POCATELLO, Idaho -- Merril Hoge ran for two touchdowns and caught a pass for another score Saturday, pacing Idaho State to a 44-17 victory over Northern Colorado.
Northern Colorado trailed by only 21-17 at the end of the third quarter.
But the Bears gave up a safety and allowed three Idaho State touchdowns in the last quarter of the season-opener for both teams.
Hoge led all rushers with 80 yards. Northern Colorado's Juian Baughman rushed for 39 yards, caught a pass for a touchdown and ran for another score.
Hoge scored on a 4-yard run in the third quarter, then opened the fourth-quarter scoring with a 7-yard TD run before catching a 13-yard touchdown pass from second-string quarterback Gino Mariani.
Idaho State's Jamie Fitzgerald returned a punt 62 yards for another fourth-quarter touchdown, and the Bengals picked up two points late in the game when a Northern Colorado snap sailed over punter Bob Schnorr's head out of the end zone for a safety.
