The good and the bad: ISU at UNC

Idaho State beat Northern Colorado 46-12 last Saturday.

For the Journal's game recap, click here. And we've got another story on the game that focused on ISU's defensive effort ... Bengals blitzing defense comes up big ... And there's more coverage from the game here.

DECIPHERING THE PLUSES AND MINUSES
The Big Sky Conference championship race is wide open with four weeks left in the regular season.

No. 9 Montana State is in first place with a 4-0 league record. But seventh-ranked Eastern Washington, No. 11 Montana, Cal Poly, Northern Arizona and Idaho State are all either a game or a game and a half behind the Bobcats.

That’s six teams in serious contention for the Big Sky title and the conference’s automatic bid into the postseason.

It’s going to be a fun November.

The Bengals are still part of the championship conversation because of a three-game winning streak that they’ll try to stretch to four against Portland State. ISU hasn’t won in Portland since 1998.

Before that, though, let’s look back and decipher the pluses and minuses from Idaho State’s 46-12 win over Northern Colorado on Saturday in Greeley.

Plus
Idaho State’s offensive line. It’s a group that can’t receive enough credit for Idaho State’s 5-3 start to the season.

They’re all returning starters who work well together. They’re experienced and smart. Between the line and senior quarterback Justin Arias, it’s tough to fool Idaho State.

More than anything, the fact Idaho State is balanced between the run and pass has meant everything. Northern Colorado was pretty good against ISU’s aerial attack, forcing Arias into 19 incompletions on 46 passing attempts.

But UNC couldn’t stop the Bengals from marching up and down the field because ISU took to the ground for 348 yards and four touchdowns.

Plus
The Bengals’ ability to get after UNC’s quarterbacks. After taking down Northern Colorado’s Sean Rubalcaba and Jonathan Newsom a combined eight times, Idaho State leads the Big Sky with 26 sacks.

The Bengals may give up some yards defensively, but they’ll consistently find ways to get off the field if they can continue to harass opposing quarterbacks.

Plus/Minus

Plus: Idaho State’s ability to deal with injuries. Minus: Having to deal with those injuries. Tyler Kuder, Broc Malcom, Skyler Phillips, Brandon Golden and PJ Gremaud are just some of the Bengals fighting injuries.

It’s a sign of strength that ISU can still play well despite missing some of its better players. But eventually the Bengals will suffer if injuries continue to mount.

Plus
Daniel McSurdy. Injuries and position changes have derailed McSurdy’s career, but the senior has found where he can best contribute to ISU this season.

As Xavier Finney’s backup, McSurdy has run for 433 yards and four touchdowns. He averages just over eight carries a game and that’s enough to give Finney, who leads the Big Sky in rushing with 1,1147 yards, time to rest.

For all of Finney’s success, McSurdy’s contributions have been crucial.

“He’s just a different gear,” said ISU offensive coordinator Don Bailey about McSurdy. “He’s different than X (Finney). X is a slasher. He wants to break tackles, wants to run you over. And Danny is going to get through the hole in a hurry. They’re a great tandem.”

Minus
The Big Sky’s uneven schedule. Either Montana State, Eastern Washington, Cal Poly, Idaho State, Montana or Northern Arizona is going to win the Big Sky.

But ... the Bengals don’t play Northern Arizona or Montana ... the Grizzlies don’t play Northern Arizona or ISU ... the Eagles don’t play Montana State or Cal Poly ...

You get the idea. With 13 teams in the league and an eight-game conference schedule, it’s impossible for the Big Sky to truly sift out the conference’s best team.

In the championship group, Northern Arizona might have the easiest remaining schedule. The Lumberjacks play Weber State, UC Davis, North Dakota and Southern Utah, a group with a combined 3-14 record in the Big Sky. Montana State’s remaining four games (Cal Poly, PSU, ISU, UM) are the toughest with a 12-5 combined record.

Idaho State’s last four league opponents are 10-7 in the Big Sky. UM’s are 11-7, EWU’s 6-6 and Cal Poly’s 7-5

Bengals in the Big Sky and national rankings

— Idaho State picked up two points in the latest FCS Coaches’ Poll and 16 points in The Sports Network’s top 25.

— Idaho State ranks first in the nation in passing with an average of 359.3 yards per game, and is second in total offense at 579.9 yards per game.

— Bengals junior receiver Madison Mangum is sixth in the country averaging 105 yards a game, and sophomore KW Williams is tied for sixth with eight receiving touchdowns.

— In Big Sky Conference games, Idaho State is 10th in total defense (508.5 yards a game) and last in pass defense at 379 yards a game.

— ISU linebacker Austin Graves is third in the Big Sky with 6.5 sacks. Teammate Erik Nelson is sixth with five quarterback takedowns. Mario Jenkins is third in the Big Sky with 80 tackles.

Idaho State to play Cal in 2018
California announced Monday that it will host the Bengals on Sept. 15, 2018, marking the first time the two schools will meet in football.