POCATELLO, Idaho - Idaho State closes its regular season on the road Saturday, making the trip north to face rival Idaho in the annual Potato State Trophy game inside the P1FCU Kibbie Dome.
The Bengals sit at 5-6 overall and 4-3 in Big Sky play after winning three straight and five of their last eight, while the Vandals are 4-7 and 2-5 in the league. The programs meet for the 45th time in a series that dates back to 1916, with Idaho holding a 31-13 edge. Idaho State's last win in the rivalry came in the 2021 spring season, and its last road victory in Moscow came in 1981.
How to Follow
Kickoff: 1:00 p.m. PT / 2:00 p.m. MT
Location: P1FCU Kibbie Dome, Moscow, Idaho
Watch: ESPN+ / SWX
Listen (English): KISU 91.1 FM and online at KISU.org with Scott Gross (play-by-play) and Kody Graves (analyst)
Listen (Spanish): https://bit.ly/3X382eE
Live Stats: https://govandals.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
Idaho State Football Press Conference
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Bengals Surging Into Season Finale
Idaho State arrives in Moscow playing its best football of the year. After an 0-3 start, the Bengals have climbed to 5-6 behind a strong offense and a disruptive front seven, outscoring opponents 359-311 across 11 games. They have already secured their best record since 2018 and 2024 and can finish with a winning mark in Big Sky play with a victory on Saturday.
Idaho State is 3-2 at home and 2-4 on the road, making this final trip an opportunity to finish the regular season at .500 overall and extend the current win streak to four games. Idaho, 4-7 overall and 2-5 in conference action, is 3-2 in the Kibbie Dome and looks to close its season by protecting home turf and keeping control of the rivalry.
High-Octane Idaho State Offense
Powered by one of the Big Sky's most productive attacks, Idaho State averages 32.6 points and 464.5 yards per game on 6.8 yards per play. The Bengals have been balanced across the season, throwing for 312.1 yards and rushing for 152.4 yards per outing, with 45 offensive touchdowns between the run and pass.
Quarterback Jordan Cooke has led the Bengals all year. Cooke has thrown for 2,840 yards and 14 touchdowns on 220-of-375 passing, a 58.7 percent completion rate. He adds 113 rushing yards and two scores on the ground for 2,953 yards of total offense in 10 games, averaging 295.3 yards per contest. Cooke and backup Davis Harsin, who has contributed 492 passing yards and seven touchdowns, have combined to help Idaho State post 343.3 passing yards per game over the last two outings.
In the backfield, running back Dason Brooks has emerged as one of the league's most productive rushers. Brooks has carried 134 times for 904 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging 6.7 yards per carry and 90.4 yards per game. He eclipsed the 200-yard mark with 219 rushing yards and two scores in the road win at UC Davis. Carson Sudbury has added 216 rushing yards and four touchdowns to round out a ground game that has grown more dangerous as the season has progressed.
The Bengals complement that balance with one of the deepest receiving corps in the conference:
• Michael Shulikov: 49 receptions, 908 yards, 7 touchdowns, 82.5 yards per game, 18.5 yards per catch
• Tsion Nunnally: 57 receptions, 759 yards, 5 touchdowns, 75.9 yards per game
• Damien Morgan: 49 receptions, 569 yards, 3 touchdowns
• Ian Duarte: 41 receptions, 451 yards, 2 touchdowns, plus 354 combined kick and punt return yards
That production starts up front, where an experienced offensive line has allowed just three sacks all season while giving Cooke time to push the ball vertically. The group has also helped spark Idaho State's improved ground game, paving the way for 152.4 rushing yards per contest.
Disruptive Bengal Defense and Special Teams Edge
Idaho State's defense has complemented the offense with consistent negative plays. The Bengals have produced 27 sacks for 183 yards and 70 tackles for loss totaling 276 yards, while allowing only three sacks all season.
Linebacker Rylan Leathers leads the unit with 92 total tackles and four tackles for loss, while fellow linebacker Nathan Reynolds has 76 tackles and two tackles for loss. Up front, defensive end Cam'ron Willis has 10.0 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks with two fumble recoveries, Jackson Irwin owns 6.0 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks, Maka Tu'akoi has 4.5 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks, and Bronson Childs adds 7.0 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks in nine games.
In the back end, Idaho State has recorded six interceptions by six different defenders and broken up 37 passes. The Bengals hold a 59-49 edge in points off turnovers, reflecting a defense that may not overwhelm opponents with takeaways but consistently gets hands on the football and creates short fields.
Special teams have been a major weapon. Kicker Trajan Sinatra is 15-for-19 on field goals, with a long of 56 yards at New Mexico. He is 5-for-5 from 20-29 yards, 6-for-8 from 40-49, and 1-for-1 from 50-plus, leading the team with 84 points.
Punter Gabe Russo has averaged 46.7 yards per kick, helping Idaho State post a 46.9-yard team average and a 43.0-yard net punting mark compared to opponents' 38.6 net. Fifteen of the Bengals' 36 punts have been downed inside the 20 and 15 have traveled at least 50 yards.
In the return game, Duarte has 12 kick returns for 242 yards (20.2 yards per return) and 10 punt returns for 112 yards (11.2 yards per return), while Robert Freeman IV has three kick returns for 94 yards, averaging 31.3 yards per runback. Opponents are averaging just 3.3 yards per punt return and 19.8 yards per kickoff return, and Idaho State also owns a punt return touchdown on Aiden Garcia's 16-yard score.
Scouting the Vandals
Idaho counters with a balanced offense that averages 387.9 yards per game, including 179.3 rushing and 208.6 passing yards. The Vandals have produced 1,972 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns on 4.9 yards per carry and have scored 36 total touchdowns while averaging 26.0 points per game. Idaho converts 41 percent of its third downs and 58 percent of its fourth downs.
Quarterback Joshua Wood leads the Vandals with 1,825 passing yards and a team-best 2,385 yards of total offense, averaging 265.0 yards per game. His combination of passing and rushing production makes him a central figure in Idaho's red zone and short-yardage packages.
Defensively, Idaho allows 380.5 yards and 25.5 points per game. The Vandals have registered 15 sacks, 33 pass breakups and six interceptions by six different players. Linebacker Dylan Layne tops the tackle chart with 77 stops, while Isiah King has 73 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks. On special teams, a trio of kickers has combined to hit 11 of 18 field goal attempts, and Idaho's punting unit averages 39.0 yards per kick.
The Potato State Trophy Era
The modern chapter of the Idaho State–Idaho rivalry began in 2018, when the Vandals returned to the Big Sky Conference and FCS competition after more than two decades at the FBS level. With the renewal came the Potato State Trophy, adding a tangible prize to one of the Northwest's oldest football matchups.
Idaho State struck first in the new era, rolling to a 62-28 win in Pocatello in 2018, its first victory over Idaho at home since 1995. The Bengals added a memorable 24-22 win during the 2021 spring season inside Holt Arena.
Since that spring meeting, Idaho has won four straight in the series, using home-field success in the Kibbie Dome and explosive scoring stretches to build its current run, including a 63-point outburst in 2023 and a 40-17 win in Pocatello in 2024.
As the teams meet again in 2025, Idaho State looks to flip the script by earning its first win in the Kibbie Dome since 1981 and its first road victory of the Potato State Trophy era. Idaho aims to extend its recent control and finish the season with a rivalry win in front of its home crowd.
