Idaho State at Portland State pregame

Jenny Losee/For the Journal

ISU game day: The numbers say it’s strength versus strength — Bengals take on Portland State
Miss any of the Journal's ISU football coverage through the week?

ISU football notebook: Big Sky’s leading rusher deflecting credit

Arias on track for historic season

The good and the bad — Idaho State at Northern Colorado

STREAK BANISHED — Bengals dominant in win at Northern Colorado

Bengals blitzing defense comes up big


TODAY’S CRUCIAL MATCHUP
Idaho State’s offensive line vs Portland State’s defensive line

Portland State’s starting defensive line averages 6-foot-3 and 266 pounds. Their ability to stand strong at the line of scrimmage has meant the Vikings don’t have to commit extra bodies to stopping the run.

If the Vikings can manage that versus Idaho State, they might be the first team in the Big Sky to slow down an offense that has torched every Big Sky opponent it’s faced this season. The Bengals put up 639 total yards of offense against Sacramento State, 614 at Eastern Washington, 670 against Southern Utah and 651 at Northern Colorado last week.

“It’s difficult. It’s beyond difficult,” said Portland State coach Nigel Burton, “because if you commit your front seven to the run they’ve got so many playmakers in the pass game.”

Idaho State has been tough to solve and slow down on offense because offensive coordinator Don Bailey and his quarterback Justin Arias can rely on either the run or pass to pick up first downs.

Defenses have to choose which aspect of ISU’s spread they want to stop. Is it the run or pass? Choosing both, so far, hasn’t been an option.

Northern Colorado learned that. The Bears wanted to stymie Idaho State’s aerial assault, so the Bengals ran the ball 42 times for 348 yards.

“(Arias) doesn’t necessarily have to be a thrower. He can win games by handing the ball off,” said Idaho State head coach Mike Kramer. “And, literally, when Northern Colorado opted to try and play pass defense on every down the running game was going to be there. Whereas two years ago, we didn’t have a running game to go to. Now with a great offensive line and a very talented tailback, we’ve got an answer to your defensive strategy.”

But do the Bengals have an answer for how Portland State will play on defense? Idaho State offensive coordinator Don Bailey said he never really knows how teams are going to play the Bengals, because “we don’t get to see exactly what they’re going to play. ... There’s always probably a quarter of the plan that we expect defensively that we haven’t seen.”

It comes down to the Bengals’ offensive line continuing to do what they’ve done all season: protect Arias from the pass rush and create running holes for Idaho State’s running backs.

IDAHO STATE KEYS TO SUCCESS
1
Force Portland State into third-and-long situations. The Vikings want to run the ball. They’ve averaged 281 yards rushing in their three wins and 139 yards on the ground in five losses.

The Vikings haven’t had an answer for when teams have been able to cripple Portland State’s pistol offense that runs the read-option. Junior quarterback Kieran McDonagh is completing 49.8 percent of his passes and averaging an interception every 3.1 percent of his pass attempts. For comparison, Idaho State’s Justin Arias is throwing a pick on 1.4 percent of his passing attempts.

“It’ll be key to get them in third and longer situations and not third and manageable, because as they stay on clock or stay on time with their play calling they don’t mind being (in) third-to-3-and-5 because they’re pretty good at picking those down and distances up,” said Idaho State co-defensive coordinator Roger Cooper. “It’ll be important for us to get them into third and long. It’s a lot of formation recognition and a lot of staying on the same page with communication.”

If the Vikings are able to pound away on the ground, they’ll eat clock and keep ISU’s offense stranded on the sideline. Portland State held on to the ball for more than 39 minutes in last season’s 38-31 victory at Holt Arena.

2
Win the turnover battle. Portland State is minus-four in turnover margin and Idaho State is plus-seven. The Bengals have lost four fumbles and thrown five interceptions, and they’ve created 16 turnovers, the second-most in the Big Sky Conference.

Forcing turnovers is a facet of ISU’s defense the coaches constantly focus on. Bengals co-defensive coordinator Roger Cooper says Idaho State has four goals on defense every game. No. 3 on that list is creating takeaways.

In Big Sky Conference play, no one has been better than the Bengals at forcing turnovers. Idaho State’s blitzing 3-4 defensive scheme has led to a league-high 19 sacks and nine turnovers.

Expect Idaho State to be extra feisty against the Vikings.

“The teams that have had success have been very aggressive and not letting any motion, any shifts mess with their eyes or their scheme,” Cooper said.

Really, it’s pretty simple for the Bengals on defense. They just have to make the right reads and then play with confidence.

“Just do your job. You’ve got to be where you’re supposed to be when you’re supposed to be there,” said senior linebacker Mitch Beckstead. “That’s how you shut that kind of stuff down. But I think the biggest thing is making the plays when they come to you. ... You’ll always have your opportunity.”

When it comes to protecting the football, ISU quarterback Justin Arias hasn’t thrown an interception in his last 152 passes.

3
The red zone battle. Idaho State is sixth in the Big Sky Conference in red zone offense and third in red zone defense. ISU has scored 33 out of 39 times it has reached the red zone. Defensively, the Bengals have stopped opponents from scoring six out of 27 times opponents have pushed the ball inside their 20-yard line.

On the other sideline, Portland State is 10th in red zone offense and ninth in red zone defense.

Red zone efficiency is a crucial part of the game. The Bengals had a big stop in the red zone against Sacramento State when Erik Collins intercepted Hornets quarterback Garrett Safron. Plays like that can help swing momentum.

Offensively, Idaho State has been effective in the red zone but not perfect. Remember, the Bengals drove inside Sacramento State’s 5-yard line on their first two possessions of the game and walked away with a grand total of three points.

ISU recovered and cruised to a 20-point win, but the same kind of mistakes on the road could spell disaster.

ISU men's basketball postgame vs Great Falls

BENGAL BITS

Idaho State 65, Great Falls 40

Crowd: 630

Records: Idaho State and Great Falls played an exhibition game.

Key stat: Great Falls shot 4 for 29 from the 3-point line and 9 for 56 from the floor (16.1 percent)

Key player: Evann Hall entered off the bench for the Bengals and scored 13 points of 5-of-7 shooting in 18 minutes. Hall, a junior, added two steals and did not commit a turnover.

Quotable: “We gave up way too many offensive rebounds and that’s big. ... We’ve just got to tighten the bolts on the defensive end and I think we’ll be good.” — Idaho State senior Jeffrey Solarin on ISU allowing 16 offensive rebounds to Great Falls.

Great Falls vs Idaho State
10/30/14 7:05 p.m. at ICCU Court at Reed Gym (Pocatello, ID)
At ICCU Court at Reed Gym (Pocatello, ID)
IDAHO STATE 65, GREAT FALLS 40
GREAT FALLS
HURN, Marcus 3-14 1-2 10; ARCAU, Daniel 2-5 4-8 8; HURN, Matthew 1-6 4-4 6;
DAHO, Steven 1-4 3-6 5; BERKLEY, Sergio 1-4 0-1 3; FARMER, Sigman 1-7 1-2 3;
LOCKETT, Darren 0-7 2-2 2; GROENEWOLD, Dalton 0-4 2-3 2; SCHLESSER, Chris
0-0 1-2 1; CARR, Iain 0-0 0-0 0; HARRIS, T.J. 0-5 0-0 0. Totals 9-56 18-30
40.
IDAHO STATE
HALL, Evann 5-7 3-5 13; EZENWA, Nnamdi 5-10 0-0 10; SOLARIN, Jeffrey 5-12
0-1 10; WILSON, Ben 3-4 2-5 8; FOX, Ian 1-4 5-5 7; SLAVIK, Andre 1-2 2-2 4;
HANSEN, Chris 2-5 0-1 4; TOPALOVIC, Novak 1-3 1-2 3; NAKKEN, Erik 1-4 0-0 2;
NICHOLDS, Spencer 0-0 2-2 2; MAGOT, Ajak 0-0 2-2 2; LUZCANDO, Geno 0-4 0-0
0. Totals 24-55 17-25 65.
Great Falls...................   17   23  -   40
Idaho State...................   38   27  -   65
3-point goals--Great Falls 4-29 (HURN, Marcus 3-14; BERKLEY, Sergio 1-3;
HURN, Matthew 0-3; LOCKETT, Darren 0-3; GROENEWOLD, Dalton 0-3; HARRIS, T.J.
0-3), Idaho State 0-8 (; FOX, Ian 0-2; HANSEN, Chris 0-2; NAKKEN, Erik 0-3;
LUZCANDO, Geno 0-1). Fouled out--Great Falls-HARRIS, T.J., Idaho
State-MAGOT, Ajak; SLAVIK, Andre. Rebounds--Great Falls 42 (ARCAU, Daniel
9), Idaho State 45 (SOLARIN, Jeffrey 11). Assists--Great Falls 6 (LOCKETT,
Darren 2), Idaho State 9 (LUZCANDO, Geno 2; NAKKEN, Erik 2; FOX, Ian 2).
Total fouls--Great Falls 25, Idaho State 28. Technical fouls--Great
Falls-None, Idaho State-None. A-630

Idaho State looks ahead to Portland State

ISU football notebook: Big Sky’s leading rusher deflecting credit

ISU football: Arias on track for historic season

And for some Idaho State basketball coverage on the eve of the Bengals' exhibition game against Great Falls ...

