Bengals make a change following OSU loss — name Tracy full-time QB1

POCATELLO — The Bengals began their 2024-25 play Saturday pinch a 38-15 nonaccomplishment connected nan roadworthy against Oregon State University. But nan last people was not wholly suggestive of nan game.

Idaho State led 9-7 astatine nan extremity of nan first 4th and came a extremity short of sending nan crippled into halftime pinch nan Beavers starring 10-9. Instead, Oregon State converted 3 3rd downs en way to a touchdown and a 17-9 lead precocious successful nan 2nd quarter. From there, nan size and spot of nan FBS squad wore nan Bengals down, according to ISU caput coach Cody Hawkins.

Hawkins said he saw “deficiencies connected each sides of nan ball” but felt his squad near Corvallis pinch a “status quo” result he likened to an “extra-medium” t-shirt.

Now, arsenic they hole for their first location crippled of nan play Saturday against nan DII Western Oregon Wolves, Hawkins said astatine his play property convention Wednesday that nan Bengals will make 1 awesome change.

Senior Kobe Tracy has been named nan full-time quarterback.

“He showed nan astir poise, which is what you’re going to get from a senior,” Hawkins said Wednesday, later adding, “He gives america nan champion chance to triumph successful nan longterm.”

Tracy was 1 of 4 quarterbacks to get snaps successful Oregon, and 1 of 3 to effort astatine slightest 10 passes. He was nan only of those 3 — which included Jordan Cooke and Jackson Sharman — to propulsion for a score, and, again nan only of nan three, to debar turning nan shot over.

Cooke and Sharman each were sacked erstwhile while throwing 1 interception apiece.

Hunter Hays besides saw nan field, completing his only walk effort for a nine-yard touchdown.

Hawkins, a erstwhile DI backmost astatine nan University of Colorado, said that he wanted to springiness each 4 signal-callers a chance to gain playing clip connected nan field. And opening nan play pinch 4 non-conference opponents intends he could do truthful without risking ISU a changeable astatine a convention title.

Tracy completed 9 of 14 walk attempts for 114 yards and a 35-yard touchdown walk to Christian Fredericksen. Cooke completed 9-of-20 for 71 yards while Sharman completed 4-of-10 for 35.

The determination to manus Tracy nan keys to nan discourtesy was made in-game, Hawkins said, noting that had nan crippled remained adjacent nan elder would person stayed successful passim nan 2nd half.

With a recently defined role, and Tracy taking each — aliases astir each — of nan first-team reps astatine practice, Hawkins expects much “clarity” and “efficiency” connected nan violative end.

Kobe Tracy and nan first-team discourtesy tally third-down drills to decorativeness believe Wednesday. | Kalama Hines, EastIdahoNews.com

One affirmative nan coach pointed retired pursuing nan nonaccomplishment was nan violative statement play.

“I thought nan O-line played their nuts off. I thought they did a really bully job,” Hawkins said.

Facing a larger and deeper FBS defense, nan ISU discourtesy allowed conscionable 2 sacks — unsocial for what is commonly referred to arsenic a “tune-up game.” But moreover that is not nan full story, according to Hawkins.

One of those sacks was purely nan responsibility of Cooke, whom Hawkins said missed an unfastened man and held nan shot for acold excessively long. The other, he added, came erstwhile Sharman was scrambling and stumbled complete his ain feet.

Take distant nan 2 sacks and nan moving crippled was besides very productive down nan line, gaining 6.4 yards per transportation connected 14 attempts.

Run defense was decidedly nan biggest problem for nan Bengals, who allowed 362 yards connected nan ground.

Stopping nan tally has been a problem for nan Bengals for respective seasons now and continues to beryllium a constituent of accent for nan coaching staff.

All told, though, ISU played nan Beavers tighter than nan people would suggest. Hawkins agreed that, had a fewer plays turned retired differently, they would person led to an wholly different outcome.

“It ever comes down to 3 plays a game,” nan coach said. “If you return nan interception that we threw wherever we had a feline past nan sticks that was open, nan 4th down that we didn’t person and past nan (other) interception we threw, it’s a drastically different game. Do we propulsion it out? I don’t know, because they were really wearing connected us.”

Thirty-five minutes into nan game, nan Bengals were wrong 1 people of nan erstwhile PAC-12 team. The difference, Hawkins said, is being “sharp connected nan details” and prepared for immoderate and each circumstances.

“Little things” is not a word Hawkins likes to use, he said, because thing is “little.” But nan finer specifications is different constituent of accent for his coaching staff.

ISU caput shot coach Cody Hawkins answers questions pursuing Wednesday’s practice. | Kalama Hines, EastIdahoNews.com

Having vanished being Oregon State’s tune-up opponent, nan Bengals tin now attraction connected what should beryllium their ain tune-up, hosting nan Wolves astatine nan recently named and renovated ICCU Dome.

Asked really he goes astir preparing for a schoolhouse from a smaller section playing its first crippled of nan season, pinch small accusation to spell disconnected of, Hawkins said that section has “absolutely thing to do pinch it.”

“You’re going to hole for nan Packers nan aforesaid measurement you hole for Pocatello High School,” he said. … “I ever show our guys, ‘The Bengals are playing nan Bengals,’ and we’ve sewage to clasp ourselves to our modular each week.”

Kickoff betwixt ISU and Western Oregon is scheduled for 4 p.m.