The good and the bad: ISU vs. Utah — deciphering the Bengals

Idaho State gave up 35 points by halftime and lost 56-14 to Utah on a Thursday night in Salt Lake City.

The Bengal defense was gashed and the special teams … well … they had issues.


But it wasn’t all bad for ISU. Utah handed the Bengals a hefty check for the beat down and Idaho State showed signs of life that could carry it to the most wins in a season since 2005.

“I think there are things about tonight that when we get on the bus and travel 150 miles back to Pocatello, our guys are going to start feeling really, really good about where we’re at,” said ISU head coach Mike Kramer after the game.

With that, let’s break down the pluses and minuses from Idaho State’s battle with the Utes. 

PLUS/MINUS: Kramer thought the Bengals proved they were better on defense against Utah.

“We never really were a factor, but if you’ve seen us play the last three years we were more of a factor tonight defensively than we have been,” he said.

That’s the plus. Kramer saw a difference on the field. The Bengal defense started particularly well, forcing Utah to punt the first time it had the ball.

But the Utes scored on six of their next eight possessions while racking up 589 total yards of offense. Utah had four scoring drives that took fewer than three minutes.

PLUS: Idaho State’s offensive line looks like it will be a strength of the team, a major change for the Bengals in Kramer’s fourth season in Pocatello.

Starting right guard Skyler Phillips was unavailable but Thomas Vazorka slid into this spot and the Bengals were still solid.

Running for 179 yards on the ground is a big positive. Even better, Utah’s defense knew it was pushed around.

“We were very average,” said Utes defensive end Nate Orchard. “We gave away a ton of big plays to the offense, especially in the rushing game.”     

MINUS: Quarterback Justin Arias was sacked four times. Idaho State’s hopes for a good season lean heavily on its senior signal caller’s health, and he was beat up against Utah.

The four sacks were painful and Arias was hit several other times just as he released the ball. Too much of that and Arias will struggle to remain healthy for an entire season.

MINUS: Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham pushing for a touchdown with less than a minute left in the first half and the Utes holding a three-touchdown advantage. 

MINUS: Whittingham, with Utah leading 35-7, ran a fake punt. Yeah, it’s up to Idaho State to stop it, but the game was well in hand. Utah’s backups were on the field for both offense and defense. Why run a fake? 

PLUS: The Bengals showed some guts in the second half. Whether it was forcing Utah into three straight punts, creating a turnover via a fumble recovery from Mitch Beckstead or punching it in for a touchdown on their first possession in the third quarter, Idaho State had spunk against the Utes.

ISU didn’t back down.

“We did OK. We have a lot to work on, but it’s the first one,” said ISU right tackle Terrence Carey. “We’re just trying to get ready for next week.” 

PLUS: Freshman Mario Jenkins stepped on the field for the first time in a Division I football game, and the Nampa native stepped off of it with a team-high eight tackles.

Kramer said Jenkins played like “a young pup,” and ISU’s coaches will have to comb through the film to find how many times Jenkins’ youth sent him sprinting the wrong way because of a poor read or confusion.

    But Jenkins was only starting because of PJ Gremaud’s suspension from the football team, and time spent on the field today could pay major dividends for Jenkins and Idaho State down the road. 

MINUS: Idaho State’s special teams were a mess. 

MINUS: The special teams were just awful. That can’t be emphasized enough. ISU had a field goal blocked and gave up touchdowns on a punt return and a kickoff return. And it’s more than that.

The Bengals’ best field position starting a drive all game was at Utah’s 42. Otherwise, they were buried at their 25 nine times and inside their own 10-yard line on four separate occasions.

Take away special teams errors and Idaho State flips a 56-14 loss into a 42-17 (or better) semi-competitive ball game.

Idaho State at Utah post game

Early-season stumbles — Idaho State has much to be proud of and a lot to work on following its season-opening loss at Utah (the game recap)

ISU starting linebacker suspended indefinitely one eve of matchup with Utah

With Idaho State's opening game of the season a little more 24 hours away, head coach Mike Kramer has suspended starting linebacker PJ Gremaud indefinitely for conduct detrimental to the team.

Kramer will have no further comment on the matter.

As a junior, Gremaud racked up 56 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacked in 10 games. As a senior, Gremaud was expected to start alongside fellow senior Mitch Beckstead at the heart of ISU's defense.

Gremaud, the "Will" linebacker in Idaho State's 3-4 defense, is likely to be replaced by redshirt freshman Mario Jenkins, who played for Columbia High School in Nampa.

Idaho State had already planned to play Jenkins in its nickel packages. During Idaho State's fall camp co-defensive coordinator Roger Cooper said Jenkins is "so athletic, he's so fast for a young kid."

ISU's depth takes a hit with Gremaud's absence. The Bengals will have to take the field against an uptempo Utah offense Thursday night with a freshman playing Division I football for the first time. Junior Kurt Karstetter, who has 30 career tackles and has been largely a contributor on special teams, is a potential option to backup Jenkins.

5 questions for the Utes

In preparation for Idaho State’s 5:30 p.m. game at Utah on Thursday in Salt Lake City, The Salt Lake Tribune’s Kyle Goon was kind enough to answer five questions about the Utes football team.

Utah, under one-time Idaho State assistant coach Kyle Whittingham, has gone 5-7 the past two seasons, and there is pressure around the program for the Utes to get back to a bowl game for the first time since 2011.

It should mean a motivated Utah squad takes the field against the Bengals.

Question 1: Utah coaches and players are saying all the right things leading up to the 5:30 p.m. kickoff against Idaho State, but are the Utes really taking Idaho State seriously?