ISU basketball: Bengals basketball back in action tonight (video)

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.

Idaho State at Northern Colorado postgame

NOTES FROM NOTTINGHAM FIELD IN GREELEY, COLO.
Rewriting records
Senior quarterback Justin Arias threw two touchdowns in Idaho State’s win on Saturday and is now two away from tying Jason Whitmer (1987-90) for the most in school history.

Arias also moved up to No. 3 at Idaho State for the most passing yards with 6,669 for his career. Arias surpassed his former teammate Kevin Yost (2011-12), who threw for 6,663 yards.

On another note, Arias has not thrown an interception in his last 152 passing attempts. And he’s led Idaho State to 45 touchdowns this season, the second most in program history (tied with the 2003 Bengals). The school record for most touchdowns in a season is 52 by the 1981 ISU national championship team.

Dealing with injuries
Idaho State beat Northern Colorado without starting nose tackle Tyler Kuder, starting cornerbacks Brandon Golden and Erik Collins or starting wide receiver Broc Malcom. Plus, right guard Styler Phillips went down with an injury in the first half, and backup tight end Tyler Wright did not dress.

ISU looked like it never missed a beat.

“It tells you we’ve got great depth and we do a great job in the weight room,” said Bengals head coach Mike Kramer.

First timers
Juniors Tyler Graves and CJ Hatchett both scored their first touchdowns as Bengals on Saturday.

Graves caught a 10-yard strike from Arias in the second quarter that put the Bengals up 24-0, and Hatchett grabbed a 21-yard pass midway through the third quarter that extended ISU’s lead to 32-6.

IDAHO ST. 46, N. COLORADO 12
Idaho St.	10	14	15	7—46
N. Colorado	0	0	12	0—12
First Quarter

IdSt_FG Johnson 25, 12:18.
IdSt_Finney 13 run (Johnson kick), 6:00.

Second Quarter

IdSt_McSurdy 41 run (Johnson kick), 4:38.
IdSt_T.Graves 10 pass from Arias (Johnson kick), :59.

Third Quarter

NoCo_S.Miller 36 pass from Newsom (pass failed), 12:34.
IdSt_Hatchett 21 pass from Arias (Williams pass from Arias), 8:44.
NoCo_Leslie 22 pass from Newsom (kick failed), 5:02.
IdSt_McSurdy 2 run (Johnson kick), 2:21.

Fourth Quarter

IdSt_McSurdy 1 run (Johnson kick), 8:21.
A_4,210.

	IdSt	NoCo
First downs	34	20
Rushes-yards	42-348	33-76
Passing	303	252
Comp-Att-Int	28-47-0	18-35-2
Return Yards	12	(-1)
Punts-Avg.	5-40.6	9-40.3
Fumbles-Lost	1-1	1-1
Penalties-Yards	8-70	10-117
Time of Possession	32:04	27:56

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING_Idaho St., Finney 22-236, McSurdy 11-90, Ford 4-22,
Hayes 2-6, Team 3-(minus 6). N. Colorado, Cartagena 6-42, Holland 8-37,
Newsom 6-12, Graham 3-11, A.Davis 2-10, Rubalcaba 8-(minus 36).
PASSING_Idaho St., Arias 27-46-0-288, Delacenserie 1-1-0-15. N.
Colorado, Newsom 10-19-1-171, Rubalcaba 8-16-1-81.
RECEIVING_Idaho St., Mangum 7-104, Williams 5-57, H.Graves 4-45,
T.Graves 4-39, Hatchett 2-25, Cook 2-20, Finney 2-(minus 2), Gines 1-15,
McSurdy 1-0. N. Colorado, Leslie 4-68, Stimphil 4-45, S.Miller 3-51,
Holland 3-16, Hinds 1-27, Whye 1-20, Cartagena 1-18, Vander Velde 1-7.

Idaho State at Northern Colorado pregame

Today's preview of the Northern Colorado-Idaho State game in the Journal ...

Bengals hope to break road losing streak against Northern Colorado

More Idaho State football coverage leading up to Saturday's game ...

Bengals hope to break road losing streak against Northern Colorado

Bengals defense playing catch-up (videos)      


Depth at tight end boosts entire offense

The Good and the bad — Idaho State vs Southern Utah

TODAY’S CRUCIAL MATCHUP
In three Big Sky Conference games, Idaho State quarterback Justin Arias has thrown for 1,299 yards, 12 touchdowns and two interceptions.

ISU coach Mike Kramer said the Bengals didn’t have their “A” game in a 56-28 win over Southern Utah last week. The fourth-year coach pointed to Arias as a guy who didn’t play as “perfect or as well as he’s played.” That’s in a game where Arias set a career-high with 465 passing yards.

“We’re being nitpicky with him,” said Idaho State offensive coordinator Don Bailey. “He’s been in the program for four years. We grade him as hard as the first day he got here.”

The Bengals expect a lot from Arias because he’s the conductor of their high-octane offense. When Arias is on his game, he makes all the pieces come together.

For that simple fact alone, you can bet Northern Colorado is going to do everything it can to get after Arias. The Bears will rely on a blitzing defense to get the job done.

“They’re committed to doing it,” Bailey said. “They blitz dramatically more than Southern Utah. They’re way more committed to trying to apply pressure with more bodies. Whether it’s a five or six-man pressure, they want to be able to do that a lot more times a game than Southern Utah.”

Bengals senior running back Daniel McSurdy said Northern Colorado blitzes 80 percent of the time on third downs.
It places a major emphasis on Arias, his offensive line, the running backs and the receivers to recognize where the blitz is coming from and adjust accordingly.

“We’ve just got to work hard this week in our preparation,” said ISU inside wide receivers coach Mike Ferriter. “(Get) in the film room and try to recognize anything before it happens. But Northern Colorado does a good job of holding their pressures off and not tipping their hat a lot. It’ll be a challenge for us to see it on the go, on the fly.”

IDAHO STATE KEYS TO SUCCESS
1
Establish the running game. Northern Colorado likes to blitz. Best way to stymie the wave of a hard pass rush?

“You just have to get the ball out. ... Have an effective running game,” said ISU quarterback Justin Arias. “When you gash them or gouge them for big plays on blitzes, they don’t tend to blitz as much.”

The Bengals offense should be used to dealing with blitzes. They play against an aggressive defense every day in practice.

“Our defense usually blitzes our nuts off,” Arias said. “So we’re pretty used to it. You just have to get the ball out.”

Arias has to make fast reads, and the offensive line needs to do what is has done well the entire season — protect their quarterback.

And — at least statistically — that shouldn’t be an issue. The Bears are tied with Cal Poly for the fewest sacks in the Big Sky Conference (7), and the Bengals have given up the third-fewest number of sacks in the league (9).

Another factor in Idaho State’s favor: The Bengals should be able to run the ball, especially when UNC goes to its nickel defensive package.

“They have some secondary people playing linebackers and I think our offensive front is very fast to the second level, so they should have a field day if they’re going against 180-pound guys instead of 240-pound guys,” said ISU running back Daniel McSurdy.

2
Get after Rubalcaba. Northern Colorado sophomore quarterback Sean Rubalcaba is third in the nation with a 69 percent completion percentage. He had to beat out North Texas-transfer Brock Berglund in the fall to replace longtime starter Seth Lobato.

A big reason Rubalcaba won the job? Poise.He was voted a team captain by his teammates during spring practice.

