Nov. 5, 2005
Final Stats |
Quotes
Pocatello, ID --- Senior Jaret Johnson has had an All-American season, but he needed something to push him over the top. Mission accomplished. Johnson drilled a 54-yard field goal with one second left, the longest game-winning field goal in school history, to give Idaho State a heart-stopping 36-34 win on senior night, and at the same time knock Portland State out of the NCAA I-AA playoff picture.
Johnson's field goal gave the Bengals the win when it looked like a certain loss after Portland State's Eric Azorr hit a 42-yard field goal with 23 seconds left to give the Vikings a 34-33 lead. However, taking over with 20 seconds left from the ISU 35, Matt Hagler hit Josh Barnett for a short four-yard gain. After an incompletion, PSU was called for pass interference with 10 seconds left, putting the ball on the Portland State 49. Hagler then found Akilah Lacey for his only catch of the game, a 12-yarder to the 37 with seven seconds left, setting up Johnson's heroics.
Perhaps the kick was meant to be, as Johnson's mother's maiden name is Holt, and his grandmother's maiden name is Reed, the name's of ISU's football and basketball venues.
The game featured six lead changes, including five in the fourth quarter. ISU trailed entering the fourth quarter 24-21, but Matt Hagler scored from a yard out on the opening play to make it 28-24. Then, on Portland State's first play from scrimmage, quarterback Sawyer Smith's pitch to Joe Rubin was behind him, and the ball rolled into the end zone, where Rubin picked it up and ran out of the back of the end zone for a safety, giving ISU nine points in 12 seconds.
However, PSU retook the lead with 7:31 to go when Smith found Shaun Bodiford from nine yards out for a 31-30 lead. On the next drive, ISU caught a break when Josh Barnett fumbled an Eddie Thompson pitch forward, and the ball bounced right back to him, and he raced 61 yards deep into PSU territory. However, ISU couldn't get in the end zone, and Johnson hit a 24 yard field goal with 5:28 left, making it 33-31.
PSU then went 55 yards in 13 plays, helped by a pass interference call on 4th-and-6 with just under 1:30 to play. That set up Azorr's kick with 23 seconds left.
The Bengal offense totaled 371 yards, including 204 on the ground, the most against a Division I team this season, led by Josh Barnett's 123-yard effort. Portland State's Joe Rubin, the nation's leading rusher averaging over 150 yards per game, had 113 yards and two touchdowns, but he needed 34 carries. Matt Hagler was 17-for-27 passing for 167 yards and a score, hitting 10 different receivers.
Idaho State jumped out in front 7-0 just 3:08 into the game when Shedrack Okoebor blocked an Andrew Levers punt, which was covered in the end zone by Sterling Mennear for a touchdown, his second blocked punt return touchdown of the year. Portland State answered with a Joe Rubin score, the first of two for him on the day, and it was 7-7 after one.
The Bengals got two touchdowns in the second from freshman Ken Cornist, one on a 9-yard pass and one on a 2-yard run. Azorr answered at the end of the half with a season-long 45-yard field goal.
NOTES: Idaho State improved to 6-1 under Larry Lewis in senior games ... Johnson's 54-yarder tied for the eighth-longest in school history ... Johnson's kick was the second pressure kick of the day. At halftime, fan Tyler Pincock won the Quizno's kick for cash, kicking a 27-yard field after he punted the ball and then threw it to the 17 after starting at the back of the far end zone, winning $10,000 ... Okoebor and Mennear teamed up for a blocked punt and a touchdown against Kentucky as well ... Jeff Charleston was held without a tackle for a loss ... Pago Togafau led ISU with 13 tackles ... Senior Colin Poe recorded his first career reception, an 11-yarder in the second quarter ... Idaho State won despite going 0-for-8 on third downs.
