Late Sac State touchdown ruins Vandals’ comeback in battle of ranked FCS teams

Quarterback Asher O’Hara spun and lunged into the end zone for a 2-yard score with 1:48 left and unbeaten Sacramento State held off Idaho for a 31-28 victory on Saturday night in a battle between ranked Big Sky Conference teams.

The teams entered unbeaten in conference play along with Montana State (7-1, 5-0). Neither faces Montana State this season.

Idaho (5-3, 4-1), ranked 14th in the FCS coaches poll, scored 21 unanswered points in the second half to take a 28-24 lead with 6:26 remaining. O’Hara led a 13-play, 75-yard drive capped by his game-winning run. The Vandals got to the Sacramento State 42-yard line on their final drive, but Gevani McCoy was sacked on fourth-and-11.

O’Hara threw just two passes, one for a touchdown, and had 75 of his 129 yards rushing in the first half. Jake Dunniway was 6-of-17 passing for 81 yards with a touchdown pass and two interceptions for the third-ranked Hornets (8-0, 5-0). Cameron Skattebo had 134 yards rushing, 101 coming in the first half.

Marcus Harris intercepted a Dunniway pass, leading to McCoy’s 4-yard score to Hayden Hatten that gave the Vandals a four-point lead. McCoy finished with three touchdown passes and was 18-of-33 passing for 207 yards.

Attendance was 21,195, the fourth largest and biggest non-Causeway Classic game (played against rival UC Davis) at Hornet Stadium.

This story was originally published October 30, 2022 at 1:15 AM.