MOSCOW, Idaho — Mike Beaudry passed for 296 yards and two touchdowns, including a 25-yarder to Hayden Hatten in the closing seconds, and Idaho beat Eastern Washington 28-21 on Saturday in the season opener for both teams in a season delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.
Beaudry completed 22 of 45 and threw one interception and Hatten finished with six receptions for 138 yards.
Beaudry threw a 14-yard TD pass to Cutrell Haywood to make it 21-all with 5:42 left in the third quarter. Neither team scored again until he led an eight-play, 68-yard drive capped by Hatten’s touchdown reception that gave the Vandals their first lead of the game with 54 seconds to play.
Eric Barriere was 32-of-57 passing for 339 yards and two touchdowns with an interception for Eastern Washington.
Anthany Smith returned an interception 71 yards for a touchdown with 6:45 left in the first quarter and Barriere hit Dennis Merritt for a 27-yard TD early in the second quarter to give the Eagles a 14-0 lead.
Nick Romano scored on a 3-yard run and Roshaun Johnson added a 5-yard TD run to make it 14-all going into the half. EWU opened the second half with a nine-play, 75-yard drive capped by Anthony Stell Jr.’s 16-yard scoring reception.
EWU coach Aaron Best missed the game after testing positive for COVID-19 earlier in the week. Defensive coordinator Eti Ena is filling in until Best returns.
Seth Harrison’s 24-yard field-goal attempt for the Eagles early in the fourth quarter appeared to go through the uprights and bounce off the scoreboard but was ruled no good by the official — seemed to have missed the play while adjusting the mask on his face.
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