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In a heart-stopping college football finish, Montana State suffered a shocking 35-34 loss to Idaho on Friday night, and a questionable timeout by head coach Brent Vigen may have sealed their fate. The Bobcats, defending FCS national champions riding a 19-game win streak, were up 34-27 with just one second remaining when Vigen called a timeout, giving the Vandals a chance to regroup and pull off an improbable victory.
The chaos began with eight seconds left. Idaho quarterback Joshua Wood connected with receiver Noah West-Baranco on a deep pass, and West-Baranco was tackled near the 25-yard line. As the clock appeared to expire, officials determined that one second should be put back on the clock and stopped play to set the chains for a first down. While Idaho hurried to snap the ball, Vigen used his final timeout, halting the momentum.
On the ensuing play, the Vandals found the end zone for a touchdown, then converted a two-point attempt to snatch a 35-34 lead. The stunning turn of events left the Bobcats reeling and sparked immediate criticism of Vigen's decision to call timeout.
Key Analysis
Vigen defended his choice in a postgame interview, explaining that he wanted to ensure his defense was properly aligned rather than caught off guard. "That's one of those situations, do you call a timeout, do you not call a timeout," Vigen told reporters. "We wanted to get grouped up, regrouped on defense. Ultimately, they made the play." Had Montana State stopped Idaho on that final play, the timeout would have been praised as a strategic move. Instead, it became a focal point of the loss.
Idaho's comeback was spearheaded by Wood, who needed only 49 seconds to drive his team 80 yards. He found wideout Ryan Jezioro for a 25-yard touchdown, then ran in the two-point conversion himself. The defeat marks a stunning upset: Montana State entered the game undefeated, while Idaho was 0-4. In college football, every second truly counts, and Vigen's timeout will be dissected for weeks to come.