NEWS AND NOTES FROM ROOS FIELD
Offensive fireworks
Idaho State senior quarterback Justin Arias moved into seventh place Saturday in career passing yards with 5,512, passing Mike Machurek (5,149) and Vern Harris (5,503).
ISU’s 614 total yards of offense ranks as the third most for the Bengals in a game since 2004. Idaho State’s 53 points is the third-highest scoring mark since 2002 and is the most points the Bengals have put up in a loss.
It wasn’t just Idaho State setting new marks.
Eastern Washington quarterback Vernon Adams now has the most passing touchdowns (99) ever in the Big Sky Conference and is 14th in FCS history.
The Eagles’ 617 total yards of offense Saturday is the 11th-highest mark in school history. Eastern Washington’s career high in yards (743) came against the Bengals Nov. 2, 2013 at Holt Arena.
Big attendance number
Eastern Washington’s crowd of 11,256 is the third biggest in the school’s history and largest non-Montana crowd ever for the Eagles.
Special teams strikes again
Eastern Washington’s recovered blocked punt for a touchdown is the latest in a long (and growing) line of special teams gaffes for Idaho State this season.
Before the EWU game, opponents had blocked two ISU field goal attempts — returning one 80 yards for a TD — returned two punts for touchdowns and returned a kickoff for a score.
Idaho State head coach Mike Kramer said that the blocked punt against Eastern Washington was a failure of communication.
“We didn’t really miss a block,” Kramer said. “(Daniel McSurdy) was wide open in the flat and C.J. (Reyes) just didn’t look for him. Dan would still be running right now. It was not a fake punt. It was just something we do in the roll punt.”
Kramer against his former team
Kramer began his head coaching career at Eastern Washington, leading the Eagles from 1994-99.
Since moving on from EWU to take over at Montana State, the fourth-year Bengal head coach is 2-8 in his career against the Eagles, including an 0-3 mark at Idaho State.
Playoffs
There are two paths into the postseason for Idaho State. The Bengals must either win the Big Sky Conference to gain the league’s automatic bid or receive an at-large invitation.
Seven wins against Division I competition are needed for an FCS team to snag an at-large bid. If the Bengals cannot win the Big Sky outright, they will have to win the rest of their games to pick up seven Division I victories.
“We’ve got to hold serve at home if we want to be in the postseason,” Kramer said. “For us, keep moving on, keep moving on, keep grinding away, keep getting better.”
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