Goon writes: I think Utah is taking Idaho State seriously in the respect that the team has a lot to prove about itself this year. There's a new offensive coordinator in Dave Christensen, a returning QB in Travis Wilson, who was once expected to be done for his career, a retooled offensive line and possibly a new running back. On defense, the Utes are trying to integrate at least four guys who didn't start last year and maybe more. That's not to say they're 100 percent treating Idaho State like any other game, but there will be a strong focus on executing and really knocking this first home game out of the park for the fans in an effort to win some faith.

Question 2: Idaho State expects Utah to look a lot like Wyoming the past few years with new offensive coordinator Dave Christensen (uptempo, spread), who was the head coach at Wyoming from 2009-13. Christensen has hinted that Utah's offense won't change that dramatically. How do you think Utah will attack the Bengals offensively?

Goon writes: The key change for Utah’s offense is the time between snaps will be very quick. The team has been running with a 25-second play clock for most of the past few months, and they’ll try to move downfield very quickly to set the defense off guard. I think you’ll see that uptempo style right away with an emphasis on solid runs and short-to-medium-range completions. The Utes have two exceptional receivers, Dres Anderson and Kenneth Scott, who could probably go deep all night with success, but it won’t help the team at all to just practice long pitch-and-catch plays against an FCS secondary. At least initially, be ready for a more grinding style. If the Utes lead by a significant margin close to halftime, they may experiment more.

Question 3: Junior quarterback Travis Wilson is on his third offensive coordinator. How has that altered his development, and what does the Utah coaching staff expect of Wilson this season?

Goon writes: The expectations for Wilson are tricky to unravel. He was diagnosed last fall with a stretched artery in his brain that doctors first thought might end his career. After not playing football for months, he was cleared for non-contact work this spring and was rusty. After being cleared for contact this June, he looked much more confident in camp as he won a narrow battle with transfer Kendal Thompson for the starting job. I think generally with his quicker-than-expected recovery and the experience he brings to the position, fans are hoping Travis has a better year than he did last season (16 touchdowns, 16 interceptions in nine games). But I think some folks are worried about his durability and health, and there could be an early call for Thompson to get a shot if Travis struggles early.

Question 4: How much pressure is on Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham to reach a bowl game this season?

Goon writes: The pressure is very significant. Some football observers believe he could lose his job without a berth this year. For a program that had two undefeated seasons in the last 10 years and has sent a lot of guys to the NFL, three straight losing seasons is hard to swallow. The Pac-12 is much tougher than the Mountain West, and Whittingham has certainly built up goodwill with his success before that rough stretch. But if he doesn’t win at least six this year, more people will question if he’s the man to lead the Utes in the Pac-12 era.

Question 5: Idaho State assistant coaches Spencer Toone and Steve Fifita both played for Utah in the early to mid-2000s. What kind of an impression did those two leave with the Utah football program?

Goon writes: As members of the 2004 Fiesta Bowl team, a team that’s thought of here as perhaps the best football squad this state has produced, they are well-beloved. Fifita particularly was an anchor of that undefeated team on the defensive line, and his name probably goes with some of the greats that have played the position for the Utes. He memorably scored a touchdown on offense against BYU that year. Toone wasn’t quite a “face” of that team that Fifita was, but he was a standout who obviously made the NFL, so he’s well-remembered in that vein.

Idaho State coaches series (links + extra quotes)

The Idaho State Journal has released six of eight stories profiling Idaho State assistant football coaches.

The six so far ...

Stanley Franks: Bengals cornerbacks coach teaches his own aggressive style

Steve Fifita: ISU defensive line coach used both brains and brawn to gain an edge while playing

Sheldon Cross: ISU receivers coach Sheldon Cross doesn’t yell because he’s angry — it’s just what he does

Matt Troxel: ISU offensive line coach Matt Troxel on track toward leading his own team

Mike Ferriter: Ferriter was headed one way before life sent him lurching another direction

Roger Cooper: Idaho State’s Roger Cooper feeds his football fix coaching Idaho State’s defense

Idaho State football — fall camp is over

With the game against Utah less than a week away both the media and the public have been kicked out of Idaho State football practices. Luckily there is still plenty to write about.

Here's where you can find some of the stories the Journal has released covering Idaho State football over the past couple days.

Roundtree has found a home — SMU transfer and Florida native will play big minutes for the Bengals

Idaho State at Northern Colorado (an early preview) — UNC is an opportunity for the Bengals

Before the Bengals play Utah on Aug. 28 there are a few things they have to work on

And here's the latest Idaho State football coaches feature story:
Turning point — Mike Ferriter was headed one way before life sent him lurching another direction

ISU fall practice — day 14

Tingey no longer a candidate for NDSU job

North Dakota State has trimmed its list of athletic director candidates down to four, and current Idaho State director of athletics Jeff Tingey is no longer being considered.

NDSU released a pool of seven candidates for its open athletic director position last week, indicating the search committee would whittle that number down further for on-campus interviews.

Tingey was one of seven candidates still vying for the job.

“It was good just to get experience going through the interview process,” Tingey told the Journal on Thursday. “I like it here in Pocatello. When I graduated from high school all I could think about was getting out of here, but when I came back I realized how much I liked this community.”

Idaho State fall camp practice story from Tuesday

Kramer says the Bengals are ready but key position battles still ongoing as date with Utah looms

Quotable quote: Idaho State held a closed scrimmage Tuesday. Here is what head coach Mike Kramer had to say about what he saw.

"Faultless is the work I’d use to describe it. The ones played pristine. They played effective, efficient, on task, on time. They weren’t overly emotional. There wasn’t a lot of smacking and hitting but it was pretty crisp on both sides of the ball. Both guys, both teams were effective, well coached, well led and calm. And I liked that. That was really good. ... We saw a little bit of our run game and we saw a little of our pass game and the defense played almost all their sets. We did a lot of things against Utah today. That’s why it was a closed scrimmage. The ones executed very well. We’ve already got our game plan rolling. Utah was our prime attention today.”