“He does a good job in the pocket. He’s pretty athletic,” said Idaho State co-defensive coordinator Spencer Toone. “If he has a window, he can run. He’s taken a few the distance. ... He wants to pass first, so that’s what makes him good as well.”

The Bengals are second in the Big Sky with 18 team sacks. But they want to do better.

“Our pass rush continues to become a major part of what we’re doing,” said ISU head coach Mike Kramer. “We’re not really tweaking anything. We’re making some adjustments in our defense that maybe we haven’t looked at before that will be evident on Saturday.”

ISU wants to pressure Rubalcaba so he has less time to find his top target, senior receiver Dimitri Stimphil, who has 33 catches for 494 yards and two touchdowns this season. Toone called Stimphil “dynamic.”

And unlike Southern Utah a week ago, the Bears are a much more balanced offense. UNC wants to be able to run the ball and will use two running backs (Robert Holland and Darius Graham) who average a combined 96 yards a game.

“They look like grinders,” Beckstead said. “They have several playmakers on the team.”

3
Start the third quarter fast. Idaho State’s worst quarter this season has been the third. The Bengals have outscored opponents 184-136 in the second and fourth quarters. But opponents have outscored Idaho State 55-49 in the third quarter.

“We haven’t played great in the third quarter all season long,” said Bengals coach Mike Kramer. “... It’s almost like at halftime, we’re not going to go up to the locker room.”

Against Southern Utah, ISU held a 35-21 lead at half. By the end of the third quarter, though, the Thunderbirds had whittled the lead down to seven. The Bengals had gone cold on offense. It took a 21-point fourth quarter from Idaho State to put the game away.

“If we’re that good and they’re not playing well and we have a substantial lead at halftime, we need to sure in the third quarter, the first four or five minutes in the third quarter, to reassert our will,” Kramer said. “We need to be able to make sure that we’re conscientious of that.”

ISU football notebook: Depth at tight end boosts entire offense

For more Bengals football coverage ... Bengals defense playing catch-up

Idaho State lost three receivers to injury against Eastern Washington, forcing the Bengals to adjust on the fly while trying to put together a second-half comeback.

In the end, that rally fell short in a 56-53 loss but not because of injuries at wide receiver. It actually provided two players — junior tight ends Tyler Wright and Tyler Graves — an opportunity to show what they could do.

Their emergence has been a boon in Idaho State’s offensive renaissance the past few weeks.

“Tyler Wright and Tyler Graves have really been the catalyst for how we’re playing offense right now,” said ISU head coach Mike Kramer. “One thing that they are able to do is they’re extremely good blockers and also excellent at catching the ball over the middle.”

When receivers Madison Mangum, Broc Malcom and Aaron Prier were all hurt at Eastern Washington, the Bengals shifted starting tight end Josh Cook to outside wide receiver. It provided an chance for Wright and Graves, who both missed the start of the season with nagging injuries of their own, to step in for Cook.

They responded with a combined five catches for 84 yards.

“They’ve taken that opportunity and they’ve really seized it and made the most of every snap they’ve gotten,” said Idaho State inside wide receivers and tight end coach Mike Ferriter.

Since the game against the Eagles, Wright and Graves have continued to play well, combining for 127 receiving yards against Simon Fraser and another 140 versus Southern Utah last week.

“We can have a fresh tight end on the field at all times,” Ferriter said. “... They all provide different attributes and different things to our scheme. They all fit very well into what we’re trying to do.”

KW Williams still getting better

Mangum leads Idaho State in catches and receiving yards, but slot receiver KW Williams has been quarterback Justin Arias’ most consistent target.

Williams is averaging 74 receiving yards a game and has caught a team-high eight touchdowns. The exciting part for the Bengals is that Williams is only getting better. The former high school quarterback is new to wide receiver and still learning the nuances.

“All summer he was here really mastering the trade of the position,” Ferriter said. “But he’s so fresh at it and so young that it’s fun to watch him every week grow and become a more complete receiver.”

Bengals dealing with injuries

Kramer confirmed that reserve junior offensive lineman Colin Prestesater and junior defensive lineman Derek Berrey are both out for Saturday’s game at Northern Colorado. Berrey, who has 11 tackles as a backup, is likely finished for the season, Kramer said.

Starting nose tackle Tyler Kuder and offensive right tackle Terrence Carey were both hurt in the Southern Utah game, but Kramer would not comment on any other team injuries. He said five to six players “are working really hard to become more available.”

Up-and-down nature against the Bears

In 2011, Idaho State whipped Northern Colorado 50-20 at Holt Arena. The Bears returned the favor the next season, crushing the Bengals 52-14 in Greeley, Colo. The string of double-digit wins between the two teams continued last season when ISU won 40-26 at home.

“Is it their turn again? I guess that’s a rhetorical question,” Kramer said. “... We’ll find out on Saturday.”

The Bengals (4-3, 2-1 BSC) and Northern Colorado (2-5, 1-3 BSC) kickoff at 1:30 p.m. Saturday from Nottingham Field in Greeley.

The game will be broadcast on 930 AM and 102.5 FM and streamed on Watch Big Sky. Follow Journal sports editor Kyle Franko on Twitter (@ByKyleFranko) for live game updates.

The Good and the bad: ISU vs SUU

The Bengals are on fire right now.

The offense is humming, they’re 4-0 at home and in prime position to — believe it or not — contend for a Big Sky Conference title after defeating Southern Utah 56-28 Saturday in Holt Arena.

With a 21-point fourth quarter, ISU turned a tight contest into a comfortable four-touchdown win, helping validate ISU’s choice last week to resign head coach Mike Kramer for another three years.

There is, however, one big albatross hovering over the football program. The Bengals have lost 48 straight games, a streak that goes back to a time long, long ago (Oct. 7, 2006 at Northern Colorado, more specifically).

Idaho State’s next two Big Sky games are on the road, starting with Northern Colorado this weekend and Portland State on Nov. 1. Without question, ISU’s Big Sky championship and postseason dreams ride on its ability to win at least one of its next two games.

Before that, though, let’s look back and decipher the pluses and minuses from Idaho State’s 28-point win against Southern Utah.

PLUS/MINUS
Idaho State’s defense. The negative is that Southern Utah scored 21 points in the first half and the Thunderbirds’ one-dimensional offense accrued 528 total yards of passing.

That’s not a championship-level performance.

But when ISU’s offense went cold in the third quarter and had to punt on three straight possessions, the Bengals found a way to stop Southern Utah on three of its four drives.

And Idaho State was much better defending the passing game. Thunderbirds quarterback Ammon Olsen completed 63 percent of his passes for 278 yards and two TDs in the first half. In the final two quarters, his completion percentage dropped to 56 percent and freshman linebacker Mario Jenkins picked Olsen off twice.
Idaho State’s defense bent but never broke.

MINUS
ISU’s injuries. Starting offensive left tackle Terrence Carey and starting defensive tackle Tyler Kuder were both hurt against Southern Utah. Don’t expect the Bengals to announce their status for Northern Colorado. It’s a guessing game whether either or both will be available.

ISU has the roster depth to fill in for Carey. Sophomore right guard Skyler Phillips can slide over to right tackle (as he did against SUU when Carey was out) and sophomore Thomas Vazorka has proven to be a reliable fill in at right guard.

 It’s more of a problem for the Bengals if Kuder has to miss any significant time. The 6-foot-3, 305-pound defensive lineman sits at the heart of ISU’s defense and is fifth on the team with 39 tackles.

PLUS
Idaho State’s athletics program. After compiling a 4-44 record in the Big Sky Conference from 2008-13, Idaho State’s football is 2-1 in the conference and has one the nation’s best offenses (more on that below).

The Bengals volleyball team is the reigning Big Sky champions and sit in first place of the South standings with a league-best 7-1 record.

In soccer, Idaho State’s Amanda Ellworth’s 35 career goals is two shy of breaking the Big Sky record with three matches left in the regular season.

PLUS
Idaho State’s playoff hopes now that it’s receiving votes in the FCS Coaches poll and The Sports Network top-25 FCS poll.

If the Bengals want to reach the postseason, they’ll need to either win the Big Sky Conference’s automatic bid by winning the league or receive an at-large bid. A league championship will be tough. Eastern Washington is undefeated in the conference with four games left and the Eagles’ toughest game (Montana, Nov. 8) is at home.

