POCATELLO, Idaho — Idaho State football improved to 3-0 for the first time since 1995, overwhelming San Diego 59-17 on Saturday at the ICCU Dome. The Bengals scored touchdowns on offense, defense and special teams while piling up 640 yards of total offense, 462 of it through the air, in front of an announced crowd of 6,574.

The win also flips the all-time series with San Diego. The Toreros had won the only previous meeting between the programs, 24-0, in San Diego back in 1958. Idaho State evens the series at 1-1 with its first win over USD in program history.

How It Happened

First Quarter
Idaho State came out fast, scoring on all three of its first-quarter possessions. Davis Harsin came in to cap a five-play, 56-yard opening drive from Jordan Cooke with a 4-yard touchdown run to make it 7-0. San Diego's ensuing drive ended in a Dom Nankil interception by Idaho State Corner Jackson Daniels, and quarterback Jordan Cooke made the Toreros pay, capping an eight-play, 43-yard march with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Carson Sudbury to make it 14-0. After forcing a San Diego punt, Cooke needed just one play to cash in again, hitting Chedon James for a 74-yard touchdown strike to make it 21-0. Idaho State led 21-0 after one quarter despite being outgained on the ground, with the Bengals' offense already at 178 yards on only three scoring drives.

Second Quarter
San Diego found its footing, putting together a nine-play, 61-yard drive finished by a Dom Nankil 7-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 21-7. The Toreros added an Emiliano Salazar 37-yard field goal on their next possession to make it 21-10. Idaho State answered before halftime, with Mason Lindberg connecting from 42 yards with 44 seconds left to push the lead back to 24-10 at the break. San Diego closed the half strong statistically, outgaining Idaho State 116-91 in total offense over the final two quarters of the half, but the Bengals took a 14-point cushion to the locker room.

Third Quarter
Idaho State's defense and ground game took over in the third quarter. Defensive tackle Collin Lewis intercepted a Nankil pass that was batted into the air by Defensive end Bronson Childs  and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown to make it 31-10. Two possessions later, Tytan Mason capped a four-play, 67-yard drive with a 21-yard touchdown run, extending the lead to 38-10 heading into the fourth quarter. Idaho State outgained San Diego 86-48 in total offense in the third quarter and forced a turnover while allowing none.

Fourth Quarter
The fourth quarter was a track meet. Jordan Cooke opened the scoring with a 79-yard touchdown pass to Zedekiah Anahu-Ambrosio on a two-play, 93-yard drive, making it 45-10. San Diego answered with a burst of its own, as CJ Ceron broke a 53-yard touchdown run to trim the margin to 45-17. Idaho State put the game away with two more touchdowns in the final six minutes: Davis Harsin found Anahu-Ambrosio again, this time for a 90-yard score on the first play of the drive, and Elijah Beamon punched in a 1-yard touchdown run with 1:07 left to set the final at 59-17.

 

Bengals React

Defensive tackle Collin Lewis, who returned an interception 28 yards for a touchdown, said the team battled through a lull in the second quarter before pulling away.

"I think in that second quarter we played a little flat, but we responded in the second half. The offense really came out and put it on them, and the defense picked it up and set the tone up front. Overall the team's feeling good, but we're humble."

On the pick-six itself:

"When it first happened, I saw the quarterback rolling out, and I was like, all right, I need to get out and get an angle on the QB. Then it happened so quick, Bronson blocked it, I saw the ball in the air, and it felt like it was in slow motion for like 30 seconds. Honestly, I kind of blacked out when I got the ball. I just saw the goal line and thought, 'I've got to get there.' I kept driving my feet, and luckily I scored. I don't remember a lot of the play, but it was crazy and I'm happy."

Told teammates had joked that his high school running back background showed up on the return:

"When I say I blacked out, I really did black out. That running back mode must have kicked in. But it was fun, and I'm happy I was able to score for the team and for the big boys."

On the development of the defensive line since spring:

"I've seen a huge improvement with the offensive line. On the D-line we have a bunch of experienced guys who've played a whole season, and even from spring we had a bunch of new guys come in who were learning. Being able to go against our defense, I've seen so much improvement on the offensive line, and it's crazy how much they've improved. We just make each other better every day, and I'm really thankful for the O-line. We're really solid up front."

On staying grounded at 3-0:

"We treat every week as a different week, and it's about the Bengals. Every week Coach Oak says, 'Who are we playing this week?' And we say, 'We're playing the Bengals,' because it's really about us. It's not about getting complacent, we're just trying to get each other better every day and not get too big a head."

Center Ryan Karby credited the quarterback room for a big night in pass protection.

"Honestly, I feel great. There was a lot of energy the whole game. I feel like we maintained our energy and a lot of intensity throughout, and I'm just really proud of the way we played."

"Really, I just want to give credit to the quarterbacks. We did our stuff up front, but there are definitely some things we've got to clean up. I want to give a lot of credit to JC and to Davis Harsin, and a special shout-out to Wyatt Horton. I feel like all those guys really did their stuff tonight and made us shine."

