Football Opens 2019 Season with 38-13 Victory over Western Colorado

POCATELLO, Idaho -  The Idaho State football team opened the 2019 season with a season-opening 38-13 win over Western Colorado on Thursday night in Holt Arena.
Idaho State tallied 532 yards of total offense and held Western Colorado to 178. Matt Struck threw for 385 yards and four touchdowns in his first start. He completed 22 passes on 41 attempts with one interception.

Tanner Conner had a career-night with nine receptions for 164 yards and two touchdowns. Michael Dean caught eight passes for 155 yards and one touchdown while Mitch Gueller had three receptions for 41 yards and one touchdown.

Ty Flanagan carried the ball 22 times for 96 yards.

Kody Graves and Kainoa Fuiava each had six tackles. Fuiava also had a sack. Oshea Trujillo had an interception.

Idaho State led the entire game and scored on its opening possession on a drive that only took five plays in 1:53. Struck's opening pass on the drive was for 40 yards to Dean and three plays later he hit Gueller on a 20-yard touchdown reception with 11:47 left in the quarter.

The Bengals extended their lead to 14-0 with 10:46 left in the first half when Struck found Dean open for a 45-yard touchdown reception.

Idaho State led 14-3 at halftime and 24-6 after the third quarter. In the second half Kevin Ryan kicked a 32-yard field goal and Struck scored on a one-yard touchdown run.

Following Struck's touchdown run Malcom Wesley returned the ensuing kickoff 86 yards but was run down by Anthony Ricks at the one-yard line. Two plays later Trujillo came up with the interception for the Bengal defense.

Conner scored his two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. His first one was an 11-yard reception with 13:31 to play and his second came on a 63-yard strike from Struck with 2:40 left in the game.

Idaho State returns to the field for a 2:15 p.m. kickoff at the University of Utah on Saturday, Sept. 14. The game will be televised on the Pac 12 Network.

Notes
- This is the second straight year the two teams have opened the season. Last year Idaho State beat Western Colorado 45-10.
- Since 1999 Idaho State is now 22-1 against Non-Division 1 teams. Idaho State is now 16-0 in season openers vs. Non-Division 1 teams since 1990.
- Ty Flanagan moved into ninth place in the Idaho State career record book for most rushing yards. His 96 yards on Thursday night gives him 1,654 yards for his career, passing Craig Joseph's 1,570. Kennedy Nkeyasen (1994-98) is in eighth place with 1,665 yards.
- Michael Dean and Mitch Gueller each caught a touchdown pass. They have 21 for their career, tying them with Luke Austin for sixth place in the ISU career record book.
- Mitch Gueller moved into second place in career receiving yards at Idaho State. He now has 2,680 yards, passing Ed "The Flea" Bell who had 2,676 yards.
- Tanner Conner's 63-yard touchdown reception tied for the 20^th longest offensive play since the 2011 season.
- Oshea Trujillo had his first career interception in the third quarter. The pick halted a potential touchdown by Western Colorado as the drive was started on the Bengal one-yard line.