American college football season
The 2023 Idaho State Bengals football team represented Idaho State University in the Big Sky Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season . Led by first-year head coach Cody Hawkins , the Bengals played their home games on campus at Holt Arena , an indoor facility in Pocatello, Idaho .
Preseason
Polls
On July 23, 2023, during the virtual Big Sky Kickoff, the Bengals were predicted to finish last in the Big Sky by both the coaches and media.[1]
Coaches poll
Predicted finish
Team
Votes (1st place)
1
Montana State
120 (10)
2
UC Davis
96 (1)
3
Sacramento State
94 (1)
4
Weber State
91
5
Idaho
89
6
Montana
84
7
Eastern Washington
52
8
Portland State
45
9
Northern Arizona
44
10
Northern Colorado
37
11
Cal Poly
25
12
Idaho State
15
Media poll
Predicted finish
Team
Votes (1st place)
1
Montana State
447 (26)
2
Idaho
410 (8)
3
Montana
359 (2)
4
Sacramento State
334 (3)
5
UC Davis
330
6
Weber State
320
7
Eastern Washington
216
8
Northern Arizona
178
9
Portland State
167
10
Northern Colorado
109
11
Cal Poly
103
12
Idaho State
69
Preseason All–Big Sky team
The Bengals had no players selected to the Preseason All–Big Sky team.[2]
Roster
Schedule
Date Time Opponent Site TV Result Attendance September 2 8:30 p.m. at San Diego State * CBSSN L 28–3622,345
September 9 6:00 p.m. at Utah State * MWN L 28–7820,034
September 16 4:00 p.m. Northern Iowa * ESPN+ L 17–411
September 23 4:00 p.m. Northern Colorado ESPN+ W 35–218,012
September 30 2:00 p.m. at No. 18 Montana ESPN+/Scripps L 20–2826,678
October 14 4:00 p.m. No. 21 Eastern Washington ESPN+ W 42–416,763
October 21 2:00 p.m. at Portland State ESPN+ W 38–242,174
October 28 7:00 p.m. at No. 6 Sacramento State ESPN+ L 16–5113,733
November 4 4:00 p.m. Weber State ESPN+ L 21–338,233
November 11 4:00 p.m. UC Davis ESPN+ L 14–217,001
November 18 5:00 p.m. at No. 6 Idaho ESPN+ L 21–639,854
[3] [4]
Game summaries
at San Diego State
Pregame line
Over/under
SDSU –34.5
51.5
Idaho State Bengals (0–0) at San Diego State Aztecs (0–0) – Game summary
Period
1
2
3 4 Total
Bengals
3
10
0 15 28
Aztecs
10
10
9 7 36
at Snapdragon Stadium • San Diego, California
Date : Game time : 8:30 p.m. MDT Game weather : Sunny, 74 °F (23 °C)Game attendance : 22,345Referee : Michael CuttoneTV announcers (CBSSN ) : Michael Grady (play-by-play) and Donte Whitner (analyst)
Game information
First quarter
8:49 ISU – Thomas Kopcho 32-yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 61 yards, 3:10; Idaho State 3–0 )
6:50 SDSU – Jack Browning 43-yard field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 33 yards, 1:48; Tied 3–3 )
2:54 SDSU – Jalen Mayden 24-yard run (Jack Browning kick) (Drive: 2 plays, 32 yards, 0:44; San Diego State 10–3 )
Second quarter
14:50 ISU – Thomas Kopcho 33-yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 59 yards, 3:04; San Diego State 10–6 )
6:35 SDSU – Jaylon Armstead 4-yard run (Jack Browning kick) (Drive: 12 plays, 68 yards, 7:12; San Diego State 17–6 )
1:10 SDSU – Jack Browning 41-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 25 yards, 3:22; San Diego State 20–6 )
0:14 ISU – Christian Fredericksen 24-yard pass from Jordan Cooke (Thomas Kopcho kick) (Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 0:50; San Diego State 20–13 )
Third quarter
8:48 SDSU – Team safety (San Diego State 22–13 )
6:09 SDSU – Martin Blake 3-yard run (Jack Browning kick) (Drive: 5 plays, 27 yards, 2:32; San Diego State 29–13 )
Fourth quarter
13:34 ISU – Chedon James 8-yard pass from Hunter Hays (Alfred Jordan Jr. pass from Hunter Hays) (Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 4:59; San Diego State 29–21 )
6:50 SDSU – Jalen Mayden 56-yard run (Jack Browning kick) (Drive: 3 plays, 70 yards, 1:22; San Diego State 36–21 )
