MOSCOW, Idaho (Interstat) — Owen Forsman kicked a 53-yard field goal as time expired, and Idaho edged Southern Utah 31-28 in an NCAA Football Championship Division game on Saturday at the Kibbie Dome. Attendance was 10,369. The Vandals moved to 3-5, and the Thunderbirds dropped to 3-5.

Idaho built a 15-10 lead after the first quarter, getting production from its running game and a pair of early kicks from Forsman. Southern Utah answered with eight points in the second quarter while holding Idaho to three, and the teams went to halftime tied at 18. The Thunderbirds and Vandals each scored 10 in the third, leaving the game tied at 28 entering the fourth. Forsman delivered the deciding points with his late kick, capping a game that featured big plays from both quarterbacks and a combined 59 points. Idaho’s final possession produced the last score after Southern Utah had drawn even with a late surge.

Will Burns powered Southern Utah with a standout all-around performance. He completed 17 of 31 passes for 205 yards and one touchdown and rushed 18 times for 187 yards and one touchdown. Burns broke free for a 76-yard touchdown run and later connected on a 57-yard scoring pass to Mark Bails. Floyd Chalk added 17 carries for 58 yards and one touchdown, and he caught three passes for minus 5 yards. Bails finished with two receptions for 69 yards and one score. David Spjut had three catches for 60 yards and returned three punts for 36 yards. Joshua Acord caught six passes for 46 yards, Jack Fairchild had three receptions for 35 yards, and Kasahn Johnson returned one kickoff for 14 yards. Southern Utah’s offense moved the ball effectively at times, but Idaho’s defense made enough plays in the closing minutes to set up the final kick.

Joshua Wood was Idaho’s top performer, completing 15 of 25 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns while rushing eight times for 48 yards. Damonte Bias led the Vandals on the ground with 11 carries for 89 yards. Hayden Kincheloe added eight carries for 46 yards and one touchdown, and Kenny Golston had nine carries for 46 yards and one reception for minus 2 yards. Zack Card caught four passes for 57 yards. Nolan McWilliams had three receptions for 29 yards and four punt returns for 60 yards. Markel Taylor caught two passes for 27 yards and one touchdown, Gus Donnerberg had two catches for 23 yards and one score, and Ryan Jezioro added one reception for 7 yards. Israel Carter had one rush for 1 yard. Wood spread the ball among several targets and helped Idaho answer Southern Utah’s biggest threats.

Southern Utah’s defense got seven tackles apiece from Parker Vance, Mason Stromstad and Lincoln Tuioti-Mariner. Stromstad also recorded a quarterback hurry. Amarion York and Myles Amey each made six tackles. Christian Sampson had four tackles and one sack, and Aiden Hall added four stops. Sean Mays made two tackles and intercepted a pass. Keenan Eck had one tackle and one sack. Parker Andrus finished with three tackles and a quarterback hurry, while Seni Tuiaki and Kealamaikahiki Loo each had three tackles. Jonathan Landry, Tim Malo and Rocky Shields each made two stops, and Logalima Lesa added two tackles. Sal Avila, Koy Mortensen, Jakobi Spence and Jesse Garza each recorded one tackle. Kasahn Johnson also made one tackle. Southern Utah’s defense forced an interception and generated pressure in key spots, but Idaho’s final drive produced the last scoring play.

Idaho’s defense was led by Zach Wusstig with seven tackles. Mason Krahn had six tackles and 1.5 sacks, while Cruz Hepburn, Tyrane Stewart and Luca Moore each made six stops. Davon Donaldson recorded five tackles and a quarterback hurry. Southern Utah’s Danny Valencia punted six times for 282 yards and made one tackle. Idaho’s Cameron Pope punted three times for 142 yards, and Tyler Kinsman punted twice for 96 yards. Forsman also made a 35-yard field goal in the first quarter and a 25-yard field goal in the third before his 53-yard game-winner. Jayden Rogers handled kicking duties for the Thunderbirds. The kicking game loomed large throughout, with field position and late special-teams plays shaping the final minutes.

The game featured several momentum swings. Chalk scored on a 19-yard run for Southern Utah, while Burns added his long touchdown run and found Fairchild for a two-point conversion. Wood threw scoring passes to Taylor and Donnerberg, and Kincheloe scored on a 1-yard run before Donnerberg caught a two-point conversion. Burns also found Bails for a 57-yard touchdown. Rogers made a 42-yard field goal for Southern Utah. Idaho’s offense leaned on Bias and Kincheloe between the tackles, while Southern Utah relied on Burns to create plays with his arm and legs. The Thunderbirds and Vandals traded scoring chances into the fourth quarter before Forsman converted from long range.

Wood had thrown for 335 yards and three touchdowns in Idaho’s previous game, a 42-35 win against Montana. Southern Utah had beaten UC Davis 38-17 in its previous outing. The Thunderbirds had won two of their previous three games, while the Vandals were seeking consecutive victories after a difficult stretch. Both teams now sit at 3-5, with Southern Utah set to host Northern Arizona and Idaho set to visit Portland State in their next games.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Southern Utah 50, Idaho 46. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Southern Utah with a 50.9 percent probability to win.