Idaho (2-5) vs. Southern Utah (3-4)
MOSCOW, Idaho - Coming off its second top-10 win of the year, Idaho Football has accumulated a lot of momentum, knocking off the two highest-rated FCS teams on its calendar in the span of three weeks. Homecoming week has arrived on Idaho's campus, and the Vandals will welcome alumni from numerous generations who have shaped the university's prestigious history.
UI will play host to Southern Utah, an old Big Sky foe making a return to the league in 2026 after a four-year stint in what was then the WAC. Despite the shared affiliations, the Vandals and Thunderbirds have faced off just four times prior to Saturday. The series kicked off in 1994, SUU's second year as a Division I program, and was next renewed in 2018, when Idaho returned to the Big Sky. Since then, the other two contests between the programs came in the same calendar year, first in the pandemic-affected spring 2021 season and again the following fall.
The Vandals come into Saturday a perfect 4-0 vs. Southern Utah and have put up performances to remember in each game, scoring 31 points or more in each matchup and winning by an average margin of nearly 18.
HEAR FROM THE COACHING STAFF
A LOOK AT SOUTHERN UTAH
Nearing the tail end of October, Southern Utah sits at 3-4 with an even 2-2 record in Big Sky play that does not tell the full story of the team coming to the P1FCU Kibbie Dome. The league schedule for the Thunderbirds has been a gauntlet, opening with a seven-point loss to then #2 Montana. They picked up their first win of the year over Weber State, which did not impact the Big Sky standings due to being scheduled prior to SUU coming back to the conference.
Southern Utah is coming off of an exciting three-week stretch, taking then-#14 Idaho State to the wire before picking up back-to-back wins over Utah Tech and #14 UC Davis, the latter of which was a three-score rout.
The biggest name to know for the Thunderbirds is fifth-year running back Floyd Chalk, whose 1,035 rushing yards are the top mark in the Big Sky and the second-most in the FCS to date. Southern Utah's potent ground game averages just over 269 yards an outing, also #2 in the FCS. Dual-threat quarterback Will Burns has racked up 656 and nine scores of his own to provide arguably the most dangerous one-two punch in the subdivision.
HOMECOMING
With alumni invited back to campus to cheer on the Vandals, UI is rolling out a packed slate of activities to commemorate one of the oldest traditions in sports.
Wednesday night will feature one of homecoming's most cherished traditions, Jingles. The event will feature student-run skits that showcase Vandal pride and homecoming spirit rolled into one. The fun starts on Wednesday at 7:00 PM in ICCU Arena. The Little Brown Stein will be on-site for photo ops with fans.
On Thursday, pack the P1FCU Kibbie Dome to watch Vandal Soccer take on Utah Tech at 7:00 PM. Tickets are on sale for $5 and can be found at govandals.com. Fans are encouraged to dress up in all of their Idaho gear to compete for the prestigious title of "Most Vandalized Fan."
Friday night features a ton of fun after dark. Students and fans are invited to take part in the Serpentine, meeting near the U of I Golf Course at 8:00 PM to wind across campus and gather participants for the annual Vandal Rally and bonfire at 8:30 PM, featuring University President Scott Green, members of Idaho Athletics' coaching staff, and the announcement of the 2026 homecoming royalty. The fireworks show will cap off the night at 9:00 PM.
Saturday, Vandal fans are invited to pack the dome for kickoff vs. the Thunderbirds at 2:00 PM. Following the action, the Vandal Family is encouraged to head over to Memorial Gym to watch Vandal Volleyball's match, also vs. Southern Utah, at 7:00 PM. Admission to the match is free of charge with display of your football ticket.
THINGS TO LOOK FOR
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Saturday's contest will continue the trend of games with a regional broadcast or better for Idaho, being picked up by SWX. UI opened the year with back-to-back national broadcasts at Cal Poly on ESPN and at Utah on ESPNU.
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Idaho's offense has put up strong numbers, especially against FCS competition. In the season opener vs. Cal Poly, the Vandals put up 482 yards of total offense in Ian Shoemaker's OC debut, more than any game last season and the most since a 38-28 win over Eastern Washington in 2024 (487).
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The Black and Gold recorded a season-high 496 yards of total offense vs. Weber State
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Vs. FCS competition, Idaho is averaging 442 yards of offense per game.
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Joshua Wood has been one of the best at moving the ball in the Big Sky, averaging a league-leading 291.1 passing yards per contest while collecting 8 rushing scores, T-4th in the conference.
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The Vandal defense has been stout in crunch time, holding two top-ten teams in Lamar and Montana State to a combined 13 points in the second half.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
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1: To kick off October, Idaho secured its first-ever win over the #1 team in the country, knocking off defending national champions Montana State in Moscow. The win not only gave UI the first of the season, but ended the Bobcats' 19-game winning streak dating back to September of 2025.
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2: As of publication, Idaho is one of just two FCS teams, the other being #21 Northern Iowa, to have recorded two wins over teams ranked in the top-10. The Panthers knocked off #3/4 Illinois State and #4/7 North Dakota in back-to-back weeks, while Idaho has defeated #1 Montana State and #7 Montana.
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88: Idaho's win over Montana returned the Little Brown Stein to Moscow for the first time since 2022. Originally commissioned 88 years ago in 1938, it is the oldest active trophy in the FCS.
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1989: This season, Idaho recorded victories over both Montana and Montana State, marking the first Treasure State season sweep for the Vandals since 1989.
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3: Idaho is one of three FCS teams to record multiple wins over FBS programs since 2023 (Idaho beat Nevada 33-6 in 2023, Idaho beat Wyoming 17-13 in 2024)
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17: This past offseason, the Vandals celebrated the highest-ranked recruiting class in program history and the second-best '25 class in the FCS, bringing in a total of 17 three-star prospects.
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8: Number of FBS, Preseason Top 25 FCS, and teams that received ranked votes that Idaho plays this year.
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3: Idaho's strength of schedule rating per Massey, out of 128 FCS teams.
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9: Nine of Idaho's twelve regular-season contests have received a regional or national broadcast assignment. The Vandals will face Cal Poly and Montana State on ESPN and Utah on ESPNU, while Lamar, Abilene Christian, Southern Utah, Eastern Washington, and UC Davis have all been picked up by SWX, and the Battle of the Little Brown Stein with Montana will be broadcast on Scripps Sports.
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34: Idaho scored 34 points against Cal Poly in Week 1, the third-highest total in a season opener since 2015.
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83: The Vandals boast a veteran offensive line with four of five 2025 starters returning, each of whom has started games prior as well. Layton Vining, Charlie Vliem, Kiegan Henson, and Leon Evans have combined for 83 career starts coming into 2026.
SOCIAL MEDIA: Follow the Vandals on Facebook, Instagram, and X for the latest updates.
TICKETS: Season tickets, mini plans, and single-game tickets are available here or by calling the Idaho Ticket Office at (208) 885-6466.
