Game 6 Preview: Idaho State vs. Montana

Football | 10/3/2017 10:40:00 AM

Notes | Audio | Video | Tickets | Live Stats

POCATELLO, Idaho- The Idaho State football team hosts Montana on Saturday, Oct. 7 at 2:30 p.m. in Holt Arena. The game is a White Out. The team will wear all white uniforms and all fans are encouraged to wear white. Game Day White Shirts are on sale at the Orange and Black Store for $10 and the Idaho State baseball team is selling shirts around campus through out the week.

For tickets, fans can call 208-282-FANS. Tickets can be ordered online at isubengals.com. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets prior to game day. Tickets prior to game day are $18 for adults and $10 for kids. On game day prices are $25 for adults and $17 for kids.  

Series vs. Montana
Montana leads the series 44-13. The Griz have won 11 straight meetings, with the Bengals last victory being 43-40 in double overtime on Oct. 18, 2003. Last year ISU lost 62-44 in Missoula on Nov. 5, 2016. The last time the two schools met in Pocatello, Montana pulled out a 33-27 overtime victory.

Scouting Montana
Montana comes into Saturday's game with a 3-2 overall record and a 1-1 mark in Big Sky Conference play. The Griz are averaging 38.8 points a game while giving up 34. Montana rushes for 142.6 yards, passes for 308.2 yards and tallies 450.8 yards of total offense a game. The Montana defense gives up 158.6 rushing yards, 315.6 passing for a total of 474.2 yards of total offense a game. Jeremy Calhoun is the top running back for Montana. He has 85 carries for 350 yards and five touchdowns. Keenan Curran leads the receivers with 14 receptions for 335 yards and four touchdowns. James Banks has 52 tackles to lead the defense.

Notes vs. Cal Poly
- Colton Belnap was last weeks special team's captain.
- JonRhyeem Peoples had a career-high 14 tackles and Mario Jenkins had a career-high 18 tackles.
- Tanner Gueller rushed for a career-best 60 yards.
- Six receptions for Michael Dean was a career-high.
- 3-2 is the best start for an Idaho State football team since the 2005 team was 3-2 through five games.
- It is only the second time since 2007 ISU has had three wins in a season. In 2014 the Bengals were 8-4 and in 2007 they finished 3-8.
- Idaho State has won three of its last four Homecoming games.
- Mitch Gueller's 70-yard touchdown reception was the 10th longest offensive play since 2011.
- Idaho State had nine plays of 20 yards or more.

Freshman and Sophomores Make Immediate Impact
In the season opener vs. Western Oregon the freshman and sophomores accounted for 399 of the teams 431 yards of total offense. Through five games the youngsters have combined for 400 rushing yards and 1,002 receiving yards, good for 1,345 total yards of the teams 2,225.

Big Play Bengals
The Idaho State offense has shown a knack for making the big plays through five games. Already this year the Bengal offense has 44 plays of 10-19 yards; 15 plays of 20-29 yards, 7 plays of 30-39 yards; 4 plays of 40-49 yards and 5 plays of 50 yards or more.

Where the Bengals Rank in NCAA Stats
- James Madison's 255 rushing yards at Northern Colorado is currently the seventh most rushing yards in an FCS game this year.
- Mitch Gueller is tied for second in FCS in receiving touchdowns scored in a game with 3 at Northern Colorado. The most by an  FCS player this year is 4. Mitch is one of 14 players with three touchdown receptions in a game.
- Joe Martin's 20 tackles at Utah State is the second most by an FCS player this year. Brett Taylor of Western Illinois has 28. Mario Jenkins 18 tackles vs. Cal Poly is the fifth most by an FCS player and his 17 tackles at Nevada is tied for eighth most by an FCS player.
- ISU is 23rd in the NCAA in total offense at 445 yards a game. and 26th in scoring offense at 32 points a game.
- ISU has the fifth best red zone offense in the country at .947 percent.
- ISU's offense averages 15.82 per completion, the 12th best mark in the country.
- The Bengals 269 yards of passing a game ranks 24th in the country and the 106 first downs ranks 16th.
- Parker Johnson is one of 13 players in the country who has yet to miss a field goal.
- Tanner Gueller ranks seventh in the country in passing yards per completion at 15.82, eighth in passing yards at 1,345 and ninth in passing touchdowns at 12.
- Michael Dean's five receiving touchdowns ranks eighth in the country and his 396 receiving yards ranks 19th.
- Mario Jenkins is fourth in the  country in tackles per game at 11.8 and Joe Martin is 12th at 10.8.

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