The Idaho Vandals defeated No. 1 Montana State 35-34 on Friday night, snapping the Bobcats' school-record 19-game winning streak. Quarterback Joshua Wood connected with Ryan Jezioro for a 25-yard touchdown pass with one second remaining, then ran for the game-winning two-point conversion at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho.
Montana State, the defending FCS champion, entered the game undefeated since a 30-24 double-overtime loss to South Dakota State on Sept. 6, 2025. The loss marked the Bobcats' first Big Sky Conference defeat since falling 37-7 to rival Montana on Nov. 18, 2023.
Idaho's first victory of the 2026 season came in front of a national ESPN "Big Sky After Dark" audience.
Montana State led 34-20 early in the fourth quarter before Idaho mounted its comeback. With 49 seconds remaining and no timeouts, Wood led the Vandals from their own 20-yard line. Wood completed a 23-yard pass to Noah West-Baranco to move the ball to the 25-yard line with one second left after officials confirmed the remaining time.
Idaho struck quickly early. On the Vandals' first play from scrimmage, Wood found Jezioro wide open for a 75-yard touchdown. Damonte Bias added a 15-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, giving Idaho a 20-17 lead.
Montana State played without starting quarterback Justin Lamson due to injury. Patrick Duchien took over and threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Dane Steel with 1:12 left in the first half, putting the Cats ahead 24-20 at halftime.
Running back Jared White scored on a 32-yard run in the second quarter. White and Colson Coon carried the bulk of the load with injured No. 1 running back Adam Jones sidelined. Wideout Carter Dahlke, filling in for injured receiver Taco Dowler, caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Duchien.
Montana State extended its lead in the second half. Myles Sandsted made a 26-yard field goal for a 27-20 advantage. Linebacker Neil Daily intercepted a Wood pass on Idaho's next drive, setting up Duchien's 2-yard touchdown run that made it 34-20 in the fourth quarter.
Idaho proved no lead is safe. Blowing a 14-point fourth-quarter advantage on the final play is a devastating loss for Montana State.
