POCATELLO, Idaho – Idaho State Football Head Coach Cody Hawkins spoke to local media prior to the Bengals' upcoming home opener with Lincoln University.
Some Key Quotes from Coach Hawkins
On the bye week reset
"I think it was a good reset for our team just because of the nature of switching the schedule last minute. You don't normally get that typical break right before fall camp. We needed a couple extra weeks to get some guys back and healed up, and it's been great to get depth guys more immersed in what we're doing in all phases."
On scouting Lincoln
"It is hard to get great information, but I think tape is probably better than a lot of news articles. They've got some dudes up front as good as anybody we've played so far, and Jalen Henderson could start for anybody in the Big Sky. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter who we're playing, it matters how we play, and we've got to make sure that we communicate, take care of the football, and run to the football."
On Lincoln's schemes
"We have three games of tape on them. They're a 3-3-5 team that plays a lot more man coverage and Tampa 2 than most people we've faced. They've got some corners who are dudes, especially Jalen Henderson. Offensively, they'll show heavy sets and 10 personnel. These guys play with a reckless abandon—you can tell they love football if they're willing to play every game on the road."
On discipline and penalties
"It's the post-snap penalties that matter most. Holding can be called on every play, but the penalties we can control are the ones I focus on—false starts, tempo, getting set, playing with good hands. If there were unsportsmanlike penalties or late hits, I'd come unglued, but right now I'm not concerned beyond teaching our guys how much they can and can't get away with."
On scheduling changes
"I would love to play Central Arkansas, but I didn't want to have to go there. That would've been four straight road games. Scheduling is really important, and that's what I appreciate about what Pauline has done—take our medicine this year so next year's schedule will be exponentially better. But we needed a home game for our guys and our community."
On the quarterback situation
"Right now we're kind of down to two. Jordan is rehabbing after surgery and we don't know when he'll be cleared. Sharman's out with a shoulder injury. Harsin will play the majority of the snaps regardless, and Logan Gonzalez is capable. This is the most injured my quarterback room has ever been."
On player rotations vs Lincoln
"First off, we haven't done anything yet. To think this is a week to kick back is the wrong mentality. We need to play good football, create turnovers, and clean up penalties. If guys who haven't played much get snaps, it's because they can help us win football games down the road, not just to 'see what they can do.' Our starters will play until it's clear otherwise."
On the running back room
"Robert will be out for the year. Brett's still working his way up to speed, and Dason practiced fully for the first time since UNLV. Him and JC are both week-to-week. Tytan Mason went from likely redshirting to being someone we need carries and pass protection from this year. We're much thinner at running back than I'd like, but we'll build a game plan to complement what they do well."
