Big Sky Conference

FIRST LOOK: Nothing but pride on the line as Bobcats head to Pocatello

on

The Bengals just can’t buy a break.

During a season that began with lofty expectations — ISU was the preseason No. 23 team in the FCS — Idaho State has mustered just a single Division I victory. On Saturday, ISU lost in heartbreaking fashion at home to Montana. After rallying from a 24-13 deficit to send the game into overtime, the Bengals lined up for a 34-yard field goal to win the game.

Instead, the snap was errant and went over the holder’s head. Montana cornerback JR Nelson chased down the loose ball and pitched it to safety Eric Johnson, who sprinted 40 yards for the game-winning score in the Grizzlies’ 33-27 win.

“Unbelievable,” Montana first-year coach Bob Stitt said on the field after the game. “Finally something good happened to the good guys. What an awesome thing to happen to this team right now. We needed it.”

Holt Arena/by Brooks Nuanez

Holt Arena/by Brooks Nuanez

The Idaho State loss was another in a dismal season that has seen ISU fall almost every time out. ISU will look to right the ship on Saturday with Montana State coming to Holt Arena for the first time since 2010.

The matchup is between two teams with not much to play for. ISU is searching for its second Division I win while Montana State is looking to extend its streak of winning seasons by finishing the season with two straight victories. MSU has not had a losing season since 2001.

During the off-season, Idaho State head coach Mike Kramer was hesitant to buy the hype surrounding his Bengals.

“We are about 95 percent about as solid as anybody in this conference except at quarterback and that’s the key position,” Kramer, the 2014 Big Sky Coach of the Year, said in an interview in May. “That’s a huge question mark that will preclude us ever, ever being thought of as an elite team. If we aren’t elite at quarterback, we are not elite as a team.”

The premonition has proven true this season as Idaho State has struggled mightily since the graduation of 2014 Walter Payton Award finalist Justin Arias. The Bengals enter Saturday’s matchup with Montana State with a 2-7 record that includes just one win — a 37-31 upset of then-No. 23 North Dakota in Grand Forks — over a Division I opponent.

Last season, Idaho State led the FCS in total offense and averaged almost 40 points per game as Arias threw for more than 4,000 yards and 38 touchdowns. ISU posted an 8-4 record, its best in more than a decade and just missed the FCS playoffs. This season, with junior college transfer Michael Sanders at the helm before giving way to redshirt freshman Tanner Gueller three weeks ago, the Bengals have sputtered. ISU is averaging almost 170 less yards (down to 405 per game) and almost half as many points (down to 23.1 points per game.)

Injuries and turnovers have been the biggest culprits of Idaho State’s demise. During fall camp, Idaho State lost sophomore linebacker Mario Jenkins and senior safety Taison Manu for the season to knee injuries. Jenkins was the 2014 Freshman of the Year and Manu was a third-team All-Big Sky Conference selection. Each were chose to the Big Sky’s preseason all-league team.

Idaho State player sulks after loss to Portland State/by Brooks Nuanez

Idaho State player sulks after loss to Portland State/by Brooks Nuanez

Sanders has missed the last three weeks with an injury and is uncertain for this weekend against Montana State. Other starters for the Bengals that have missed time due to injury include freshman cornerback Anthony Ricks, senior cornerback Khary Livingston, junior wide receiver Broc Malcolm, senior linebacker CJ Langlow senior offensive tackle Wesley Wingrove, junior offensive guard Skyler Phillips, sophomore offensive guard Thomas Vazorka, senior offensive tackle Terrence Carey and senior free safety Cody Sorensen.

The Bengals are last in the country in turnover margin at -18 and ISU’s quarterbacks have accounted for a league-worst 19 interceptions. ISU has thrown at least two interceptions in every game except a 55-0 win over Division II Black Hills State and the win over UND. On Saturday, ISU turned the ball over four times, including three interceptions by Gueller.

“We are just not good enough at quarterback. We hold the ball and we held the ball last week and the result is sacks, fumbles and interceptions,” Kramer said leading up to the Sac State game. “And this was a game where Michael came off of having such a great game against North Dakota. He held the ball last week and it hurt the team really bad. He will not throw the ball fast enough to protect himself”

“The main thing about quarterback is it has nothing to do with arm strength or size. It’s how your brain works. It’s how you can perceive the play before the play begins. Right now, we are staggering in that concept.”

Montana State has lost six straight games on the road dating back to last season. The Bobcats are 2-4 in Big Sky play, 4-5 overall this season. Montana State will have to beat the Bengals and rival Montana to extend a streak of winning seasons dating back to 2002.

QUICK HITS

Location: Pocatello, Idaho

Nickname: Bengals

Founded: 1901. ISU is a Carnegie-classified doctoral research high and teaching institution that attracts students from around the world.

Enrollment: The university has 14,489 and an endowment of $40.3 million.

