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Idaho vs. Montana

Idaho and Montana have 62 meetings on file, the first in 1917; Idaho leads the series 39–⁠22–⁠1 in the games on file. Over the last 10 meetings it’s Montana 8–⁠2. The winner takes home the Little Brown Stein, played for since 1938. Idaho has held it since the 2026 game.

Idaho wins
39
Montana wins
22
Ties
1
Earliest on file
1917
Longest streak
8 Idaho
Current streak
1 Idaho
Last 10 meetings
Montana 8–⁠2
Most recent
2026

The series at a glance

’0’1’2’3’4’5’6’7’8’9W–L
1910s1–⁠0
1920s8–⁠1
1930s7–⁠3
1940s4–⁠4
1950s8–⁠1
1960s5–⁠3
1970s3–⁠1–⁠1
1990s1–⁠0
2000s0–⁠4
2010s0–⁠2
2020s2–⁠3
Average margin
15.5 points; 23 decided by one score (8 or fewer)
At Idaho
20–⁠11–⁠1 Idaho’s record at home
At Montana
10–⁠19 Montana’s record at home
Neutral sites
0–⁠1 Idaho first
Shutouts
15

Every meeting on file, as played. Ranks are the AP poll’s going in.

Little Brown Stein

Played for since
1938
Held by
Idaho since the 2026 game
Games for it on file
44 Idaho 24, Montana 19, 1 tied

Who holds it comes from the games on file: the winner of the latest regular-season meeting since 1938 (bowl rematches aren’t played for it); a tie leaves it with the holder (the usual rule; the article doesn’t say). The article names Montana as the winner of the 2025 meeting; it hasn’t caught up with the 2026 game. From Wikipedia’s list of rivalry games and the rivalry’s article (CC BY-SA). More on the Little Brown Stein.

Games that tell the story

  1. Idaho’s biggest win1945: Idaho 46, Montana 0by 46 points
  2. Montana’s biggest win2019: Montana 42, Idaho 17by 25 points
  3. Upset2026: Idaho 42, Montana 35Idaho had a 15% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
  4. Upset2022: Idaho 30, Montana 23Idaho had a 21% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
  5. Upset1961: Idaho 16, Montana 14Idaho had a 27% chance, by our ratings before kickoff

Coach against coach

YearsIdahoSeriesMontana
1926–⁠1928Charles F. Erb3–⁠0Frank W. Milburn
1931–⁠1934Leo Calland4–⁠0Bunny Oakes
1935–⁠1940Ted Bank1–⁠3Doug Fessenden
1955–⁠1957Skip Stahley3–⁠0Jerry Williams
1958–⁠1961Skip Stahley3–⁠1Ray Jenkins

Head-coach pairings with three or more meetings on file, the series read from Idaho’s side (Erb 3–⁠0 against Milburn). A season split between coaches goes to the one credited with the game.

Both programs through the years

End-of-season Elo ratings of Idaho and Montana, 1917 on130015001700192019401960198020002020

Our Elo rating at the end of each season, a measure of how strong a team was, not a forecast; 1500 is an average FBS team.

From the newspapers

  • The The Daily Missoulian's story of the 1917 game: Montana Played Off Feet in Final Game Of Year: Score, 14-3. BENTZ BOOTS GOAL Captain Stars in Last Fray With DriscOll and Jack Layton.

    1917 · The Daily Missoulian, Missoula, Mont., Nov 30, 1917

  • The The daily star-mirror's story of the 1921 game: MONTANA BRUINS TRIMMED BY IDAHO KELLEY'S MEN OUT CLASS VISIT ING YARSITY-"FROSH" BLANK CHENEY NORMAL, 81 TO 0

    1921 · The daily star-mirror, Moscow, Idaho, Nov 7, 1921

  • The The Nenana news's story of the 1922 game: Cornell Beats Penn State

    1922 · The Nenana news, Alaska, Dec 2, 1922

  • The The daily star-mirror's story of the 1923 game: ALL MOSCOW and UNIVERSITY READY FOR ". S. C. GAME; STORES TO CLOSE

    1923 · The daily star-mirror, Oct 18, 1923

  • The Evening star's story of the 1929 game: FOOT BALL SCORES

    1929 · Evening star, District of Columbia, Oct 13, 1929

Public-domain newspapers from the Library of Congress’s Chronicling America, found through the American Stories dataset (Dell and Harvard, CC BY 4.0). The earliest meetings with a story on file; each game’s page has the full text.

