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Dec. 3—MOSCOW — It doesn’t matter how it looks; a win is a win.
The fourth-seeded Idaho football team needed an extra period to secure its first postseason win in 30 years as ol’ reliable senior kicker Ricardo Chavez nailed a 28-yard field goal to solidify a 20-17 win over Southern Illinois in the second round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs on Saturday at the P1FCU Kibbie Dome.
“I’m proud of our football team for showing a lot of character and perseverance,” Idaho coach Jason Eck said. “There are no style points in the playoffs. Credit to our guys for finding a way to win.”
The Vandals will next play fifth-seeded Albany in the quarterfinal round at 7 p.m. next Saturday at the P1FCU Kibbie Dome.
Idaho’s showdown with the Salukis was broadcast nationally on ESPN2, the Vandals’ second date with the network, and the result was pretty similar — a sluggish first half followed by 30 minutes of down-to-the-wire excitement.
SIU had a 10-3 advantage at the end of the first half and outgained the Vandals, who were averaging just 2.7 yards per play, 147-92 in total yards.
The tide for Idaho began to turn following an 86-yard punt return touchdown from senior receiver Jermaine Jackson with 5:22 remaining in the third quarter, knotting the score at 10 apiece.
The Salukis responded on the following drive courtesy of a 1-yard trot by sophomore running back Ro Elliott, his second of the game, with 14:20 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Two drives later, Idaho’s offense, led by senior receiver Hayden Hatten’s three receptions for 62 yards, would go on a nine-play, 83-yard drive to knot the score at 17.
The Vandals had seven tries from inside the 1-yard line before sophomore running back Anthony Woods was able to break the plane and tie the game at 17 with 4:17 remaining in the fourth quarter.
SIU’s senior quarterback…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/idaho-football-survives-southern-illinois-131600912.html
Author : Lewiston Tribune, Idaho
Publish date : 2023-12-03 13:16:00
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