Watch | Live Stats | Listen | Tickets
POCATELLO, Idaho – Coming off of a road win at Portland State last weekend, the Bengals hit the road once again, heading to the west coast to take on the #6 Sacramento State Hornets.
Kickoff is set for 6:00 PM PT / 7:00 PM MT at Hornet Stadium in Sacramento, Calif.
The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and Live Stats will be available.
Scott Gross will have the call on KISU 91.1 FM and KISU.org
The Hornets are coming off of a 42-30 loss to #2 Montana State and are now 5-2 overall and 2-2 in Big Sky Conference play.
Series History
This will be the 23
rd meeting of the Bengals and the Hornets since 1996. The Hornets lead the all time series 14-8. The previous meeting, in 2021, was a pitched battle that saw the Hornets emerge with the narrow 23-21 win in Holt Arena.
In the past five meetings of the two programs, the Bengals' record is 2-3 with the previous win coming in 2016, a 42-34 victory in Pocatello.
Bengal Bites
- The Bengals only return 40 players on the roster from the 2022 season. Despite the low numbers, Coach Hawkins and his staff recruited a full 110 man roster for the 2023 season.
- The Bengals' 28 points scored against SDSU is the 2nd most scored against an FBS opponent in the modern era. The record is 30 against Nevada in the Bengals' 2017 30-28 win over the wolfpack. Third place is in the year 2000 against the Utah State Aggies in a 27-24 win.
- The Bengals threw 63 pass attempts against the Aztecs, leading the nation in total attempts. While more yardage is to be desired still, the number marks a change in the offense style that hasn't been seen in Pocatello for some time.
- 28 points scored against San Diego State equaled the season high from 2022.
- The Bengals matched the 28 points scored this past week against the Aggies.
- The Bengals have the No. 1 passing offense in the nation averaging 342.7 passing yards a game.
- The Bengals rank 6th in the nation in first downs offense.
- The Bengals are 11th in the nation in 3rd down conversion percentage, converting on 48 percent of attempts.
- The Bengals are 23rd in the nation in fewest penal- ties per game only averaging 5.14/game.
- Chedon James is 2nd in the nation in receptions per game with 8.8. He ranks 6th in Receiving yards and 5th in reception yards per game.
- Jordan Cooke ranks 18th in the nation in passing yards per game averaging 249.0
- The win against UNC was the Bengals' first win over
the Bears since the 2014 season, breaking a three- game skid.
- The Bengals comeback victory over the EWU Eagles was the first win over the Eagles for the Bengals since 2004.
- Chedon James and Christian Fredericksen are ranked No.'s 1 and 2 in the conference in receiving yards per game. Cyrus Wallace is ranked 20th in yards per game.
- Mason Young is ranked 12th in the nation in tackles for loss with six on the year.
- Calvin Pitcher and Mason Young rank third and sixth in the conference in tackles per game with 8.83 and 8.2 respectively
- David Rowe is 2nd in the conference standings in tackles for loss with 7.5 on the year.
- Jordan Cooke is ranked 2nd in passing offense and 4th in total offense.
- Jordan Cooke's 389 passing yards against EWU was the 2nd most in a Big Sky game this season.
- Chedon James' 206 receiving yards against EWU are the most in a single game this season in the Big Sky.
- The Bengal defense held the PSU Vikings to just 100 yards total offense. 146 yards fewer than the Vikings season average.
- The Bengals win in Hillsboro snapped a 17-game road losing streak going back to 2021 when the Bengals defeated Southern Utah in Cedar City, Utah.
Bengals Sink Vikings Ship in Portland
The Idaho State Bengals and Portland State Vikings battled it out in Hillsboro Stadium in Hillsboro, Oregon Saturday afternoon with the Bengals leaving the stadi- um victorious 38-24. The win is the second straight for the Orange and Black and moves the Bengals to 3-1 in Big Sky Play.
Coming into the game, the Bengals were the No. 2 passing offense in all of FCS football and they showed it on the first two drives.
Jordan Cooke started the day with a 41 yard bomb to
Alfred Jordan Jr. to cross midfield and set up a 1st and 10 Bengals at the PSU 30 yard line. The Bengals drove to the goal line and Cooke rushed three yards in for the opening touchdown.
The Bengal defense stepped up, forcing a punt out of the Vikings and once again the Bengal offense took the field.
Cooke again led the Bengals on a drive.
Aiden Taylor caught and fought for a 17-yard gain. The next play
Chedon James took a pass to the right side of the field and, turning on the jets, sped into the endzone to make the game 14-0 Bengals.
The Vikings were able to score at the end of the quarter and the two teams entered the 2nd quarter with the Bengals up 14-7.
The Bengals, not content to take it slow, saw an opportunity in the middle of the 2nd quarter. The Bengals drove the field with
Hunter Hays at QB. Inside the 20, the Bengals smelled blood and on two consecutive rushes, Hays chopped up the field, then powered in the run for the touchdown.
With around three minutes left in the half, the Bengal Defense stood strong and facing a furious Portland Offense, didn't blink, forcing a PSU punt and giving the Bengal offense the ball once again.
Jordan Cooke led the Bengals on a three-minute drive, capped with
Aiden Taylor powering over the PSU run defense to get into the endzone.
Coming out of the locker room, the two teams traded possessions before PSU was able to drive the field and score to cut the lead to 28-24 with 6:09 to play in the 3rd.
Both teams continued battling in the third.
Near the end of the quarter, with the Vikings driving, Bengal Captain
Calvin Pitcher stepped up and broke up a huge 3rd down pass that would have given the Vi- kings a first down just outside the redzone. The officials originally ruled it a catch but after further review, they credited the Bengal with a breakup and the Bengals took back control of the ball into the fourth quarter.
That turnover would prove to be pivotal. The next possession the Bengals drove the field and then, 37 yards out,
Hunter Hays powered past the front line and then turned on the jets, sprinting to the endzone and putting the Bengals up 35-24.
The Idaho State defense, after battling all game long, came up clutch when it was required. With one of the best Big Sky scrambling quarterbacks ready to run, the Idaho State defensive line put up a wall.
After holding the Vikings back, Bengal defensive lineman
David Rowe showed up, sacking the Viking quarterback two times in a row and forced the PSU team to punt.
ISU then took 6:35 off the clock and
Thomas Kopcho nailed a 22 yard fieldgoal to put the Bengals up 38-24.
Idaho State officially ended the Vikings hopes when Tyler Bohannon picked off the Viking Quarterback in the endzone and the Bengals kneeled it out. Idaho State won the game 38-24 and are now sitting at 3-1 in the Big Sky Conference standings.