On the offensive line's growth since fall camp:

"Fall camp was a lot of inexperienced players, a lot of first-time players, and it was about getting that first taste of Division I football up front for all five, except for Jayden, he's the most experienced. But it's about getting that first taste and knowing we can rock, especially with Coach Hughes. He's a great coach and he prepares us every week."

On the bye week ahead:

"I feel like it's definitely needed to get a little rest. Coming out of fall camp, I feel like a lot of guys are hurting a little bit, but it'll be good to get that rest. Just keep the main thing the main thing, keep going 1-0 every week and keep getting better."

Head coach Cody Hawkins downplayed the unbeaten start in favor of the process, and credited a defense that has carried the team through three different kinds of games.

"Good, and it's not about being 3-0, it's about the fact that our guys played well against a good opponent. San Diego's gonna go to the playoffs, whether we like it or not. They've got a good team, and they're gonna be in the field of 24 at the end of the year, and that's where we want to be. But it's not gonna happen without a process that leads to us continually getting better. I was excited that our guys came out. I challenged them a lot during the week about not getting too caught up in last week. Everybody who bumps into you in town was trying to talk about the Utah State win, and I was like, man, I'm way more worried about the Toreros, just because I've coached against them before, I've had some tough battles with them, and I have immense respect for that program and the culture they have. They've got some darn good players, guys who could play for us as well. I'm pleased with the guys. I thought it was a complete effort. Everybody had ups and downs, but everybody responded, and I think it gives us a lot to build on going into the bye week, ready to play nine straight weeks of Big Sky football."

On the offense following a lighter output the week before:

"Any good football team's gonna find a way to win regardless of style, and every style of game is gonna be different. The offense did not put up the numbers you'd expect from an Idaho State offense last week, but we didn't turn the ball over, Jordan Cook was super efficient, and we scored on seven straight possessions at one point. Our defense went out and single-handedly won that game. The offense's job was just to not lose. This week, our defense did it again. Those two turnovers were big, and being able to capitalize on those, as the offense goes, I told this at the quarterback club the other day, we've got a lot of experience on defense and the standard's super high there, and those returners have done a great job bringing along new guys like Titan Saxton and Trehsyn Fesili. Now they're rising up to it, and the leadership on defense is so strong. On offense it's taken us a little bit to get going, but we also have to understand our defense is really good, so we're not gonna be playing from behind all the time. We might have to learn to play a little different, and that takes some getting used to for me as a play caller. It's been awesome to see three different styles of games. Against VMI we probably played great on defense and underperformed on offense, against Utah State we did what we were supposed to given the style of the game, and today all three phases played really well, and you saw that in the result on the scoreboard."

On the run game and getting Zedekiah Anahu-Ambrosio the ball in space:

"Really important to run the football. As the program evolves, you realize you're gonna be in situations where you need to control the game more, and running the ball's an important part of that. We need to figure out how to run the ball, and you saw some of that tonight. We're gonna have to be creative with motions and formations, but everything starts with players. We clearly need to get Zed the ball, so how are we gonna do that, because that guy can absolutely roll. It's about getting guys the ball in space while being physical at the line of scrimmage, and I think we found a rhythm there in the second half. I appreciate the willingness of the receivers. Everybody loves to run and play flag football, but they were really willing to get down and dirty and crack some of the safeties and get involved with the linebackers. The physicality of the receivers and their willingness to block is what helped set us free to run the ball."

On the offensive line's pass protection with 462 yards through the air:

"Good job. Our offensive line has done a great job. Obviously the standard here is really high, and you don't want to give up sacks ever, but it's part of the game, and if you're trying to be more aggressive in the passing game, these guys spend a lot of time with people in the box without bringing a lot of pressure, so we felt a little more comfortable taking shots downfield. If you're trying to hang onto the ball a little longer, the play to Chedon and the play to Zed were both plays where you need to be able to protect a little longer. If we're calling more aggressive pass plays, we're gonna give up more sacks, because the defense has a say in it too. Our offensive line continues to improve, which is part of it. Coach Hughes' thing is, 'I just want to be better in week 12 than I was in week one,' and you've seen our guys continue to improve, but that train can't stop."

On Zedekiah Anahu-Ambrosio's breakout night (three catches, 195 yards, two touchdowns):

"He's super fast. He's a great kid with a great attitude. Sometimes he's just behind Chedon, because Chedon's super detailed and consistent, but Zedekiah's also freaky fast. That's been an adjustment for everybody in the receiver room, of like, all right, you guys are playing a lot, you guys are starting, but man, this guy has to play, because we need to bring Zedekiah along and find ways to get him the ball, because that dude is explosive."