I asked coach Kramer if the Bengals were ready for the season.

“We’re never going to be ready to play Utah. And we’re never going to play Utah State. But we are ready to play somebody. We really are. When you return 17 starters, 17 guys who started the bulk of a season, guys are chomping at the bit to get going. But here comes the bigger rock — school. They’re going to go from being football only to being college boys and playing football on the side. So we will lag for a little bit.”

More from Kramer on Utah and Utah State ...

“Utah and Utah State, even if we were set, there are going to be times in the those games where it’s going to be like ripping thunder from the sky. I know, I know how it goes. Those are two very good footfall teams. Utah has got a chip on its shoulder with something to prove and Utah State is one of the top-25 teams in the nation.

“Their quarterback is big time. Their one linebacker, (Kyler) Fackrell, is wow. I’d just like to have his fingers. We’ve got some severe challenges ahead of us and we don’t want to read too much into those, but we want to come out of those two games ready to compete for the Big Sky title. And I think we’re capable of it physical. We’re not there yet coaching wise or mentally.”

ISU fall practice — day 13

The fourth in a series of eight stories profiling Idaho State football coaches ... 
Head coach in the making — ISU offensive line coach Matt Troxel on track toward leading his own team

Monday's story from ISU's fall camp Monday ...
Much left to be decided for Bengal backup QB spot

Quotable quote: Idaho State head coach Mike Kramer on the return of cornerback Brandon Golden.

“He’s a fifth-year senior that I’ve known since he was a high school recruit when we were at Washington State University. I helped recruit him and watched him turn into what I thought could really be an aspiring cornerback in the Pac-12. And he ends up with us and that’s for whatever reason. We’re just very proud to have him. He’s a wonderful person and I think he’s an outstanding player.”

Golden, by the way, returned and was slotted in at the starting cornerback spot opposite of Vai Peko. It's an interesting dynamic. ISU brought in JUCO transfers Khary Livingston-Coleman, Kamino Ward, Daniel Roundtree and Tavonte Jackson this fall to contend for playing time in the defensive backfield.

Right now none will start in ISU's base 3-4 defense (Roundtree plays in the Bengals' nickel package) — that's actually a good thing. Idaho State has found some depth at both safety and cornerback.

"The most notable thing about this team is that at cornerback we have enough guys to run a program," Kramer said." And that's really saying something because we have been devoid of corners since I’ve been here. We’ve had some front-line guys that were really, really good. There was never anyone behind them. We felt that absence in the kicking game. It’s great to have enough depth to be able to teach guys and motivate guys and get guys to play with the right technique."

Coach Kramer said the Bengals have already been through four practices where they've spent at least some time preparing for their first opponent, Utah.

"We’re pretty familiar with what (Utah offensive) coach (Dave) Christensen has done as coordinator over at Wyoming. Obviously, Utah doesn’t change its skin defensively because head coach Kyle (Whittingham) has been there a long time. So we know what we’re facing and we’ve worked against it a little bit. It’s a little different than what we run. We’re kind of familiar with what Utah is all about. Tomorrow we’ll actually play some of our game plan tomorrow.”

ISU football scrimmage coverage (links + video)

Read about Idaho State's scrimmage Saturday here.

(And make sure to note the correction in the online story. I incorrectly wrote last night that James Delacenserie threw an interception. He didn't. Instead, freshman quarterback Tanner Gueller threw two picks (the first to Joe Martin and the second to Christian Gines).

Find a photo gallery here.

And check out a few highlights and interviews with head coach Mike Kramer, linebacker Erik Nelson and quarterback Justin Arias in the video below.

Early observation from the scrimmage Saturday:

It might have been true freshman Tanner Gueller's chance to move into position to backup starter Justin Arias. Gueller spent more time on the field than quarterbacks James Delacenserie and Trae Pilster had combined.

Whether Gueller helped or hindered his opportunity to be ISU's No. 2 quarterback is a mystery. Coach Mike Kramer wasn't in a mood to talk about the offense after the scrimmage. But — obviously — Kramer couldn't have been happy Gueller threw two interceptions and took two sacks in the red zone (plus, Gueller threw another interception that Gines simply dropped).

Series by series for each quarterback in scrimmage No. 2

Justin Arias
1st series = Interception to Erik Nelson
2nd = Loss on downs
5th = Loss on downs
6th = Daniel McSurdy one-yard touchdown run
9th = Arias 45-yard touchdown pass to Madison Mangum
10th = Arias touchdown pass to Xavier Finney
14th = Interception to Daniel Roundtree

Tanner Gueller
4th series = Interception to Joe Martin
7th = Zak Johnson field goal
12th = Jakori Ford 45-yard touchdown run
13th = Loss on downs
15th = Interception to Christian Gines

James Delacenserie
3rd series = Loss on downs
11th = Delacenserie touchdown to Aaron Prier

Trae Pilster
8th series = Pilster touchdown to Kai Campbell
16th = Zak Johnson field goal

Additional notes (with more to come in Tuesday's issue of the Journal):

— I thought running Jakori Ford looked great. Ford was a terror for the Bengal defense. The first guy never took him down. His balance is unreal. Listed at 5-foot-8 and 195 pounds, Ford isn't a big guy but he's a small package with some pop and he possesses great speed once he gets on the edge.

— If sophomore wide receiver Madison Mangum stays healthy, he's going to have a monster year. Mangum is big and strong, yet fast enough to get behind a defense for big plays. Mangum has the potential to stretch defenses vertically and that's going to be essential for the Bengals.

