Potato State Trophy Game
Idaho State vs Idaho
Kickoff: 1:00 PM PT
Listen: KISU.org (91.1 FM Pocatello) PxP- Scott Gross Color, Color - Kody Graves
Listen (Spanish Language) :Â https://bit.ly/3X382eE
Watch: ESPN+ / SWX
ISU Gamenotes
The Kickoff
Idaho State heads north for its regular-season finale on Saturday, Nov. 17, with a 2:00 p.m. kickoff against rival Idaho inside the P1FCU Kibbie Dome. The programs meet for the 45th time in a series that dates back to 1916, with Idaho holding a 31–13 lead. Idaho State's last win in the rivalry came in the 2021 spring season, while its last road victory in Moscow was in 1981.
The game will stream live on ESPN+, with radio coverage on KISU 91.1 FM and KISU.org featuring Scott Gross and Kody Graves on the call. Live stats will be available through StatBroadcast.
Idaho State
The Bengals enter the week winners of three straight and five of their last eight, powered by one of the Big Sky's most productive offenses. Idaho State averages 464.5 yards per game, including 312.1 through the air and 152.4 on the ground, and ranks among the national leaders in total offense, passing offense, and fewest sacks allowed. The Bengals have yielded just three sacks all season, tied for the second-fewest in the FCS.
Quarterback Jordan Cooke has thrown for 2,840 yards and 14 touchdowns, averaging 284.0 passing yards per game. Backup Davis Harsin adds 492 yards and seven touchdowns, while combining with Cooke to lead an offense generating 343.3 passing yards per game over the last two outings.
Running back Dason Brooks anchors the ground game with 904 rushing yards, 10 touchdowns, and 6.7 yards per carry, eclipsing the 200-yard mark in the win at UC Davis. Carson Sudbury adds 216 yards and four scores.
Idaho State features one of the deepest receiving corps in the conference.
• Michael Shulikov: 49 receptions, 908 yards, 7 TD, 82.5 ypg
• Tsion Nunnally: 57 receptions, 759 yards, 5 TD
• Damien Morgan: 49 receptions, 569 yards, 3 TD
• Ian Duarte: 41 receptions, 451 yards, 2 TD, plus 354 combined return yards
Defensively, Rylan Leathers leads Idaho State with 92 tackles, while linebacker Nathan Reynolds adds 76. The Bengals own one of the Big Sky's best front sevens, totaling 27 sacks and 70 tackles for loss, with standout production from Cam'ron Willis (10.0 TFL, 6.5 sacks), Maka Tu'akoi (4.5 TFL, 3 sacks), Bronson Childs (7.0 TFL), and Jackson Irwin (6.0 TFL, 4 sacks).
Special teams remain a strength. Kicker Trajan Sinatra is 15-for-19 on field goals, including a career-long 56-yarder at New Mexico. Punter Gabe Russo averages 46.7 yards per kick, helping Idaho State post a 43.0-yard net punting average, one of the top marks in the FCS.
The Bengals enter the week 5–6 overall and 4–3 in Big Sky play, having outgained opponents in total offense in seven of eleven games.
Idaho
Idaho enters the week 4–7 overall and 2–5 in Big Sky play, including a 3–2 mark inside the Kibbie Dome . The Vandals feature a balanced offense that averages 387.9 yards per game with 179.3 rushing and 208.6 passing yards per outing . Quarterback Joshua Wood leads Idaho with 1,825 passing yards and 2,385 yards of total offense, averaging 265.0 per game, the highest figure on the roster .
On the ground, Idaho has produced 1,972 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns on 4.9 yards per carry . The Vandals have scored 36 total touchdowns and average 26.0 points per game while converting 41 percent of their third downs and 58 percent on fourth down .
Defensively, Idaho allows 372.8 yards and 25.7 points per game, recording 12 sacks, 32 pass breakups, and six interceptions by six different players . Linebacker Dylan Layne leads the unit with 71 tackles, followed by Isiah King with 66 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and 3.0 sacks . Special teams include a trio of kickers who have combined to go 9-for-16 on field goals and a punting group averaging 35.5 yards per kick .
Idaho State–Idaho: The Potato State Trophy Era
The modern phase of the Idaho State–Idaho rivalry began in 2018, when the Vandals returned to the Big Sky Conference and the FCS ranks after more than two decades at the FBS level. With the renewal came a new prize, the Potato State Trophy, adding structure and stakes to one of the region's oldest football matchups.
Since Idaho's return, the rivalry has taken on a distinctly back-and-forth feel. Idaho State struck immediately in the new era, delivering a commanding 62–28 win in Pocatello in 2018, the Bengals' first victory over the Vandals in Pocatello since 1995.Â
Since the Bengals win in the spring of 2021, Idaho has reclaimed control, winning four straight matchups (2021 fall, 2022, 2023, 2024). The Vandals have taken advantage of home-field opportunities in the Kibbie Dome and leaned on explosive scoring stretches to build their recent run of success, including a 63-point performance in 2023 and a 40–17 win in Pocatello in 2024.
As the Bengals head to Moscow in 2025, the modern chapter sits at a pivotal point: Idaho State seeks its first wins in the Kibbie Dome since 1981 and its first Potato State Trophy road victory of the new era, while Idaho aims to extend its current run and protect home turf.
