POCATELLO, Idaho – Idaho State returns home after a restful bye weekend for Homecoming 2025, hosting Northern Arizona on Saturday afternoon inside the ICCU Dome. Kickoff is set for 4:00 p.m.
The Bengals (2–5, 1–2 Big Sky) come off their bye week following a road trip to No. 5 Montana State, while the Lumberjacks (4–3, 1–2 Big Sky) also return from a bye after falling 45–24 at UC Davis on October 11. Saturday marks the 55th all-time meeting between the programs, with Northern Arizona leading the series 37–16–1. Idaho State owns a 16–11 record at home, with its last victory over NAU coming in 2018, a 56–42 shootout in Pocatello.
How to Follow
By The Numbers
Idaho State enters the week leading the Big Sky in total offense (466.1 ypg) and passing offense (325.3 ypg) while ranking second in scoring (35.0 ppg).
Quarterback
Jordan Cooke has thrown for 1,694 yards and eight touchdowns, while
Davis Harsin has added 482 yards and seven scores through the air.
The receiving corps is led by
Michael Shulikov (643 yards, 4 TD) and
Tsion Nunnally (502 yards, 4 TD), while
Dason Brooks paces the ground game with 436 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
Defensively,
Rylan Leathers leads ISU with 61 tackles and one interception, and
Cam'ron Willis has tallied 3.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss.
The Bengals rank second in the Big Sky in sacks (20) and first in tackles for loss (51) through seven games.
Special teams continue to shine, with
Trajan Sinatra converting 10 of 11 field goals including a season-long 56-yard make.
Gabe Russo ranks top-2 in the Big Sky and top-10 nationally with a 46.0-yard punting average.
Head-to-Head Comparison: ISU vs NAU
Saturday's matchup features two of the Big Sky's most balanced offensive teams, though they differ in style and tempo. Idaho State leads the league through the air, while Northern Arizona has leaned on its rushing consistency and control of possession.
Offense
- Idaho State averages 35.0 points per game, compared to 27.5 for Northern Arizona.
- The Bengals lead in total offense (466.1 to 394.8) and passing yards per game (325.3 to 214.5), while the Lumberjacks hold the edge on the ground, 180.3 to 140.9.
- Idaho State has recorded 13 passing touchdowns to NAU's 11, while the Lumberjacks have produced more rushing scores (13 to 9).
- In the red zone, Idaho State has scored on 82% (23 of 28) trips, while NAU has converted 88% (22 of 25).
- The Bengals have allowed only 2 sacks for 14 yards, compared to 13 sacks for 98 yards allowed by Northern Arizona.
Special Teams & Possession
- Kicker Trajan Sinatra has connected on 10 of 11 field goals, while NAU's Samuel Hunsaker is 8 of 9.
- Northern Arizona has maintained longer drives, averaging 31:29 of possession to Idaho State's 27:38.
Defense
- Idaho State allows 32.0 points per game, while Northern Arizona gives up 26.0.
- The Bengals have totaled 20 sacks for 136 yards, compared to 12 for 91 yards by the Lumberjacks.
- NAU holds an advantage in total defense, giving up 370.7 yards per game to Idaho State's 456.1, but the Bengals generate more backfield disruption and forced fumbles (6 forced, 7 recovered).
- In the secondary, Idaho State has 3 interceptions, while Northern Arizona has 4.
- Penalty discipline is nearly even, with ISU averaging 56.1 penalty yards per game and NAU 57.9.
Series History
Saturday marks the 55th all-time meeting between Idaho State and Northern Arizona. The Bengals trail the series
16–37–1, but hold a
16–11 advantage in Pocatello.
Idaho State's last win came in
2018, a 56–42 victory inside the Dome, while NAU took last year's meeting in Flagstaff by a score of 30-26.
Scouting the Lumberjacks
Northern Arizona enters the week averaging 407.3 yards and 29.3 points per game while allowing 404.9 yards and 33.9 points defensively.
Quarterback Ty Pennington has thrown for 1,802 yards and 10 touchdowns, completing 62 percent of his passes.
Running backs Seth Cromwell (344 yards, 6 TD) and Quran Gossett (292 yards, 5 TD) lead a balanced rushing attack, while Kolbe Katsis (30 receptions, 531 yards, 5 TD) and Isaiah Eastman (325 yards) headline the receiving group.
Linebacker Travis Arena anchors the defense with 52 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss, and 5.0 sacks, while Jaylan Wesley has recorded two interceptions for 62 return yards.
On special teams, Samuel Hunsaker is 7-for-9 on field goals with a long of 50 yards and a perfect 24-for-24 on PATs, and Ben D'Aquila averages 47.3 yards per punt with 12 punts of 50 yards or longer.
