Homecoming at the P1FCU Kibbie Dome is supposed to be a celebration. It is a day when alumni return, the band plays louder and the Vandals remind everyone why this town bleeds silver and gold. Instead, Northern Colorado spoiled the party with a 49-33 win, snapping Idaho’s nine-game home regular season winning streak.
As students stood in the student section, the noise faded from the dome. It wasn’t just the sting of losing; it was the realization that this team, full of talent and potential, still hasn’t found its rhythm yet.
Head coach Thomas Ford Jr. didn’t hold back after the game. “We were nowhere near our best today,” he said, according to The Argonaut’s game recap. “We did not execute at a high enough level to win this football game.” That cuts deep because it reflects what many fans have felt for weeks. This team isn’t losing for lack of potential, but for lack of execution.
The stats tell the same story. According to The Argonaut’s report, Northern Colorado rolled up 482 total yards and scored seven touchdowns. The Bears receivers Braydon Munroe and Carver Cheeks combined 271 receiving yards. The Vandals converted only four of 12 third downs, while the Bears went eight for 12, a glaring sign of who controlled the pace of the game.
Ford acknowledged the breakdowns in coverage. “If we continue to allow them to consistently get vertical in the pass game, it’s going to be impossible to stay off the field,” he said. “Ultimately our demise … was just not being able to stop the vertical processing,” according to The Argonaut.
There were bright moments, enough to remind us that this team still has life. Backup quarterback Rocco Koch provided the play of the day with his 81-yard, two touchdowns run, and Jack Wagner, starting for the injured Joshua Wood, threw for 237 yards and a touchdown. Running back Elisha Cummings looked strong in his return, putting up 114 total yards. But those flashes of energy weren’t enough to hide a larger truth: the Vandals were outplayed, outcoached and out-disciplined.
Earlier in the season, Idaho showed a fight in the near upset against Washington State, when the Vandals fell 13-10 in defense slugfest. According GoVandals.com, that game felt like a statement that Idaho could hang with top programs. But weeks later, that spark feels distant.
As students watched Northern Colorado’s players jawing toward our sideline after touchdowns, the frustration deepened. There should be passion in college football, but there is a line between confidence and cockiness. College football should be competitive, not combative. When celebrations turn into taunts, it’s not just disrespectful, but it’s disappointing. Visiting players should focus on the game, and a little less on the students in the student section. Every student cheering in the dome deserves respect.
The students are proud to be Vandals and will always be. But this program deserves better execution, better discipline and better composure. The coaching staff has preached “culture” since day one under Ford, but culture must show up on the field. Right now, it feels like it hasn’t.
Still, we believe this team can turn it around. Accountability, not apathy, is what’s needed most. Like Ford said after the game, “We did not execute.” The next few weeks will show whether admission leads to action.
As students and fans, we’ll continue to keep showing up, because that’s what Vandals do. But as we show up for them, the team needs to start showing up for us too. The scoreboard isn’t just measuring points anymore. It measures pride, effort and the heart. And those are the things Idaho football must start winning back.
AJ Pearman can be reached at [email protected].