Little Brown Stein

Last updated
Idaho-Montana football rivalry
First meeting1903, 121 years ago
Idaho, 28–0
Latest meetingOctober 14, 2023
#10 Montana 23, #3 Idaho 21
Next meetingSeptember 25, 2025 in Missoula
Statistics
Meetings total89
All-time seriesIdaho leads, 56–31–2 (.640)
Largest victoryIdaho, 46–0  (1945)
Longest win streakIdaho, 8, (19511959)
Current win streakMontana, 1, (2023)

The Little Brown Stein is a rivalry trophy awarded to the winner of the college football game between the University of Idaho Vandals and the University of Montana Grizzlies, both members of the Big Sky Conference. The trophy is, as the name implies, a large stein mug with the results of all the games between the two painted on. [1] [2] [3] [4]

Contents

The game was not played for fourteen seasons (2004–2017), and Montana retained the trophy. [5] [6] The series resumed in 2018, when Idaho rejoined the Big Sky for football.

History

Idaho and Montana first met in football 121 years ago in 1903 and have played 88 times; the stein was introduced 86 years ago in  1938 at the 25th meeting. [1] [2] [3] Idaho has dominated the overall series at 56–31–2 (.640), [7] which also includes two Division I-AA playoff wins at home in the 1980s. Montana has had the upper hand since 1991, winning twelve of the last fifteen (.800). While Idaho was in Division I-A (FBS), from 1996 through 2017, the teams met only five times, with Montana winning the last four. [5] [6] [8]

The schools are about two hundred miles (320 km) apart; Moscow and Missoula are on opposite sides of the lower Idaho Panhandle, separated by the Bitterroot Mountains over Lolo Pass (U.S. Route 12).

Idaho hosted the game in southern Idaho at Boise in 1961, [9] [10] and in nearby Pullman, Washington, in 1970 and 2000.

Conferences

Both were members of the old Pacific Coast Conference (the forerunner of today's Pac-12); [11] Montana departed after the 1949 season, and the PCC disbanded in the summer of 1959. In most years, the loser of the game was last in the PCC standings. Montana was in the Skyline Conference from 1951 through the 1961 season.

The universities were two of the six charter members of the Big Sky Conference in 1963, [12] [13] (although Idaho remained an independent in football until 1965) and their final season as conference opponents was in 1995. While Montana has been in the Big Sky since its inception, Idaho changed its conference affiliation multiple times from 1995 to 2018:

Results

Idaho victoriesMontana victoriesTie games

Coaching records

Since 1945; Idaho led the first 29 meetings (through 1942) at 20–8–1 (.707)).

Idaho

Head CoachTeamGamesSeasonsWinsLossesTiesPct.
Babe Brown Idaho21945–46110.500
Dixie Howell Idaho41947–50220.500
Babe Curfman Idaho31951–533001.000 
Skip Stahley Idaho71954–61610.857
Dee Andros Idaho11962–64010.000
Steve Musseau Idaho31965–673001.000 
Y C McNease Idaho21968–69110.500
Don Robbins Idaho41970–73310.750
Ed Troxel Idaho41974–77211.625
Jerry Davitch Idaho41978–81310.750
Dennis Erickson (a)Idaho51982–8541 .800
Keith Gilbertson    Idaho   41986–8831 .750
John L. Smith Idaho61989–9424 .333
Chris Tormey Idaho21995–9920 1.000 
Tom Cable Idaho42000–0304 .000
Nick Holt Idaho02004–05    
Dennis Erickson (b)Idaho02006    
Robb Akey Idaho02007–12    
Paul Petrino Idaho32013–2103 .000
Jason Eck Idaho22022–2311 .500 
TotalIdaho591945–202236231.619

Montana

Head CoachTeamGamesSeasonsWinsLossesTiesPct.
George DahlbergMontana11945010.000
Doug FessendenMontana31946–48210.667
Ted Shipkey Montana31949–51120.333
Ed ChinskeMontana21952–54020.000
Jerry Williams Montana31955–57030.000
Ray JenkinsMontana51958–63230.400
Hugh Davidson  Montana  21964–66020.000
Jack Swarthout Montana91967–75351.389
Gene Carlson Montana41976–79040.000
Larry Donovan Montana71980–8525 .286
Don Read Montana111986–9556 .455
Mick Dennehy Montana11996–9901 .000
Joe Glenn Montana12000–0230 1.000 
Bobby Hauck (a)Montana12003–0910 1.000 
Robin Pflugrad Montana02010–11    
Mick Delaney Montana02012–14    
Bob Stitt Montana02015–17    
Bobby Hauck (b)Montana52018–2341 .800
TotalMontana591945–202223361.381

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 "Vandals still seeking a win". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). October 20, 1948. p. 18.
  2. 1 2 Payne, Bob (October 18, 1974). "Tips riding two-game win streak". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 29.
  3. 1 2 "Football". Gem of the Mountains, University of Idaho yearbook. 1943. p. 233.
  4. "Montana tickets on sale to season ticket holders". University of Idaho Athletics. August 27, 2018. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
  5. 1 2 Meehan, Jim (September 28, 2003). "Idaho collapses in Montana". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. C13.
  6. 1 2 Bauer, Doug (September 28, 2003). "Griz catch Vandals with pants down". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.
  7. 1 2 Welsch, Jeff (April 30, 2016). "Idaho's twice-bruised ego offers cautionary tale for Griz, Cats". Billings Gazette. (Montana). Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  8. "Idaho opponents: vs. Montana". CFB Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on September 12, 2015. Retrieved October 4, 2009.
  9. "Idaho, Montana renew old football rivalry at Boise". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. November 18, 1961. p. 2.
  10. "Vandals repel late Montana bid for 16-14 upset victory". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. November 19, 1961. p. 8.
  11. "Montana eleven wallops Vandals". Bend Bulletin. (Oregon). United Press. November 8, 1947. p. 2.
  12. Missildine, Harry (February 26, 1963). "Six western schools create Big Sky athletic conference". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 12.
  13. "Big Sky is ready for league action". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). February 26, 1963. p. 13.
  14. "Idaho football to Big Sky Conference". Big Sky Conference. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  15. Kasper, John (September 25, 2013). "No. 48 Big Sky Innovation". Big Sky Conference. Retrieved June 9, 2016.