What to Watch
- Homecoming Energy – The ICCU Dome crowd has traditionally sparked strong Bengal performances, and this weekend's celebration adds extra motivation for a team looking to build second-half momentum.
- Offensive Firepower – Both teams rank among the top offenses in the Big Sky, setting up a potential high-scoring affair between Cooke's passing attack and Pennington's balanced Lumberjack offense.
- Defensive Pressure – Idaho State's front seven leads the league in tackles for loss, and generating consistent pressure will be key against an NAU offense that averages over 400 yards per game.
- Special Teams Impact – Sinatra and Russo have been game-changers all season, while NAU's Hunsaker and D'Aquila are among the conference's best specialists, setting up one of the Big Sky's top special teams matchups.
- Big Sky Standings Race – Both teams enter at 1–2 in conference play, making Saturday's game crucial for positioning entering November.
Weekly Press Conference
Homecoming History
Homecoming week has long been a defining tradition for Idaho State football, dating back nearly a century to the program's first celebration in 1929. The Bengals enter Saturday's matchup with an all-time Homecoming record of 40–39–3, carrying a three-game winning streak into this year's contest.
Idaho State's longest Homecoming winning streaks stand at five games, achieved twice in program history, from 1951–55 and again from 2001–05. The Bengals' longest drought came between 1995–2000 and 2008–13, when they dropped six straight each time.
The program's most dominant Homecoming performance remains the 103–0 victory over Montana Normal (now Montana Western) in 1930, still the largest margin of victory in school history. Other notable wins include a 50–9 rout of Montana State in 1985 and a 43–40 double-overtime win over Montana in 2003.
Conversely, the largest margin of defeat came in 1997, when No. 1-ranked Montana earned a 48–0 win in Pocatello. The Bengals have also experienced several narrow Homecoming heartbreakers, including one-point losses in 1950 (19–20 vs. Northern Colorado), 1958 (7–8 vs. Colorado College), and 1970 (34–35 vs. Montana).
Idaho State has won eight of its last 14 Homecoming games since 2010, including a 38–28 victory over Southern Utah last season.
Homecoming vs. Northern Arizona
Idaho State has faced Northern Arizona seven times on Homecoming, holding a 4–3 advantage in those contests. The matchup first appeared in 1981, when the Bengals rolled to a 31–6 victory during their national championship season. A decade later, ISU added another decisive win in 1991 (45–14).
The two programs met again in 1999, a 43–28 Northern Arizona victory later forfeited to Idaho State, officially marking the Bengals' third Homecoming win in the series. The Lumberjacks went on to capture three consecutive Homecoming meetings between 2006 and 2010, including a 52–30 win in 2008 and a 32–7 result in 2010. Idaho State last hosted NAU for Homecoming in 2018, earning a 56–42 victory inside Holt Arena.
Statistical Highlights
Passing: In 2006, Idaho State threw for 394 yards behind quarterback Matt Gutierrez (18-37-2, 3 TDs). The Bengals have thrown for 300 or more yards in three of the seven Homecoming contests against NAU (1981, 2006, 2008). In the 1981 game, Mike Machurek completed his first 17 consecutive passes to break both the then-DI-AA and DI records (previously 13). The current record is 29, set by Quinn Epperly of Princeton versus Cornell on November 2, 2013.
Rushing: In 1991, Idaho State rushed for 370 yards against the Lumberjacks, with John Peoples posting 210 yards, the seventh-longest single-game mark in ISU history and a then-team record. The Bengals have topped 300 rushing yards twice in Homecoming games versus NAU (1991 and 2018).
Total Offense: In the 1991 win over the Lumberjacks, ISU totaled 632 yards of offense, which stood as a Holt Arena agasint a DI opponent record until the 2018 Bengals produced 754 yards in their 62–28 home win over Idaho.
Defense: Several standout defensive performances have defined ISU vs. NAU Homecoming matchups:
- 2006: Pago Togafau recorded 21 total tackles (7 solo, 14 assists), the No. 1 mark in program history for a single game. Togafau became the first Bengal to post three consecutive 100+ tackle seasons and later played in the NFL with the Cardinals and Eagles.
- 1991: Craig Barr registered 14 total tackles (13 solo, 1 assist).
- 1981: Lem Galeai contributed 12 total tackles, he is the father of current ISU defensive line assistant coach Tipa Galeai.
Field Goals: Despite the high-scoring nature of ISU, NAU Homecoming contests, the Bengals have converted just three field goals across the seven meetings, an unusual statistic for two dome-based teams.
Series Margin: The Idaho State, Northern Arizona Homecoming series has been tightly contested, with NAU scoring 224 total points to ISU's 222. While close overall, individual games have often been decisive, with the winner typically prevailing by 19 or more points.
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