Stadium: Holt Arena. The 42-year-old arena holds 12,000. The school replaced its notorious AstroTurf with field turf before the 2011 season. The Bengals averaged 6,720 fans in five home games last fall. ISU is averaging 7,348 fans in three home games this season

THE TEAM (1-5 in the Big Sky, 2-7 overall)

The Coach: Mike Kramer, fifth season at Idaho State. Last season, Kramer became one of a handful of coaches in college football history to win league Coach of the Year honors at a third school. The four-time Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year is 16-39 at ISU and 93-114 in his career. He’s 9-29 in the Big Sky at Idaho State and 63-73 in Big Sky play overall.

THE OFFENSE

GuellerTannerTanner Gueller, redshirt freshman, 6-2, 235, quarterback — In Gueller’s first start, he completed 20-of-26 passes for 233 yards against Sacramento State. But his three interceptions got him the hook.

“Three is my limit,” Kramer said following the loss.

Last week, Gueller threw three interceptions again but remained in the game. He completed 23-of-49 passes for 253 yards and three touchdowns. He was sacked six times.

This season, Gueller has played in eight games. He has completed 53.8 percent of his 154 passes for 782 yards, five touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Sanders, a junior college transfer from Scottsdale Community College, threw for 1,681 yards and 17 touchdowns along with 10 interceptions before going down with an injury. The status of his return is unknown.

Xavier Finney, running back, 5-11, 196, senior — Idaho State led the nation in passing offense (348 yards per game) last season. But the Bengals were no slouches running the ball either.

FinneyXavierFinney was a workhorse, carrying the ball a Big Sky-best 259 times for 1,495 yards (5.8 yards per carry) and he scored 14 touchdowns. But he dislocated his shoulder against MSU and struggled the final two weeks of the season.

This season, with the absence of a consistent decision maker at quarterback, Finney has not been as productive in ISU’s run-pass option offense. He is averaging 4.3 yards per carry on 171 carries and he’s rushed for 691 yards. He has four touchdowns.

Finney now has 3,342 rushing yards in his career. He needs 38 yards to pass Alfredo Anderson for second place on ISU’s career rushing list. With 67 more yards, he will eclipse Josh Barnett’s program record.

MangumMadisonMadison Mangum, wide receiver, 6-2, 212, senior — Mangum transformed himself physically between 2013 and 2014 as much as any player in the league. His emergence was unexpected both for opponents and those on the Bengals.

“He surprised me and he surprised everyone,” Kramer said in the off-season. “The problem I have with Madison outside the tremendous accolades he’s had up until now, he finished the Eastern Washington game on the sideline and on the last two plays against Montana State, he was on the sideline. He needs to have some big game ability not just big stat ability.”

Last season, Mangum caught 83 passes for 1,234 yards and 10 touchdowns. This season, he has been a bright spot. The former BYU transfer has caught 58 passes for 759 yards and eight touchdowns. With four catches for 42 yards against Montana, Mangum moved into ninth place all-time at ISU with 2,069 receiving yards. His four catches give him 148 in his career, also the ninth-best total in program history.

THE DEFENSE

KuderTylerTyler Kuder, defensive line, 6-3, 305, senior — The hulking defensive tackle is one of the most physically imposing defensive players in the league. Without Manu and Jenkins, Kuder has been relied on even more heavily.

“I think Tyler is as good as any defensive lineman in this conference,” Kramer said in the off-season. “He’s got height, weight, size and speed.”

Last season, Kuder earned second-team All-Big Sky honors by notching 56 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. He also blocked a kick. Thus far this season, he’s been even better. He enters the Montana State game with 75 tackles, nine tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. He notched 15 tackles against Montana.

StoutHaydenHayden Stout, linebacker, 6-2, 230, junior — The plan was to move Jenkins to the middle position left vacant by All-Big Sky senior Mitch Beckstead’s graduation. Instead, it’s Stout that has moved from the outside to the middle for the Bengals.

Last season, Stout had 50 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss as he started as 12 games next to Jenkins and Beckstead.

Agianst Montana, Stout had one of his best days, notching 12 tackles, a tackle for loss, forcing two fumbles and grabbing an interception. He leads ISU with 88 total tackles, including 7.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. The interception and force fumbles were his first of the season.

KarstetterKurtisKurt Karstetter, linebacker, 6-2, 218, senior — Karstetter has seen an elevated role because of the slew of injuries and has performed well for an otherwise underwhelming defense. ISU is giving up 300 rushing yards per game to Division I opponents and 42.2 points per game overall.

In nine starts, Karstetter has 43 tackles, seven tackles for loss, three sacks and one of ISU’s four interceptions.

Photos by Brooks Nuanez noted or courtesy of Idaho State Atheltics . All Rights Reserved.

About Colter Nuanez

Colter Nuanez is the co-founder and senior writer for Skyline Sports. After spending six years in the newspaper industry with stops at the Missoulian, the Ellensburg Daily Record and the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, the former Washington Newspaper Association Sportswriter of the Year and University of Montana Journalism School graduate ('09) has cultivated a deep passion for sports journalism during his 13-year career covering the Big Sky Conference. In August of 2014, Colter and brother Brooks merged their passions of writing and art to found Skyline Sports.

Recommended for you