Craziest upset of the college football season happened on Friday night while everyone was asleep
Idaho stunned top-ranked Montana State 35–34, scoring a touchdown with eight seconds left and choosing a two-point conversion instead of kicking to tie. The win ended the reigning FCS champions’ 19-game winning streak and gave winless Idaho a notable victory.
Idaho trailed 34–27 at midfield with no timeouts when quarterback Joshua Wood completed a first down. Montana State coach Brent Vigen called a timeout, giving Idaho another play; Wood then found Ryan Jezioro in the end zone. Idaho converted the two-point attempt to complete a 14-point fourth-quarter comeback, avenging its 2024 playoff exit to Montana State.
- Winless Idaho beat unbeaten, top-ranked Montana State 35–34.
- The Vandals scored with eight seconds left.
- A two-point conversion secured the upset.
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College football is divided into several levels. Idaho and Montana State play in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), where teams compete for a national title through a playoff tournament; Montana State entered this season as the defending champion.
The teams have a recent playoff rivalry: Montana State knocked Idaho out of the 2024 tournament. A win over the defending champions would therefore be significant for Idaho, while a long winning streak can shape expectations around a team’s season.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Going for two gave Idaho a chance to secure the upset immediately, rather than entrust the game to overtime against the reigning champions. After a late comeback and touchdown, the team may have judged that its momentum and the opportunity to exploit Montana State’s defence made the conversion its best route to victory.
The case against
Kicking the extra point would have tied the game and taken it to overtime, preserving Idaho’s chance to win while avoiding a single-play decision. That may have seemed the more prudent choice after a dramatic comeback, especially against a strong opponent, since a failed conversion would waste the touchdown and end the game.