Bengals run away with homecoming win, topping Southern Utah behind 262 rush yards
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POCATELLO — Through three games coming into Saturday’s homecoming game against Southern Utah, Idaho State’s success has hinged on the play of its offensive line.
The Bengals kept their Week 1 matchup with Oregon State competitive on the strength of their linemen, then beat Western Oregon the same way. That unit struggled in a 52-28 loss to North Dakota last week.
This week, the O-line kept a potent Thunderbird pass rush from recording a single sack while clearing the way for 262 rushing yards en route to a 38-28 ISU victory.
Head coach Cody Hawkins called the performance of is offensive line “absolutely incredible,” pointing to the success the Thunderbird defensive front has had thus far this season.
“I thought the O-line played tough, played with a lot of pride,” Hawkins said.
The line got things started quickly, as the Bengals (2-2) drove 65 yards on their first possession of the game. The lion’s share of the offense came on the legs of senior running back Keoua Kauhi, who carried the ball three times for 21 yards. But it was quarterback Hunter Hays who finished the driver, powering through the center of the Southern Utah defense for the final four yards and a touchdown.
It was more of the same when ISU offense got the ball back following a second stop by the defense.
Kauhi got four more carries for another 35 yards on the Bengals’ second possession, and Hays, again, finished the drive on a touchdown run to sink the Thunderbirds (1-3) into a 14-0 hole.
Southern Utah finally got something going on their own offensive end after Hawkins made the, perhaps, overly aggressive decision to attempt the sneak-attack onside kick up 14-0. The Thunderbirds recovered the kick and turned the short field into seven points.
But ISU answered with two more successful drives, ending in a Gabe Panikowski field goal, then a touchdown pass from Kobe Tracy to Eric Johnson, and took a 24-7 lead into the second half.
Despite his solid first quarter, Kauhi did not touch the ball in the second quarter. And in the third quarter, the Bengals unleashed their secret weapon — linebacker-turned-running back Dason Brooks.
Brooks got just eight carries, but that was all he needed to rack up 139 yards — including a 75-yard touchdown sprint.
The sophomore credited the offensive line for his outburst, saying he would have run for “no yards” had the line not performed the way it did. And it was the line, he said, with an assist from Johnson to seal the corner and create an edge, that allowed Brooks to break into the open field.
“After that, it was just me running — I finally got a chance to use my stiff arm,” Brooks said. “After that, it was just me trying to hightail it for the touchdown.”
Brooks did have to make one Southern Utah defender miss about 15 yards from the line of scrimmage. He did so by reeling the safety in with a hesitation, then flattening him with a straight arm.
“I had to slow him down a little bit so I could hit him with the stiff arm,” Brooks said with a laugh.
Hawkins said that the decision to go away from Kauhi was not a matter of injury, rather an attempt to keep fresh legs while seeing what other running backs can be trusted.
“There’s an element of learning, with our staff, with continuing to stay with the hot hand, but if we didn’t give Dason an opportunity, you wouldn’t have seen what you’ve seen tonight,” the coach said. “That’s a credit to the depth of the football team.”
The Bengals turned the ball over once, on a Hays interception in the endzone — which led to a Thunderbird touchdown.
And though the defense was not credited with a takeaway, it did force four turnovers — in the form of four fourth-and-short stops.
“Our guys are tough dudes, and they’re capable of stopping the run,” Hawkins said. “We knew that, if we didn’t give up the big (play) and if we could get them into those do-or-die situations, that we had some calls that were really going to help us out.”
Sophomore safety Jayden Bell said that the defense played fast and physical all game, but stepped that up further on those fourth down plays.
“I just thought we played really well on defense — got off the field, huge stops,” Bell said. “That’s the difference between last week and this week, we didn’t get off the field on third and fourth downs.”
The offense’s ability to run the ball, maintaining possession and keeping the Southern Utah offense — and ISU defense — on the sidelines helped, he added.
“I’m not going to lie, it feels good (to watch the offense run the ball so successfully),” Bell said. … “I appreciate the offense’s effort today.”
Despite his being stopped on four fourth-down carries, senior running back Targhee Lambson was a tough stop for Bell and the Bengal defense. Lambson finished the game with 172 yards and one score on 26 carries.
For the Bengals, Kauhi did get a few more carries late, finishing with 74 yards on 10 totes. Tracy added 121 passing yards and a touchdown, on 14-of-22 passing.
Bell and Brooks agreed that, winning their homecoming game was huge for the Bengals.
“You gotta always win on homecoming,” Bell said, commenting on the passion of the 8,688 in attendance — many of whom stormed the field at the final gun.
“We know a lot of our teammates got their families out here right now, so it’s amazing to see them celebrate with their families,” Brooks added.
ISU is back at home next week, when they open their Big Sky Conference schedule against rival Montana State.
“This was the first game we’ve had where the same offensive line started and finished the game,” Hawkins said. … “If we can develop continuity with our offensive line … we’re going to be in good shape.”