Live Stats | Watch | Listen |
POCATELLO, Idaho – Coming off of a homecoming win over the Northern Colorado Bears, the Idaho State Bengals travel north to Missoula, Montana to take on the Montana Griz in Washington-Grizzly Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2:00 PM MT.
The game will be broadcast on both ESPN+ and locally in East Idaho on The CW (Digital 8.3) through the Big Sky's partnership with the Scripps Network.
Scott Gross will have the call on KISU 91.1 FM, Gross is joined by special guest color Ryan Sargent Idaho State Associate Vice President of Alumni & Government Relations.
Live stats will be provided for the contest by University of Montana Athletics.
Coach Hawkins Press Conference
Bengal Bites
• The Bengals only return 40 players on the roster from the 2022 season. Despite the low numbers,
  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 rank T-1 in the nation in Red Zone Offense efficiency
• The Bengal passing offense is ranked 3rd in the FCS with an average 322.2 yards per game.
• Jihad Brown ranks 24th in the FCS with 3 forced fumbles.
• Christian Fredericksen is ranked 18th in the nation in points scored
• Chedon James is 5th in the nation in receptions per game averaging 8.0. Christian Fredericksen follows in 19th place with six.
• Jordan Cooke ranks 29h in the nation in passing yards with 829
•The win against UNC was the Bengals' first win over the Bears since the 2014 season, breaking a three game skid.
Series with the Montana Griz
This is the 61st all-time meeting with the Montana Griz with the series going back to 1921.
The teams' previous meeting was last season in 2022 in Holt Arena. Despite leading 28-6 in the fourth, the Bengals kept fighting and staged a comeback attempt that fell just short with the Griz taking a 28-20 win in Pocatello.
Montana leads the series 47-13. The Bengals last win against Montana came in the 2003 season, a 43-40 2OT win in Holt Arena.
Bengals Beat Bears for Homecoming Victory
The Idaho State Bengals started out the 2023 Big Sky Conference season 1-0 after a 35-21 win over the Nothern Colordao Bears.
The win marks the first victory in Head Coach Cody Hawkins' career and is the first Big Sky Conference opening win for the Bengals since the 2019 season where
the Orange and Black defeated Portland State 51-24.
The Northern Colorado Bears came out the gate swinging against the Bengals Saturday night. UNC scored first on a 16-yard rush to take a 7-0 lead In the first
quarter.
Down early, the Bengals did what they have done all season, they responded. Jordan Cooke and Hunter Hay's led the Bengals on a seven-play, 74-yard touchdown
drive to even the score. The Drive was capped by a leaping grab by Alfred Jordan Jr. in the back of the endzone.
The first quarter ended tied 7-7.
The Bengals went to work in the second quarter. On the Bear's first drive of the 2nd quarter. The Bengal defense came up strong with a fourth and five stop to take
over at the 27-yard line. The Bengals went to work, methodically driving down the field capped with the first rushing touchdown of Jordan Cooke's career from the
one-yard line. The Bengals went up 14-10.
With a one score lead, the game felt like it could swing either way and looking for a momentum change, Josh Alford of the Idaho State Bengals provided one.
The UNC Bears completed a pass near the 38-yard line and the Bear's wide receiver was off to the races. With a 10-yard head start on the Bengal defenders it felt as
if no one could catch him.
With a fiery determination, Josh Alford turned on the jets and with one yard to spare, poked the ball out and forced a touchback, saving a touchdown and getting
the ball back into the hands of the Bengals.
The reaction of the crowd was electric. When the head referee announced the turnover, the noise in Holt arena was deafening and the Bengals took that energy
and drove to the endzone with 1:34 left of the clock to take a 21-7 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Coming out of the locker room, the Bears were not going down without a fight. On their first two drives of the game, the Bears scored consecutive touchdowns to
tie the game at 21-21 with five minutes left in the third.
Once again, the Bengals had to make a stand. Instead of tucking tail and losing, the Bengals bared their claws. Getting the ball back, the Bengals made mincemeat
of the Bears defense, crossing 75 yards in six plays and scoring on Aiden Taylors second rushing touchdown of the season. The Bengals were up 28-21 and looked
to put the game away in the 4th.
The final nail offensively came with 11 minutes left in the fourth. Hunter Hays and Jordan Cooke led the Bengals on a 12 play 58-yard drive that ate six minutes of
game clock and resulted in a touchdown to put the Bengals up two scores at 35-21.
With five minutes left, the Bengal defense put the game away. Matthew Sanchez put an end to the Bears last hopes with two interceptions within the final four
minutes. Capping off the Bengals with strong defensive play.
The Bengals move to 1-3, 1-0 BSC after the win and look to continue the momentum next week in Missoula, Mont. Taking on the Montana Grizzlies.
Â
Next Up
Next Week, the Bengals have a much-deserved bye weekend where they can rest and recuperate before hosting the Eastern Washington Eagles Oct. 14 at 4:00 PM MT
