MOSCOW, Idaho — After a month of spring practices, the Idaho Vandals capped their camp with the annual spring game Saturday inside the Kibbie Dome, giving fans their first live look at the program under new head coach Thomas Ford. The offense came out with the win, beating the defense 27-24. 

Several of Idaho’s highly touted transfer additions sat out of the contest, but the Vandals’ quarterbacks made the most of their opportunities in the spotlight, cycling through four signal-callers throughout the game.

Nick Josifek opened the game under center with the first team, connecting early with Tony Harste for a first down on the opening possession. The offense would settle for a field goal to take the initial lead.

Josifek later found Trais Higgins deep downfield on a play-action pass for one of the game’s longest completions, setting up Nate Thomas for a touchdown run early in the second quarter — the first touchdown of the game to put the offense ahead.

The defense answered on the next series, as Maurice Heims came off the edge to sack QB Jack Wagner and halt a potential scoring drive.

Josifek kept the offense rolling later on, handing off to Art Williams, who bounced off a defender for a first down before scoring from short range on a swing pass. That touchdown extended the offense’s lead to 17-9 at halftime.

In the second half, the defense clawed back into the game. Defensive back Kamari Baker broke up a would-be touchdown pass in the end zone from Holden Bea to Noah West-Baranco, forcing a field goal.

On the next possession, Trenton Fisher delivered one of the game’s biggest hits, breaking up a deep pass attempt from Wagner to Trenton Swanson.

Quarterback Rocco Koch helped the offense regain momentum late, connecting with Daveon Superales for a 30-yard gain down the sideline. Koch capped the drive by keeping the ball on a read option, sprinting around the edge for a touchdown.

The offense maintained a slim lead as the game clock wound down, that was actually cut two minutes short due to being thin at O-Line, and the teams shook hands after a final whistle.

The Vandals now head into summer workouts with momentum, continuing to build toward Ford’s first fall at the helm in Moscow. The Idaho Vandals open the 2025 season at Washington State.

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