— WR depth: Coming into fall practice, the receiving corps represented a possible weak point for the Bengals this season because they lost three of their top four pass catchers from 2013. Kramer has always laughed that concern off, and I'm beginning to see why. With Mangum and Broc Malcom, KW Williams and Josh Cook, Aaron Prier and Hagen Graves, Idaho State has depth at the wideout. Granted, we have no idea if it's a group that can get open against Division I defenses, but the Bengal offense has lots of potential considering the running game should be solid.

— The 2014 recruiting class for Idaho State looks promising. Guys that have impressed: QB Tanner Gueller, strong safety Joe Martin, cornerback Cory Hollowell, wide receivers Hagen Graves and Nick Jones, offensive lineman Brian Fineanganofo and tight end Tate Razor.

It's early but Sanchez lives up to the hype

Idaho State soccer defeated Westminster College 3-1 Friday morning at Davis Field.

Read the game story here.

And check out this video with some highlights and reaction from coach Allison Gibson and players Katherine Roberts and Maria Sanchez.

Idaho State fall practice day 10 + lots of links

Stories from the past couple days of Idaho State's fall camp, and a couple other ISU athletic links of interest.

BYU lineman on track to join team — Former Rigby standout JonRyheem Peoples almost a Bengal    

Big Sky Bengal opponent series (Southern Utah): A team with high ceiling 

ISU linebackers on the rise — Bengal veterans anchor an experienced front seven in 2014

ISU director of athletics Tingey finalist for NDSU job (includes Tingey's response to being named one of the final seven)

State board grants Idaho State additional funding for athletics


News from football camp — Who’s the No. 2 QB behind Arias?

There is absolutely no question who Idaho State’s starting quarterback is.

Senior Justin Arias is the guy — count on it. ISU’s hopes and dreams for a successful 2014 season rest largely on his shoulder pads.

But Arias’ backup, the guy who can step up in case he goes down, is totally and completely in the air as Idaho State reaches the halfway point of fall camp.

“Somebody has to emerge as a go-to guy,” said ISU head coach Mike Kramer on Thursday after the Bengals practiced in Holt Arena.

Redshirt freshman James Delacenserie is the current leader to claim Idaho State’s backup quarterback spot over true freshman Tanner Gueller and redshirt freshman transfer Trae Pilster.

“James is ahead because he knows more about the offense,” Kramer said. “Yet he’s still hesitant in his decision making.”

While Delacenserie isn’t working as fast as the Bengals would like, Gueller and Pilster are both raw. Each is learning Idaho State’s spread offense that demands its quarterback read defenses quickly and get rid of the ball.

All three will have the opportunity to prove themselves as ISU’s game against Utah on Aug. 28 looms. The Bengals have their second scrimmage of the fall Saturday and their final scrimmage Tuesday. Both will be vastly important as ISU figures out who has the best ability to backup Arias.

“They need thousands of reps, all three of them,” Kramer said.

Freshman stepping up

With wide receiver KW Williams sitting out of practice, Hagen Graves, a freshman out of Skyview High School, has had the opportunity to play with the starters this week.

Kramer said after the first couple days of camp it was “pretty evident” Graves arrived in Pocatello ready to contribute on the field right away.

“We’re not going to redshirt him,” Kramer said. “He’s battling for playing time in the top six of our receivers, and I think he’s right there.”

Open scrimmage/closed scrimmage

Idaho State’s scrimmage Saturday during practice that starts at 3 p.m. is open to the public. The Bengals’ scrimmage Tuesday is completely closed.

Tingey named a finalist for NDSU athletic director position

Idaho State director of athletics Jeff Tingey is one of seven candidates vying for the open athletic director position at North Dakota State, announced by the university in a press release on Thursday.

The NDSU committee expects to narrow the pool down further before inviting candidates for on-site interviews.

Tingey took over at Idaho State in March of 2007 and immediately had to deal with the consequences of an $800,000 athletic budget shortfall.

Since that time, ISU’s budget has recovered and Tingey has managed to build a multipurpose ICCU Practice Field south of Holt Arena, renovated locker rooms and installed new basketball courts in Reed Gym and Holt Arena.

North Dakota State's press release ...

FARGO, N.D.—The search committee for North Dakota State University's director of athletics has selected seven candidates for consideration.

The committee expects to further narrow the pool before inviting candidates for on-site interviews.

The position remains open until filled. The committee will review additional applications as they arrive.

The seven in the pool at this time are:

David Crum, senior associate athletic director, Colorado State University
Troy Goergen, senior associate athletic director, NDSU
Rick Hartzell, former athletic director, University of Northern Iowa
Matthew Larsen, senior associate athletic director, Stony Brook University
Tim Mooney, associate athletic director, University of Idaho
Jeff Tingey, athletic director, Idaho State University
Stephen Watson, athletic director, St. Bonaventure University

Jane Schuh, associate professor of veterinary and microbiological sciences, is chair of the search committee.

Idaho State fall practice day 8

Today's articles on ISU football from the Journal ...

What the Bengals learned from Monday’s scrimmage

Screaming toward progress: ISU receivers coach Sheldon Cross doesn’t yell because he’s angry — it’s just what he does

Early observation from day 8:

Injuries to some important guys are piling up. Starters KW Williams, Wesley Wingrove, Cody Sorensen, Josh Cook and Brandon Golden did not practice on Tuesday. Golden hasn't practiced in about a week. The other four are all going through various bumps and bruises they suffered during Monday's scrimmage or Tuesday morning's practice.

Idaho State does not comment on injuries, but Kramer seemed unconcerned that a number of his top-line guys are down.

