Football Falls at Idaho, 26-24

Saturday, September 28

Moscow, Idaho

2 p.m. PT / 5 p.m. ET

Temple University

0-4

Idaho

1-4

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

TEMPLE

Idaho

Football Falls at Idaho, 26-24

9.28.13 | Football

Box Score

Boxscore |

MOSCOW, ID – Idaho scored on its first possession and never trailed in defeating Temple, 26-24, Saturday afternoon at the Kibbie Dome. The Vandals (1-4) picked up their first win of the season while the Owls (0-4) are still looking for their first victory under first-year head coach Matt Rhule.

Idaho jumped on top of Temple quickly by virtue of a 64-yard touchdown pass from Chad Chalich to Dezmon Epps on the Vandals first possession. Chalich was superb in directing the Vandals attack, rushing for 114 yards on 14 carries while completing 26-of-43 passes for 310 yards and one TD.

Junior QB Connor Reilly (23-47-0, 249 yds, 1 TD) drove the Owls to the Idaho eight yard-line on the ensuing possession, but that is where the drive stalled. Freshman PK Nick Visco connected on a 25-yard field goal – the Owls first three-pointer of the season – to cut deficit to 7-3.

Neither team was able to move the ball over the next 10 minutes before Idaho, led by Chalich, marched 80 yards on nine plays to take a 14-3 lead on a Richard Montgomery five-yard TD run. The big play in the drive was a 36-yard pass play from Chalich to Montgomery that gave the Vandals a first down at the Owls 16.

The Owls drove the ball to the Idaho 37 before being forced to punt. Idaho then ran off 12 plays to get into field goal range with Austin Rehkow converting from 39 yards out to increase the Vandal lead to 17-3. A lead they would take into the locker room.

Temple forced Idaho to put on its first possession of the second half and the Owls quickly cut into the deficit. Big runs by Kenny Harper (18 yds) and Zaire Williams (28 yds) moved the ball into the red zone with Harper scoring his fourth touchdown of the season, from six-yards out, to cap the drive and make 17-10.

Williams, who had six carries for 49 yards on the day, had to leave the game due to injury during the drive.

Two possessions later Idaho extended its lead to 20-10 with a 30-yard field goal by Rehkow. That was setup by a 36-yard pass play from Chalich to Roman Runner that gave the Vandals the ball on the Temple 20.

Rehkow tacked on another field goal, this one from 38 yards out, early in the fourth quarter to make it 23-10.

Temple quickly struck back as Reilly hit Ryan Alderman on a slant pass, and the senior receiver took it 51 yards for a touchdown. It was the longest play from scrimmage on season for Owls and cut the deficit to 23-17.

The Owls' defense, led by sophomore LB Tyler Matakevich, forced an Idaho punt on the next possession, but Temple was unable to move the ball as well with Paul Layton, who had nine punts on the day, punting it back to the Vandals.

Chalich then led Idaho into field goal range, hitting Najee Lovett on a 34-yard pass play to the Temple 17. Seven plays later Rehkow connected on his fourth field goal of the afternoon, this one from 25 yards away, to make it 26-17.

There was no quit in the Owls as Reilly engineered a 10-play, 75-yard drive that Harper finished with a two-yard TD run. Long passes to Harper (28 yds) and Alderman (17) set up the touchdown that made it 26-24 with 3:25 remaining.

Chalich sealed the game with a huge first down run on a third-and-10 play with the Vandal QB just making the necessary yardage.

Temple's defense forced a punt, but the Owls offense took over from their own 27 with 10 seconds remaining. Two Reilly "Hail Mary" passes fell incomplete to end the game.

Matakevich was clearly the star of the game for the Owls. He recorded a school-record 24 tackles (13 solo), to break the mark held by Loranzo Square (23 vs. East Carolina 1988) and Taylor Suman (23 vs. Syracuse 1999).

Temple next hosts #7 Louisville on October 5 (noon) at Lincoln Financial Field.