Defending FCS champ Montana State's 19-game win streak snapped by Idaho after officials add a second back to clock before Idaho's last-ditch TD

Defending FCS champion Montana State's 19-game win streak ended in yet another controversial one-second moment during the 2026 college football season.

Idaho got a 35-34 win thanks to a touchdown on the final play of the game when QB Joshua Wood hit wideout Ryan Jezioro for a 25-yard completion. Wood then won the game with a two-point conversion.

But that touchdown almost didn't have an opportunity to happen.

When Wood found Noah West-Baranco for a 23-yard completion, the clock hit 0:00 after West-Baranco went down.

Inside of the final two minutes of each half, the clock stops until the ball is reset for play after a first down. After a very brief delay as the ball was being spotted at the 25-yard line, the referee announced to the crowd at the Kibbie Dome that there should be a second remaining on the clock.

This is where things get sticky. The clock stops on first downs inside the final two minutes of each half. If the clock stops with one or two seconds remaining when a player goes down in bounds after a first down, the clock restarts when officials ready the ball for play. The offense cannot spike the ball with two or fewer seconds remaining in this scenario, but it can run another real play if the snap happens before the clock expires.

There was no official replay review, unlike what happened in Michigan's win over Western Michigan in Week 1. And that turned out to be crucial for Idaho.

Had the time remaining on the clock been officially reviewed, the game would have been over since Idaho didn't have any timeouts remaining. According to the NCAA's replay rulebook "time can be restored at the end of either half if the game clock goes to 0:00 and … there should have been three or more seconds remaining and the clock will next start on the ready for play."

However, since the clock was (seemingly) adjusted by the officials on the field, Idaho was able to run the final play. The NCAA rulebook makes it clear that while spikes are prohibited with fewer than three seconds remaining in this scenario, "with two seconds or one second on the game clock, there is enough time for only one play."

Idaho also had a chance to get organized for the touchdown, too. With his defense also scrambling, Montana State coach Brent Vigen used one of his three remaining timeouts before the final play.

In hindsight, that call backfired. In realtime, you can understand why. The odds of Montana State giving up a 25-yard TD with a prepared defense were small. But sometimes small chances turn into reality. And Vigen said after the game that he was told that officials "looked at it" in regards to the clock adjustment.

The win was Idaho's first of the season after starting 0-4. Montana State is now 5-1 and had not previously lost since starting its title-winning season 0-2. The Bobcats lost at Oregon to open the 2025 season and then lost at home in double-overtime to South Dakota State before winning its final 14 games of the season and taking down Illinois State in the FCS title game.