“It’s good because it gives us a chance to coach the young ones," Kramer said. "The older guys have had enough reps. They know what they’re doing. We’re a just a little leg weary — camp legs. We’re fine. I wouldn’t mind if Josh Cook doesn’t go back on the field until about Aug. 22. ... No, we’re good. We have great depth. The coach’s have done a nice job of adjusting and making some things happen."

But the tight end situation has to be a bit of a concern. With Cook out and Tyler Wright still unavailable with a wrapped up hand, junior Tyler Graves is pressed into a starting role. ISU doesn't have the depth at tight end (really, not many teams do) that it can suffer injuries to its top two guys and not feel some effect.

At this point, though, it's not too much of a concern because Cook should be fine by the first game.

Quotable quote from Mike Kramer on his offensive line and how he likes to have his guys on the O-line rotate through positions.

(For reference, Tuesday, Skyler Phillips, who has been playing at right tackle, was at right guard, and right guard Terrence Carey played at right tackle.)

"We like to have all five guys play each position and Terrence hasn’t hardly played any tackle since he’s been here," Kramer said. "Where as Skyler started left guard last year and could play right guard just as easy. Skyler just hasn’t played center. So we need to play Skyler at center.”

Common to move guys around on the O-line?

“Not for any other team but us. We love the flexibility. They don’t get bored," Kramer said. "You get bored always having to step as a right guard, always playing left guard. No, our guys learn how to play all five positions. It gives us flexibility when situations happen during the season. Guys get banged up, guys get injured, guys don’t play well — we can move guys. So we have our core guys, we know where they’re going to play. We’re just not telling them.”

“It’s something we’ve always done when we’re experienced," Kramer continued. "It’s a sign that we’re mature and experienced when we can move our starters around like this. Sometimes we do it just for the fun of it.”

How long have you done that?

“Since I was an offensive line coach in 1991. ... When I was coaching at Eastern Washington, we had such a veteran offensive line those guys were completely bored by practice. So I said, 'Great you play center, you play guard, you play tackle.' And it was fun. I’ve done it ever since. Whenever we got our offensive line to a point where they are experienced enough to do it we did it just for the fun of it.”

Idaho State fall practice day 7 — Bengals scrimmage for the first time

Read about Monday's scrimmage here. It's the first scrimmage of the year and that just means there is a lot of work to be done before the season opener at Utah.

Check out a photo gallery of the scrimmage here (includes pictures of the freshmen quarterbacks Tanner Gueller and Trae Pilster).

Early observation from day 7:
Since the Big Sky Summer Kickoff in Park City, Utah, ISU coach Mike Kramer has stuck to a theme. He says he won't build up this year's Bengal squad. They're a group that has to go out on the field and prove themselves. In the past, Kramer has come out to the media with grand proclamations that his team is playing well, they're improving and that they're ready to take on the Big Sky.

But this fall, ask Kramer how the defense is doing and more often than not, he'll say that he doesn't know. He'll say they're doing one thing well but he'll point out five other areas that have to be better. It seems that Kramer is done telling all of us why the Bengals are going to be a better football team. Instead, he wants us to see for ourselves.

“I’m in my fourth year. I’m going to give you the real Mike Kramer right now," Kramer said on Monday after ISU finished up its first scrimmage of the fall. "I’m not going to give you the pomp and circumstance. Certainly not the cheerleader, the false bravado that I had to give us in the years past. No. We’re fine. We’re good. We’re in practice eight. We’re going to be better next week." 

Quotable quote: ISU wide receiver KW Williams discusses his important role in the Bengal offense as the slot receiver ...

"I kind of control the safeties. And if you take a safety out then you’re leaving a receiver open. Or if the safety goes with the receiver then they’re leaving you wide open. So depending on how either a tight end or a slot receiver runs their route it’s very impactful from each play.”

More quotable quote: Williams talks about replacing Idaho State's leading receiver from last season, Luke Austin.

“Luke is great. I looked up to him a lot, especially last year because that was my first year playing slot. Although he’s gone, in my mind, it’s kind of hard to replace someone. It’s easier for me to make a name for myself. So instead of trying to replace him, I’m just going to try and do my thing, and whatever the coaches want me to do I’m just going to do that and hopefully it’s beneficial for the team.”

News and notes from Monday

   —    Backup tight end Tyler Wright did not participate in Monday's scrimmage. Wright had his right hand wrapped up. Freshman defensive back Anthony Ricks did not dress, and neither did freshman offensive lineman Chris Miedema.

Wright's absence wreaks havoc in an already-thin tight end group. Sophomore Josh Cook, of course, is the starter and with Wright out, the Bengals went to junior Tyler Graves as the backup tight end. Beyond Graves, ISU, I believe, only has one other tight end to go to, freshman Tate Razor.

Razor is a converted linebacker, but I'm not really sure it matters at this point because Kramer plans on redshirting the kid (who, by the way, looks like a great athlete. Not convinced he'll stay at tight end over the coming years).

—    Mitch Beckstead dressed for practice but (as expected) did not participate in the scrimmage. Beckstead is still recovering from offseason surgery, and is expected to play at Utah.

—    Sorensen, who started the scrimmage as the first-team free safety, missed a chunk of playing time after getting up slowly from tackling Mangum over the middle. Sorensen did not return to the field. Before Sorensen went down I liked what he saw. He's a big hitter who can be an enforcer over the middle of the field.

—    Local update: Pocatello freshman Andy Burtenshaw took care of the long-snapping duties during Monday’s scrimmage, and Century freshman Austin Ferguson saw some reps as a third-string linebacker. Also, redshirt freshman Thomas Ryan (Highland) worked with the third-team defense. I remember specifically seeing Ryan with a tackle. Looks like he's added weight, and could be a contributor to ISU's defense in the coming years.

