Idaho erases halftime deficit to beat Weber State on Senior Day
MOSCOW, Idaho – Mark Hamper’s 74-yard touchdown run after snaring a short pass from Jack Layne is the play Idaho fans will go home remembering, and he was Idaho’s greatest offensive weapon with eight catches for 187 yards and three touchdowns.
Cameron Pope, however, may have been the Vandals’ most timely performer with his field goals of 50, 47 and 36 yards. The final one gave Idaho a 16-14 lead it hung onto for a 31-24 win against a stubborn Weber State bent on outplaying its hard-luck record.
The Wildcats came into the Kibbie Dome for Idaho’s Senior Day just 3-7 and 2-4 in the Big Sky Conference. But they held an edge late in the third quarter on an Idaho team ranked eighth nationally and angling for a Football Championship Subdivision playoff bye, a second-round home game and its first undefeated regular season at home since 1996.
Weber State pushed Idaho into the final minute, scoring a touchdown with 43 seconds remaining as Jacob Sharp leaped to take a Richie Munoz pass over two Vandals defenders and jogged into the end zone – a 57-yard play. It brought the Wildcats within a touchdown.
Idaho ran out the clock and add to Weber State’s disappointing season. The Vandals improved their record to 8-3, 5-2, with a final regular-season game remaining next week at Idaho State.
Hamper opened the scoring with a 36-yard touchdown reception from Layne to cap a 62-yard drive at 6:39 of the first quarter. Layne had time to survey the field for a beat before turning loose the pass, and Hamper slipped away from Wildcats cornerback Ishaan Daniels’ attempted tackle on his way to the end zone.
Weber State answered early in the second quarter with a 40-yard, 10-play drive. Munoz found Keayan Nead uncovered in the middle of the end zone from 1 yard out.
Pope’s longest kick put the Vandals back in front 10-7.
The Wildcats scored with 22 seconds remaining in the first half. The drive began with Noah Kjar’s 47-yard kickoff return. Idaho’s Owen Adams made a touchdown-saving tackle, but the Wildcats drove 53 yards in 11 plays, highlighted by Munoz converting a third-and-6 with a 9-yard run and completing a 17-yard pass to Noah Bennee for another first down at the Vandals’ 20-yard line.
From there, Damon Bankston ran through two Idaho tackles before being stopped at the 8-yard line by Malakai Williams. Munoz took it to the 3-yard line and Davion Godley got to the 1 before being stopped by Williams and Zach Krotzer. Munoz needed two tries but scored from there.
Pope’s 47-yarder on Idaho’s opening drive of the third quarter allowed the Vandals to cut the deficit to 14-13. A 26-yard connection from Layne to a sliding Hamper was the key play in the series. It gave Idaho a first down at the Wildcats 44.
With 2:22 remaining in the third quarter, Pope hammered home his 36-yarder to put the Vandals ahead for good.
Hamper’s second touchdown on a 16-yard pass from Layne at 8:28 of the fourth quarter widened Idaho’s lead to 23-14.
Again, however, the Wildcats answered. Kyle Thompson’s 31-yard field goal made the score 23-17 before Hamper’s final touchdown and a 2-point conversion pass from Layne to Emmerson Cortez-Menjivar concluded Idaho’s scoring.
Layne threw for 283 yards on 18 of 27 passing with the three touchdowns to Hamper and an interception. For Weber State, Munoz completed 20 of 32 passes for 207 yards and two touchdowns. But he was sacked three times, twice by Malakai Williams. Jaxton Eck led Idaho with 11 tackles, followed by Tommy McCormick with 10 and Williams with seven. Mayson Hitchens led the Wildcats with 10 stops.
Idaho outrushed Weber State, 136 yards to 78. The Vandals got productive ground games from Art Williams, with 67 yards on 10 attempts, and Nate Thomas. He returned from a shoulder injury that kept him out almost a month with 46 yards on 13 carries.