SALT LAKE CITY — Football fans in Utah will get to know a lot about the Idaho State Bengals. They’re scheduled to play at four Division I venues in the state this year.
The tour, which begins Saturday against the 11th-ranked Utes, also includes stops at Southern Utah (Oct. 6), BYU (Nov. 16) and Weber State (Nov. 23).
“I said at the beginning of the season there’s a lot of great stadiums we get to play in this year and this is one of them,” Idaho State coach Rob Phenicie said of the impending trip to Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Phenicie also mentioned Utah’s “great” student section.
“It’s going to be a loud environment and a big challenge for the Bengals,” he said.
Phenicie speaks from experience. He was a longtime assistant at UNLV and also worked at Wyoming. In 2017, Phenicie took the helm in Pocatello, Idaho, and is 11-12 overall. Idaho State went 6-5 last season, including a 5-3 mark in Big Sky Conference play.
The Bengals, though, haven’t fared well against Utah over the years. They’re 0-7 all-time against the Utes, including six setbacks in Salt Lake City.
In 1988, Idaho State had a guy named Kyle Whittingham on its staff. He was on the sidelines when Utah opened that season with a 41-16 win over the Bengals.
“I think we hung around for a quarter or two and then got run out of the stadium, which is what you expect,” Whittingham recalled. “I do remember that it was a pretty exciting experience for me to be in a stadium that size and play a team like Utah. The environment was pretty cool.”
Whittingham has fond memories of his time at Idaho State, where he coached linebackers through the 1993 season.
“I know it was an excellent experience for me because I was able to be the special teams coordinator the first four years and then the defensive coordinator those last two,” said Whittingham, who also coached the linebackers.
Idaho State didn’t win a lot, going just 14-50 while Whittingham was there. Since winning the national championship in 1981, the Bengals haven’t had a lot of success. They’ve posted 29 losing seasons since then.
Last year’s breakthrough was the program’s first winning campaign since 2014 and just the second since 2003.
The current season got off to a good start last Saturday when Idaho State defeated Western Colorado 38-13. Junior quarterback Matt Struck threw for 402 yards and four touchdowns in his first start. Tanner Conner and Michael Dean had nine and eight receptions, respectively. Ty Flanagan led the ground game with 96 yards rushing.
On defense, the Bengals were paced by linebacker Kody Graves and defensive lineman Kainoa Fuiava, a former BYU Cougar. Graves and Fuiava finished with six tackles apiece. Linebacker Oshea Trujillo made an interception.
While Utah prepares for its final nonconference game of the season, Whittingham acknowledged there’s not a lot to draw upon because Idaho State has played just one game thus far. It may not matter all that much. As the Pac-12 opener at USC draws near, the Utes are focused on shoring up things like short-yardage offense, kicking and defensive consistency.
Whittingham said the Utes just want to take another step forward as a team.
“I feel we’ve done that the last two weeks,” he added.
Championship teams, Whittingham explained, must have a trajectory all season long to improve. Each game represents another opportunity to do so.
“It’s just another day to get better.” — Utah cornerback Jaylon Johnson, on facing Idaho State
“It’s just another day to get better,” said cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who insists the Utes get up for every contest regardless of the opponent — even an FCS squad.
“I just want to keep showcasing what we have and what I have,” he explained.
Johnson said the team is determined to take things one game at a time with a goal to go 1-0 every week.
“Part of that is just trusting the process and enjoying the process,” Johnson noted. “That’s coming to work every day, studying film and taking care of our preparation. It’s just what we do.”`
EXTRA POINTS: Utah is 25-1 in nonconference games since joining the Pac-12 in 2011. ... The first game between the Utes and Bengals was played in 1944. ... Idaho State assistants Kam Yancy (cornerbacks) and Lei Talamaivao (defensive line) are former Utes and former staffers.