What to expect from the 2025 Idaho State Bengals football team

POCATELLO — The 2025 Idaho State Bengals kick off their season, Saturday at UNLV, with cautious optimism. After a two-win improvement from 2023 to 2024, the Bengals finished last year 5–7 and aim to take another step forward under third-year head coach Cody Hawkins.

Continuity is a key theme heading into the season. Hawkins returns with junior quarterback Jordan Cooke, giving Idaho State rare stability at two of the most critical positions in a college football program.

“With Coach Hawkins’ leadership, the team has developed steadily and is getting votes to finish well in the Big Sky standings,” said athletic director Pauline Thiros. “The focus is on sustained progress. We really must stack good years on top of each other.”

The Bengals are expected to remain aggressive on offense. The run-and-shoot system produced the No. 2 passing offense in the Big Sky last year, with 3,581 yards and 31 touchdowns over 12 games. Cooke averaged nearly 300 yards per game, and with a strong group of returning skill players, the passing game could take another leap.

The run game, however, still needs work.

Idaho State ranked 11th in the Big Sky in rushing, averaging 129.5 yards per game. Improving that part of the offense will be essential to finding better balance and keeping defenses honest.

“At this point in camp, I want to wake up everybody’s instincts,” Hawkins said after a recent practice. “I’m really excited about the situational work. There are a lot of good teaching moments. You can get competitive in the moment, but those moments on tape live forever. I appreciate our guys putting in fantastic work.”

Defensively, Idaho State struggled in 2024. The Bengals gave up 467.1 yards per game and were especially vulnerable on the ground, surrendering over 3,000 rushing yards and 38 touchdowns. The 3-3-5 alignment often left the front exposed, and opponents took advantage.

To address that issue, the Bengals hired Grant Duff as their new defensive coordinator. The former Weber State coordinator brings a traditional 4-3 scheme focused on physicality and simplified roles. It’s a change designed to shore up the run defense and allow players to play faster.

Idaho State’s pass defense fared better, ranking fourth in the Big Sky, but was rarely tested due to opponents’ success on the ground. Improvement on early downs and at the line of scrimmage will be crucial if the Bengals hope to stay competitive deeper into games.

The expectation this season isn’t just more wins. It’s about closing the gap in conference play and avoiding the blowout losses that derailed momentum in past years.

“When you talk about benchmarks, we look at a bunch of things,” Thiros said. “We need to hit and surpass that five-win mark and really want to win seven FCS games to make the playoffs. That is always the goal.”