The Idaho Vandals put up their best offensive performance in recent memory Friday night, only to watch Cal Poly march 77 yards in five plays during the final minute and steal a 38-34 victory in Week 0 of the college football season. The loss carries a familiar sting — last year Idaho dropped four games by a touchdown or less — and now the Vandals must regroup quickly ahead of a Thursday matchup with Utah.
A Historic Offensive Night, A Painful Defensive Finish
Idaho’s offense was genuinely impressive. Quarterback Joshua Wood set a career high with 363 passing yards, threw two touchdown passes, and shouldered a significant ground load, carrying the ball 11 times for 42 yards. The Vandals totaled 482 yards on 59 plays and averaged 8.2 yards per snap — surpassing the previous team single-game record of 472 yards set in last season’s win over St. Thomas.
Wide receiver Tony Harste was the standout performer, hauling in nine catches for 180 yards and two touchdowns, including a 75-yard score. Ryan Jezioro added three receptions for 93 yards, highlighted by a 65-yard grab. Kicker Owen Forsman was flawless, converting all four field goal attempts with three of them from beyond 40 yards. Idaho cashed in on all four red-zone trips — two touchdowns and two field goals — a level of efficiency that should have been enough to win.
It wasn’t. The defense, despite recording five tackles for loss and a sack, gave Cal Poly’s offense far too much room to operate when it mattered most. The Mustangs converted nine of 16 third-down opportunities and went 2-for-3 on fourth downs. When Idaho’s offense handed the Vandals a 34-31 lead with 1:03 remaining — courtesy of Forsman’s fourth field goal from 40 yards — the defense needed one stop. It didn’t get it.
Cal Poly quarterback Anthony Grigsby Jr. finished the night with 319 yards and four touchdowns on 26-of-35 passing. He also carried the ball 14 times for 62 yards and a score. On the decisive possession, facing fourth-and-8 at the Idaho 34-yard line with the game on the line, Cal Poly elected to go for it rather than attempt a 51-yard field goal. Grigsby connected with Tayvion McCoy — who finished with 10 catches for 170 yards — on a 34-yard touchdown that ended Idaho’s night. McCoy caught the pass with 1:03 remaining, completing the five-play drive that covered 77 yards in under a minute.
Secondary Struggles Raise Familiar Questions
The defensive backfield was the primary concern heading into the off-season, and Friday confirmed that concern remains valid. Linebacker Cruz Hepburn led Idaho with 12 tackles, but the secondary repeatedly allowed Cal Poly to find completions in space. Head coach Thomas Ford Jr. acknowledged after the game that his defensive backs need to play tighter, calling for more effective man coverage. Defensive coordinator Lee Stalker will be under pressure to find answers before Thursday.
On the offensive side, coordinator Ian Shomaker indicated the team made significant halftime adjustments, describing the process to the Lewiston Tribune as working through changes on the sideline in real time. Those adjustments clearly worked — Idaho’s second-half offense was explosive. Whether the defense can make similar corrections in a compressed week will define the Vandals’ early season trajectory.
The painful familiarity of this outcome is hard to ignore. Last season, Idaho lost four games by seven points or fewer, including close defeats to Washington State, San Jose State, Eastern Washington, and Sacramento State. A team that can generate 482 yards and average more than eight yards per play should not be losing games decided by four points or fewer — but converting that offensive firepower into wins requires a defense capable of making a stop when the game is on the line.
What Comes Next
The Vandals face an immediate test with very little time to prepare. Idaho travels to face Utah on Thursday, giving the coaching staff only days to address the secondary issues exposed against Cal Poly. Ford and Stalker will need to make fast decisions about personnel and scheme. The short turnaround leaves little margin for the kind of extended review that typically follows a season-opening loss. How the Vandals respond — both physically and mentally — will offer an early indication of whether this team has the resilience to convert close games into wins rather than close losses.