FINAL SCORE: Idaho 35, #1 Montana State 34
RECORDS: Idaho (1-4, 1-1), #1 Montana State (5-1, 2-1)
IDAHO LEADERS
PASSING: Joshua Wood (19-25, 315 YDS, 2 TD)
RUSHING: Damonte Bias (7 ATT, 46 YDS, 1 TD), Joshua Wood (15 ATT, 41 YDS, 1 TD)
RECEIVING: Ryan Jezioro (6 REC, 147 YDS, 2 TD), Tony Harste (5 REC, 66 YDS)
DEFENSE: Cruz Hepburn (13 TKL, 0.5 TFL), Zach Wusstig (11 TKL), Luca Moore (7 TKL), Ryder Bordner (7 TKL), Mitch Jaskowiak (5 TKL, 1 SACK)
NOTABLES
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The first win in program history over the #1 team in college football.
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Idaho has protected the home field vs. Montana State, remaining undefeated in the P1FCU Kibbie Dome vs. the Bobcats since 1990.
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QB Joshua Wood secured his third game as a Vandal throwing for 300+ yards.
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WR Ryan Jezioro posted 147 yards and two TDs, both career highs.
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RB Damonte Bias scored his first career Division I touchdown.
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S Zach Wusstig recorded a career-high 11 tackles.
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DT Mitch Jaskowiak posted his first career solo sack.
MOSCOW, Idaho - With zeros on the clock, Joshua Wood muscled his way into the end zone to clinch a come-from-behind 35-34 victory over #1 Montana State for Idaho's first-ever win over the top-ranked team in the country and one of the greatest victories in program history.
The Vandals rallied back from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit, holding the defending FCS champions scoreless for the final 13 minutes and taking advantage of every second in regulation to shock the college football world and deliver one of the country's most exciting wins of the 2026 season.
A 315-yard passing day from Wood, which produced a 147-yard, 2 TD career outing from receiver Ryan Jezioro as well as 13 tackles from linebacker Cruz Hepburn led the way for Idaho in a night the Palouse and the FCS will remember for years to come.
"I told the guys the last two weeks when we beat this team, everyone in the country will be surprised, but not one single person in that room will be surprised, and that was the case", said head coach Thomas Ford Jr. "I'm just so proud of these guys for their resolve. People probably hear me in these press conferences after the losses and they hear me talk about this "together" team and that we never quit and they think it's just cliche and it's just [nonsense]. It's not and it's clear that it's not. What we have here is very special and I am incredibly grateful to be the head football coach at the University of Idaho and to be able to beat the number one team in the country on national TV."
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Bobcats received the opening kickoff, quickly driving down the field into UI territory. The Vandal defense held firm inside the 10, holding MSU to a field goal. Wood responded on Idaho's first play, evading a would-be sack and taking advantage of a blown coverage by connecting with Ryan Jezioro on a 75-yard touchdown pass, giving the Vandals a 7-3 lead with less than four minutes off the clock.
The two teams traded three-and-outs on their next drives before the 'Cats offense found its rhythm, capitalizing on strong field position and scoring in four plays to gain a 10-7 advantage.
Idaho's offense began the next drive at the 25-yard line, marching into Montana State territory before a holding penalty put the Vandals behind the chains at 3rd-and-23. Wood responded with a 22-yard pass to junior
Tony Harste, bringing Idaho within a yard on fourth down. Fifth-year Homedale native
Hayden Kincheloe found space between the tackles to keep the drive alive, allowing
Owen Forsman to slot a 45-yard field goal between the uprights to tie the game at 10 apiece.
MSU struggled to move the ball on the next series. Backed up inside their own 10, Bobcat signal-caller Patrick Duchien evaded pressure before being clobbered by Mitch Jaskowiak to end the drive and force a punt.
The three-and-out gave Idaho great field position from the 32-yard line after a Harste 21-yard return.
Nolan McWilliams recorded his first grab of the year with a 24-yard sideline catch. The possession stalled from there, resulting in a Forsman chip shot from 22 yards, giving Idaho the three-point advantage.
The Bobcats responded, driving downfield before breaking off a long run to take a 17-13 lead with just over seven minutes in the half. Idaho answered with a sustained drive, gaining yards and winding down the clock.
Israel Carter posted a 12-yard rush to push the Vandals inside the red zone before
Damonte Bias weaved around the defense for his first Division I touchdown. putting Idaho back in front with a 20-17 lead.
MSU drove down the field on the two-minute drill, scoring again to take a 24-20 advantage. The Cats got the ball back again before halftime, but Lee Stalker's defense held them out of scoring range.
Idaho got the ball out of the break but was forced to punt after a 3rd-down sack. Montana State retook possession, driving 88 yards and bleeding most of the quarter away before the Vandals found another red zone stop, forcing MSU to settle for a short field goal with just over three minutes in the frame, extending the lead to seven. Taking advantage of an interception, the 'Cats added another score on their next possession to take a 34-20 advantage at the start of the fourth quarter.
Idaho was not out of it, however, as Wood heaved an off-balance throw to
Zack Card, connecting for 32 yards along the sideline to move into the red zone. The senior signal-caller then found Harste inside the five before punching it in himself from the one-yard line, cutting the gap down to seven.
With under ten minutes to play, with the intention to drain the clock, the trio of Bozeman running backs made their way into Vandal territory before the Black and Gold defense put an end to the progress. The Bobcats were held to a 52-yard field goal attempt surrounded by an energetic P1FCU Kibbie Dome crowd and the boot sailed wide left.
After a pair of three and outs and an MSU punt into the end zone, Idaho took possession with 49 seconds remaining and no timeouts to spare.
Wood started the game-winning drive with back-to-back scrambles to move the Vandals down the field before completing a 10-yard pass to Harste down the sideline to move Idaho into Bobcat territory and stop the clock.
On the next play, with time winding down, Wood stood up in the pocket to float a 23-yard dot to
Noah West-Baranco, who hauled it in at the 25-yard line. All 11 players in black and silver dashed down the field with a second remaining as MSU called a timeout before both sides could get set, giving Idaho a shot at a final play.
With just one second on the clock, Wood stepped up in the pocket and lobbed a floater to a diving
Ryan Jezioro, pulling the Vandals within one.
In what head coach
Thomas Ford Jr. described as a no-brainer decision, Idaho left the offense on the field with zeros on the clock to go for the win. Wood kept the ball on the two-point attempt, lowering his shoulder through contact into the end zone, sealing the 35-34 victory and sending the P1FCU Kibbie Dome into a frenzy.
UP NEXT: The Vandals will hit the road for their third Big Sky matchup of 2026, traveling to Ogden, Utah to take on Weber State on Saturday, October 10. Kickoff is set for 12 PM PT/1 PM MT with the game airing on ESPN+ and the Vandal Radio Network.
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TICKETS: Season tickets, mini plans, and single-game tickets are
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