Pretty much every coach seems obligated to say it: you can’t overlook any opponent and sometimes, the teams struggling the most are the teams that are the most dangerous.
Idaho State fits the bill.
The Bengals are winless five games into the Charlie Ragle era in Pocatello, Idaho. ISU has lopsided losses to UNLV (52-21) and San Diego State (38-7) that were expected, plus multiple-score losses to Central Arkansas (31-16) and Northern Colorado (35-14) that were less predictable.
Last week, third-ranked Montana — the Griz are the highest ranked team in the Big Sky Conference — was about four yards away from taking a 35-6 lead midway through the fourth quarter. But UM senior quarterback Lucas Johnson fumbled while trying to reach for the pylon, ISU got the fumble back as a touch-back and scored shortly after.
Although the Griz were in control for most of the final three quarters, the final 28-20 victory over the Bengals was nearly four touchdowns short of the pre-game point spread and left many among the UM faithful scratching their heads.
Montana State posted a convincing 41-24 win over UC Davis later that night in Bozeman. The victory is MSU’s second in a row to begin conference play over playoff teams from a year ago. The Bobcats have bounced back in resounding fashion after getting pounded 68-28 by Oregon State on September 17. MSU gutted out a 38-35 win over Eastern Washington in Cheney to become the first team ever to win two years in a row at “The Inferno” before drilling Davis even with sophomore quarterback Tommy Mellott out with a head injury.
Saturday, Idaho State comes to Bobcat Stadium to face the No. 4 team in the FCS.
“They are an improving team and a team that is really hungry,” Montana State head coach Brent Vigen said during his weekly press conference on October 3. “Last year was last year for them (they lost 27-9 in Bozeman to MSU). They made a coaching change. There’s new energy, there’s new hunger. And that hunger has not been satisfied with a victory to this point.
“But you can see them getting better. And seeing Coach Ragle’s post-game comments, you can see the pain with their dissatisfaction of coming up empty on Saturday. They are still finding their way but there’s a tremendous amount of fight in them.”
Last season, one of Montana State’s 12 wins came over ISU. MSU needed long touchdowns by Lance McCutcheon (27 yards) and Willie Patterson (65 yards) in the fourth quarter to pull away late. ISU rushed for 213 yards against Montana State’s star-studded defense and possessed the ball for more than 42 minutes.
“Last year, our Big Sky schedule in general, there were several games that were back and forth affairs and it didn’t matter what the records were,” Vigen said. “Idaho State was one of those. They played us really tough last year. I think our guys recognized that.
“You have to have a maturity about you to recognize there is no weeks off. And in football, there shouldn’t be. You get 11 of these opportunities guaranteed to you and you have a week to prepare for each one of them. You better take every one of them very, very seriously about what your opponent is capable of.
QUICK HITS
Mascot: Bengals
Location: Pocatello, Idaho
Founded: 1901
Enrollment: 12,157
Stadium: Holt Arena, opened in 1970, is the oldest enclosed stadium still in use in the country. Idaho State started a multi-year renovation program on Holt in 2022, which includes all-new seating and new turf. Named after former athletic director and Big Sky Conference Hall of Famer Milton “Dubby” Holt, the stadium seats 12,000. ISU is averaging 5,892 fans in two home games this season.
Famous alumni: Jared Allen, pass rusher; Stacy Dragila, Olympic gold medalist; Dirk Koetter and Marvin Lewis, former NFL head coaches. Between Allen, Dragila and Holt, ISU had as many inductees in the Big Sky’s inaugural Hall of Fame class as any other school.
THE COACH
Charlie Ragle (first year at Idaho State, 0-4)
Rob Phenicie lasted five years with the Bengals despite winning just 16 games (his .314 winning percentage, in fact, was better than each of his predecessors), but the bell tolled for the former Montana offensive coordinator after the 2021 fall season. Phenicie returned to the Griz as an offensive analyst on Bobby Hauck’s staff, and the Bengals handed Ragle his first college head coaching job.
Ragle comes to Pocatello from Cal, where he was on staff for the prior five years, primarily as the special teams coordinator. Before that he spent five years at Arizona. His prior experience before Tucson was primarily as a high school coach. His greatest success came at Chaparral High between 2007 and 2011. During that time, he accumulated a 63-7 record and achieved a Top 50 nationally ranked program from 2009-2011. His teams won state championships from 2009-2011 and was runner up in 2008. Ragle showed his prowess to enhance his team’s program during his time at Chaparral as he managed a booster club that raised $200,000 per season and raised $2,000,000 in facility upgrades, according to the Idaho State website.
Ragle’s name was also one that surfaced when Montana State’s head coaching position was open following Jeff Choate’s departure in early 2021. But according to a source close to the Bobcat athletic department, Ragle was not among the top candidates for the job alongside Vigen.
PLAYERS TO WATCH – OFFENSE
QB Sagan Gronauer, 6-1, 207, So.
Gronauer had enough potential as a true freshman in 2019 to back up Matt Struck and make a start as Struck melted down late in the season, but has since been passed on the depth chart by transfer Tyler Vander Waal and Class of 2020 walk-on Hunter Hays.
Last week, Gronauer completed 23-of-44 passes for 260 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
“I know they are playing their third quarterback but he stepped in there and did a good job last week,” Vigen said.
WR Xavier Guillory, 6-2, 197, So.
Guillory, who spent a year at Air Force Prep before getting to Pocatello, is leading the league with 463 receiving yards after catching seven passes for 86 yards. He has caught three touchdowns among his 27 total catches
“The receiving corp, that’s the thing that jumps out at you right away, Guilloroy specifically,” Vigen said. “He’s very dynamic and he’s not the only one. He’s right up there in receptions on the conference and downfield ability. He can make all kinds of catches.
“He’s got a knack for doing all the things good receivers do.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH – DEFENSE
LB Charles Ike, 6-0, 232, Senior
Ike had 12 tackles against Montana, giving him 43 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss this season. He had 44 tackles last season.
“Defensively, their middle linebacker is up in the tackles in the conference and they use him in a lot of different ways,” Vigen said. “They throw a bunch of fronts at you. They are doing some good things.”
CB Josh Alford, 5-10, 180, So.
Alford has started for the Bengals since he got on campus for the spring 2021 season and leads the team with three pass breakups this year.
S Quantraill Morris-Walker, 6-2, 200, So.
Morris-Walker is a rangy safety who covers a lot of ground and, like Alford, he’s already got plenty of experience despite being a sophomore.
“Defensively, their middle linebacker is up in the tackles in the conference and they use him in a lot of different ways. They throw a bunch of fronts at you. They are doing some good things.”
