Idaho football stuns third-ranked Montana to recapture Little Brown Stein

Ladies and gentlemen, the Vandal football team has arrived.

The Little Brown Stein trophy will return to Moscow after 23 years following Idaho’s 30-23 victory Saturday against second-ranked Montana at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula.

Trailing 13-12 at halftime, the Vandals (4-2, 3-0) took the lead after Ricardo Chavez’s 40-yard field goal to start the third quarter. Hayden Hatten caught a 43-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Gevani McCoy late in the period to put the Vandals up 22-13.

Montana’s Nico Ramos converted a 24-yard field goal at the third quarter buzzer for a six-point Idaho lead. The teams went back and forth, shutting the other down on offense.

Junior Bergen looked to put the Grizzlies (5-1, 2-1) in great field position with a 45-yard punt return. But on the first play from scrimmage, Montana quarterback Lucas Johnson was picked off by sophomore safety Tommy McCormick, who returned it 24 yards to the 2-yard line with 4:09 remaining.

The Vandals couldn’t get into the end zone on the first three plays, but on fourth-and-goal, Roshaun Johnson plowed his way into the end zone. After getting the 2-point conversion, Idaho took a 30-16 lead.

The Grizzlies scored with 32 seconds to go, but it was too little, too late.

Idaho won this one the same way it has all season: by holding on to the ball. The Vandals won the time of possession battle, 42:08-17:52.

The Vandals also benefited from the play of McCoy. In front of more than 26,000 fans, the redshirt freshman finished 21-of-27 passing for 286 yards and two scores.

With the win, it will be hard for FCS coaches to overlook Idaho this week in the Top 25 poll.

The Vandals’ postseason hopes look even brighter after the victory.