0:39 ISU – Hunter Hays 2-yard run (Thomas Kopcho kick) (Drive: 11 plays, 68 yards, 3:01; San Diego State 36–28 )
Statistics
Idaho State
San Diego State
First downs
24
18
Plays–yards
70–344
67–389
Rushes–yards
17–22
47–304
Passing yards
322
85
Passing: comp–att–int
31–63–3
13–20–1
Turnovers
3
3
Time of possession
25:32
34:28
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Idaho State
Passing
Jordan Cooke
19/42, 177 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing
Hunter Hays
9 carries, 18 yards, 1 TD
Receiving
Christian Fredericksen
5 receptions, 66 yards, 1 TD
San Diego State
Passing
Jalen Mayden
13/19, 85 yards
Rushing
Jalen Mayden
8 carries, 132 yards, 2 TD
Receiving
Martin Blake
3 receptions, 40 yards
at Utah State
Pregame line
Over/under
USU –23.5
61.5
Idaho State Bengals (0–1) at Utah State Aggies (0–1) – Game summary
Period
1
2
3 4 Total
Bengals
7
7
7 7 28
Aggies
7
44
14 13 78
at Maverik Stadium • Logan, Utah
Date : Game time : 6:00 p.m. MDT Game weather : Sunny, 78 °F (26 °C)Game attendance : 20,034Referee : Gary LeeperTV announcers (MWN) : Dave Fox (play-by-play), Alema Harrington (analyst), and Frank Dolce (sideline)
Game information
First quarter
14:33 USU – Robert Briggs Jr. 58-yard run (William Testa kick) (Drive: 2 plays, 65 yards, 0:27; Utah State 7–0 )
10:59 ISU – Christian Fredericksen 9-yard pass from Jordan Cooke (Thomas Kopcho kick) (Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:34; Tied 7–7 )
Second quarter
14:51 USU – Davon Booth 8-yard run (William Testa kick) (Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 2:40; Utah State 14–7 )
12:09 USU – Davon Booth 40-yard run (William Testa kick) (Drive: 3 plays, 67 yards, 1:25; Utah State 21–7 )
6:35 USU – Terrell Vaughn 4-yard pass from Cooper Legas (William Testa kick) (Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:02; Utah State 28–7 )
5:44 USU – Ike Larsen 47-yard interception return (two-point run failed) (Utah State 34–7 )
5:24 USU – Jalen Royals 20-yard pass from Cooper Legas (Elliott Nimrod kick) (Drive: 1 play, 20 yards, 0:07; Utah State 41–7 )
4:08 USU – Rahsul Faison 60-yard run (Elliott Nimrod kick) (Drive: 2 plays, 60 yards, 0:19; Utah State 48–7 )
0:16 ISU – Christian Fredericksen 15-yard pass from Hunter Hays (Thomas Kopcho kick) (Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 3:52; Utah State 48–14 )
0:01 USU – Elliott Nimrod 37-yard field goal (Drive: 1 play, 0 yards, 0:05; Utah State 51–14 )
Third quarter
8:58 USU – Terrell Vaughn 5-yard pass from Levi Williams (Elliott Nimrod kick) (Drive: 11 plays, 62 yards, 3:48; Utah State 58–14 )
3:58 USU – Micah Davis 47-yard pass from Levi Williams (Elliott Nimrod kick) (Drive: 2 plays, 46 yards, 0:32; Utah State 65–14 )
0:00 ISU – Michael Shulikov 12-yard pass from Hunter Hays (Thomas Kopcho kick) (Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 3:58; Utah State 65–21 )
Fourth quarter
9:15 ISU – Raiden Hunter 1-yard run (Thomas Kopcho kick) (Drive: 13 plays, 77 yards, 4:34; Utah State 65–28 )
4:25 USU – Cooper Jones 1-yard run (Elliott Nimrod kick failed) (Drive: 11 plays, 63 yards, 4:44; Utah State 71–28 )
0:54 USU – Jaiden Francois 75-yard interception return (Elliott Nimrod kick) (Utah State 78–28 )
Statistics
Idaho State
Utah State
First downs
28
23
Plays–yards
83–424
69–591
Rushes–yards
30–101
41–380
Passing yards
323
211
Passing: comp–att–int
34–53–2
22–28–0
Turnovers
3
0
Time of possession
33:27
26:33
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Idaho State
Passing
Jordan Cooke
20/30, 185 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing
Soujah Gasu
6 carries, 30 yards
Receiving
Christian Fredericksen
8 receptions, 116 yards, 2 TD
Utah State
Passing
Cooper Legas
14/16, 125 yards, 2 TD
Rushing
Robert Briggs Jr.