—    The Bengals practice twice on Tuesday (9 a.m. and 3 p.m.), once each on Wednesday (3 p.m.) and Thursday (3 p.m.), twice on Friday (9 a.m. and 3 p.m.) and scrimmage again on Saturday (practice starts at 3 p.m.). ISU will take Sunday off.

Remember that all practices are open to the public. And right now the scrimmages are too. Just don't take any photos of videos.

Idaho State fall practice day 6

Saturday's stories out of camp ...

3 things to watch for in Idaho State's scrimmage on Monday

Breaking it all down — ISU defensive line coach used both brains and brawn to gain an edge while playing

Early observation from day 6:

Idaho State practiced twice on Saturday. Both times outside in the heat on the ICCU Practice Field. Bengals head coach Mike Kramer pushed his guys to their limit.

“I think it’s important that as a head coach you have a sense of what it takes to be in shape to be able to play in not only the opener but game 12," Kramer said. "So it’s not all or nothing for game one. It’s all or nothing for game 12. And in between are all those other games. ... So in between we want to be in shape, we want to be fast (and) we want to be thinking well, but we want to still have an element of being able to get better as the season goes along. So it’s a mystery and it takes awhile for an experienced coach to figure out how to do it.”

Quotable quote: Quarterback Justin Arias on what he needs to do for the Bengals' first scrimmage of the fall ...

"The key thing for me is just to get the ball out fast, and don’t hold on to the ball. Whether that’s throwing it away, making quick reads. Trying to simulate the game and not hold on to the ball.”

News and notes from Saturday

— Bailey said ISU’s full offensive playbook was installed after the first three days. Because the Bengals want to play fast, the playbook is more condensed than a squad that huddles.

"We put it in in three days and then we just get better at certain parts," Bailey said. "... Certain concepts we focus on from day to day and then formationally we do certain things from day to day. But it’s in."

"When you’re trying to go fast you’re limited in terms of (formations)," Bailey continued. "So to go faster, obviously, you have to go less. But we just find a happy medium in terms of how much do we want to do? How much guys can handle? ... We want to be multiple enough and be able to have enough offense to be able to adapt it to our personnel.”
 

— Freshman defensive back Anthony Ricks, senior cornerback Brandon Golden, senior linebacker PJ Gremaud and junior tight end Tyler Wright did not participate in Saturday’s afternoon practice.

— Monday’s scrimmage is open to the public.

Idaho State fall practice day 5

The Journal's story from Friday's practice, a look at the running backs ...

Bengals running with purpose — ISU’s backfield shaping up to break through in 2014

Early observation from day 5:

Friday was hot. The players wore full pads for the first time and they were outside on the ICCU Practice Field. Add 5-10 degrees to the temperature when you're standing on that turf ...

ISU coach Mike Kramer on the heat ...

"We’ve practiced four times inside, never in the sun. Our guys are complaining about the heat. It’s 86 degrees. It’s not even 90 or 100 yet so this was a mellow practice compared to what a lot of the teams in the nation are going through.

“And one of the issues we’ve had is that without an outside practice field, we never had a sense of how to play outside. So I’m really grateful to have this opportunity to have this great venue to get better.”

Coach Kramer on the play of his safeties and how they're progressing this spring ...
FYI: In camp so far, Taison Manu is the No. 1 strong safety. Cody Sorensen is No. 1 at free safety and SMU transfer Daniel Roundtree is the nickel safety (the third safety when the Bengals go to their nickel defensive package).

“Nothing yet. I can’t tell you anything until we go live. The one thing with playing this sport, there’s the pre-snap; there’s the snap; there’s the play and there’s the finish. Since we never tackle until we get to scrimmages it’s all window dressing. It’s all just dance practice. Until we can end a play with a tackle and stop, I do not know.”

Coach Kramer on the Bengals' top two running backs, Xavier Finney and Daniel McSurdy ...

“(Dan) is very much improved. Dan McSurdy had a great finish to the 2013 season. ... He has not slid backwards from that. So I’m real, real proud of Danny. We’ve got two ... tailbacks that can both share the load.”

“X is the starter. Danny is pressing for playing time. It’s not a reflection on X. It’s a reflection on Danny deserving to play also.”

Idaho State fall practice day 4

For your reading pleasure ... 

Disruption is the key — Idaho State’s defensive line knows success starts with penetration 

ISU football coaching series (Stanley Franks): Bengals cornerbacks coach teaches his own aggressive style 

Power off the edge: Idaho State might’ve found its ‘unicorn’ in newly appointed rush linebacker Austin Graves 

Big Sky Bengal opponent series (Eastern Washington): ISU faces tough test at EWU

Early observation from day 4:

I thought freshman quarterback James Delacenserie had his best day of camp. Delacenserie was effective in the red zone and just looked more comfortable.

On Delacenserie, ISU head coach Mike Kramer said: “Well he’s much improved because he’s smart enough to realize that familiarity is the key to quarterbacking. That all quarterbacks from Tom Brady to James Delacenserie are limited. And their limitations can only be overcome by how well they think from the beginning of the play to the where they have to determine the success of the play, and he really grasps that concept and I think that’s really cool.”

2nd observation from day 4:

Every day it seems like freshman wide receiver Hagen Graves is doing something that catches my eye. Graves, who is out of Skyview High School, has made a number of great catches over the middle. He's not a big kid (6-0, 180) but it looks like the kid has guts.

Bengals work in the red zone

Thursday was red zone day. The Bengals used a lot of the "diamond" formation, which is two tight ends set up on either side of the quarterback, and the running back is a few feet behind the QB (hence the diamond reference). It looked like the Bengals were concentrating on running the ball once they moved inside the 10-yard line (but, of course, they threw it plenty, too).

