For the first time since 1962, the team who won the Little Brown Stein didn’t retain it for a second season. The Grizzlies came into the Kibbie Dome, took a 20-0 lead, and didn’t look back on their way to a 23-21 win.
Montana scored two touchdowns and three field goals in the win. Redshirt freshman kicker Grant Glascow hit from 44 yards twice and 46 yards once.
After the first 44-yard field goal, senior quarterback Clifton McDowell got to work. On Montana’s second drive, he hit junior wide receiver Junior Bergen for a 76-yard touchdown. After scoring through the air, McDowell tucked the ball and ran in for an eight-yard touchdown to put the Griz up 17-0.
One more field goal put the Griz up 20-0, and that’s when the Vandals remembered they were playing football.
Despite barely being able to get a run-game going, it was sophomore running back Anthony Woods who scored first for Idaho. Redshirt sophomore QB Gevani McCoy hit redshirt junior WR Terez Traynor for a total of 47 yards before Woods took an 11-yard run into the endzone.
Down 20-7, Idaho needed to figure out a way to get going in the second half. However, it would still be a while before the Vandals did anything.
The Vandals started the second half with the ball and chunked their way down the field. However, Montana had different plans. After two tackles-for-loss and a sack, the Griz forced a false start on third-and-10. Now on third-and-15, McCoy found redshirt freshman WR Jordan Dwyer for a nine-yard gain, placing the Vandals 12 yards from the endzone.
Twelve yards would be a chip-shot field goal for senior kicker Ricardo Chavez, who kicked a 50 yarder against Sac State. But the Vandals were down 20-7 and felt like they needed to go for it.
“We were in a max-aggression scenario there,” Head Coach Jason Eck said during a press conference. That max aggression on fourth-and-six led to a pass that hit the tip of redshirt junior WR Hayden Hatten’s hands and landed in the mitts of redshirt junior safety Ryder Meyer for a touchback interception.
After a third quarter with no scoring from either team, Montana came out in the fourth and kicked a field goal. Now down 23-7, the Vandals needed to make something happen. In comes Hatten.
Idaho took almost six minutes off the clock on its touchdown drive. With 5:48 left on the clock, McCoy rolled out of the pocket, threw the ball past three defenders and hit Hatten. From there, McCoy rolled out to the other side and hit Hatten again to make it 23-15.
Two minutes later, after forcing a three-and-out, Idaho got the ball back with a chance to tie it up. On the Montana 23-yard-line, McCoy rolled out and avoided a sack once again and hit none other than Hatten. This time, Hatten was wide open in the end zone to get his record-breaking 28th career touchdown.
Down two, Idaho ran a trick play with McCoy pitching the ball to Hatten. Hatten ran right and looked downfield for a pass, but no one was there. With not enough space to run, he threw up a prayer and chucked the ball into the endzone. The nearest receiver would have been senior cornerback Corbin Walker for Montana.
“I was pump faking because it kind of blew up in my face,” Hatten said. “I had TJ Ivy, who was supposed to be to the flat. He got mugged in a man, they weren’t letting him go, (and) there’s not really a second read for me. So, when I was starting to go down, I figured I may as well just chuck it up and pray.”
After chucking it up and praying, Hatten jumped up and recovered an onside kick, or so everyone thought. Chavez came out for a rare kickoff and the ball bounced perfectly. The sold-out crowd went wild, until they saw the spot of yellow on the field. An offsides call on Hatten turned cheers into boos, and then ended up with the ball back in Montana’s hands.
“I didn’t (think it was offsides), but I didn’t have a great look at it. I was watching more for the recovery,” Eck said. “It was a great kick by Ricardo, Hayden did a great job of going up to get it, got his foot down, so he was in. I went over and made sure they reviewed it, they did review it, and they said it was clear.”
Although Montana got the ball back, Idaho forced a four-and-out when McDowell ran a quarterback keeper on fourth-and-two. However, McCoy attempted to throw the ball as he went down, and it was declared a fumble. Idaho’s comeback hopes were shattered, and Montana took the Little Brown Stein back across the border.
Despite the tough loss on homecoming night, it was still a historic day in the Kibbie Dome. Hatten’s two receiving touchdowns in his final homecoming game broke the school record for career receiving touchdowns at Idaho. Before Hatten, it was Jerry Hendren, who was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the fourth round of the 1970 NFL Draft.
“(I’m) super thankful for the fans, the crowd and the atmosphere. This is a really special place to me,” Hatten said. “(I) feel very blessed and very lucky to have a fan base and support system like that. It’s something I’ll be able to tell my kids about, and hopefully they’ll come be Vandals too.”
Speaking of kids, Idaho’s next home game is during Parents and Family weekend on Oct. 28 at 1 p.m. The Vandals will have two weeks to get ready for #2 Montana State as they have a bye this week.
James Taurman-Aldrich can be reached at [email protected] or on X @jamesaldrich25.