9 carries, 101 yards, 1 TD
Receiving
Terrell Vaughn
11 receptions, 73 yards, 2 TD
vs Northern Iowa
Pregame line
Over/under
UNI –22.5
68.5
Northern Iowa Panthers (0–2) vs Idaho State Bengals (0–2) – Game summary
Period
1
2
3 4 Total
Panthers
14
13
7 7 41
Bengals
3
0
7 7 17
at Holt Arena • Pocatello, Idaho
Date : Game time : 4:00 p.m. MDT Game weather : None (indoor stadium)Game attendance : 1Referee : Joe DonTV announcers (ESPN+ ) : Dylan Carder (play-by-play) and Kody Graves (analyst)
Game information
First quarter
5:46 UNI – Tyjahree Edwards 2-yard run (Matthew Cook kick) (Drive: 13 plays, 91 yards, 5:47; Northern Iowa 7–0 )
4:33 UNI – Sam Schnee 53-yard pass from Theo Day (Matthew Cook kick) (Drive: 2 plays, 65 yards, 0:38; Northern Iowa 14–0 )
2:24 ISU – Thomas Kopcho 49-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 38 yards, 2:02; Northern Iowa 14–3 )
Second quarter
12:13 UNI – Matthew Cook 26-yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 5:11; Northern Iowa 17–3 )
3:53 UNI – Matthew Cook 47-yard field goal (Drive: 13 plays, 58 yards, 5:37; Northern Iowa 20–3 )
0:12 UNI – Sam Schnee 14-yard pass from Theo Day (Matthew Cook kick) (Drive: 9 plays, 69 yards, 1:25; Northern Iowa 27–3 )
Third quarter
6:17 UNI – Harrison Bey-Buie 3-yard run (Matthew Cook kick) (Drive: 6 plays, 61 yards, 2:36; Northern Iowa 34–3 )
0:27 ISU – Aiden Taylor 1-yard run (Thomas Kopcho kick) (Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 5:50; Northern Iowa 34–10 )
Fourth quarter
9:05 UNI – Josh Jenkins 12-yard run (Matthew Cook kick) (Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 6:22; Northern Iowa 41–10 )
5:40 ISU – Michael Shulikov 34-yard pass from Hunter Hays (Thomas Kopcho kick) (Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:25; Northern Iowa 41–17 )
Statistics
Northern Iowa
Idaho State
First downs
32
22
Plays–yards
79–527
61–346
Rushes–yards
39–139
17–28
Passing yards
388
318
Passing: comp–att–int
29–40–0
30–44–1
Turnovers
0
2
Time of possession
36:27
23:33
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Northern Iowa
Passing
Theo Day
29/39, 388 yards, 2 TD
Rushing
Josh Jenkins
11 carries, 69 yards, 1 TD
Receiving
Sam Schnee
7 receptions, 174 yards, 2 TD
Idaho State
Passing
Jordan Cooke
23/35, 249 yards, 1 INT
Rushing
Hunter Hays
3 carries, 24 yards
Receiving
Chedon James
8 receptions, 121 yards
vs Northern Colorado
Pregame line
Over/under
ISU –6.5
66.5
Northern Colorado Bears (0–3) vs Idaho State Bengals (0–3) – Game summary
Period
1
2
3 4 Total
Bears
7
0
14 0 21
Bengals
7
14
7 7 35
at Holt Arena • Pocatello, Idaho
Date : Game time : 4:00 p.m. MDT Game weather : None (indoor stadium)Game attendance : 8,012Referee : Jim C.TV : ESPN+
Game information
First quarter
7:04 UNC – Darius Stewart 16-yard run (Hunter Green kick) (Drive: 9 plays, 83 yards, 4:37; Northern Colorado 7–0 )
0:07 ISU – Alfred Jordan Jr. 32-yard pass from Jordan Cooke (Thomas Kopcho kick) (Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 2:37; Tied 7–7 )
Second quarter
5:31 ISU – Jordan Cooke 1-yard run (Thomas Kopcho kick) (Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 4:25; Idaho State 14–7 )
0:20 ISU – Chedon James 1-yard pass from Hunter Hays (Thomas Kopcho kick) (Drive: 7 plays, 62 yards, 1:14; Idaho State 21–7 )
Third quarter
10:32 UNC – Jacob Sirmon 1-yard run (Hunter Green kick) (Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 4:22; Idaho State 21–14 )
5:09 UNC – David Afari 18-yard run (Hunter Green kick) (Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 4:00; Tied 21–21 )
