Idaho beats No. 7 Montana 42-35 to reclaim Little Brown Stein

Idaho beat No. 7 Montana 42-35 in Missoula on Oct. 17, reclaiming the Little Brown Stein after Israel Carter’s two-yard touchdown run with 10:07 remaining. The Vandals stopped Montana on fourth-and-10 at the Idaho 19 with 33 seconds left to secure the road win.

Idaho opened with a 14-0 first-quarter lead, but Montana drew even three times in the second half, including at 35-35. Carter’s run gave Idaho the lead for good. Montana had two late chances to close the gap: a 34-yard field-goal attempt missed with 5:30 remaining, and the Grizzlies’ final possession ended with an incomplete fourth-down pass.

Wood accounted for 420 yards

Quarterback Joshua Wood supplied four touchdowns and 420 yards of offense. He passed for 335 yards and three touchdowns, then added 85 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. Carter’s late score gave Idaho the final lead, while Wood’s passing and running accounted for the Vandals’ other four touchdowns.

The teams produced nearly identical total yardage, but Idaho converted more often on third down. The Vandals gained 493 yards and converted 11 of 14 third-down attempts. Montana gained 481 yards and converted four of nine.

The 12-yard difference in total offense contrasts with the teams’ five-conversion gap on third down. Idaho’s 11 conversions came on 14 attempts; Montana’s four came on nine. The figures show the difference in how often the teams extended drives on that down, even as their overall yardage totals remained close.

A second win over a top-10 team

The game at Washington-Grizzly Stadium drew 26,567 fans. Montana entered ranked seventh in the FCS Stats Perform poll. Idaho’s victory was its second against a top-10 opponent that season, following a win over then-No. 1 Montana State two weeks earlier.

After the game, Idaho was 2-5 overall and 2-2 in Big Sky play. Montana was 5-3 overall and 3-2 in conference games. The win returned the rivalry trophy to the Vandals, the University of Idaho team based in Moscow, Idaho.

Idaho’s next scheduled game was against Southern Utah on Oct. 24, 2026, at 2 p.m. Pacific time. The Montana game was played in Missoula, where the Vandals’ late fourth-down stop ended the Grizzlies’ last opportunity to answer Carter’s touchdown.