Nov. 4, 2002
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For Starters ... Idaho State looks to get back to their winning ways as they host Northern Arizona, who lost 38-24 at Montana ... a win would give Idaho State their second winning season in the last three, and it would clinch at least a tie for second place in the conference equalling their best finish since the 1983 season ... Idaho State has not won five conference games since going 5-2 in 1983, ISU's last playoff appearance ... the Bengals lost to Northern Arizona last season 51-26, although ISU led 17-0 less than six minutes into the game ... NAU outscored ISU 47-3 over one stretch of the game ... In the last three years, NAU has successfully fakes two punts and two extra points against the Bengals ... Larry Lewis's teams are 16-6 at home, including 4-0 at home this season.
How the playoffs work...
To make the I-AA playoffs you either have to win your conference's automatic berth (Atlantic 10, Big Sky, Gateway, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland) or earn one of the nine at-large berths. In order to get an at-large berth, a team must accumulate an 8-3 record. While that's not written in stone, only once in the entire history of the I-AA playoffs has a team gotten an at-large berth with a 7-4 record.
With that in mind, here are the playoff eligible teams (team with three losses or fewer), by league. The asterisk denotes that conference receives an automatic bid. There are 29 left fighting for the 16 at-large berths.
Atlantic-10* (5 teams left)
Maine 8-1, 5-1
Massachusetts 7-2, 5-1
Northeastern 7-2, 4-2
Villanova 7-2, 4-2
William & Mary 5-3, 4-2
Northeastern and Villanova play this week, so they will join William and Mary with three losses. Other than that game, everyone's final three games are against teams without winning records. Probably three teams will advance.
Big South (1 team left)
Gardner-Webb 7-1, 2-0
Gardner-Webb's only game against top competition was a 56-0 loss to Georgia Southern. They are outscoring their opponents 177-176 despite being 7-1. They are a long-shot to earn a bid.
Gateway* (2 teams left)
Western Illinois 8-1, 5-1
Western Kentucky 7-3, 5-1
Western Illinois defeated WKU, so they have the tiebreaker, and two games left against team with a combined 5-13 record. WKU is off this week and must beat 4-6 Southern Illinois to be eligible. If they are, the Gateway should get two teams.
MEAC* (4 teams left)
Bethune-Cookman 9-0, 5-0
Florida A&M 7-3, 5-2
Howard 5-3, 3-2
S. Carolina State 6-3, 3-2
Bethune-Cookman's last two games are against Howard and FAMU, and could knock both out of the playoffs. S.C. State still has three games left, two against wining teams. Only Bethune-Cookman has room for error, and the Big Sky's third 8-3 team needs this conference to only send one team.
Ohio Valley* (2 teams left)
Eastern Illinois 6-2, 4-0
Eastern Kentucky 7-3, 3-1
Eastern Illinois has already beaten EKU. EKU need to beat SE Missouri this week (6-4). A loss there, or on the 23rd against Murray State makes this a one-team league as well.
Patriot* (4 teams left)
Colgate 6-3, 3-1
Fordham 6-3, 3-1
Lehigh 7-2, 3-1
Towson 6-3, 3-2
Lehigh and Colgate play this week, so Colgate is probably out with a loss. Fordham and Towson play next week, and the loser there is probably out. This could be a one or two team league, depending on how the teams that win the two aforementioned games above do in their other games.
Southland* (3 teams left)
McNeese State 7-1, 3-0
Northwestern State 8-1, 3-0
Nicholls State 6-3, 2-2
Nicholls State must beat Sam Houston State this week and McNeese after their bye week to get in, otherwise just two advance.
Southern* (4 teams left)
Georgia Southern 7-2, 6-1
Wofford 7-2, 5-1
Furman 6-2, 4-1
Appalachian State 6-3, 4-2
Furman has both Georgia Southern and Wofford. App. St has a pair of 5-5 teams. This could be a three team league.
SWAC (1 team left....either)
Alabama A&M 6-2, 5-1
Alcorn State 6-2, 4-1
Whichever team doesn't win their division could go to the playoffs. The play in two weeks.
Big Sky* (3 teams left)
Montana 9-0, 4-0
Idaho State 5-3, 4-2
Portland State 6-3, 3-2
If PSU wins out, they finish second and will get in. ISU can be the second team if they win out and PSU loses at Weber State or at Montana State in the next two week. Three could go if some things happen in other conferences.
About Northern Arizona
The Northern Arizona Lumberjacks are 5-4 on the season, and 3-3 in the Big Sky Conference. The Lumberjacks were ranked as high as #8 in the polls this season, but they have dropped out after losing three of their last four.
