Lupeamanu, who scored twice.
 
"We just keep getting better," Petrino said. "It was a great team win."
 
Linehan was 26-of-33 for 366 yards with Deon Watson catching five for 116. Trent Cowan and Callen Hightower also had five each. In addition to Lupeamanu's two yards, Isaiah Saunders went for 89 on the ground as the Vandals totaled 154 rushing yards.
 
Idaho had eight tackles for loss – two each from Lupeamanu and Glen Antoine. Tony Lashley led all tacklers with seven.
 
Texas State, on a drive aided by an uncharacteristic three penalties, scored first but the Vandals responded three minutes later with a touchdown of their own. Deon Watson and Linehan hooked up for 57 yards to set up the six-yard strike from Linehan to Buck Cowan for the TD with 7:27 to go in the first.
 
The Bobcats came right back with a three-play scoring drive that concluded with a 48-yard pass from Tyler Jones to Thurman Morbley with 6:12 to play in the first.
 
Again, the Vandals responded – this time with Tueni Lupeamanu scoring his first collegiate touchdown on a one-yard plunge with 33 seconds left in the first quarter. Cowan and Watson made the big gains in the drive. Cowan had two 13-yard catches and Watson covered 29 yards on catches of 10 and 19 yards.
 
Saunders popped through the line for the Vandals' next score – a 24-yard run with 1:29 left in the second half to push Idaho up by 28-14.
 
Jordan Frysinger forced and Kendrick Trotter recovered a Bobcat fumble at their own … to set up Idaho's final score of the half – a 25-yard field goal by Austin Rehkow with :39 to go in the second quarter.
 
 The Vandals started the third quarter strong with Linehan capping a five-play, 41-yard drive when he dove and reached over the pylon to score on a 10-yard run. The score, with 10:26 left in the third, was set up by yet another defensive stand which had limited the Bobcats to eight yards and forced a punt on their first drive of the half.
 
Texas State made the next score possible when an errant snap went out of the back of the end zone for a safety with 6:40 left in the quarter. A Rehkow punt downed at the Bobcat nine set up the play.