Idaho State misses chance at beating the reigning national champ

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POCATELLO — The Idaho State Bengals came up just short of a signature win over the reigning FCS National Champions Saturday, falling 28-26 to the Montana State Bobcats in triple overtime.

The Bengals outgained Montana State, 410 yards of total offense to 332. The ISU defense outperformed the Bobcats for more than 40 minutes. In fact, aside from a pair of turnovers, Idaho State was the better team Saturday at the ICCU Dome.

Where ISU lost the game was with its inability to finish drives — whether the cause of that was execution or creativity.

The Bengals took the opening kickoff and drove the ball right down the field into the Montana State red zone. But the drive ended on a strip-sack of Jordan Cooke and Bobcat recovery.

ISU’s second possession concluded on a Mason Lindberg 42-yard field goal, despite a connection from Cooke to Tommy Poe for 16 yards down to the Bobcat 27. It was another Cooke sack that cost the Bengals.

After taking a 10-0 lead, and seeing the defense control the Montana State offense into the second quarter, the Bengal offense let the Bobcats back into the game when its next three drives finished punt-interception-punt.

Idaho State turned five second-half possessions into 10 points, while racking up 205 yards.

The big letdown, though, came with just over 7:30 left in the game.

After moving the ball from their own 15-yard line into the Montana State red zone, leaning, as they had all day, on the passing game, the Bengals called an inside run on third-and-five.

They had to settle for a field goal and a seven-point lead, instead of taking a two-score lead with a touchdown.

Sure, the ensuing Bobcat drive benefitted from a pair of questionable penalty calls. But Montana State’s game-tying touchdown would not have been possible had the Bengals finished the previous drive in the end zone.

Then ISU was unable to capitalize on 30 penalty yards on the final possession of regulation when Lindberg’s 56-yard game-winning field goal was blocked.

Both defenses took over in overtime, forcing field goals on the first four possessions.

On its second OT possession, ISU used a shovel pass to Simeon Brown on first and 10 from the 15. It went for a gain of three yards and was easily read by the Bobcat defense.

After remaining tied through two overtime tries for each offense, the game went to two-point attempts to decide the outcome.

The Bengals went right back to the same shovel pass, and failed on their first attempt.

Montana State used its A-1 two-point play, a reverse pass from wide receiver Dane Steel to tight end Rylan Schlepp.

One play-call was creative and worthy of victory. The other was the return to a play that had failed just a few minutes prior.

Despite the loss, the Bengals made a statement as the FCS Playoffs approach — that they will NOT be an easy-out for anyone.

But they were so close to a signature win — so close to beating last year’s champion and announcing themselves as title contenders.

Cooke finished the game with 318 yards, but his only touchdown came on a run. Poe racked up nine catches for 100 yards. Reigning FCS National Defensive Player of the Week Trehsyn Fesili was all over the place, and former Bonneville Bee Jacob Perez was also huge for the Bengal defense, which is confirmed legit with its performance Saturday.

With two huge games left in the regular season, the Bengals can use their performance this week as a building block to a strong finish.

If they can do so, ISU and the ICCU Dome might just host a playoff game.