POCATELLO, Idaho - Idaho State Football Head Coach
Cody Hawkins spoke with local media prior to the Bengals' upcoming 2025 Homecoming matchup with the NAU Lumberjacks.
On the benefit of the bye week
"It's awesome having two byes during the year. The spacing of the workload has been pretty awesome, go fall camp, play three, have a break, play four, and now five. It's allowed us to self-scout, get guys healthy, and take a breath before this final stretch."
On fixing fundamentals
"We worked on tackling efficiency, self-scouting on offense, and hammering details. You go back and see missed tackles or dropped passes, and it's not about effort, it's about focus. Details win football games. We spent time reinstalling fundamentals, where to line up, timing of throws, spacing, the small things that make the big difference."
On the team's midseason progress
"I think our guys see that it's 100 percent in our control. We've played good football, but at some point, we have to do it, not just be close. Every goal we have is still in front of us. You win five in a row, you go to the playoffs. We're capable of beating anybody on our schedule if we play good football."
On learning from recent losses
"The Montana game wasn't about what they did, it was about us missing elementary things. Those are games where you see how close you are. Physically, we've matched up with everyone. It's about handling those moments better, being consistent, and trusting each other."
On NAU Head Coach Brian Wright
"Coach Wright's been successful everywhere he's been. They're salty on defense, last year they were the best in the conference. Offensively, they do everything: RPO, run their quarterback, get in heavy or light sets. He's built a really creative, tough football team. They're physical, disciplined, and can beat you in a lot of ways."
On NAU quarterback Ty Pennington
"He's a complete college quarterback. He can throw it as well as anybody in the league and does enough in the run game to make you pay. You can't just say 'make him throw it,' because he'll beat you. He's smart, detailed, and wins football games. There's nothing he doesn't do well."
On special teams matchup vs. NAU
"It's one versus two, both units are outstanding. Field position is going to be huge. Gabe's been punting the heck out of the football, and their specialists are elite too. The punters can whack it, the kickers are consistent, and both sides have great returners. We have to cover and be smart, but it'll be fun to watch those guys compete."
