Idaho holds off N. Arizona in a matchup of two top 25 FCS squads

MOSCOW, Idaho (AP) — Freshman quarterbacks Nick Josifek and Jack Wagner each threw touchdown passes and Idaho beat Northern Arizona on Saturday in a contest that featured a pair of top 25-ranked teams in the FCS.

Idaho took the lead for good and made it 13-7 when Nate Bell ran it in from 13 yards with 11:20 before halftime to cap an eight-play, 75-yard drive that lasted almost 5 1/2 minutes.

The Vandals extended the lead to 23-10 when Josifek threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Dwyer 2:01 before intermission and Cameron Pope made a 40-yard field goal in the third.

P.J. London ran it in from the 2 to get NAU within 23-17 with 4:11 left. The Lumbjeracks’ defense then forced a three-and-out, and NAU managed to reach midfield with 52 seconds left but eventually turned it over on downs after a nine-play, 27-yard drive.

No. 10 Idaho moved its record to 4-2, 1-1 Big Sky while the 25th-ranked Lumberjacks fell to 3-3, 1-1.

As Idaho celebrated homecoming, NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Kramer was the honorary captain for the Vandals and was out at midfield before the game for the coin toss.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

The Associated Press

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.