Idaho (0-4) vs. #1 Montana State (5-0)
MOSCOW, Idaho - After a bye week slotted at the perfect time for some recovery, Idaho football is back in action in Week 6, welcoming Montana State to the P1FCU Kibbie Dome in the return to conference play for the first time since the season opener.
Capping off the three-game homestand, UI hung tough with two playoff-caliber teams going into the bye week, dropping the contests by a combined eight points. The contest will serve as the annual Ag Appreciation game sponsored by Amalgamated Sugar.
HEAR FROM THE COACHING STAFF
A LOOK AT MONTANA STATE
The defending FCS national champions, Montana State has been the near-unanimous #1 in the polls all season long. Brent Vigen's squad opened the year with a road shutout of Utah Tech and picked up a road win over FBS Nevada before surviving an aggressive upset attempt from Central Connecticut State in Bozeman.
The Bobcats are coming off a home win over Northern Arizona to open conference play back up, in which they gutted out a 28-14 performance with All-Americans Justin Lamson, Taco Dowler, and Caden Dowler all sidelined, while fellow star Adam Jones carried the ball just twice for four yards. Treasure State native Patrick Duchien made his first career start under center vs. the Lumberjacks, going 16-20 for 204 yards, a touchdown, and an interception while carrying the rock nine times for 77 yards and two scores.
Even without much of an impact from the quartet of All-Americans last week, Dane Steel has been a strong pass catcher for the Bobcats with 20 grabs and a team-high four TDs. True freshman Carter Dahlke, a top-6 recruit out of Montana according to both Rivals and 247 Sports, has brought in 13 receptions for 245 yards, a team-leading 18.8 yards per grab.
MSU's defense has made plays across the board, having snagged five interceptions from five different Bobcats. LB Cole Taylor, DB Colter Petre, and DE Zac Crews, all Montana natives, top the charts for the Bobcats in tackles, having combined for 91 stops in five games.
THINGS TO LOOK FOR
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Friday's action will mark the third regular-season contest for Idaho to be broadcast on a linear ESPN network. UI opened the year at Cal Poly on ESPN and at Utah on ESPNU.
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Additionally, the game will be the sixth straight to receive a regional or national broadcast, dating back to last season. The Vandals have a total of nine contests in 2026 to be shown on SWX, Scripps Sports, or linear ESPN.
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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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Friday will feature the first time the Vandals and Bobcats have faced off in Moscow since 2023. A late tightrope touchdown reception from Hayden Hatten by way of Gevani McCoy cemented the 24-21 Vandal win.
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Joshua Wood needs just 96 yards on the ground to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards in a Vandal uniform.
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The Vandal defense has improved vs. the pass each week, allowing a season-low 148 yards through the air vs. Abilene Christian.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
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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.
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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.
TRADITIONS
Idaho football is continuing the tradition of the Vandal March. Every home game, the football team and coaches will kick off the opening of the Vandal Fan Zone by walking through the crowd and greeting fans as they make their way into the Dome before the game starts. This will take place approximately two and a half hours before kickoff. The Vandal Fan Zone will open at this time as well.
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.