2:45 ISU – Aiden Taylor 8-yard run (Thomas Kopcho kick) (Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:24; Idaho State 28–21 )
Fourth quarter
5:05 ISU – Hunter Hays 2-yard run (Thomas Kopcho kick) (Drive: 12 plays, 58 yards, 5:56; Idaho State 35–21 )
Statistics
Northern Colorado
Idaho State
First downs
25
26
Plays–yards
72–365
72–429
Rushes–yards
40–242
30–103
Passing yards
123
326
Passing: comp–att–int
22–32–2
26–42–1
Turnovers
3
1
Time of possession
31:13
28:47
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Northern Colorado
Passing
Jacob Sirmon
22/32, 123 yards, 2 INT
Rushing
Darius Stewart
14 carries, 124 yards, 1 TD
Receiving
Ty Arrington
5 receptions, 42 yards
Idaho State
Passing
Jordan Cooke
14/23, 218 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing
Hunter Hays
13 carries, 55 yards, 1 TD
Receiving
Christian Fredericksen
7 receptions, 108 yards
at No. 18 Montana
Pregame line
Over/under
MONT –21.0
56.5
Idaho State Bengals (1–3) at No. 18 Montana Grizzlies (3–1) – Game summary
Period
1
2
3 4 Total
Bengals
7
0
7 6 20
No. 18 Grizzlies
7
0
14 7 28
at Washington–Grizzly Stadium • Missoula, Montana
Date : Game time : 2:00 p.m. MDT Game weather : Cloudy, 50 °F (10 °C)Game attendance : 26,678Referee : Jeff ReidTV announcers (ESPN+ ) : Jay Kohn (play-by-play), Marty Mornhinweg (analyst), Jon Stepanek (analyst), and Kyle Hansen (sideline)
Game information
First quarter
9:21 MONT – Clifton McDowell 8-yard run (Grant Glasgow kick) (Drive: 11 plays, 58 yards, 5:34; Montana 7–0 )
0:38 ISU – Chedon James 4-yard pass from Jordan Cooke (Thomas Kopcho kick) (Drive: 10 plays, 61 yards, 4:29; Tied 7–7 )
Second quarter
Third quarter
12:40 MONT – Aaron Fontes 2-yard pass from Clifton McDowell (Grant Glasgow kick) (Drive: 6 plays, 50 yards, 2:14; Montana 14–7 )
9:44 ISU – Chedon James 28-yard pass from Jordan Cooke (Thomas Kopcho kick) (Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:56; Tied 14–14 )
5:09 MONT – Evan Shafer 15-yard pass from Sawyer Racanelli (Grant Glasgow kick) (Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:35; Montana 21–14 )
Fourth quarter
14:11 ISU – Cyrus Wallace 6-yard pass from Jordan Cooke (two-point conversion failed) (Drive: 12 plays, 82 yards, 5:52; Montana 21–20 )
7:37 MONT – Eli Gillman 3-yard run (Grant Glasgow kick) (Drive: 12 plays, 67 yards, 6:29; Montana 28–20 )
Statistics
Idaho State
No. 18 Montana
First downs
19
24
Plays–yards
60–334
76–394
Rushes–yards
13–45
51–174
Passing yards
289
220
Passing: comp–att–int
31–47–2
18–25–0
Turnovers
2
0
Time of possession
25:06
34:54
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Idaho State
Passing
Jordan Cooke
31/47, 289 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
Rushing
Jordan Cooke
5 carries, 22 yards
Receiving
Chedon James
7 receptions, 79 yards, 2 TD
No. 18 Montana
Passing
Clifton McDowell
13/20, 160 yards, 1 TD
Rushing
Clifton McDowell
20 carries, 66 yards, 1 TD
Receiving
Junior Bergen
7 receptions, 100 yards
vs No. 21 Eastern Washington
1
2
3
4
Total
No. 21 Eagles
14
21
6
0
41
Bengals
0
14
7
21
42
At Portland State
1
2
3
4
Total
Bengals
14
14
0
10
38
Vikings
7
10
7
0
24
At No. 6 Sacramento State
Idaho State Bengals (3–4) at No. 6 Sacramento State Hornets (5–2) – Game summary
Period
1
2
3 4 Total
Bengals
0
16
0 0 16
No. 6 Hornets
14
10
20 7 51
at Hornet Stadium , Sacramento, CA
