University of Idaho Athletics

FINAL SCORE: Idaho 34, Cal Poly 38

RECORDS: Idaho (0-1,0-1), Cal Poly (1-0, 1-0)

IDAHO LEADERS 
PASSING: Joshua Wood (18-25, 363 YDS, 2 TDS) 
RUSHING: Ferrari Miller (12 ATT, 44 YDS, 1 TDS), Joshua Wood (11 ATT, 42 YDS, 3.8 AVG)
RECEIVING: Tony Harste (9 REC, 180 YDS, 2 TDS)
DEFENSE: Cruz Hepburn (12 TKL, 3 SOLO, 1 PBU)

NOTABLES:

• Idaho scored on all four red zone trips, scoring two touchdowns and two field goals from inside the 20.
• The retooled Vandal defense recorded five tackles for loss and a sack.
• Idaho's offense totaled 482 yards on 59 plays, good enough for 8.2 yards per play from scrimmage. 
• QB Joshua Wood recorded a career-high 363 passing yards.
• WR Tony Harste recorded a career-high in receptions (9), receiving yards (180), and receiving touchdowns (2)
  • Harste also recorded a career-long 75-yard catch 
• K Owen Forsman recorded an all-time best with four field goals made.
• DB Aaron Kinsey recorded a career high of four solo tackles. 
• Senior captain LB Cruz Hepburn recorded a career high with 12 total tackles. 
• A trio of Vandal receivers Tony Harste, Zack Card, and Ryan Jezioro combined for 351 yards. 
• Idaho's defense had seven players record three or more solo tackles.

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - In a season-opening instant classic on national television, career days from Joshua Wood and Tony Harste were not enough to push Idaho over the edge against Cal Poly, as the Vandals fell 34-38.

The Mustangs received the opening kick, breaking free for a 46-yard return, allowing the Cal Poly offense to open their season from Idaho territory. Poly quickly turned the strong field position into six points, scoring in seven plays, taking only 3:05 off the clock. The Idaho offense went three-and-out on their opening drive before the defense forced one of their own. 

Joshua Wood and the Vandal attack began to click on their second drive, as Wood broke out of the pocket on third down, finding Zack Card on a 14-yard connection. Wood's legs continued to allow Idaho to extend plays, rushing for eight, before tossing a dot to Tony Harste, who hauled in a 31-yard grab to push Idaho into enemy territory. On the next play, Wood would find Ryan Jezioro on the right sideline for a 19-yard completion, setting the Vandals up for first and goal from the Cal Poly 10. Owen Forsman cashed in a 23-yard field goal to get Idaho on the board after an 11-play drive.

Cal Poly maintained their offensive rhythm on their next series, piecing together 16 plays in nearly eight minutes to take a 14-3 lead. The Vandals answered with another 11-play drive, this time with Ferrari Miller punching it in from seven yards out, pulling UI back within four. Wood and Harste connected twice on the drive, kickstarting the possession with a 22-yard completion to get into Mustang territory. Cal Poly quickly stretched their lead back to 11, opening the drive with back-to-back explosive plays in the form of 17- and 23-yard throws, and scoring on a 16-yard touchdown pass just after the two-minute timeout. 

Idaho's attack was quickly behind the eight ball on their two-minute drill, taking two penalties on first down and punting with just under a minute remaining. The hosts found two chunk plays to open the drive, setting up a 43-yard field goal opportunity just before the break, that would sail wide left.

The Black and Gold would receive to open the second half, with Idaho's ground attack catching steam quickly, with Miller and Wood each ripping off a seven-yard run, before UI's signal caller found Harste in a seam up the middle for a 16-yard gain. Idaho's drive would stall inside Mustang territory. Forsman, a Rathdrum native, made his second kick of the night, a 40-yarder, to make the score 13-21.

Idaho's defense got the ball back in Wood's hands quickly, forcing a fourth-down attempt from Cal Poly at the Vandal 34. The Mustangs attempted a pass over the middle into double coverage that saw Jayden Rice-Claiborne fly onto the scene to cause the turnover on downs. The Vandals would orchestrate another methodical drive, with Wood finding Harste his sixth catch of the night, this time a 20-yard play to get Idaho across the 50. The Black and Gold's senior quarterback would rip off an 11-yard run three plays later to keep the drive alive, before Idaho native Hayden Kincheloe would convert UI's first fourth-down attempt of the game with a two-yard push up the middle. The drive would end with Forsman's third field goal, this time from a game-high 44 yards out, pulling Idaho within five. 

Cal Poly's offense worked themselves within 10 yards of the end zone to open the final frame, but Lee Stalker's group did not break, forcing the Mustangs to settle for three points. 

The Vandals were able to show off their big-play potential on the next play from scrimmage, as Wood found Jezioro 65 yards downfield, setting Idaho up for Wood's first passing score of the season on a Harste highlight-reel grab in the front corner of the end zone. The snag was the junior's first of his career and, when combined with a Wood shovel pass to Noah West-Baranco on the two-point attempt, allowed UI to level the score at 24. 

The Mustangs offense rallied for two quick haymakers of their own with two 26-yard passes in the first three plays of their next drive. Idaho's defense stood strong from that point, however, forcing a 40-yard kick on fourth and 10 that would sail wide left with 7:10 remaining, giving the Vandal offense a chance to take the team's first lead of the night.

Wood would waste no time, delivering a dot to Harste down the right sideline on third down, and the speedy 5-11 wideout would take it to the house, giving Idaho a 31-24 advantage. The Cal Poly offense did not let UI hold the lead for long, answering with a nine-play, 65-yard drive in less than four minutes to knot the score once again. 

Receiving possession with 2:16 on the clock, Ian Shoemaker's offense worked the Vandals into field goal position over the next five plays, forcing the hosts to use all three timeouts. Forsman completed his perfect day by punching in a 40-yard kick with just 1:03 on the clock to give Idaho a 34-31 lead. 

With a crowd of over 11,000 behind them, however, the Mustangs marched down the field in five plays, scoring the game-winning touchdown on a circus catch with nine seconds remaining, giving Cal Poly a 38-34 victory. 

Idaho had several players post career highs in the season opener. Quarterback Joshua Wood had a career night, finishing with 363 passing yards. His right-hand man, Tony Harste was on the receiving end of 9 receptions, 180 receiving yards, and two touchdowns. Senior Captain Cruz Hepburn led the defense with a career high of 12 tackles. 

UP NEXT: The Vandals travel to Salt Lake City to take on No. 21 Utah. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m., with the game broadcast on ESPNU and the Vandal Radio Network.

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.