A History of Idaho State University Football

The Idaho State Bengals football team has a rich history, representing Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho. As a member of the Big Sky Conference at the NCAA Division I FCS level since 1963, the Bengals have a tradition of community, academic excellence, and inclusion. This tradition has persevered through political opposition, the Great Depression, two world wars, crippling drought, five name changes and even the Spanish flu.

Early Years and Program Development (1901-1962)

The Academy of Idaho was created on March 11, 1901, when Governor Frank W. Hunt signed Senate Bill 53 into law. Theodore F. Turner, known as the “father of Idaho State University,” drafted the bill as an Idaho State Senator and as Mayor of Pocatello. Theodore Swanson, one of the members of the Board of Trustees for the Academy, donated Red Hill and a 160-acre farm to the Academy. Swanson Hall was the first building built for the Academy of Idaho.

The football program began in 1902, one year after the school was established. From 1902 to 1934, the program had 10 different head coaches, seven of whom coached for less than three seasons. During this era, the Bantams and Tigers, as they were known until 1904 and 1934, respectively, achieved a total record of 117-70-10 (.619). Detail about the team's early facilities is lacking.

Coaching Stability and Conference Transition

Guy Wicks spent six total seasons with the Bengals, accumulating a record of 29-17-1 (.628). He only had one losing season with the program, during 1940, with a record of 3-5. Wick's successor, John Vesser, stayed nine total seasons with Idaho State. He was the head coach when Idaho State moved from being an independent program to being a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC). In total, he had a record of 41-27-6 (.595).

The Caccia Era

Babe Caccia, who played as both a center and a linebacker for Idaho State (then known as Idaho Southern Branch) in 1936 and 1937, became the head coach of the football program for 14 seasons, the most of any head coach. He led the team to six conference titles, including the first ever Big Sky title in 1963. After his run as head coach, he became assistant athletic director for Idaho State from 1965 to 1979, and athletic director from 1979 to 1986. For one year in 1976, he acted as line coach for the Edmonton Eskimos (now Edmonton Elks) of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He boasted a fairly successful record of 79-38-2 (.664) with Idaho State.

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Big Sky Conference Era and National Championship (1963-1990s)

The Bengals have competed in the Big Sky Conference at the NCAA Division I FCS level since 1963. They have eight conference championships in program history, including five in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and three in the Big Sky.

Coaching Changes and Program Development

Leo McKillip only coached for two seasons, having a losing record in both of them. Ed Cavanaugh took over as head coach in 1968. He improved over his predecessor, with a total record of 20-19 (.596). Bob Griffin took over in 1972, and he remained with Idaho State for four total seasons, accumulating a 21-20 (.512) record. Joe Pascale was the defensive coordinator for two seasons, then was promoted to head coach in February 1976 when Bob Griffin departed for Rhode Island.

The Hake Years

Bud Hake came to ISU in 1977 from the junior college ranks; he was previously the head coach for a decade at Grays Harbor College in Aberdeen, Washington. In 1978, the Bengals traveled to Japan to play the Utah State Aggies in Nishinomiya on September 3, and were shut out 10-0. Hake's three seasons resulted in a dismal 5-28 (.152) record with only two wins in conference, both in 1977.

The Kragthorpe Era and the 1981 National Championship

Previously the offensive line coach at BYU, Dave Kragthorpe was hired as head coach in late November 1979. During his first season in 1980, the rebuilding Bengals were 6-5 and won half of their conference games.

In 1981, Idaho State had a 12-1 (.923) record, and won the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship, beating Eastern Kentucky 34-23 in the 1981 Pioneer Bowl. Despite this success, ISU finished at 3-8 the following season. In his three years leading the Bengals, Kragthorpe went 21-14 (.600). He departed in June 1983 to become the athletic director at his alma mater, Utah State, then was the head coach at Oregon State from 1985 to 1990.

Post-Championship Years

Alumnus and assistant coach Jim Koetter was promoted to head coach in June 1983; he led the Bengals to the Division I-AA playoffs that season, but fell in the first round to Nevada to finish at 8-4. In five seasons as head coach, Koetter compiled a 23-32-1 (.420) record. Garth Hall was formerly an offensive coordinator at both Tulane and Oregon State before he took his place as head coach in Idaho State. He failed to find much success, finishing 9-33-1 (.214), going 0-11 during his first season as a head coach. Brian McNeely took up as head coach after Hall.

