Game 8 Preview: Idaho State at Northern Colorado

Game Notes | Audio | Live Stats | Video

POCATELLO, Idaho- Idaho State returns to the road for two straight road games beginning, Saturday, October 25 at Northern Colorado. Kickoff is at 1:30 p.m. Jerry Miller and Mark Liptak will call the action on Rock 102.5 and 930 CBS Sports Radio beginning with the pregame show at 12:30 p.m. Log onto isubengals.com to follow the game online with live stats, video and audio.

Northern Colorado is 2-5 an 1-3 in the Big Sky Conference.  The Bears are scoring 20 points a game and giving up 29 a contest. The Northern Colorado offense is averaging 322.3 yards a game and giving up 416.3 yards. Robert Holland leads the Bears running attack with 97 carries for 456 yards. Quarterback Sean Rubalcaba has thrown 86 passes on 124 attempts with 1,060 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions.

Idaho State leads the series 21-9. The Bengals are 11-3 at home and 10-5 vs. the Bears in Greeley. In the last four years each team has won on their home field. In 2013, ISU beat the Bears 40-26.  The last time ISU won at Northern Colorado was a 41-13 win on October 7, 2006.

Bengals in the NCAA Team Stats
As a team Idaho State ranks first in the nation in passing at 367.3 yards per game, fifth in first downs with 198 and sixth in scoring at 41.7 points a contest. The ISU offense is ninth in passing efficiency at 154.33, 30th in rushing yards per game at 202.4 and  second in total offense at 569.7 yards a game.

Bengals Ranked in the NCAA Individual Stats
Justin Arias ranks first in the nation in passing touchdowns (25), passing yards (2485),  completions per game (27.57), second in yards per game at 355 and points per game (22.6). He is third in the nation in total offense (356.9), points responsible for (154) and he is eight in passing efficiency (154.5). Xavier Finney is sixth in the nation in rushing touchdowns (11), eighth in rushing yards (911), 11th in yards per game (130.1) and 11th in scoring (9.4). KW Williams is fifth in the nation in receiving touchdowns with eight. Madison Mangum is seventh in receptions per game at 7.3 and ninth in yards per game at 105.2. Mario Jenkins is 20th in the nation in tackles per game (10.9).

Throwing for the End Zone
The Idaho State offense has 26 touchdown passes this year. The school record for most touchdown passes is 35 by the 1981 National Championship team.
Here is a look at the Top seasons for passing touchdowns.
1- 1981    35
2- 2003    31
3- 1969    30
4- 1999    29
5- 2014    26

Run Bengals Run
The Idaho State running attack is having one of its best seasons in recent memory. The Bengals have already racked up 1,417 yards, more than any ISU team in seven of the last eight seasons. This year's offense is close to catching the 2007 teams in total rushing yards. The 2007 team ran for 1,451 yards and the 2006 team rushed for 1,358 yards.
Here is a look at the school record for most rushing yards in a season.
1- 1957    2,442; 2- 1964    2,228; 3- 1993    2,190; 4- 1959    2,180; 5- 1962    2,177
6- 1996    2,158; 7- 1952    1,982; 8- 1960    1,943; 9- 1953    1,937; 10- 1974    1,889

Touchdowns, Touchdowns and More Touchdowns
The Idaho State football team has tallied 40 touchdowns in seven games. The school record for most touchdowns in a season is 52 by the 1981 National Championship team. Here is a look at the Top marks.
1- 52    1981
2- 45    2003
3- 42    1985
4- 42    1999
5- 40    2000
6- 40    2014

Bengal Bites
- Xavier Finney has six 100-yard rushing games, the most in the Big Sky Conference.
- Xavier Finney leads the Big Sky Conference in rushing. ISU has never had a player finish the season as the top rusher in the Big Sky Conference.
- KW Williams has eight receiving touchdowns. He needs on one more to move into seventh place for most receiving touchdowns in a season.
- Justin Arias' 25 touchdown passes ranks second for most in a season. He needs four to tie and one to break Mike Machurek's record of 29 in 1981.
- The Bengal offense has 23 scoring possessions (21 touchdowns and two field goals) with drives two minutes or less.
- Mike Kramer has 87 wins and is in sole possession of third place on the Big Sky Conference all-time win list with a victory.
- Justin Arias has thrown for 300 yards or more in 13 games.
- Xavier Finney has eight 100-yard rushing games in his career.
- Madison Mangum has three 100-yard receiving games.
- Justin Arias is the only quarterbacks in the conference who have thrown for multiple touchdowns in every game this season.
- Xavier Finney has four games with two rushing touchdowns or more.
- Xavier Finney's 11 rushing touchdowns this year ranks fifth all-time on the Top 10 single-season list. Ken Cornist holds the record with 14 in 2005.
- Madison Mangum has two games with two receiving touchdowns.
- Xavier Finney's three rushing touchdowns against Sacramento State  and Southern Utah was the most by a Bengal since Matt Gutierrez did in 2006.