Date : October 28, 2023Game time : 6:00 p.m. PST Game weather : 65 °F (18 °C) • N 14 mph • SunnyGame attendance : 13,733Referee : Jeff RinkTV announcers (KMAX-TV/ESPN+) : Play-by-Play: Jason Ross • Analysis: Darren ArbetSources:[5] [6]
Game information
First Quarter
(11:17) SAC – Jared Gipson 23-yard pass from Kaiden Bennett (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:43; Sacramento State 7–0 )
(0:45) SAC – Coleman Kuntz 1-yard run (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 9 plays, 86 yards, 4:12; Sacramento State 14–0 )
Second Quarter
(14:05) ISU – Chedon James 25-yard pass from Hunter Hays (Thomas Kopcho kick failed) (Drive: 5 plays, 48 yards, 1:36; Sacramento State 14–6 )
(7:14) ISU – Thomas Kopcho 27-yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 4:14; Sacramento State 14–9 )
(5:46) ISU – Alfred Jordan Jr. 16-yard pass from Hunter Hays (Thomas Kopcho kick) (Drive: 5 plays, 37 yards, 1:28; Idaho State 16–14 )
(3:13) SAC – Devin Gandy 13-yard pass from Carson Conklin (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 7 plays, 61 yards, 2:27; Sacramento State 21–16 )
(0:00) SAC – Zach Schreiner 30-yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 83 yards, 1:12; Sacramento State 24–16 )
Third Quarter
(7:53) SAC – Carlos Hill 69-yard pass from Carson Conklin (two-point run conversion failed) (Drive: 2 plays, 73 yards, 0:34; Sacramento State 30–16 )
(3:04) SAC – Elijah Tau-Tolliver 4-yard run (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 8 plays, 35 yards, 3:34; Sacramento State 37–16 )
(1:17) SAC – Michael Johnson 8-yard run (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 4 plays, 29 yards, 1:16 ; Sacramento State 44–16 )
Fourth Quarter
(8:30) SAC – Marshel Martin 6-yard pass from Carson Conklin (Zach Schreiner kick) (Drive: 12 plays, 53 yards, 6:57; Sacramento State 51–16 )
Line
Over/Under
Statistics
ISU
SAC
First downs
16
26
Total yards
334
587
Rushing yards
42
273
Passing yards
292
314
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
30–56–4
21–32–1
Time of possession
24:55
35:05
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Idaho State
Passing
Hunter Hays
17/31, 193 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing
7 carries, 22 yards
Receiving
Chedon James
10 receptions, 77 yards, TD
Sacramento State
Passing
Carson Conklin
14/21, 235 yards, 3 TD
Rushing
Zeke Burnett
9 carries, 143 yards
Receiving
Marshel Martin
6 receptions, 103 yards, TD
vs Weber State
1
2
3
4
Total
Wildcats
0
21
0
12
33
Bengals
0
0
7
14
21
vs UC Davis
1
2
3
4
Total
Aggies
0
7
7
7
21
Bengals
7
0
7
0
14
At No. 6 Idaho
Idaho State Bengals (3–7) vs No. 6 Idaho Vandals (7–3) – Game summary
Period
1
2
3 4 Total
Bengals
0
0
7 14 21
No. 6 Vandals
28
28
0 7 63
at Kibbie Dome • Moscow, ID
Date : November 18, 2023Game time : 4:00 p.m. PDTGame attendance : 9,854TV : ESPN+
References
^ Big Sky Conference (July 23, 2023). "Montana State Tabbed Preseason Football Favorites" . Retrieved July 26, 2023 .
^ "7 Bobcats, 5 Grizzlies tabbed for preseason All-Big Sky Conference team" . MontanaSports.com . July 24, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023 .
^ "2023 Idaho State Football Schedule" . isubengals.com . Retrieved April 18, 2023 .
^ "2023 Idaho State Football Schedule" . FBSchedules.com . Retrieved June 22, 2023 .
^ "Football vs Idaho State on 10/28/2023 - Box Score - Sacramento State" . October 28, 2023. Retrieved November 3, 2023 .
^ "Football Blows Past Idaho State, 51–16" . October 28, 2023. Retrieved November 3, 2023 .
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