Enderle fires 3 touchdown passes as Idaho holds off N. Illinois’ late charge 34-31

Enderle leads Idaho past N. Illinois 34-31

DEKALB, Ill. — Quarterback Nathan Enderle threw three first-half touchdown passes, but his biggest contribution came late when he helped run down the clock as Idaho slammed the door on a late Northern Illinois comeback to claim a 34-31 non-conference victory Saturday.

The Huskies (2-2) scored twice in less than three minutes to cut the margin to 34-31 with 5:51 to play. But Idaho (3-1) marched back from its own 20 to inside the Northern Illinois 10 to run out the final minutes.

NIU cut the margin to 34-23 with 8:25 to play on Chandler Harnish’s 4-yard touchdown pass to Landon Cox.

The Huskies got the ball back four plays later when they blocked a punt inside the Idaho 5-yard line and recovered at the 1. One play later, running back Me’Co Brown ran in for a score and added a two-point conversion.

Enderle then guided the Vandals on an 11-play drive to finish the game.

Idaho claimed a 7-3 lead on a 26-yard second-quarter pass play from Enderle to Daniel Hardy and never trailed again. Enderle also threw second-quarter scoring strikes of 21 yards to Deonte Jackson and 58 yards to Princeton McCarty on the way to a 21-13 halftime lead.

De’Maundray Woolridge added a 1-yard third-quarter touchown run and rushed for a game-high 144 yards on 19 carries. Vandals kicker Trey Farquhar hit second-half field goals of 33 and 40 yards.

The Huskies, playing in their 1,000th intercollegiate football game, led 3-0 after one quarter on Mike Salerno’s field goal. Salerno added a 50-yarder as time expired in the first half and added a 25-yarder in the third.

Enderle was 18 of 23 for 270 yards, with Eric Greenwood, Preston Davis and Maurice Shaw catching three passes apiece. Harnish was 17 of 23 for 184 yards, and he rushed for another 62 yards. Cox caught five passes for 53 yards.