Coming into Moscow, Southern Utah arrived with high hopes and plenty of motivation heading into Idaho’s Homecoming week. The Thunderbirds faced the University of Idaho in three different sports throughout the week, setting the stage for a series of matchups between the two Big Sky Conference programs.
On the football field, Southern Utah looked to carry its momentum into the P1FCU Kibbie Dome and extend its two-game winning streak. On the volleyball court, the Thunderbirds aimed to snap an 11-match losing streak against the Vandals and spoil Idaho’s Homecoming festivities. Meanwhile, Southern Utah’s soccer team entered the week looking to build on its own momentum after earning a narrow 3-2 victory over Eastern Washington just three days earlier.
With all three teams looking to make a statement, the Thunderbirds had an opportunity to turn Homecoming week into a successful road trip. However, the Vandals had other plans.
Idaho rose to the occasion across all three sports, sweeping Southern Utah in football, volleyball and soccer. The results gave the Vandals a successful Homecoming week while leaving the Thunderbirds searching for answers after a difficult stretch in Moscow.
On Saturday, Idaho and Southern Utah’s football and volleyball teams faced off.
The football game was a heavily anticipated matchup, as both teams looked to build off previous wins against quality opponents.
The game was close throughout, but Idaho held a ten point lead with ten minutes remaining. On Southern Utah’s next possession, the Thunderbirds drove down the field and settled for a 42-yard field goal which Jayden Rogers nailed to bring the game within a touchdown.
Idaho’s next possession resulted in a punt and gave the ball back to Southern Utah deep in their own territory. Southern Utah marched to around mid-field before facing a crucial fourth and long. Redshirt junior Will Burns dropped back to pass and fired near the sidelines, but the pass fell incomplete and Idaho took over on downs with just over a minute to go.
Idaho needed to run out the clock and force Southern Utah to use its remaining timeouts. On second-and-short, senior quarterback Joshua Wood handed the ball to senior running back Hayden Kincheloe, who moved past the first-down marker.
However, before he was ruled down, the ball slipped free from Kincheloe’s grasp and Southern Utah pounced on it to take back possession late in the game.
Idaho’s self-inflicted wounds kept piling on as Burns found senior wide receiver Mark Bails wide open for a 57 yard touchdown to tie it all 28-28.
With just under 45 seconds remaining, Joshua Wood buckled his helmet and led his team on of Idaho’s greatest drives all season.
After a crucial third down conversion and a pass interference penalty on the Thunderbirds, the possibility of a Vandals win grew more and more as the team moved closer into field goal range. After a quick five yard completion to inch closer, head coach Thomas Ford Jr. called out his kicker to get the job done.
The snap was perfect, the hold was solid and junior kicker Owen Forsman nailed a 53-yard field goal to avoid the choke and lifted Idaho to a 31-28 homecoming victory over the Thunderbirds.
The volleyball matchup wasn’t nearly as close but was still a dominant showing performance from the Vandals.
Idaho volleyball continued the Homecoming success with a four-set victory over Southern Utah, taking control early before closing out the match in the fourth set.
The Vandals gained momentum midway through the opening set, turning a narrow 7-6 lead into a 13-7 advantage. Junior libero Keira Kleidon helped fuel the run with two service aces, and Idaho closed the set with a 5-1 stretch capped by an ace from sophomore outside hitter Kiana Greer.
Idaho carried that momentum into the second set. Fifth-year setter Kailee Wakatake served seven consecutive points to help the Vandals build a 12-3 lead. Strong blocking from graduate student middle blocker Anika Hudson and Greer helped Idaho maintain control as the Vandals secured a 25-17 win to take a two-set lead.
Southern Utah responded in the third set, jumping out to an early 8-4 advantage. Sophomore setter Csenge Krakoczki helped Idaho fight back with two service aces, but the Thunderbirds regained control and held on for the set victory despite a late Vandal rally.
The Vandals finished strong in the fourth set, opening with a 4-1 run behind sophomore middle blocker Gabi Smith’s before extending their lead to 14-6. Greer took over offensively, recording five kills in the set and finishing the match with back-to-back kills to secure the victory.
Greer led all players with 18 kills while hitting .485. Hudson added seven blocks, while Krakoczki finished with 25 assists and a team-high three service aces.
As a team, Idaho hit .231 and held Southern Utah to a .075 hitting percentage, its best defensive performance of the season. The win gave the Vandals another successful Homecoming result as they continued conference play.
Headed into Sunday, the soccer team had a chance to sweep the Thunderbirds in three separate sports, while also keeping the Kibbie Dome undefeated in their regular season. The Vandals proved they were up to the task in a 4-0 shutout victory.
Idaho took control early, scoring three first-half goals before adding one more in the final seconds. Sophomore Makenna Stuart led the offense with two goals, while junior Hallie Prinos-Grumbach recorded three assists.
Stuart opened the scoring in the 11th minute off an assist from Prinos-Grumbach. Less than four minutes later, the duo connected again, with Stuart scoring her second goal of the afternoon to give Idaho a 2-0 lead.
The Vandals continued to pressure Southern Utah, and sophomore Mia Boltz extended the advantage to 3-0 in the 30th minute, finishing another pass from Prinos-Grumbach. Idaho carried its momentum into halftime with a 13-3 advantage in shots.
Idaho maintained control throughout the second half, limiting Southern Utah’s offensive opportunities while continuing to create chances. With just five seconds remaining, senior Calli Chiarelli scored her third goal of the season off an assist from fellow senior Tori Peters to seal the 4-0 victory.
The Vandals finished with a 21-9 advantage in shots and a 6-1 edge in corner kicks. Boltz and Chiarelli each recorded four shots, while senior goalkeeper Paula Flores made four saves to earn her ninth solo shutout of the season. The result also marked Idaho’s 10th team shutout of the year.
The match served as a celebration of Idaho’s senior class, with Chiarelli’s late goal and Peters’ assist providing a memorable finish to their final home appearance. The Vandals closed their home schedule unbeaten, capping off a successful season at the Kibbie Dome and a complete sweep of the Thunderbirds.
Idaho’s Homecoming week belonged to the Vandals. From Owen Forsman’s clutch 53-yard field goal to volleyball’s four-set victory and soccer’s dominant 4-0 shutout, Idaho found ways to win across all three sports. The sweep gave the home crowd plenty to celebrate and sent Southern Utah out of Moscow empty-handed. For the Vandals, they didn’t just defend their home turf, they owned it, sweeping Southern Utah in all three sports.