Northern Arizona's one win in their last four was a 20-17 win at home against Montana State. The Lumberjacks are 1-3 on the road this season, beating Cal Poly 31-24. In their last outing, Montana limited NAU to just 222 total yards, including -18 yards rushing, due in large part to nine sacks.
Offensively, Clint Womack has thrown for 1,894 yards and 10 touchdowns, but he has been hurt by 13 interceptions. His main two targets are possibly the best tandem in I-AA. Johnny Marshall has 33 catches for 450 yards, but Womack's top target is Clarence Moore, who has 56 catches for 832 yards and eight TDs.
NAU has been rushing by committee, as Philo Sanchez leads the team with 384 yards. Brian Bingham got the bulk of the work against Montana, and has rushed for 262 yards. He scored twice on ISU last year.
Buchanon Award candidate Keith O'Neil leads a strong 3-4 defense. O'Neil is second on the team with 64 tackles. He has 17 tackles for loss (2nd in the Big Sky), four sacks, three forced fumbles, and two picks.
Punter Mark Gould leads the nation with a 48.1-yard average, and kicker Paul Ernster is 12-for-17 on field goals, with a long of 51. He's made his last six in a row.
A Happy October
Idaho State was perfect in the month of October, their first winning October since 1994. Under Larry Lewis, the Bengals had been just 2-11 in October before the past three wins. The last time Idaho State was perfect in October was in 1972, when the Bengals defeated Eastern Michigan, Montana, Idaho, and Montana State to 4-0 in October on the way to a 7-3 record, and a 4-1 mark in the Big Sky.
Looking to Stay Perfect
Idaho State is currently 4-0 at home, and the Bengals are two wins away from a perfect home record. The last time the Bengals were spotless at home was in 1981, when the Bengals were 8-0 at home, including two playoff games. ISU was 5-0 at home in 1983 before losing to Nevada in the playoffs.
Strong Run Defense
The Bengals have proven to have their strongest run stopping unit in many seasons. Currently, Idaho State is allowing just 140.5 yards per game. The following chart should show just how far ISU's run defense has come...
Season YPG NCAA Rank/Teams
1999 263.5 118/122
2000 226.0 113/222
2001 190.6 94/123
2002 140.5 40/123
Turnover Schmernover
Generally speaking, turnovers mean trouble for the team committing them, and points for the team causing them....unless you're the 2002 Idaho State Bengals.
This year Idaho State has committed 18 turnovers, but those 18 turnovers have led to only five scores, all touchdowns. Two turnovers led to scores at Utah State (including a fumble return for a touchdown), and two led to scores vs. Portland State (a TD and a FG). A fumble against Sacramento State led to touchdown.
Conversely, Idaho State has racked up 16 takeaways, and the Bengals have only turned five of those into points (three touchdowns and two field goals) as well.
Hershey On a Record Pace
Jeremy Hershey has attempted 23 field goals this season (making 12), and he is on pace to attempt 33 field goals this season, which would tie the I-AA record for field goal attempts in a season, which is 33, set by Tony Zendejas in 1982 (made 26) and tied by David Ettinger of Hofstra in 1995 (made 22).
Hershey has made just four of his last 12 field goal attempts, but seven of those eight misses are from 47 yards or longer, including five from 51 yards and beyond.
Fourth Quarter's Still Been Good to ISU...
Idaho State gave up a field goal on the final play of the game on Saturday, doubling he amount of points allowed in the fourth quarter this year.
The Bengals have now outscored their opponents 1-6 in the fourth quarter (Utah State kicked a field goal). Last season, Idaho State University was outscored 107-51 in the fourth quarter last season, a telling stat in that Idaho State lost three games last year when leading entering the fourth quarter (Utah State 28-27 after leading 27-7, Montana 32-28 after leading 28-17, and Eastern Washington 48-45 after leading 31-24).
Overall, Idaho State has basically owned the entire second half, as the Bengals are outscoring their opponents 112-30, including 81-24 in the third quarter.
Big Sky Player of the Week Nominees (Nov. 2)
Offense-Doug Baughman
Doug Baughman was 25-of-38 for 274 yards and three touchdowns. Baughman now has 13 touchdowns and over 1,600 yards passing in his six conference games against just four interceptions.
Defense-Josh Whitworth
Had a game-high 10 tackles and two for loss.
Special Teams-Jeremy Hershey
Kicked a game-tying 33 yard field goal with 1:57 left in the game.
