Bengals run way to homecoming win, topping Southern Utah behind 262 rush yards

POCATELLO — Through 3 games coming into Saturday’s homecoming crippled against Southern Utah, Idaho State’s occurrence has hinged connected nan play of its violative line.

The Bengals kept their Week 1 matchup pinch Oregon State competitory connected nan spot of their linemen, past hit Western Oregon nan aforesaid way. That portion struggled successful a 52-28 nonaccomplishment to North Dakota past week.

This week, nan O-line kept a potent Thunderbird walk unreserved from signaling a azygous sack while clearing nan measurement for 262 rushing yards en way to a 38-28 ISU victory.

Head coach Cody Hawkins called nan capacity of is violative statement “absolutely incredible,” pointing to nan occurrence nan Thunderbird protect beforehand has had frankincense acold this season.

“I thought nan O-line played tough, played pinch a batch of pride,” Hawkins said.

ISU moving backmost Keoua Kauhi tackled by Southern Utah defenders successful nan first 4th of nan Bengals’ triumph Saturday. | Courtesy Idaho State University

The statement sewage things started quickly, arsenic nan Bengals (2-2) drove 65 yards connected their first possession of nan game. The lion’s stock of nan discourtesy came connected nan legs of elder moving backmost Keoua Kauhi, who carried nan shot 3 times for 21 yards. But it was backmost Hunter Hays who vanished nan driver, powering done nan halfway of nan Southern Utah defense for nan last 4 yards and a touchdown.

It was much of nan aforesaid erstwhile ISU discourtesy sewage nan shot backmost pursuing a 2nd extremity by nan defense.

Kauhi sewage 4 much carries for different 35 yards connected nan Bengals’ 2nd possession, and Hays, again, vanished nan thrust connected a touchdown tally to descend nan Thunderbirds (1-3) into a 14-0 hole.

Southern Utah yet sewage thing going connected their ain violative extremity aft Hawkins made the, perhaps, overly fierce determination to effort nan sneak-attack onside footwear up 14-0. The Thunderbirds recovered nan footwear and turned nan short section into 7 points.

But ISU answered pinch 2 much successful drives, ending successful a Gabe Panikowski section goal, past a touchdown walk from Kobe Tracy to Eric Johnson, and took a 24-7 lead into nan 2nd half.

ISU backmost Kobe Tracy throws a walk successful nan 2nd half of nan Bengals’ triumph Saturday. | Courtesy Idaho State University

Despite his coagulated first quarter, Kauhi did not touch nan shot successful nan 2nd quarter. And successful nan 3rd quarter, nan Bengals unleashed their concealed limb — linebacker-turned-running backmost Dason Brooks.

Brooks sewage conscionable 8 carries, but that was each he needed to rack up 139 yards — including a 75-yard touchdown sprint.

The sophomore credited nan violative statement for his outburst, saying he would person tally for “no yards” had nan statement not performed nan measurement it did. And it was nan line, he said, pinch an assistance from Johnson to seal nan area and create an edge, that allowed Brooks to break into nan unfastened field.

“After that, it was conscionable maine moving — I yet sewage a chance to usage my stiff arm,” Brooks said. “After that, it was conscionable maine trying to hightail it for nan touchdown.”

Brooks did person to make 1 Southern Utah defender miss astir 15 yards from nan statement of scrimmage. He did truthful by reeling nan information successful pinch a hesitation, past flattening him pinch a consecutive arm.

“I had to slow him down a small spot truthful I could deed him pinch nan stiff arm,” Brooks said pinch a laugh.

Hawkins said that nan determination to spell distant from Kauhi was not a matter of injury, alternatively an effort to support caller legs while seeing what different moving backs tin beryllium trusted.

“There’s an constituent of learning, pinch our staff, pinch continuing to enactment pinch nan basking hand, but if we didn’t springiness Dason an opportunity, you wouldn’t person seen what you’ve seen tonight,” nan coach said. “That’s a in installments to nan extent of nan shot team.”

The Bengals turned nan shot complete once, connected a Hays interception successful nan endzone — which led to a Thunderbird touchdown.

And though nan defense was not credited pinch a takeaway, it did unit 4 turnovers — successful nan shape of 4 fourth-and-short stops.

“Our guys are reliable dudes, and they’re tin of stopping nan run,” Hawkins said. “We knew that, if we didn’t springiness up nan large (play) and if we could get them into those do-or-die situations, that we had immoderate calls that were really going to thief america out.”

Sophomore information Jayden Bell said that nan defense played accelerated and beingness each game, but stepped that up further connected those 4th down plays.

“I conscionable thought we played really good connected defense — sewage disconnected nan field, immense stops,” Bell said. “That’s nan quality betwixt past week and this week, we didn’t get disconnected nan section connected 3rd and 4th downs.”

The offense’s expertise to tally nan ball, maintaining possession and keeping nan Southern Utah discourtesy — and ISU defense — connected nan sidelines helped, he added.

“I’m not going to lie, it feels bully (to watch nan discourtesy tally nan shot truthful successfully),” Bell said. … “I admit nan offense’s effort today.”

Despite his being stopped connected 4 fourth-down carries, elder moving backmost Targhee Lambson was a reliable extremity for Bell and nan Bengal defense. Lambson vanished nan crippled pinch 172 yards and 1 people connected 26 carries.

For nan Bengals, Kauhi did get a fewer much carries late, finishing pinch 74 yards connected 10 totes. Tracy added 121 passing yards and a touchdown, connected 14-of-22 passing.

Bell and Brooks agreed that, winning their homecoming crippled was immense for nan Bengals.

“You gotta ever triumph connected homecoming,” Bell said, commenting connected nan passion of nan 8,688 successful attendance — galore of whom stormed nan section astatine nan last gun.

“We cognize a batch of our teammates sewage their families retired present correct now, truthful it’s astonishing to spot them observe pinch their families,” Brooks added.

ISU is backmost astatine location adjacent week, erstwhile they unfastened their Big Sky Conference schedule against rival Montana State.

“This was nan first crippled we’ve had wherever nan aforesaid violative statement started and vanished nan game,” Hawkins said. … “If we tin create continuity pinch our violative statement … we’re going to beryllium successful bully shape.”