MOSCOW, Idaho — Montana State seemed to have victory in the bag leading by 14 points in the fourth quarter Friday night. But Joshua Wood and Idaho shocked the top-ranked Bobcats in thrilling fashion to snap their school-record 19-game winning streak.
Wood's 25-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Jezioro and subsequent two-point conversion run with no time on the clock handed MSU a stunning 35-34 defeat at the Kibbie Dome in front of national ESPN "Big Sky After Dark" audience.
It was Montana State's first loss since a 30-24 double-overtime defeat at home versus South Dakota State on Sept. 6, 2025, and the Cats' first Big Sky Conference loss since a 37-7 setback at rival Montana on Nov. 18, 2023.
It was Idaho's first victory of the 2026 season.
The touchdown pass to Jezioro came after Wood lofted a 23-yard pass to Noah West-Baranco to the 25 with one second left. The clock appeared to run out, but the officials (correctly) judged that there was still one second left, giving the Vandals one last chance. MSU coach Brent Vigen called timeout at that moment, perhaps to allow the replay booth time to review the clock.
Whatever the strategy, it backfired.
With the score 34-27, Idaho got the ball back with 49 seconds left on its own 20-yard line with no timeouts. It was a seemingly dire situation, but Wood led the Vandals to victory with improvisation and clutch throws in the waning seconds.
The end of the game played out much like it had unfolded in the opening 30 minutes.
MSU and Idaho traded blows early. But it was Patrick Duchien's 15-yard touchdown pass to Dane Steel with 1:12 left before halftime — at the end of a perfectly executed two-minute drill — that helped put the Cats ahead 24-20 at the break.
The Bobcats' defense forced a punt at the outset of the third quarter, allowing the offense to produce a 26-yard Myles Sandsted field goal to take a 27-20 advantage. That drive melted away 8:24 of the third quarter on 15 plays.
On Idaho's ensuing drive, MSU linebacker Neil Daily intercepted a Wood pass, and Duchien later kept it himself for a 2-yard touchdown run for a 34-20 Bobcats advantage early in the fourth. At that point, Montana State seemed in full control.
In the first half Duchien, starting again for injured QB Justin Lamson, hit upstart wideout Carter Dahlke with a 20-yard touchdown; it was Dahlke's second straight standout effort playing in place of injured receiver Taco Dowler.
And running back Jared White got in the act with a 32-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. White and Colson Coon got the lion's share of the action as the Cats were again without injured No. 1 running back Adam Jones.
That helped offset the Vandals' early offensive fireworks. On Idaho's first play from scrimmage, Wood broke free from pressure, rolled out and found Jezioro wide open down the left sideline for a 75-yard touchdown.
Idaho's Damonte Bias also had a 15-yard TD run in the second quarter that gave the Vandals a 20-17 lead.
Dahlke was again a big piece of MSU's puzzle on Friday. A week after he caught seven passes for 117 yards and a touchdown against Northern Arizona, Dahlke had 10 receptions for 126 yards and a TD.
But it went for naught, and the Bobcats found themselves on the losing end of a game for the first time in 13 months.
DUCHIEN AFTER 2 STARTS: Playing for the second consecutive week, Duchien again showed poise — albeit in a losing effort. He finished 23-of-32 passing for 249 yards and a pair of touchdowns without an interception. He also rushed for 92 yards and a score.
In the past two weeks Duchien completed 39 of 52 passes for 453 yards with three TDs and an interception. He also had 169 rushing yards and three scores while showcasing his ability to keep the offense on track in Lamson's stead.
RB BY COMMITTEE: Again without Jones, The Bobcats turned primarily to Colson Coon and Jared White — and Duchien in the plus-one run game — to anchor the ground attack.
Coon had 56 yards and 15 attempts while white had 48 yards on eight carries. As a team, the Cats finished with 220 rushing yards but they were unable to move the chains toward the end of the fourth quarter when it mattered most.
ROAD WOES IN MOSCOW: The Bobcats were on the verge of a long-awaited victory at the Kibbie Dome, but it wasn't to be.
The Cats still have not won a game in Moscow, Idaho, in their rivalry with the Vandals since 1990, back when Earle Solomonson was head coach. Additionally, the road team hasn't won a game in the MSU/UI series since 1991.
VIGEN NUMBERS UPDATE: Montana State was about to match Indiana for the longest active winning streak in NCAA Division I football — the Hoosiers have won 20 in a row entering their Saturday night game against Rutgers — but were stopped short.
Vigen is now 66-13 overall in his five-plus-year career leading the Bobcats. He's still five victories away from breaking Rob Ash's mark for the most coaching wins in school history. The loss also snapped MSU's 18-game Big Sky Conference winning streak.
WHAT'S NEXT: The Bobcats, now 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the league, are idle next week, and the bye couldn't come at a better time in terms of health concerns. It remains to be seen if Lamson, Jones and Dowler will be back when MSU returns to the field Oct. 17 at Eastern Washington, but the off week can't hurt.
The Bobcats' game versus EWU is scheduled to kick off at 5 p.m. Mountain time, and will be broadcast by Scripps Sports on the Montana Television Network.