The other route is to receive one of 13 at-large playoff bids and that comes down to how good a team is perceived to be. Idaho State isn’t close to breaking into the top 25 in either poll but there is an easy way to fix that — keep winning.

BENGALS IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS— Idaho State is second in the nation averaging 569.7 yards per game, and only three teams (Eastern Washington, Montana State and Alcorn) have scored more touchdowns than ISU, which has 40 through its first seven games.
— Led by senior quarterback Justin Arias, the Bengals have the No. 1 passing offense in the country. Arias and the Bengals are averaging 367 yards per game. ISU has the sixth-highest scoring offense at 41.7 points per game.
— Junior Madison Mangum is averaging 105 yards a game (ninth in the FCS) and sophomore KW Williams’ eight touchdown catches is tied for fifth.
— With 911 rushing yards, junior Xavier Finney is 11th in the FCS in rushing and tied for sixth with 11 rushing TDs.
— Defensively, Idaho State is allowing 36 points (103rd in the FCS) and 484 yards (112th) a game.

Idaho State vs Southern Utah postgame (videos, scoring summary, notes)

NEWS AND NOTES FROM THE DOME

Graves shuffling around
Freshman wide receiver Hagen Graves started in an entirely new position for the second straight game.

Graves, who is just over a year removed from playing for Skyview High School, began the season as KW Williams backup as a slot wide receiver. But after both Madison Mangum and Broc Malcom went down with injuries at Eastern Washington, Graves has shifted to outside wide receiver.

Against Simon Fraser on Oct. 11, Graves started in place of Mangum and caught five passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns.

Saturday, Graves moved to the other side of the field in place of Malcom, who is still out with an undisclosed injury. Graves caught four passes for 82 yards.

“Hagen’s maturity allows him to be able to play wherever we put him,” said ISU offensive coordinator Don Bailey. “... It can be complicated but we make it simple for him to be able to play fast.”

No breakdown in the kicking gameThe Bengals didn’t have a field goal blocked and Southern Utah didn’t burn ISU for six points on a kickoff or punt return. In essence, Idaho State had one of its best games of the season on special teams.

“Outstanding job by our kicking crew the whole day,” said Idaho State head coach Mike Kramer. “The kickoff coverage was outstanding. Our punt coverage was outstanding. … We’re a good football team and we play well at home.”

C.J. Reyes punted seven times for an average of 44.4 yards per boot. Five of the senior’s punts landed inside Southern Utah’s 20-yard line.

Even the offense can wear downIdaho State and Southern Utah combined to run 186 plays. Both teams have offenses that want to play fast and overwhelm opposing defenses.

ISU offensive lineman Wesley Wingrove admits that he can wear down, too, but he’s adjusted to the pace of play.

“My freshman year, it wasn’t easy going 96 plays,” he said. “I wanted to tap out at about 40. But now that this is my third year, I’ve gotten used to it.”

Idaho State injuriesStarting Idaho State defensive nose tackle Tyler Kuder and offensive right tackle Terrence Carey were forced out of the Southern Utah game with apparent injuries.

Idaho State does not comment on any injuries and their status for next week’s road game is unknown. Kuder is fifth on the Bengals with 39 tackles and Carey is part of an offensive line that has helped jump-start the Bengals’ running game.

Up next: Northern Colorado
Idaho State (4-3, 2-1 BSC) plays at Northern Colorado (2-5, 1-3) Oct. 25 at 1:35 p.m.

The Bears have lost their last two games, including a 26-18 final at Eastern Washington on Saturday.

Northern Colorado entered this weekend’s slate of games in the Big Sky 12th in scoring offense (20.3 points per game), but the Bears have been solid on defense, holding opponents to 29.5 points on average. UNC leads the league in interceptions with 14.

SCORING SUMMARY

FIRST QUARTER
ISU — Xavier Finney 1 run (Zak Johnson Kick), 8:14. Key plays: Justin Arias hit Madison Mangum for 38 yards, taking Idaho State to the Southern Utah 38-yard line. Xavier Finney had 17 yards rushing on five carries, including his touchdown run, but it was the legs of Arias that kept the drive alive when all options failed to pan out. He ran nine yards from the SUU 17 on third down. Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 3:29. Idaho State 7, Southern Utah 0.

SUU — Chris Robinson 79 pass from Ammon Olsen (Trevor McGirr kick), 7:55. Key plays: Blown ISU coverage left SUU receiver Chris Robinson wide open. After grabbing the pass about 15 yards from the line of scrimmage, he bolted the remaining 64 yards for the score. Drive: 1 play, 79 yards, 0:12. Idaho State 7, Southern Utah 7.

SECOND QUARTER
ISU — Xavier Finney 1 run (Zak Johnson kick), 14:54. Key plays: Arias passes of 19 and 23 yards, both on third down to Mangum, kept the drive alive. A 23-yard shot to Josh Cook put the Bengals on the SUU 1-yard line, setting up a second Finney touchdown. Arias was 6-of-8 with 96 yards on the drive. Drive: 14 plays, 95 yards, 4:41. Idaho State 14, Southern Utah 7.

ISU — Madison Mangum 7 pass from Justin Arias (Zak Johnson kick), 12:45. Key plays: Arias racked up another 65 yards passing on the drive, finding Tyler Wright for 21 yards and then 37 yards before hitting Mangum for seven yards and the touchdown. Drive: 3 plays, 65 yards, 0:37. Idaho State 21, Southern Utah 7.

SUU — Malik Brown 9 pass from Ammon Olsen (Trevor McGirr kick), 8:33. Key plays: Ammon Olsen was methodical in hitting several short passes before an interference penalty on ISU pushed the Thunderbirds into Bengal territory. That’s when Olsen connected with Robinson for 33 yards, putting SUU inside the 10-yard line. Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 4:06. Idaho State 21, Southern Utah 14.

ISU — KW Williams 17 pass from Justin Arias (Zak Johnson kick), 7:09. Key plays: Arias hit Finney for 21 yards and Hagen Graves for 12 yards. It was Finney who then rumbled 22 yards to take the ball into the red zone where Arias hit KW Williams for the touchdown. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 1:31. Idaho State 28, Southern Utah 14.

SUU — Malik Brown 3 run (Trevor McGirr kick), 4:54. Key plays: Olsen hit Justin Brown for 41 yards, taking the Thunderbirds down to the ISU 18-yard line. He added an 11-yard shot to Justin Brown and Malik Brown ran the remaining three yards for the touchdown. Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 2:08. Idaho State 28, Southern Utah 21.

ISU — Daniel McSurdy 16 run (Zak Johnson kick), 3:22. Key plays: Finney carried the ball for 16 yards and 14 yards on successive plays. And Arias hit Graves for 9 yards. But it was McSurdy, breaking tackles and darting for the end zone who carried it home. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 1:39. Idaho State 35, Southern Utah 21.

THIRD QUARTER
SUU — Mitch Jessop 2 pass from Ammon Olsen (Trevor McGirr kick), 7:17. Key plays: Olsen was 4-of-4 for 57 yards, including a 41-yard shot to Mitch Jessop that put SUU on the Idaho State 2-yard line, setting up a touchdown pass to Jessop. Drive: 6 plays, 57 yards, 1:26. Idaho State 35, Southern Utah 21.

FOURTH QUARTER
ISU — KW Williams 29 pass from Justin Arias (Zak Johnson kick), 14:55. Key plays: Arias hit Graves for 45 yards on third down to keep the drive alive. He later hit Williams for 29 yards and the touchdown. Drive: 7 plays, 90 yards, 1:58. Idaho State 41, Southern Utah 28.

ISU — Josh Cook 43 pass from Justin Arias (Zak Johnson kick), 8:06. Key plays: The Bengals began the drive at the Southern Utah 49-yard line. Arias connected with Josh Cook on the third play of the drive for a 43-yard touchdown. Drive: 3 plays, 49 yards, 0:46. Idaho State 49, Southern Utah 28.

ISU — Xavier Finney 42 run (Zak Johnson kick), 3:37. Key plays: Late in the game, as ISU sought to run out the clock, it was Finney, ducking defenders, who rumbled 42 yards for the touchdown. Drive: 2 plays, 47 yards, 0:41. Idaho State 56, Southern Utah 28.

Idaho State game day vs Southern Utah

Doug Lindley/Idaho State Journal
Idaho State defensive back Kamino Ward returns an interception against Simon Fraser during their game Oct. 11 at Holt Arena.