Photos

From the rivalry’s and its games’ categories on Wikimedia Commons (free licenses only, each credited), and libraries and archives found through the Digital Public Library of America (each under its holder’s rights statement).

Every game

Oct 17, 2026Idaho 42, Montana 35at Montana
Sep 27, 2025Montana 41, Idaho 30at Montana
Oct 14, 2023Montana 23, Idaho 21at Idaho
Oct 15, 2022Idaho 30, Montana 23at Montana
Oct 23, 2021Montana 34, Idaho 14at Idaho
Nov 9, 2019Montana 42, Idaho 17at Montana
Nov 10, 2018Montana 46, Idaho 27at Idaho
Sep 27, 2003Montana 41, Idaho 28at Montana
Oct 5, 2002Montana 38, Idaho 31at Idaho
Nov 24, 2001Montana 33, Idaho 27at Montana
Sep 9, 2000Montana 45, Idaho 38Neutral site
Nov 13, 1999Idaho 33, Montana 30at Montana
Oct 19, 1974Idaho 35, Montana 35at Idaho
Nov 3, 1973Idaho 20, Montana 7at Montana
Nov 11, 1972Idaho 31, Montana 17at Idaho
Oct 2, 1971Idaho 21, Montana 12at Montana
Oct 10, 1970Montana 44, Idaho 26at Idaho
Oct 11, 1969Montana 34, Idaho 9at Montana
Oct 12, 1968Idaho 56, Montana 45at Idaho
Oct 14, 1967Idaho 19, Montana 14at Montana
Nov 12, 1966Idaho 40, Montana 6at Idaho
Oct 23, 1965Idaho 35, Montana 7at Montana
Oct 6, 1962Montana 22, Idaho 16at Montana
Nov 18, 1961Idaho 16, Montana 14at Montana
Oct 1, 1960Montana 18, Idaho 14at Montana
Nov 21, 1959Idaho 9, Montana 6at Idaho
Nov 8, 1958Idaho 14, Montana 6at Montana
Nov 2, 1957Idaho 31, Montana 13at Idaho
Nov 24, 1956Idaho 41, Montana 0at Montana
Nov 19, 1955Idaho 31, Montana 0at Idaho
Oct 3, 1953Idaho 20, Montana 12at Montana
Nov 8, 1952Idaho 27, Montana 0at Idaho
Oct 13, 1951Idaho 12, Montana 9at Montana
Sep 30, 1950Montana 28, Idaho 27at Idaho
Oct 22, 1949Idaho 47, Montana 19at Montana
Oct 23, 1948Idaho 39, Montana 0at Idaho
Nov 7, 1947Montana 21, Idaho 0at Idaho
Nov 2, 1946Montana 19, Idaho 0at Montana
Oct 20, 1945Idaho 46, Montana 0at Idaho
Oct 31, 1942Idaho 21, Montana 0at Montana
Nov 15, 1941Montana 16, Idaho 0at Idaho
Nov 9, 1940Montana 28, Idaho 18at Montana
Oct 28, 1939Montana 13, Idaho 0at Idaho
Oct 29, 1938Idaho 19, Montana 6at Idaho
Nov 13, 1937Idaho 6, Montana 0at Idaho
Nov 14, 1936Montana 16, Idaho 0at Montana
Oct 26, 1935Idaho 14, Montana 7at Idaho
Oct 27, 1934Idaho 13, Montana 6at Montana
Oct 28, 1933Idaho 12, Montana 6at Idaho
Oct 15, 1932Idaho 19, Montana 6at Montana
Oct 10, 1931Idaho 21, Montana 19at Idaho
Nov 15, 1930Montana 12, Idaho 6at Idaho
Oct 12, 1929Idaho 19, Montana 0at Idaho
Nov 17, 1928Idaho 21, Montana 7at Montana
Oct 22, 1927Idaho 42, Montana 6at Idaho
Oct 9, 1926Idaho 27, Montana 12at Idaho
Nov 7, 1925Montana 20, Idaho 14at Idaho
Oct 11, 1924Idaho 41, Montana 13at Idaho
Oct 13, 1923Idaho 40, Montana 0at Montana
Dec 2, 1922Idaho 39, Montana 0at Idaho
Nov 5, 1921Idaho 35, Montana 7at Montana
Nov 24, 1917Idaho 14, Montana 3at Idaho

Every game is listed as played on the field.