Ben Raybon’s field goal caps Northern Colorado’s 27-24 comeback win over Idaho

GREELEY, Colo. – Jace Bobo’s interception helped set up Ben Raybon’s 32-yard field goal with 4 minutes, 6 seconds remaining and Northern Colorado beat Idaho 27-24 on Saturday in the Big Sky Conference opener for both teams.

Northern Colorado (1-4, 1-0) trailed 24-10 with 10:32 left in the third quarter.

Jacob Knipp was 14-of-23 passing for 250 yards with two touchdown passes for the Bears. Milo Hall ran for 135 yards on 39 carries and scored on a 2-yard run that tied the game with 7:10 to play. Michael Walker had two interceptions.

Mason Petrino was 19 of 33 for 227 yards passing and tossed two TD passes, but threw all three interceptions for Idaho (2-3, 0-1).

Nick Romano got his first score of his Vandals career, a 27-yard rush, to start the second quarter. Petrino then found Cutrell Haywood in the end zone to make it 17-7 Vandals at the break.

Following Raybon’s fourth-quarter field goal, Petrino led the Vandals to the UNC 45, but an unsportsmanlike penalty forced a fourth-and-32 and an Idaho punt. Hall ran for 7 yards on a third-and-5 with 2:33 to play and the Bears ran out the clock.

Romano had a big game on the ground, finishing with a career-best 132 yards on 15 carries. Tre Walker led the way on defense with a sack and 12 total tackles.

Idaho returns to the Kibbie Dome to take on No. 5 Weber State at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

It was the first meeting between the schools.