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| Doug Lindley/Idaho State Journal |
MORE game day coverage
ISU GAME DAY — Ignoring the distractions
MORE Idaho State football coverage from this week
Bengals ‘on the bubble’ as playoffs loom
ISU football notebook: Big Sky’s leading rusher injured
The good and the bad: ISU at MSU — Deciphering the pluses and minuses from the Bengals’ loss
SOME COVERAGE from the Standard Examiner
Jadrian Clark - tough in the face of adversity
TODAY’S CRUCIAL MATCHUP
Idaho State vs its reputation
A win today guarantees Idaho State nothing other than an eight-win season. The Bengals would be eligible for a spot in the postseason, but there are too many moving parts to hammer down with any certainty that ISU would power its way into the 24-team playoff with a victory over Weber State.
The 24-team field will be revealed on the FCS Selection Show on Sunday from 9-10 a.m. on ESPNU.
Idaho State’s chances of making the playoff would feel a lot more secure if the Bengals were a team like Montana, a program that began the 2014 season ranked as high as No. 5. The Grizzlies have the exact same record as Idaho State (7-4, 5-2 BSC), but UM hasn’t fallen below No. 15 in the FCS Coaches’ Poll at any point of the season.
All of that is outside noise the Bengals have no control over, of course. And in reality, their job today is straightforward: beat Weber State.
A blowout victory over the Wildcats could send a message.
But that will be no easy task. Weber State leads the series with ISU 39-14 and has won the last 11 games by nearly 18 points per game.
“I don’t want to call it bad blood, but they’re a chippy team,” said ISU running back Daniel McSurdy. “They always have been since I’ve played them. But it’s been a year where everything has changed. What records haven’t we broke this year? What streaks haven’t we snapped? Once again, I don’t see it being any different.”
The Wildcats have a miserable record (2-9). But they’ve won their last two games, and sophomore quarterback Jadrian Clark has been getting better every start after taking over under center against Northern Arizona.
Clark threw for 90 yards and an interception against the Lumberjacks. Since then, he’s thrown for 251 yards and 235 yards, respectively, in the last two games and has helped negate three total interceptions with six passing touchdowns.
With Clark at QB, the Wildcats have been committed to the ground game. In the last three games, Weber State has run the ball 121 times and thrown 75 passes.
No matter how the Wildcats decide to attack Idaho State, it’s up to the Bengals to adjust and find a way. Their playoff lives depend on it.
“At the end of the day, as we go into this game, we’ve lost two conference games by a total of eight points to the two teams that are ranked above us,” said Idaho State coach Mike Kramer. “And we’re pretty proud of that effort that we’ve got to that point, and we’re bitterly disappointed that we’re not undefeated in the conference.”
IDAHO STATE KEYS TO SUCCESS
1
Dominate the line of scrimmage. Montana State beat up the Bengals at the point of attack. The Bobcats shoved ISU around in the cold, and MSU’s 32 first downs helped eat up more than 40 minutes of the clock.
For huge chunks of the game all the Bengals’ offense could do was sit and wait for their opportunity.
But against Weber State, it’s time for ISU to reestablish its identity, particularly the offensive line. Weber State is 10th in the Big Sky during conference games, allowing 204 yards a game.
“Our offensive line has been the difference from this year to any other year I’ve been here,” said Idaho State offensive coordinator Don Bailey.
ISU’s line on offense has been good all season. It’s on the defensive side of the ball where the Bengals have struggled at times. Injuries have been part of the problem. Most recently, Declo-native Sage Warner was hurt against Cal Poly and is out for the season. Senior Robby Mackesey went down with an injury versus Cal Poly, too. But he battled his way back onto the field last week against the Bobcats.
Nose tackle Tyler Kuder has been the most dependable force in the defensive line. In his junior season, Kuder has 52 tackles, two-and-a-half tackles for loss, one-and-a-half sacks and four quarterback hurries.
2
Be better on third and fourth down. Idaho State head coach Mike Kramer said some of the Bengals’ old demons raised “their ugly head” at Montana State a week ago. The Bobcats picked up 568 total yards of offense, including 262 yards on the ground.
MSU was effective on third and fourth down, going 14 for 20.
“That’s just unacceptable,” Kramer said. “You can’t win games on the road, at home, in my backyard, in my basement when you perform like that on third down and fourth down.”
Bengals co-defensive coordinator Spencer Toone said some of the credit went to the Bobcats, but many times it came down to Idaho State just not playing well enough.
“There (were) times when we did not execute,” Toone said. “We were in calls that would have been good to what they were doing. We just didn’t execute. They made the plays when they needed to.”
Toone admitted that it was frustrating and acknowledged that for the Bengals, third down is everything.
“Third down to us is the only down,” Toone said. “I’ve always been very conscious of third down, how we can be better at it. But we did not do a good job that game.”
In seven Big Sky Conference games, Weber State is dead last in the league converting 31 percent (27 for 87) of its third-down attempts. It’s a great opportunity for ISU’s defense to buckle down and find itself.
3
Overcome the loss of Xavier Finney and Mario Jenkins. There hasn’t been a running back in the Big Sky Conference more dependable than Finney, who has a league-high 1,487 yards. He’s 113 yards shy of becoming the 14th player in Big Sky history to break the 1,600-yard mark.
But Finney is out of today’s game with an undisclosed injury. Idaho State is not ruling out a possible return for Finney if the Bengals advance into the postseason.
“Bailey always says next guy up, and that’s Danny (McSurdy),” said Idaho State quarterback Justin Arias. “I think he’s ready. He’s been ready when (Finney) needs a break and now he’s getting the shots for first team. So he’s ready to go.”
Finney will not play, and Jenkins, a freshman linebacker, will not start. His availability to play in a backup role is not known.
Jenkins was inserted into the staring lineup at the beginning of the season after senior PJ Gremaud was suspended for conduct detrimental to the team.
Jenkins played so well that he remained in the starting role even after Gremaud was reinstated. Now Gremaud, a senior, gets a chance to make a major impact on senior day.
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