Game 11 Preview: Idaho State at No. 12/13 Montana State

Game Notes | Audio | Live Stats

POCATELLO, Idaho- The Idaho State football team plays its final road game of the 2014 regular season when it plays at No. 12/13 Montana State on Saturday, November 15 at 1:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on Root Sports television and heard live in Southeastern Idaho on Rock 102.5 and 930 CBS Sports Radio. Jerry Miller and Brad Bugger will call the action on the radio while Tom Glasgow and Jason Stiles will call the game for Root Sports.

With two weeks remaining in the 2014 season, the Idaho State football team remains in the hunt for the Big Sky championship. Eastern Washington is 6-1 in league while ISU, Montana State and NAU are 5-1.

Montana State is scoring 40.5 points a game and gives up 31.3 points. The Bobcat offense averages 497.8 yards a game while the defense allows 470.3 yards. MSU runs the ball for 256.4 yards a game and passes for 241.4. Quarterback Dakota Prukop has thrown for 2,279 yards, 17 touchdowns and only six interceptions while rushing for 932 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Montana State leads the series 44-30-3. The Bobcats have won the last eight meetings but ISU's last win over MSU was a 23-17 victory in 2003.

Bengals in the NCAA Team Stats
Here is where the Bengals ranks in the NCAA team stats
1st- Passing Offense- 348.5
2nd- Total Offense - 550.1
2nd- First Downs- 274
9th- Scoring Offense- 39.9
19th- Passing Efficiency- 146.72
33rd- Rushing Yards per game- 201.6
19th- 3rd Down Conversions- .433
7th- 4th Down Conversion percentage- .688

Bengals Ranked in the NCAA Individual Stats
Here are where the Bengals rank in the indvidual NCAA stats.
Xavier Finney: 7th- rushing yards per game, 136.0; 10th- rushing touchdowns, 14; 23rd- Scoring per game, 8.4; 17th- All-Purpose yards, 147.90; 4th- rushing yards, 1,360
Justin Arias: 1st in completions per game (27); 1st- passing touchdowns, 32; 1st- passing yards, 3,384; 1st- passing yards per game, 338.4; 2nd- points responsible for, 198; 2nd- total offense, 341.1; 17th- passing efficiency, 146.5; 34th- Completion percentage, .612
Madison Mangum: 3rd receiving yards per game, 113.8;  5th- receptions per game, 7.7; 9th receiving yards, 865.
Austin Graves: 18th, Sacks, .90 per game

Winning Streak
Idaho State has won five straight games for the first time since the 1995 season. The last time ISU won six-straight games was in 1981, the year ISU won the National Championship.

Forcing the Turnovers
The Bengal defense has forced 22 turnovers this season (15 interceptions, 7 fumble recoveries). Since the 2001 season the 2004 team forced 30 turnovers (17 interceptions, 13 fumble recoveries). The 2003 team forced 26 turnovers (11 interceptions and 15 fumble recoveries). The 2002 team only forced 21 turnovers but did come up with 16 interceptions. The 2007 and 2009 teams forced 23 turnovers on the season.

Bengals vs. Ranked Opponents
Idaho State's win over No. 21 Cal Poly was the first time it has defeated a ranked opponent since a 34-30 win over No. 5 Eastern Washington on Sept. 24. 2005. The Bengals had previously lost 24 straight games against ranked opponents.

Defensive Improvement
The 12 points Idaho State gave up at Northern Colorado was the fewest points an Idaho State team has allowed against a Division I team since beating Weber State 34-0 in 2002. In the first half, the Bengals allowed only 55 total yards.  A week later the Bengal defense held Portland State to only 13 points.

Bengal Bites
- Xavier Finney has eight 100-yard plus rushing games, the most in the Big Sky Conference.
- The last time the Bengals have won back-to-back road games on consecutive weekends was in 1983. 1983 was also the last time ISU made the playoffs.
- Prior to forcing six turnovers in the 31-13 win at Portland State, the last time an ISU defense forced six turnovers in a game was a 2009 win vs. Portland State.
- The win at Portland State was the first road conference win in Novemeber since a 1996 win at Portland State.
- Xavier Finney leads the Big Sky Conference in rushing at 137.0 yards a game. That mark is the seventh-best in the nation.  ISU has never had a player finish the season as the top rusher in the Big Sky Conference.
- KW Williams has 10 receiving touchdowns and is now tied for fourth place for most receiving touchdowns in a season.
- The Bengal offense has 31 scoring possessions (28 touchdowns and three field goals) with drives two minutes or less.
- Mike Kramer has 90 career wins.
- Justin Arias has thrown for 300 yards or more in 14 games.
- Xavier Finney has 10 100-yard plus rushing games in his career, the second most out of any active player in the  Big Sky Conference.
- Madison Mangum has six100-yard receiving games, tied for the most in the Big Sky  Conference.
- Justin Arias is the only quarterback in the conference who has thrown for multiple touchdowns in every game this season.
- Xavier Finney has five games with two rushing touchdowns or more, tied for the most in the Big Sky with Cal Poly quarterback Chris Brown.
- Madison Mangum has two games with two receiving touchdowns.
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