FOR MORE Idaho State game day coverage ...

ISU game day — Madison Mangum molded himself into the receiver he's always wanted to be

The tables have turned — A year removed from a beating at the hands of SUU, Idaho State finds itself in the role of the aggressor

Here's a story The Spectrum that covers Southern Utah ... T-Birds travel to face improved Bengals

AND HERE are links to the Journal's coverage of ISU football since the Simon Fraser game ...

Bengals banking on Kramer — ISU extends contract with 4th-year coach for three more years (video)

ISU football notebook: Bengals host SUU on Saturday (videos)

ISU football: The good and the bad: ISU vs Simon Fraser 

TODAY’S CRUCIAL MATCHUP

Idaho State’s big-play ability vs. Southern Utah’s bend-don’t-break defense
A major component of Idaho State’s record-setting offense the past few weeks has been its capacity to make big plays.

Senior quarterback Justin Arias has a plethora of weapons who can break open downfield for long touchdown passes. An opposing defense can’t decide to shut down wide out Madison Mangum on the outside because KW Williams or Josh Cook will burn them for chunk yardage in the middle of the field. And with the Big Sky’s leading rusher in junior Xavier Finney, defensive coordinators can’t simply drop into a deep zone to smother the passing attack.

The Thunderbirds’ defense is particularly adept at keeping everything in front of them. SUU will force teams to be precise offensively and execute on long drives down the field.

“They try and bait you into throwing deep balls,” Williams said. “They want you to think you can make the big play because there is a lot of space out there. ... Their linebackers are very disciplined.”

ISU offensive coordinator Don Bailey said, “They don’t bring a lot of pressure. But they’re going to try and slow us down by making you be methodical.”

How can Idaho State loosen up SUU and still find ways to hit its receivers deep down the field?

Run the ball.

“We’re going to have to set up the pass,” Williams said.

Southern Utah is dead last in the Big Sky Conference, allowing 283 rushing yards a game.

In a 42-39 loss at Cal Poly on Oct. 4, the Thunderbirds gave up 452 yards on the ground. For the season, SUU is giving up a Big Sky-high 537 total yards a game.

The Bengals say they’re motivated to play well after Southern Utah shut them down a season ago in a 19-9 T-Bird victory.

 “I had one of my worst games,” Arias said. “I’m looking forward to some redemption.”

IDAHO STATE KEYS TO SUCCESS

1
Slow down James Cowser.
Southern Utah’s junior defensive end is second in the Big Sky Conference with 6.5 sacks and leads the league with 16.5 tackles for loss. The Bengals kept Cowser in check in last season’s 19-9 loss at Southern Utah.

“In check” means the Fruit Heights, Utah, native was held to one sack and three quarterback hurries.

“He came out of the same printing press that God used when he made (ISU rush linebacker) Austin Graves,” said Bengals coach Mike Kramer. “(Cowser has) good speed — plays relentlessly. He’s a little undersized. He’s facing two offensive tackles that I think are pretty good. Great challenge, worth the price of a ticket.”

If Cowser, who is listed at 6-foot-4 and 258 pounds, is going to get after Idaho State quarterback Justin Arias, he’ll have to go through two men: senior left tackle Jim Bagley and junior right tackle Terrence Carey.

Bagley and Carey are part of an ISU offensive line that has allowed six sacks this season. Last year, opponents sacked Arias 22 times.

“He plays with a motor and gets after guys,” said Idaho State offensive coordinator Don Bailey about Cowser. “So that’s a challenge.”

2
Tackling and third down. Southern Utah converts 37 percent of its third downs (seventh in the Big Sky) and allows opponents to convert 49.5 percent of third downs (12th). Both are numbers Idaho State has to take advantage of. Eastern Washington has one of the best third-down offenses in the league. The Eagles went 8 for 16 on third down against Idaho State and scored 56 points on Oct. 4.

Simon Fraser went 6 for 18 on third down and ISU held the Clan scoreless through the first three quarters last week.

“The game is going to be decided on tackling and on third down,” said Idaho State co-defensive coordinator Roger Cooper. “We have to get them off the field and give our offense more opportunities and hopefully get some turnovers.”

After the loss to Eastern Washington two weeks ago, the Bengals coaching staff dwelled on Idaho State’s poor tackling. It was a major point of emphasis to improve versus Division II Simon Fraser.

 “Defensively, we continue to be in quite a state of flux,” said Idaho State head coach Mike Kramer. “Our defense continues to depend solely on its ability to be able to tackle. ... If we tackle the way we tackled last Saturday, we can find a lot of success.”

3
Avoid mistakes.
Southern Utah arrives in Pocatello with a dismal 1-6 overall record. The Thunderbirds’ lone win of the season was a 31-28 victory at home against Weber State, the only team in the Big Sky Conference without a victory in 2014. Despite all of that, though, the Thunderbirds are a dangerous opponent.

Under head coach seventh-year head coach Ed Lamb, SUU will not beat itself. It’s a team full of guys who still want to compete.

“I believe they’re very much enjoying competing in the games,” Lamb said. “They really work hard in the weight room, in the film room, in the practice field ... I don’t see finger pointing going on. I know the coaching staff is willing to take a share of the blame out front. ... I believe the players have followed suit and are holding each other accountable. We trust that things are going to improve.”

It’s not just about avoiding turnovers for ISU. The Bengals special teams unit cannot revisit some of the horrors from earlier this season.

Utah and Utah combined to return two punts and a kickoff for touchdowns against Idaho State. Chadron State and Utah have blocked ISU field goal attempts. And the Bengals’ game at Eastern Washington turned to EWU’s favor when the Eagles recovered a blocked punt for a touchdown.

Kramer and ISU agree to 3-year extension + Wed's press conference

Bengals banking on Kramer — ISU extends contract with 4th-year coach for three more years

As far as Southern Utah goes, here are a couple videos previewing the game ...

And some notes and quotes from Wednesday's press conference ... ISU football notebook: Bengals host SUU on Saturday

The good and the bad: ISU vs Simon Fraser

DECIPHERING THE PLUSES AND MINUSES FROM THE BENGALS' WIN

Idaho State did everything it needed to in a 52-point dismantling of Simon Fraser on Saturday at Holt Arena.

The defense, apart from two garbage touchdowns in the fourth quarter, snuffed out Simon Fraser’s attack and the offense was absolutely dynamite, scoring 42 points by halftime.

The Clan isn’t a good football team and never had a shot at making the game close. So the fact the Bengals looked like a world beater has to be viewed though a prism that the Bengals should have played as well as they did in the 66-14 victory.

Still, it’s promising ISU played well against a perceived-to-be-weaker opponent in a game sandwiched between two Big Sky Conference contests.

Idaho State hosts Southern Utah this weekend. In a season full of big games, it’s the biggest to this point. The Bengals can start 2-1 in the Big Sky and win four games in a season for the first time since 2005, when they went 5-6.

Before that, though, let’s look back and decipher the pluses and minuses from Idaho State’s win against Simon Fraser.

Plus
Idaho State’s receiving corps. Madison Mangum, Broc Malcom and Aaron Prier, who was Mangum’s backup, all missed the Simon Fraser game. In their absence, Idaho State showed off its depth at the position.

KW Williams, the only Bengals receiver who started in his regular position, had a career-high 129 yards, freshman Hagen Graves had the best game of his young career with five catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns.

Tight ends Tyler Wright and Tyler Graves, who had expanded roles with Josh Cook’s move to play outside wide receiver, combined to snag 11 passes for 127 yards.

Through the first half of the season, six different Bengals have at least 124 yards receiving.

Plus
Idaho State’s running backs. Junior Xavier Finney receives most of the praise in ISU’s backfield. With a Big Sky-best 742 yards on the ground, he probably should.

But the contributions of senior Daniel McSurdy can’t be overlooked. McSurdy has run for 296 yards and is averaging a team-high 5.8 yards a carry this season. He might only have five or six carries a game, but that’s enough to give Finney a breather so he can still have strong legs in the fourth quarter.

Plus
Idaho State’s offensive line play. ISU’s 770 yards of total offense against Simon Fraser is the most by an FCS team this season.

The Bengals have been electric the last few weeks with a vertical passing attack and an effective running game. All of that success emanates from the beef up front.

