Oct. 18, 2003
Stats
Pocatello, ID---A near capacity crowd of 11,434 showed up for #21 Idaho State's Homecoming showdown with #5 Montana. To say they got their money's worth is an understatement.
The Bengals got 3.5 sacks from Buck Buchanan candidate Jared Allen, and 398 yards passing from Mark Hetherington, including the winning touchdown in the second overtime to Shedrack Okoebor as Idaho State won their second straight double-overtime home game, this one 43-40.
Hetherington's touchdown was third of the game, and came after Idaho State's defense held Montana to a field goal in the second overtime.
An even game throughout, the score was tied six times, at 7, 10, 17, 24, 34, and 37. Each team ran 84 plays, with Montana gaining 534 yards to Idaho State 533. The biggest differences was Idaho State two interceptions of Craig Ochs, and five sacks of Ochs as well.
Emery Beckles got the Bengals started with a 32-yard run on his only carry of the game, but Montana responded with a 9-yard pass from Ochs, making his second start, to 6-7 tight end Willie Walden. Jeremy Hershey added a 40-yard field goal after earlier missing from 38 yards to make it 10-7 after the first quarter.
Chris Snyder, the reigning I-AA Special Teams Player of the Week, tied it at 10 with a 31-yard field goal the first of four for him on the evening. Ochs then followed with a 68-yard bomb to Jon Talmage for a 17-10 lead, but ISU responded as Sale' Key caught a jump ball in the end zone with 36 seconds left to knot it at 17 at the half.
After an ISU fumble on the opening second half drive, Montana failed to score on first and goal at the three as Beckles leaped high in the air to snare a jump ball to Jon Talmage for a back-breaking interception. ISU went right down the field as Isaac Mitchell broke Merril Hoge's rushing TD record of 31 with a two-yard score. Montana again answered with another Ochs TD pass to tie it at 24 heading to the fourth.
Hershey put ISU up with a career-long 53-yarder, but Montana took advantage of two long runs to get a 1-yard plunge from Justin Green for a 31-27 lead. Again, the Bengals came back as Sale' Key outjumped Vernon Smith at the 7-yard line, and then rolled into the end zone for an acrobatic touchdown and a 34-31 lead with 7:01 left. After both teams punted, Montana went 48 yards in a 1:27 with no timeouts as Chris Snyder hooked a 54-yard field goal just inside the right upright to tie the game at 34 at the gun.
Each team traded field goals in the first overtime, with ISU surviving a scare on a fumbled snap by Mark Hetherington.
The game, along with the drama, had its share of highlights. Along with Mitchell's record, Emery Beckles returned a punt 23 yards to break DeRonn Finley's ISU record for career punt return yards. Jared Allen record 3.5 sacks, giving him 10 in the last three games, and 12.5 on the season, putting him just four behind single-season record holder Josh Hays.
Idaho State played double-overtime games in the same season for the first time in school history, and they improved to 4-0 all-time at home in overtime.
The Bengals held Montana's strong defensive front without a sack. The Bengals now moved into second place, a game behind Northern Arizona.
