Oct. 14, 2006
Final Stats
Pocatello, ID --- The two things you can't do on the road is commit penalties and turnovers, and Idaho State committed enough of both, as the Bengals dropped a critical road game 34-13 to Portland State.
Idaho State's defense put forth a stalwart effort, allowing just one touchdown and only 203 yards through three quarters, but ISU committed three turnovers, and the defense twice kept drives alive with penalties.
The Bengals had plenty of opportunities despite it all, but ISU missed on back-to-back golden chances in the third quarter while trailing 17-6. First, Dan Zeidman missed a 33-yard field goal wide right. On the next possession, Ryan Phipps picked off a pass and returned it to the 11-yard line, but on fourth-and-one from the two, but Josh Barnett, who had another incredible day running the ball, slipped in the backfield for a two-yard loss.
Barnett rushed for 179 yards on 25 carries, pushing him to 810 yards on the season, and he also became the fifth ISU running back to rush for over 2,000 career yards, as he now is at 2,087 yards.
Looking to make it 20-6 again, Eric Azorr's 21-yard field goal was blocked by Villami Akoteu, and Erik Stoll returned it to midfield, but ISU couldn't move the ball, and Matt Gutierrez's fourth down pass was incomplete. PSU then went 51 yards in six plays, keyed by a 15-yard late hit penalty, and basically ended the game with a 13-yard touchdown strike from Sawyer Smith to Kenneth Mackins, their second hookup of the game.
Smith added a third touchdown pass, this on a fourth-and-one, to Kevin McGlothen covering 34 yards. Eric Azorr added a late field goal to complete the scoring.
Portland State took the lead on ISU's first major mistake. With Dan Zeidman standing at his own 20 to punt, Joe Nelthorpe's snap sailed over his head, and all the way back into the end zone, where Condrew Allen picked it up at the back of the end zone for a 10-3 lead.
The Bengals responded with a second Zeidman field goal, this from 33 yards to make it 10-6, but PSU scored again when Smith scrambled away from pressure and found Mackins wide open at the goal line for a 46-yard touchdown. Portland State nearly added a field goal at the end of the half, but Azorr was short from 46 yards out at the gun.
Other than Barnett, ISU's offense was ineffective. Gutierrez was just 19-of-41 passing with three interceptions, and he had just 144 yards passing, and didn't go over the 100-yard passing mark until there was 6:19 remaining in the game.
Notes: Dan Zeidman had a 10-yard punt in the first quarter, as he tried for a pooch kick and miss-hit it ... he averaged just 32.7 yards per kick ... Eddie Thompson returned kickoffs for the first time this season ... ISU was 1-for-5 on fourth down ... Josh Barnett's 179-yard effort equaled the 15th-best rushing game in school history ... Barnett is the first running back in ISU history to have three 175-yard games in the same season ... the home team has won the last seven in the series.