“I feel like it’s just been clicking all year,” Arias said about ISU’s offense. “It’s just so much easier. Our offense is so much efficient now with the run-pass game. ... You drop seven or drop eight, we run the ball. You blitz, we throw the ball. It’s literally that simple. When you break it down it’s an easy game. When you get in a zone it’s a fun game to play.”

Minus
Idaho State’s fans. Props to the those who did show up to witness Idaho State demolish Simon Fraser.

The minus goes to those who weren’t there.

ISU’s crowd of 4,422 is the lowest since Oct. 17, 2009 when 4,383 watched the Bengals lose to Northern Colorado 30-7.

On Sept. 24 the Journal ran a story on ISU’s attendance with the headline “If the team wins, people will come.”

Is that true? The Bengals might have their best team in over a decade and attendance is as low it has been in five years.

Plus
Handing out the game ball to injured senior wide receiver Aaron Prier, who was hurt at EWU two weeks ago. Season-ending injuries are brutal. It’s hard to see a player work his butt off to get in the best shape of his life and then lose the opportunity to see that tireless effort pay off. When it happens to a senior, it’s that much worse.

But it was nice that Idaho State named Prier as a honorary team captain for the rest of this season. Bengals quarterback Justin Arias gave the game ball to Prier in the locker room after the game.
   
BENGALS IN BIG SKY RANKINGS
    — Idaho State coach Mike Kramer notched his 86th career win while coaching in the Big Sky to move into sole possession of third place on the league’s all-time victories list. Nevada’s Chris Ault won 111 games while coaching in the Big Sky. Current Northern Arizona coach Jerome Souers is second with 96 victories.
    — Idaho State is 10th in Big Sky Conference home attendance with an average of 5,637 fans in three home games. Three teams (Northern Colorado, Portland State and Southern Utah) have drawn fewer fans than the Bengals.
    — Freshman Mario Jenkins is eighth in the Big Sky averaging 9.5 tackles a game. Mitch Beckstead (8.3 tackles a game) is 16th, Taison Manu (8.2) is 18th.

BIG SKY PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
For the second straight week and the third time this season, Montana State quarterback Dakota Prukop is the Big Sky Conference’s Offensive Player of the Week. North Dakota linebacker Dayo Idowu is the Defensive Player of the Week, and North Dakota's Alex Tillman is the Special Teams Player of the Week.

Prukop compiled 509 yards of total offense and accounted for six touchdowns in Montana State's 77-37 win over UC Davis. Prukop completed 17-of-22 passes for 361 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. He had an efficiency rating of 275.1. He also carried the ball 14 times for 148 yards with a pair of touchdowns. Montana State finished with a school-record 737 yards of total offense and the 77 points were the most scored by the Bobcats against a Division I opponent.

Idowu tied his career-high with eight tackles and intercepted a pass in North Dakota's 24-16 win over Portland State. Idowu's biggest tackle of the game came when he stopped Portland State's Nate Tago on the 2-yard line with the Vikings facing a fourth-and-goal from the 4-yard line on the game's final play.

Tillman set a school record with a 95-yard punt return for a touchdown against Portland State.

Idaho State vs Simon Fraser postgame (videos)

Idaho State did what it needed to in a blowout win over Division II Simon Fraser.

Gamer: Bengal blow out — Idaho State rolls up 770 yards of offense in big win

Photo gallery 

Box score

Top pass catchers out but no problem
Idaho State’s top two pass catchers, Madison Mangum and Broc Malcom, did not dress for Saturday’s game with Simon Fraser.

ISU didn’t miss a beat. Hagen Graves and Josh Cook filled in at the vacated spots and caught a combined three touchdowns.

“They know the offense well,” said ISU offensive coordinator Don Bailey. “They have the ability to play inside or outside. I think a lot of our guys are interchangeable that way. … Our receiver coaches, coach (Sheldon) Cross and coach (Mike) Ferriter, have done a fabulous job with our guys. They prepared them well tonight.”

KW Williams led all receivers with eight catches for 129 yards. Graves hauled in five balls for 92 yards and two touchdowns. His older brother, Tyler Graves, caught seven passes for 86 yards.

“Throughout the week, we’re setting the standard high in terms of executing plays and being successful in practice,” said ISU quarterback Justin Arias, “and that’s what pushes us and allows us to be successful on Saturdays.”

Idaho State defense stepping up
As far as offensive talent goes, Simon Fraser is no Eastern Washington. But it’s still a good thing the Bengals rebounded from giving up 56 points to the Eagles to play a solid game versus the Clan.

Simon Fraser piled up 335 total yards but needed 78 plays to do it. The Clan ran the ball 26 times for a total of 13 yards.

 “I felt like we tackled quite a bit better. Simon Fraser has some guys,” Kramer said. “They’ve got some good looking cats in different places. They can make you miss and I thought we came to base and tackled a little higher and did the fundamental things much better defensively.”

Offense continues to roll
Idaho State scored more points than it has in a game since 1960 and set a new school record with 770 total yards against Simon Fraser.

The Bengals finished with 455 yards passing and picked up another 315 yards on the ground, the most rushing yards in a game since 2007.

ISU’s 66 points is the most since the Bengals beat Colorado College 77-8 54 years ago.

Game ball to an injured teammate
Idaho State’s game ball went to senior wide receiver Aaron Prier, who is out for the season after suffering a leg injury at Eastern Washington.

“It’s rough losing him because he would have gotten in some action this game and would have scored a few touchdowns, had a lot of catches,” Arias said. “So it’s always hard seeing someone’s career end just like that — especially as a senior. You don’t get to come back next year.”

Looking ahead to Southern Utah
The Thunderbirds are 1-2 in the Big Sky Conference and 1-6 overall after losing 42-30 to Eastern Washington on Saturday in Cedar City, Utah.

Southern Utah went 8-5 a season ago and reached the FCS playoffs. But a difficult schedule this season has derailed the T-Birds. SUU has played two FBS opponents (Nevada and Fresno State) and three teams ranked in the current FCS coaches poll (Southeastern Louisiana, South Dakota State and Eastern Washington).

The T-Birds’ lone win this season was at home against Weber State on Sept. 27. SUU took down the win-less Wildcats 31-28.

ISU game day — Idaho State vs Simon Fraser

FOR MORE Idaho State game day coverage ...

Idaho State linebacker Mitch Beckstead makes an impassioned speech, promises all-out effort and asks for fan support.

(want to listen to Beckstead's entire speech? click here)

Striking a balance—Using the run and pass, the Bengals are averaging more yards than ever before
AND HERE'S the Journal's coverage of the Bengals throughout the week ...

Missed opportunities and a return to old bad habits on defense doomed the Bengals at EWU

ISU notebook: Jenkins nominated for Jerry Rice award

The good and the bad: Idaho State vs Eastern Washington 

CRUCIAL MATCHUP
Idaho State’s defense vs Simon Fraser’s offensive shifts

First-year Simon Fraser head coach Jacques Chapdelaine played football for the Clan and had a lengthy career in the Canadian Football League after being selected in the first round by the BC Lions in 1983.

Chapdelaine has spent most of his professional career in the CFL and was the Lions offensive coordinator from 2008-13. The Sherbrooke, Québec, native uses a lot of principles he picked up in the CFL with the Clan.

“They do a lot of CFL type things with their offense with only 11 guys,” said Idaho State head coach Mike Kramer. “They change formations. They use a myriad of attacks.”

ISU co-defensive coordinator Spencer Toone added: “It’s a little bit different than you typically see. There’s a lot of motion, a lot of shifts. Different types of motion that you don’t usually see. And they try to create some confusion in that way.”

The Bengals have to take in the movement and shifts, stay patient and react when the ball is snapped.

“All we have to do is sit back, let them do their thing and when they’re done shifting and motioning, just be in the right place at the right time,” said senior linebacker Mitch Beckstead.

The defense is certainly motivated to have a bounce-back game. Idaho State nearly pulled off the upset of the season in a three-point loss to Eastern Washington last week. But the defense struggled to contain the Eagles, giving up 617 yards, including 263 yards on the ground, the most since Utah State pounded ISU for 311 yards Sept. 6 in Logan.

By comparison, Simon Fraser’s offensive arsenal does not pack the same type of punch as ISU’s other opponents. The Clan’s leading passing, junior Ryan Stanford, has thrown eight touchdowns and seven interceptions. Simon Fraser has run for 356 yards the entire season.

