LYNCHBURG, Va.- The Idaho State football team lost 48-41 to Liberty on Saturday afternoon at Williams Stadium.
The Bengals took a 24-20 lead early in the third quarter on a 57-yard
Michael Dean touchdown reception but Liberty took the lead for good by scoring 14 straight points to take a 34-24 lead with 3:52 left in the third quarter.
Idaho State cut its deficit to three at two different times late in the third and fourth quarter but were unable to get over the hump.
Flanagan had a 51-yard touchdown run to cut the Liberty lead to 34-31 2:37 left in the third quarter.
Liberty upped the lead to 41-31 with 7:35 left in the game and later took a 48-34 lead with 1:27 left. ISU had two chances at an onside kick to have a chance to tie the contest but were unsuccessful on the recovery.
The Bengals turned the ball over three times and the ISU defense forced Liberty into two turnovers as
Caleb Brown and
Adkin Aguirre both had interceptions.
Idaho State had 631 yards of total offense and Liberty finished with 552.
Tanner Gueller threw for 397 yards and four touchdowns but had two interceptions on 20 completions and 44 attempts. Gueller broke the school record for most career touchdown passes, passing Justin Arias' 64.
Mitch Gueller caught nine balls for 125 yards and two touchdowns.
Michael Dean had six receptions for a career-high 210 yards and one touchdown. The 210 yards was the fifth most receiving yards in a single-game.
Koby Lowe had a career-high 10 tackles and
Adkin Aguirre added 10 tackles and an interception.
Idaho State trailed 20-17 at halftime. Liberty opened the game with a 15 play, 78 yard drive that lasted 6:36 to take a 7-0 lead.
The Bengals scored 17 second quarter points while Liberty managed 13.
Campbell Sheidow put the Bengals on the scoreboard with a 31-yard field goal with 14:50 left in the second quarter.
Liberty then went up 13-3 with 11:25 left and the Bengals countered with a two-yard touchdown reception by
Austin Campbell. The score was set up by a career-long 59-yard run by Flanagan.
The Flames took 20-10 lead with 1:51 left until halftime but a 49-yard kickoff return by
Trey Bell set up a 21-yard
Mitch Gueller touchdown reception with 16 seconds left to make the score 20-17 at halftime.
Idaho State returns home to host Montana State on Saturday on Saturday, Oct. 27. Kickoff is at 3:35 p.m. It will be televised on Eleven Sports.
Notes
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Ty Flanagan 59-yard second quarter run was a career-long. His 136 yards on 12 carries was a career-high.
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Austin Campbell has four receiving touchdowns this season.
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Trey Bell 49-yard kickoff return in the second quarter was the longest return by a Bengal since Jakori Ford returned a kickoff 49-yards on Sept. 3, 2016 vs. Simon Fraser.
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Koby Lowe career-high xx tackles.
- Adking Aguirre now has six career interceptions.
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Mitch Gueller's second quarter touchdown moved him into a tie for 10
th place for career touchdown receptions with 16. He finished with two for the game and has 17 for his career.Tom Hoffmann is in ninth with 18.
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Mitch Gueller moved into seventh place in career receiving yards with 2,265. KW Williams is in sixth with 2,365.
- 633 total yards in a game is the 10th most since 2004.
- The 234 rushing yards is the sixth time this season the Bengals have rushed for over 200 yards in a game.