On balancing celebration with the process:

"I think today it's all about celebrating the win, especially for the guys in our locker room. They worked too hard to not be able to celebrate it. You want to be able to relish the moment. It's more the perspective you want the guys to celebrate with, knowing that this is not everything. Our process is everything, and what we're going to do, not what we have done, is gonna determine how satisfied we are with our performance. That's the hallmark of every successful program, whether it's led by a yeller and a screamer or a really calm person. It's getting an entire group of people to focus on doing the next best thing, being the best version of themselves, competing against a standard rather than getting stuck in wins and losses. That's how you build sustainable success."

On the start of Big Sky play and respect for the conference:

"It's always gonna be about what we do, and I think that's what the preseason's really about, figuring out who can make plays for you. We need to get Zed the ball, how do we find ways for Chedon to get vertical, how do we let Jordan stretch the field with his arm but also create a run game without running him too much. We learned a lot about ourselves, and we'll try to tinker with that during the bye week, because we have a ton of respect for this conference. It's the best conference in America top to bottom, you can win or lose every single week, and our guys know that. There's no W on the schedule. This league is tough. We're lucky to be in the fight with a lot of really good teams. But we've got to get better, and we're gonna encounter adversity, we're gonna lose a game, and we've just got to be ready to bounce back from that."

Bengal Bites

Game Stats

●      Idaho State outgained San Diego 640-357 in total offense despite running 14 fewer plays (57 to 71).

●      The Bengals passed for 462 yards on 19-of-30 passing with four touchdowns and no interceptions, averaging 24.3 yards per completion.

●      Idaho State rushed for 178 yards on 27 carries (6.6 per carry) and three touchdowns, led by Tytan Mason's 60 yards on six carries.

●      San Diego held a time-of-possession edge, 35:21 to 24:39, and out-rushed Idaho State 235-178, but was outscored by 42 points.

●      Idaho State scored 14 points off San Diego's two turnovers; San Diego scored none off zero Idaho State turnovers.

●      Idaho State was 5-of-11 on third down and 3-for-3 in the red zone; San Diego converted 4-of-15 third downs.

●      Mason Lindberg made 1 of 3 field goal attempts (42 yards) and went 8-for-8 on PATs.

Notables

●      Jordan Cooke completed 15 of 26 passes for 331 yards and three touchdowns, including the 74-yard strike to Chedon James and the 79-yard score to Zedekiah Anahu-Ambrosio. The performance pushed his career totals to 868 pass attempts (5th all-time in program history), 506 completions (4th), 6,372 passing yards (6th) and 36 passing touchdowns (tied for 9th with Russell Hill).

●      Davis Harsin added 113 yards passing on 3-of-3 throwing, capped by a 90-yard touchdown to Anahu-Ambrosio, and scored a rushing touchdown as well.

●      Zedekiah Anahu-Ambrosio caught three passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns (79 and 90 yards) and finished with 236 all-purpose yards on receiving, rushing and kickoff returns. Both scoring plays rank among Idaho State's top-10 longest offensive plays since 2000: the 90-yard touchdown from Davis Harsin is 3rd-longest in that span and the 4th-longest passing play in program history, and the 79-yard touchdown from Jordan Cooke is 7th-longest since 2000. Only two plays since 2000 are longer: Tanner Gueller's 97-yard touchdown pass to Mitch Gueller in 2017, the program record for longest passing play, and Michael Dean's 91-yard run against Sacramento State in 2016.

●      Chedon James had three catches for 98 yards and a touchdown to go with 11 rushing yards, totaling 109 all-purpose yards.

●      Collin Lewis returned an interception 28 yards for a touchdown, one of two Bengal picks on the day (Jackson Daniels had the other). It was Idaho State's first pick-six since 2021 and the first touchdown scored by a defensive tackle since Kainoa Fuiava's fumble-return touchdown in 2018.

●      Jacob Perez had a career night on defense, setting career highs with 10 total tackles (4 solo, 6 assisted) and 1.0 tackle for loss. Nathan Reynolds added eight tackles.

●      Tytan Mason rushed six times for 60 yards and a touchdown, including a 21-yard scoring run.

●      Idaho State's 640 total yards mark a sharp turnaround from the 240 yards the Bengals produced in last week's win at Utah State, per Hawkins. It's the most total offense for Idaho State since a 55-20 win over North Dakota on Oct. 12, 2019 (609 yards), though it falls short of the 754 yards Idaho State put up in a 2018 win over Idaho.

●      Idaho State's last 3-0 start came in 1995, a team that opened the season 5-0 by beating Cal Poly 28-22, Cal State Northridge 52-0, Southern Utah 48-14, at Eastern Washington 14-7 and Idaho 26-21.

●      The win extends Idaho State's current win streak to seven games, the program's best since the 1981 team won seven straight en route to a championship.

●      Idaho State's 59 points are the most it has scored against a Division I opponent in a win since a 62-28 victory over Idaho in 2018.

Up Next

Idaho State is off next Saturday for its bye week before opening Big Sky Conference play on the road at Southern Utah in Cedar City on Sept. 26. The Bengals return home the following week to host Northern Arizona.

Read Full Article