POCATELLO, Idaho — In a decisive victory, the Idaho Vandals triumphed over Idaho State with a final score of 40-17 in their regular-season finale held on Saturday. Quarterback Jack Layne made significant contributions by throwing multiple touchdown passes, while running back Nate Thomas showcased his talent with an impressive 171 rushing yards.

The scoring commenced around six minutes into the game when Layne executed a trick play, completing a 41-yard touchdown pass to Emmerson Cortez-Menjivar. As the clock wound down in the second quarter, Layne connected with Mark Hamper for a 15-yard touchdown pass, giving Idaho a comfortable 10-point lead at halftime.

The second half kicked off with a bang as Andrew Marshall returned the opening kickoff for a remarkable 100-yard touchdown, further extending Idaho’s lead. Later on, Layne continued to shine, throwing a 9-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Dwyer. With just over five minutes remaining in the third quarter, Idaho led 30-10. The scoring was capped off by Carlos Matheney, who secured a final 9-yard touchdown run with only 1:54 left in the game.

On the opposing side, Idaho State quarterback Kobe Tracy completed 27 out of 44 passes, accumulating 249 yards, but also threw three interceptions. He managed to run for a 3-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, bringing the score to 30-17 for the Bengals.

Idaho now looks forward to a probable at-large invitation for the upcoming FCS playoffs, holding an impressive record of 9-3 and placing third in the Big Sky Conference at 6-2. Their only defeats this season have come at the hands of Oregon—currently ranked first in both the AP Top 25 and the College Football Playoff Rankings—as well as losses at home against UC Davis, ranked fifth in FCS, and Montana State, ranked second in FCS.