 Last week, Simon Fraser went to junior Tyler Nickel under center instead of Stanford. The Clan won their first game of the season against Dixie State 29-19 and Nickel completed 15-of-21 passes for 108 yards and a touchdown.

“Both quarterbacks who have played this season are American junior college products,” Kramer said. “They have great height. ... Their tailback is very strong, very equivalent to a lot of guys we see.”

IDAHO STATE KEYS TO SUCCESS

1
Tackling. ISU’s biggest disappointment from the Eastern Washington loss was the defense’s poor tackling. EWU’s wide receivers piled up extra yards after the catch and the Eagles backup running back Mario Brown ran for a career-high 126 yards on 18 carries.

 “Early on, we just had to settle down a little bit,” said ISU senior corner Brandon Golden. “We just had to realize the situation and be a little more confident in our abilities. ... That’s our main focus this week, focus on cutting down on those missed tackles.”

Bengals coach Mike Kramer went a step further during Idaho State’s weekly press conference.
Kramer said if ISU’s defense doesn’t find a way to tackle better it doesn’t matter what kind of game plan ISU’s coaches design because they won’t have a chance at stopping anyone.

“We have our standards, we have our goals and if we would have stuck to those we would have made those plays and (Eastern Washington) wouldn’t have beat us,” said senior linebacker Mitch Beckstead.

Simon Fraser provides the Bengal defense a chance to find itself. And they’ll need to because ISU finishes the season with six straight Big Sky Conference games after today’s matchup with the Clan.

The only way Idaho State can end its 47-game losing streak on the road is if the defense can replicate the kind of performance it had in the second half against Sacramento State when the Bengals held the Hornets to seven points.

2
Maintain laser focus and desire to get better. Mike Kramer has felt the appreciation from fans and boosters for how Idaho State has performed in its last two games. The Bengals are 1-1 in the Big Sky Conference and a mere three points separate them from a three-game winning streak and a 2-0 start in league play.

ISU played so well against Sacramento State and Eastern Washington that possibilities of a winning season and playoffs — playoffs?! — don’t seem like far-flung dreams that only belong to other programs.

Enter Simon Fraser — the classic trap game. Idaho State returns to Holt Arena and faces a Division II opponent smack dab in the middle of its Big Sky Conference schedule. It’s the sort of game a team can take for granted.

“You have to revere every opportunity to play well,” Kramer said. “... You have to respect the game of football by preparing for an opponent who is going to try and knock your teeth out on every play.”

It’s not just about playing well against Simon Fraser. The Bengals have reached a point of respectability on the football field by feeding a desire to get better and improve. Now that they’ve had a semblance of success, the hunger to grow and improve has to continue.

 “We can’t let past success, even this season, extinguish the flame of us trying to be better,” Kramer said. “... We’ve got to make sure that we’re wary of the fact that, hey, we haven’t done anything.”

3
Avoid any catastrophes in special teams. Idaho State’s issues on special teams is reaching the point of a dark comedy by now.

The Bengals have shown improvement in all facets on the football field. The offense is averaging 48.5 points a game against Big Sky competition and the defense is showing signs of life with seven forced turnovers in five games.

But one aspect of the Bengals has been a disaster.

ISU special teams in 2014: Two field goals blocked (one for a touchdown), a punt blocked for a touchdown, one kickoff return for a touchdown and two punt returns for touchdowns. The Bengals have missed two extra point attempts, have the worst punt return average in the Big Sky Conference and is 12th in the league in punting, averaging 31 net yards per boot.

Eastern Washington was the team that blocked a CJ Reyes’ punt in the second quarter. It put the Eagles up 35-17.

“When it all gets said and done we gave them a cheap score on a blocked punt, which was totally on me,” said ISU’s Mike Kramer, who coaches the special teams. “That’s totally my responsibility. It was just a miscommunication between myself, Dan McSurdy and CJ Reyes that led to a score that we really never could come back from.”

If the Bengals don’t find a way to sharpen that aspect of their game, it’s bound to bite them again. Mistakes on special teams may not hinder ISU’s efforts against Simon Fraser. But they could derail Idaho State in tight Big Sky contests.

An early look at Idaho State men's basketball

Check out the video. Lots of great info. And for an early look at the Bengals this season, check out ... New-look Bengals hope to attack with pace and depth

IDAHO STATE BASKETBALL NOTES

—  Bill Evans estimates Idaho State will play man-to-man defense as much as 20 percent of the time. “We’re trying to extend and be more aggressive and try to get some easy baskets out of our defense,” Evans said. “I don’t know, we’ll see how good we are at it.”

—  Evans intends to redshirt true freshmen Novak Topalovic and Spencer Nicolds and sophomore Justin Smith, who played in 26 games as a freshman and averaged 1.8 points and 1.2 rebounds in nearly nine minutes a game.

—  There was some thought outside the ISU basketball program that the Bengals would start either freshman Geno Luzcando or Ian Fox at point guard to replace the graduated Tomas Sanchez.

But Evans wants to start Ben Wilson for a couple reasons. First, Wilson should provide a spark at the top of ISU’s matchup zone. Second, the young point guards are still developing. Regardless, Wilson will play major minutes for the Bengals whether he’s starting or not.

“It’s obviously a very big learning experience for me this first couple games,” Wilson said. “But I’m confident in what I can do and I’m confident I can help the team at that position.”

ISU notebook: Jenkins nominated for Jerry Rice award (videos)

In case you missed the Journal's story looking at the pluses and minuses from Idaho State's loss at Eastern Washington ...

The good and the bad: Idaho State vs Eastern Washington

And this story is from Wednesday's press conference ... Missed opportunities and a return to old bad habits on defense doomed the Bengals at EWU 

ISU NOTEBOOK
Freshman Mario Jenkins was forced into Idaho State’s starting “will” linebacker spot 48 hours before the season-opening game at Utah, and he’s seized control of the position.

Jenkins was slotted to back up senior PJ Gremaud before ISU suspended Gremaud for conduct detrimental to the team. Jenkins has started the first five games of the season and responded with a team-best 50 tackles. The Columbia High School product also has 3.5 tackles for loss, one interception and defended three passes.

Idaho State has since reinstated Gremaud but Jenkins hasn’t budged from the starting lineup. And now Jenkins is one of 21 FCS players on the watch list for the Jerry Rice Award, which is awarded annually to the most outstanding freshman in the country.

One other player from the Big Sky Conference joins Jenkins on the watch list, Weber State’s Emmett Tela. There are six linebackers, one quarterback, two running backs, four wide receivers, one offensive tackle, one defensive tackle, one defensive end, two safeties, one cornerback and two kickers to make the list.

The winner will be announced at The Sports Network FCS Awards Presentation on Dec. 15 in Philadelphia.  

AN EMOTIONAL INJURY

Idaho State receiver Aaron Prier went down with an injury in the second half of Idaho State’s 56-53 loss to Eastern Washington on Saturday.

ISU does not comment on injuries but head coach Mike Kramer confirmed Wednesday that Prier will be unavailable for sometime.

“There’s nothing you can do about it. He will be a voluntary team captain for us throughout the rest of his senior year,” Kramer said. “He will graduate in May with a degree in business administration and be able to move on. ... It puts a lump in your throat to think about it.”

Idaho State recruited Prier to play corner as part of the 2011 class, but the Richmond, Calif., native was a running back his first three seasons with the Bengals.

In 2014, ISU moved Prier to wide out to take advantage of his speed and playmaking ability. Prier has 507 rushing yards, 353 receiving yards and 1,733 all-purpose yards in his career.

“You hate to see something like that happen,” said Idaho State outside wide receivers coach Sheldon Cross. “He’s crushed and we’re crushed. More than anything he is the type of individual that’s going to be great in everything he does from here on out, and that’s the thing he gets to hold on to.”

NOT MISSING A BEAT

As the Bengals roared back from an 18-point deficit against Eastern Washington in the second half, they were doing it with a makeshift wide receiver unit.

Both of Idaho State’s starting outside wide receivers — Madison Mangum and Broc Malcom — were forced out of the game with injuries. When Prier went down, ISU lost Mangum’s backup.

The Bengals adjusted on the fly. Tight end Josh Cook shifted from the slot to one of the outside wide receiver spots and CJ Hatchett came off the bench.

Everything fell into place and Idaho State managed to score 15 points in the fourth quarter. If anything, the Bengals were able to show off their depth at the tight end position.

