Joshua Wood threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Jezioro on the final play and then ran in the 2-point conversion as Idaho shocked defending FCS national champion Montana State 35-34, ending the No. 1 Bobcats' 19-game winning streak in Moscow, Idaho. Wood used five plays and 49 seconds to drive the Vandals (1-4, 1-1 Big Sky) 80 yards for their first win over a No. 1 team.
On what appeared to be the final play, Wood scrambled and completed a 23-yard pass to Noah West-Baranco, who was tackled at the Montana State 25 as the clock hit zeroes. Referees ruled there was 1 second remaining when West-Baranco's knee hit the ground and, because it was a first down, stopped the clock to allow the chains to be set. After a timeout by Montana State coach Brent Vigen, Wood found Jezioro in the end zone to cut the deficit to 34-33. Without hesitation, Idaho coach Thomas Ford Jr. made the call to go for the 2-point conversion and the win. Wood then ran the ball up the middle for the improbable victory.
"Excited, proud -- all of those things would be absolute understatements," Ford told reporters. "We knew we had a really talented football team. We knew we had guys that could make plays."
It was déjà vu for Montana State (5-1, 2-1). In 2023, the then-second-ranked Bobcats were upset by Idaho 24-21 at the Kibbie Dome. Wood completed 19 of 25 passes for 315 yards and two touchdowns, while Jezioro finished with six catches for 147 yards and two scores.
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing