BOISE -- With a move to the Football Championship Subdivision on the horizon, the Idaho Vandals relished the opportunity to play in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
And with a partisan crowd cheering them on, the Vandals did not disappoint. Junior quarterback Matt Linehan threw for 381 yards and four touchdowns, adding a fifth score on the ground as Idaho topped Colorado State 61-50 on a chilly Thursday night at Albertsons Stadium.
"We made a statement today that we belong, wherever we are," said Linehan, who earned bowl MVP honors. "No matter what the outcome is, we are going to hit you hard, and we're going to make you remember us."
Sophomore tailback Isaiah Saunders had 33 carries for 147 yards and three TDs, while senior tight end Deon Watson caught five passes for 140 yards and a score for Idaho (9-4). The Vandals improved to 3-0 in bowl games, with all three victories coming on the blue turf in Boise.
"It was awesome," Idaho coach Paul Petrino said. "The crowd was a huge support for us, and it was a great experience for our fans, our players and the entire Vandal family. It wasn't hot (outside), but it was a great day, that's for sure."
Nick Stevens threw for 445 yards and five touchdowns for Colorado State, which led 7-0 before giving up 41 unanswered points. Stevens was intercepted twice.
Rams sophomore receiver Olabisi Johnson racked up 265 yards on seven catches, including two long touchdown grabs. Michael Gallup added six receptions for 108 yards and three TDs for Colorado State (7-6).
"I felt like we prepared really well, but we weren't able to carry it over onto the field," Stevens said. "We had a lack of execution."
Incredibly, the first quarter was scoreless as the teams combined for six punts. Idaho made two big stops, denying the Rams on fourth-and-inches from the 21 and intercepting Stevens near midfield.
After the sluggish start, the second quarter started with a bang. On the second play from scrimmage, Stevens aired it out for Johnson, who got behind the defense for a 52-yard touchdown catch.
Idaho answered immediately, with a quick drive highlighted by a 36-yard bomb from Linehan to Watson. Saunders scored from the 2 on the next play.
The Vandals used the same formula to take the lead on their next possession, with Linehan finding Alfonso Onunwor for 35 yards and Saunders scampering 26 yards on the next play to make it 13-7.
Idaho added to its lead just before the halftime break, chewing up 6:44 with an 18-play drive that included two fourth-down conversions. Linehan found Jacob Sannon at the goal line with 24 seconds left.
"We started slow, but football is a long game," Linehan said. "We stayed patient, we stayed confident, and it showed on the scoreboard."
The onslaught continued after halftime. Idaho scored three quick third-quarter touchdowns, with Linehan scrambling in from the 7, firing a 74-yard scoring bomb to Watson and completing to Sannon for a 16-yard score.
"(Linehan) really got into a zone out there," Petrino said. "He didn't miss many throws."
Just like that, it was 41-7, and the bundled up, black-clad crowd of 24,975 was in full party mode.
"Idaho came ready to play and made more plays than us tonight," Colorado State coach Mike Bobo said. "I'm disappointed that we didn't play disciplined, and that we didn't handle adversity very well."
Stevens tossed four late scoring passes -- three to Gallup and one to Johnson -- but the damage was done. The Rams could not overcome Idaho's offense, which racked up 606 yards.
"We never give up," Stevens said. "But we have to be able to come out and start fast, no matter who we are playing. When you get down big, it's hard to come back. If we would have started faster, I think it would have been a different game."
Colorado State also lost all three of the game's turnovers -- interceptions by Jayshawn Johnson and D.J. Hampton and a fumbled punt return that led to an Idaho touchdown.
Colorado State's Dalyn Dawkins joined the individual stat party, carrying 16 times for 118 yards and a touchdown as the Rams amassed 600 yards of offense.
But the night belonged to the Vandals, who came in as 15-point underdogs but left with a memorable victory -- even as they prepare to exit the Football Bowl Subdivision and join the Big Sky Conference a year from now.
"We weren't an underdog in our locker room," Petrino said. "We expected to win."
NOTES:
The teams and players set multiple Potato Bowl records, including most combined points (111), most passing yards (Colorado State QB Nick Stevens, 445), and most receiving yards (Rams WR Olabisi Johnson, 265). The 84 combined second-half points were the most in college bowl game history.
The temperature at kickoff was 22 degrees and falling.
Late in the first half, officials forced Saunders to leave the game after taking a hard hit. After spending five minutes of game time on the sidelines, he was cleared to return.
Idaho previously won Boise's Humanitarian Bowl in 1998 and 2009.
Colorado State played in its 16th bowl game overall, and fourth in four years. The Rams fell to 6-10 in bowls with their third consecutive loss.