Austin Graves talked about what is important defensively when the Bengals are backed up in the red zone ...

“It’s all just about bowing up. It’s really physical down there. That’s where the physicality of the team comes in. D-line ... if you don’t push the line of scrimmage back it’s a loss. ... I think that’s the big thing in the red zone, physicality and winning the line of scrimmage.”

ISU works with its offensive line

Sophomore offensive tackle Skyler Phillips missed a chunk of practice. In his place, ISU went to a first-team offensive lineup that replaced Phillips with Wesley Wingrove, and Thomas Vazorka moved in at left guard.

LT -  Jim Bagley
LG - Thomas Vazorka
C - Christian Diehm
RG - Terrence Carey
RT - Wesley Wingrove

And then a little later, Wingrove moved back to left guard and Chase Collins entered at right tackle ...

LT -  Jim Bagley
LG - Wesley Wingrove
C - Christian Diehm
RG - Terrence Carey
RT - Chase Collins

Idaho State fall practice day 2

Read about Idaho State's starting offensive line here ...

Bengals bolstered by experience — ISU tempering O-line’s expectations despite its veteran presence

Find a photo gallery of day 2 here.

And in case you missed it, the Journal's story from day 1 of practice is available here.

Early observation from day 2: Senior running back Daniel McSurdy looks primed for a great senior year. In the first two days of practice, McSurdy has shown great speed and some pop. He's listed at 5-foot-11 and 196 pounds and he'll be a load to stop out of the backfield. As a junior, McSurdy averaged 4.7 yards a carry and finished with 184 yards for the season. He also caught five passes for 35 yards. It will be interesting to see how many touches McSurdy has this season.

Even if McSurdy doesn't have a bigger role in the offense, he'll still be on the field all the time contributing to special teams. Right now, McSurdy and Aaron Prier are the top two kickoff returners for the Bengals.
 
Quotable quote: From ISU offensive line coach Matt Troxel ...

Troxel talked about Idaho State's two freshmen offensive linemen, Chase Collins and Brian Fineanganofo. Neither is slotted in to start but both have promising futures.

“Brian joined us last spring, so he’s a freshman. He’s a big, long rangy kid. He’s never played offensive line before. He was a defensive lineman, tight end in high school. So it’s going to be fun for us to watch him develop, be able to put some weight on and see where he goes. He’s a heck of an athlete.

"And Chase is in the same boat where he’s 6-6. He got here and he was 250 pounds and now he’s 280. You expect him at some point to be able to push to play also because he’s got the measurables you look for that’s for sure.”

Offensive tackles Collins and Fineanganofo should figure into ISU's depth in the offensive line. The starters (which you can read about here) are set right now. Center Travis Namohala and guard Thomas Vazorka, who have both started in their time at Idaho State, are the immediate backups right now.

So while the Bengals do have five returning starters, the depth behind them isn't great. Nick Beckman, who would have been a senior, did not return to the team after a season-ending knee injury last season, and Colin Prestesater is still recovering from an injury.

If a couple starters go down it's possible the Bengals would have to rely on a freshman to fill in.

Wesley Wingrove on the offensive line's favorite place to eat ...

“We like to go to Wingers. They’ve got all-you-can-eat sticky fingers. You know, us O-lineman, we like to eat. ... On Saturdays at lunchtime it’s $9 bucks. But you can get it at dinner time and it’s like $15. So it’s still a pretty good deal. Usually when we go we take at least six or seven of us. They’ll just bring out three or four big plates. We’ll eat them all and then they’ll just bring out three or four more big plates.”

Additional notes: Freshman Zak Johnson looks like he's the guy for field goals and kickoffs.

Initial order of quarterback Justin Arias' backups right now ... 1) James Delacenserie, 2) Tanner Gueller, 3) Trae Pilster. Both Gueller and Pilster have had some positive moments over the first two days of practice. In one 7-on-7 drill, Gueller nailed Hagen Graves on a post. It was a perfect throw that Gueller had to thread through a couple defensive backs. In another 7-on-7, Pilster went 5 for 5 and looked like he was on fire. He couldn't miss.

But, of course, both Gueller and Pilster have had some rough moments. Gueller, in particular, struggled at times on Tuesday with slow reads and some missed throws.

Idaho State fall practice day 1

Early observation: Quarterback Tanner Gueller looks good. The Chehalis, Wash., freshman is listed at 6-foot-2 and 227 pounds and he looks every bit of it. Haven't had the chance to see Gueller take any live snaps yet, but he fits the mold of a "prototypical" quarterback. It's probably worth noting, though, that redshirt freshman James Delacenserie took all the second-team snaps that I watched in the first hour of practice.

Quotable quote: From head coach Mike Kramer ...

“I’m relatively confident that (we) finally have arrived. First time in four years that we’ve got a Big Sky caliber team comprised of Big Sky caliber athletes top to bottom. I’m excited about seeing some of the new guys, the freshmen, move themselves around knowing that they don’t have to play. That’s kind of what’s building a program is all about. It’s going to be fun to see.”

Coach Kramer on how Idaho State picked up graduate student Daniel Roundtree, who graduated from SMU last year and will play safety ...

"He was looking for an opportunity. Some of his coaches knew some of my coaches. Of course the defensive coordinator at SMU, Tom Mason, (and I) go way back to our early days at Idaho. It’s a good fit for us and hopefully he’ll be able to come in and help because that safety position, whether it’s Taison Manu, Cody Sorensen or anybody else, we have not played safety here the way we’re capable of playing safety since I’ve been here. That’s going to be the barometer of our success, how well we play safety.”

Idaho State senior Jim Bagley on whether Idaho State will run the ball more to take advantage of an experienced offensive line and talented running backs ...

