In 2024, Idaho was one of the best rushing teams in the Big Sky Conference. Through four games of non conference play this season, the ground attack has been as dominant as ever, and one of the primary reasons is that three of the main running backs from last season are still on the roster.
However, the reason that head coach Thomas Ford Jr. and offensive coordinator Matt Linehan have been able to improve the team’s efficiency running the football is because of their new sophomore quarterback, Joshua Wood.
“I definitely think having a guy that’s as dynamic as him, both running and throwing, is going to help us throughout the season the rest of the way,” Ford said in a postgame press conference. “He is an absolute threat when he has the football in his hands.”
Wood began playing football when he was four years old, and he was the youngest of five brothers who all played football. His dad, Victor Wood, is a former Washington State University standout receiver and 1988 Aloha Bowl MVP.
Wood played football at Graham-Kapowsin High School, leading his team to a 15-0 record and a 4A Washington High School State Championship in his senior season. After that season, he decommitted from Eastern Washington University and committed to California State University at Fresno, where he spent his freshman year.
He got a chance to prove himself in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl against Northern Illinois University. In that game, Wood completed 16 of his 23 pass attempts for 180 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 32 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries.
Wood had several connections to the Idaho program prior to transferring, including a longtime friendship with former Vandal star Jordan Dwyer.
Upon arriving in Moscow, Wood came into fall camp competing with several teammates for the starting job. A few days into camp, Wood was announced as the starting quarterback, and he was eventually named a team captain as well.
“It means a lot to be a captain on this team,” Wood said in an interview with The Argonaut. “You have to wear that ‘C’ with pride when you’re a Vandal.”
Though he has yet to play a Big Sky Conference game, Wood has fully lived up to expectations through four games as the Idaho starter. He was named the Big Sky co-offensive player of the week after compiling 368 total yards and four touchdowns against the University of St. Thomas. Heading into this week’s rivalry matchup with Montana, Wood ranks sixth in the conference in passing yards and second in rushing yards.
“We wanted to find a veteran guy, and Joshua came along,” Ford said in a post-practice press conference. “The relationship I’ve had with him in the past. It was kind of a match made in heaven. I don’t think we could’ve found a better guy.”
Idaho has always been a strong offensive program, but Wood’s dual-threat ability forces defenses to adjust their gameplan, which allows more opportunities for the running backs and for play-action plays.
One of Wood’s best traits on the field is his ability to be calm under pressure. When the offense makes a mistake, he does an excellent job of shaking off the mistake and bouncing back on the next play.
“We always talk about next-play mentality. Can’t go back in the past and fix it,” Wood said. “Don’t worry about that last one.”
Ford has full confidence in Wood’s ability as a player, and he also has a lot of faith in Wood as a poised and well-composed leader of the offense.
“Joshua is not really a guy that gets too high or low,” Ford said in a postgame press conference. “When he throws a touchdown, he’ll be excited and celebrate. When he throws an interception, he’ll look at the sideline and see what he could have done better. So, I haven’t really talked much about hype or emotions with Joshua, because I feel like he’s a pretty even-keel guy.”
Wood feels like the Idaho coaching staff have helped him become a better player and refine various areas of his game. He has also fully embraced being a student at the university and living in Moscow.
“It’s a real family, and it’s not just a football community,” Wood said. “This is a football family in Moscow.”
Whenever Wood was asked to make comparisons between Idaho and Fresno State, he says that he does not like to look back on last year, and that he is fully focused on winning now with the 2025 Vandals.
“We’re still the same Vandal team that’s going to come in, punch you in the mouth and we’ll play wherever, whenever, and whatever time you want to play at,” Wood said. “That’s the Vandal team that we are. We play fast, we play with high energy, and we play with high focus.”
Liam Bradford can be reached at [email protected].