Cook, Tyler Wright and Tyler Graves combined to catch eight passes for 162 yards and one touchdown.

“It seems like from week to week it’s a new guy or a different guy every week,” said Idaho State offensive coordinator Don Bailey. “To me the best part of what we’re doing now is that we have 11 guys that man the position. We don’t have to count on one particular guy to make a play.”

SIMON FRASER ON SATURDAYIdaho State (2-3, 1-1 BSC) hosts Division II Simon Fraser (1-4) on Saturday at 2:35 p.m. at Holt Arena.

The game will be broadcast on 102.5 FM and 930 AM and streamed on Watch Big Sky. Follow Journal Sports Editor Kyle Franko on Twitter @ByKyleFranko for live game updates.

The good and the bad: ISU vs EWU

It’s hard to believe Idaho State’s 56-53 loss to No. 2 Eastern Washington wasn’t even the highest-scoring game Saturday in the Big Sky Conference.

Montana State and Sacramento State battled to a 59-56 final, a game where the Bobcats scored the game-winning touchdown with four seconds left.

The ’Cats were able to do what Idaho State never had the chance to. The Bengals needed a defensive stop to get the ball back to their offense for one more drive in the fourth quarter. But Eastern Washington’s Vernon Adams and the Eagles made just enough plays to escape with their 12th straight Big Sky Conference win.

Idaho State (2-3, 1-1 BSC) gave Eastern Washington (5-1, 2-0 BSC) everything it could handle, and now the Bengals return to Holt Arena for back-to-back home games against Simon Fraser (Saturday) and Southern Utah (Oct. 18).

 After dragging the Eagles close to a major upset at home, Idaho State head coach Mike Kramer was already hammering home the point that the Bengals can’t overlook Simon Fraser. And he also expects great home crowds.

“It’s a whole new deal for us,” he said Saturday on Eastern Washington’s red field, The Inferno. “A couple weeks ago, I said, ‘Hey, fans shouldn’t come to watch us play until we’re good.’ They’d better come and watch us play.”
Before that, though, let’s look back and decipher the pluses and minuses from Idaho State’s three-point loss.

Plus
Justin Arias. He might be the best quarterback in the nation that no one outside of the Big Sky Conference has heard of.

Arias outplayed Sacramento State’s Garrett Safron two weeks ago and then nearly matched Eastern Washington touchdown for touchdown. Arias topped the 400-yard passing mark for the second time in two games and his six touchdown passes tied an Idaho State school record that dates back to 1969.

He was at his best in the fourth quarter. ISU’s top two outside receivers — junior Madison Mangum and sophomore Broc Malcom — were both out of the game with injuries. Those two had caught 13 passes for 205 yards and three touchdowns before being forced out. Arias adjusted and started to target tight ends Tyler Wright and Tyler Graves.

The fifth-year senior never got his hands on the ball with a chance tie or win the game. Eastern Washington would have been terrified if he had.

Minus
Idaho State’s defense. Leading up to the game, the Bengals’ Taison Manu said Eastern Washignton had the best offense the Bengals would face all season.

So the fact that EWU rang up 617 total yards and scored at least 50 points in a game for the third time this season isn’t a total surprise.

If you’re searching for positives, Idaho State cornerback Vai Peko intercepted Adams and two other Bengals dropped interceptions of their own.

“We were in it at the end because we made enough plays defensively to drag ourselves back in it,” Kramer said.

Ultimately, the defense couldn’t get enough stops. They were even helped by the fact that Adams played the second half with a broken foot that will keep him off the field for the next three to six weeks.

Plus/Minus
A plus for the Big Sky’s offenses and a minus for the league’s defenses. Saturday featured three games where the teams combined for at least 80 points. Six teams had a minimum of 500 yards of total offense; four surpassed 600.

Arias, Adams, Sacramento State’s Garrett Safron and Montana State’s Dakota Prukop combined for 20 touchdown passes.

A little defense was played in the Big Sky. Montana and North Dakota battled to an 18-15 final and Northern Colorado forced five turnovers to upset Northern Arizona 24-17 at home.

Minus
Idaho State’s posteason chances. If the Bengals want to make the playoffs, they’ll need to either win the Big Sky outright to take the league’s automatic spot in the playoffs or earn an at-large bid.

The FCS playoff selection committee considers teams with six Division I wins instead of seven, which was the benchmark before the playoffs expanded from 20 to 24 teams for the 2013 season.

Today, the Bengals have a single Division I win and play six more teams from the FCS on their 2014 schedule (plus Division II Simon Fraser). So they’ll have to least finish the season winning six of their final seven games (the Bengals would have no shot for an at-large bid if they lose to Simon Fraser).

The margin for error is razor thin.
 
Plus
The fact we’re even bringing up Idaho State and the postseason.

BENGALS IN THE BIG SKY RANKINGS
— The Bengals have the Big Sky’s No. 4 scoring offense, averaging 34 points a game. ISU’s defense is dead last in scoring defense, giving up an average of 42 points a game.

— ISU is tied with Cal Poly and Portland State for giving up the second-fewest sacks (6) in the Big Sky.

— The Bengals are third in the league in third-down conversion percentage converting 43.4 percent of the time. ISU is 10th in the Big Sky allowing opponents to convert 46 percent of the time on third down.

— After running for 118 yards and a touchdown against Eastern Washington, Xavier Finney remains as the No. 1 rusher in the Big Sky with 632 total yards.

— Freshman Mario Jenkins is eighth in the conference in tackles with 10 a game. Junior Taison Manu is 10th (9.2 tackles a game) and senior Mitch Beckstead is 16th (8.6).

—Senior Austin Graves sits tied for sixth in the league with 3.5 sacks

BIG SKY PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
The Big Sky Conference selected Montana State quarterback Dakota Prukop as the Offensive Player of the Week, Montana defensive end Zack Wagenmann as the Defensive Player of the Week and Montana State returner Gunnar Brekke as the Special Teams Player of the Week.

Prukop accounted for eight touchdowns and amassed 488 yards of total offense to lead the Bobcats to a win over Sacramento State.

Wagenmann registered eight tackles — three for loss — with two sacks, two quarterback hurries, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup in Montana's win at North Dakota.

 Brekke tallied 244 kick return yards and set up the game-winning score in Montana State’s win against Sac State.

Idaho State - Eastern Washington postgame

Read the game recap here.

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.”

Game day: Idaho State at Eastern Washington

Idaho State at Eastern Washington game day coverage ...

The offenses are prolific but Idaho State's defense doesn’t want a shootout

Today's crucial matchup and keys to success

And here are links to the Journal's ISU football coverage leading up to this week's game

Idaho State’s early success catching attention

ISU notebook: The Bengals never want to slow down on offense

Ignore the look, this guy is for real — ‘A notch better than all of them who have ever played’

The good and the bad: ISU vs Sac State — deciphering the pluses and minuses from the Bengals’ win

Don't forget, videos of Idaho State's weekly press conference talking about the Sac State win and the Eastern Washington game are available here.

QUOTABLE

ISU head coach Mike Kramer on Eastern Washington's defense

“They graduated two very good defensive tackles last year. They played pretty good last year against a lot of teams. They didn’t play good defense against us. We were record setting last year in our offense against their defense at home. We hope we can continue the pace we played at last year and with the effort and effectiveness we played at last year. We just have to hold serve. Last year we solved their defense and unless they’ve got an influx of great new players, I think we’ve got their defense solved to a point. But that’s just words and words don’t win games. We still have to go out and play catch, run the ball, protect the ball, score touchdowns and capitalize on opportunities. A lot of that has to do with how we play and not necessarily who they are or how they play.”

How healthy are the Bengals headed into the Eastern Washington game? (keep in mind, Idaho State does not comment on injuries. Available = healthy; Unavailable = injured)

“Beautiful. Our availability is unmitigated in the history of this program. Why? because when bad things happen that stuff avalanches you. When good things are happening, nobody gets unavailable.”

Kramer on going to back to Eastern Washington, where he started his head coaching career

“It’s always really poignant until kickoff and then after kickoff it’s a game. And fortunately for them and unfortunately for us we’ve got out butt kicked there every time we’ve gone up to Cheney and played. ... Eastern plays well at home ... I’m the head coach at Idaho State now. So I don’t think about what I did at Eastern Washington when the ball gets kicked off.”