“A bigger part, I couldn’t speak to that. A more effective part? Probably.”

Some additional notes: Idaho State announced that all three spring scrimmages will be open to the public. The first is Aug. 11 at 3:30 p.m. ... JonRyheem Peoples, a Rigby native, was rumored to be headed to Idaho State to play football but is not on the 2014 roster ISU released on Monday. ... Idaho State has 25 total newcomers, including former Blackfoot quarterback Trae Pilster.

The Grays’ future in the Northern Utah Baseball League is cloudy at best

The Gate City Grays have infused a new energy level into Pocatello this summer. They’ve created a buzz. It’s something you can see waft through the air on a steamy summer night.

Or maybe that’s just smoke from the grill.

Either way, the Grays have brought baseball back to the Gate City. It’s always been here, most notably in high school and legion baseball. But let’s be honest — from a fan perspective, not many show up to those games. Because of that, I assumed Grays games at Halliwell Park would be just as empty.

I was wrong. Pocatello has embraced the Grays beyond what I thought was possible. I believe co-owners Terry and Erica Fredrickson would say the same thing. They both knew they loved baseball and they wanted Pocatello to have its own team. To have 1,000 fans regularly pile into Halliwell has been the story of the summer.

The best part about Grays fans is their passion. They pay attention. They show up early and stay through both games when there are doubleheaders. They’re tuned in. It really has shown me that Pocatello loves baseball. I had no reason to believe that before the Grays arrived.

The Grays’ story in year one is one of triumph, for both the players on Gate City’s roster, the owners, the management and biggest of all, baseball fans in southeastern Idaho.

But all of it, and I mean all of it, is in mortal danger of withering away.

The Grays and the Northern Utah Baseball League are in a tenuous relationship. I sense a twinge of hostility from the Utah teams toward Pocatello. NUBL commissioner Justin Jensen said the league has accepted teams from Pocatello in the past and they’ve always folded. Those earlier teams — squads not associated with the Grays — couldn’t handle the travel down south and struggled to field full rosters.

Of course those sort of issues with the Grays have not surfaced. Instead, Gate City, which has already wrapped up the postseason’s No. 1 seed, started the final week of the regular season five games ahead of second-place Smithfield and a whopping 18.5 games in front of the last-place Hyrum Hornets.

My personal sense is that some of the friction between the Grays and the rest of the league is born from miscommunication. Jensen, in a phone conversation with the Journal, said umpires in Grays games at home have not always enforced the NUBL’s codes of conduct. Jensen did not specify exactly what he was referring to, but it sounded like the Grays, at least from the viewpoint of the league, have not facilitated a family atmosphere at Halliwell Park.

Grays fans have yelled verbal insults to opposing players, ranging from utterly harmless remarks to something stronger — not words you would scream toward a friendly neighbor, but maybe those you would hear in the average MLB game.

From what I can tell, though, that’s only part of the story. The rest, in my opinion, stems from the simple fact that the Grays are playing at a different level than the rest of the league, both on the field and more importantly off of it.

Gate City is like that basketball player who shows up in open gym and takes it too seriously. He throws all his weight into a box out and yells at his teammates to pick up the intensity on defense when he’s the only one pressing full court. Everybody else went to the open gym to put up a few jumpers, maybe work up a sweat and have a fun, relaxing time. But the Grays went to that gym looking to play some basketball.

The Fredricksons showed up in the NUBL with a plan, a goal to put together the best team they could so the Grays would compete at a high level right away. In tryouts, guys like Diego and Fernando Robles and Jon Matos showed up. Throw them on the field with locals like Ryan Udy and Tony McCarty and, boom, you’ve got the best team in the NUBL.

In the Grays’ season opener at Halliwell Park, fans showed up in droves. Halliwell’s parking lot suddenly looked too small and it was standing room only inside the ballpark. The atmosphere? Electric. Jovial. Juiced.

So not only did Gate City field the league’s best roster but they’re drawing crowds five to 10 times larger than any other team in the league. Can you imagine if the St. Louis Cardinals were the only team in MLB that drew well and every other ballclub was like the Miami Marlins? From a fan standpoint, that’s the difference between the Grays and the rest of the league.

Is that a relationship that can work long term? The NUBL, Jensen said, is not out to make money. But the Grays are a financial success in ticket sales, merchandise and concessions.

The Grays wanted to host the postseason tournament, a change of plans from when the league, including the Grays, agreed to host it in northern Utah. But that was before Gate City knew it would field the best team. Who doesn’t think the postseason’s No. 1 seed shouldn’t host at least one game in the playoffs?

The league had a choice to make. It could have hosted the postseason tournament in Pocatello and made money doing it. Instead, it will all go down in Utah, a decision that will cost the NUBL thousands of dollars.

Again, Jensen says the league’s mission isn’t about money, but it seems like hosting the tournament at Halliwell Park would have been a great opportunity for the league to grow in a new market and secure a strong foothold in Pocatello long term.

The NUBL seems set in its ways. They’ve been playing their postseason tournaments in Utah for years and the opportunity to enhance the league’s popularity (while earning a profit) wasn’t an attractive option.

Jensen, who as the commissioner of the NUBL works for the owners and is not making these decisions, said he asked the league’s managers if they wanted to consider moving the postseason to Pocatello. The answer was a resounding no.

So the Grays’ final home games of the season are today, a doubleheader against Hyrum. The question becomes whether they are the last games for Gate City as part of the NUBL in Halliwell Park.

Jensen said the Grays and the league will get through this year and then reevaluate their future together moving forward. I can tell you that the Fredricksons don’t want to go anywhere else. They’re grateful for the league and excited to travel south for the postseason next week.

But I’m not convinced the positive feelings flow both ways.