Recent History (1990s-Present)

Larry Lewis took over after Walsh, and he remained head coach for 8 seasons. In 2002, he and the Bengals were tri-Big Sky Champions, sharing the champion title with Montana and Montana State. However, Idaho State was passed up for the playoffs in favor of the other two. John Zamberlin was head coach at Central Washington before he went to Idaho State. He won four conference championships as head coach of Central Washington. Zamberlain's contract was originally going to end in 2009, but Idaho State extended the contract by two seasons. The choice was very controversial among students due to the team's lack of success. He averaged 1.5 wins per season, and he ended his career 6-39 (.133), the second-lowest winning percentage in program history.

Mike Kramer was previously head coach at both Eastern Washington and Montana State, winning one conference title with Eastern Washington and three with Montana State. His most successful season came with the 2014 Bengals, who had a record of 8-4 and finished the season ranked 25th in the FCS, but the team did not make the playoffs. In 2017, Kramer resigned as head coach, and Idaho State promoted wide receivers coach Rob Phenicie to head coach the same day. After Ragle's departure, Idaho State hired Cody Hawkins, the offensive coordinator for two seasons at UC Davis. Hawkins quickly grew popular among the student body at Idaho State, earning the nickname "Daddy Hawkins." Hawkins ended his inaugural season with a 3-8 record. The most notable win in the season being against Eastern Washington dubbed the "Minidome Miracle" after coming back from a 27 point deficit late in the third quarter to win the game 42-41. In the 2025 season, Hawkins led the Bengals to a 6-6 overall record (5-3 in conference play), their first non-losing season since 2018, including Idaho State's first away victory against intrastate rival Idaho since 1981.

Rivalries and Key Games

Boise State

Boise State joined the Big Sky conference in the 1970 season, the two teams first playing each other two seasons earlier in a loss for the Bengals. Boise State won twelve of the first thirteen games in the series, though Idaho State were able to remain somewhat competitive throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, winning five of fourteen games played between 1981 and 1994. In the 1996 season, Boise State, along with Idaho, moved to the Football Bowl Subdivision, leaving Idaho State without an intrastate rival until Idaho rejoined the Big Sky Conference in 2018.

University of Idaho

Idaho State and Idaho have a rivalry that can be traced to 1916, when they played their first game against each other, with Idaho winning, 32-0. They have played 47 rivalry games since then. Idaho won the first 8 games in the series, with Idaho State winning their first game in 1969. The rivalry remained competitive throughout the 1970s and 1980s, neither team three-peating throughout that period. In 1996, Idaho moved up to Division I-A, now the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), and the rivalry halted. The two schools played each other only 4 times during Idaho's stay in the FBS, Idaho winning all of them. In 2018, Idaho moved back down to Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), and rejoined the Big Sky Conference.

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With Idaho's rejoining of the Big Sky Conference in 2018, Idaho Central Credit Union sponsored a rivalry series titled "Battle of the Domes", which was applied to multiple sports. Idaho State was the first of the pair to play its home games indoors, opening the ICCU Dome (originally ASISU Minidome, later Holt Arena) in 1970. Ahead of the 2023 season, the Battle of the Domes branding was retired after Idaho Central Credit Union adjusted it's sponsorship with both institutions. A temporary trophy was created by Idaho head coach Jason Eck, who fashioned a Mr. Potato Head to the base of the original Battle of the Domes trophy. In 2024, the rivalry's new trophy was officially introduced, a large potato carved out of douglas fir alongside a metal cutout of Idaho, dubbed the Potato State Trophy. Idaho won first possession of the trophy after defeating Idaho State 40-17 in the 2024 season.

Weber State

Weber State, based in nearby Ogden, Utah first played Idaho State in October 1962, a Bengal victory. Weber State is Idaho State's most played rival, as they have played each other annually since both joined the Big Sky Conference as charter members in July 1963. Weber State leads the series and have won twelve of the last fifteen matchups, though Idaho State are currently on a winning streak of two games. In the 2024 season, the "Train Bell Trophy", a rivalry trophy between the two schools, was reintroduced, having not been used since the 1970s. The trophy was named due to the two city's connection by railroad.

Memorable Games

Idaho State 0, Idaho 1 on November 11, 1978: In the conference finale for both teams in 1978, a night game was scheduled in Moscow, Idaho. ISU planned to fly up to the Palouse that afternoon in two vintage airplanes. One developed engine trouble shortly after takeoff from Pocatello and returned.
Idaho State 34, Eastern Kentucky 23 on December 19, 1981: In the 1981 season, Idaho State were ranked at the top of the Big Sky standings, and appeared in the Division I-AA playoffs for the first time in program history, ranked #2 in the nation. Idaho State defeated Rhode Island and South Carolina State in the playoffs on their way to the title game, then known as the Pioneer Bowl.
Idaho State 30, Nevada 28 on September 16, 2017: Idaho State had lost each of their prior 10 games against Nevada, and were 33.5 point underdogs against them. However, the Bengals were able to pull off an upset, beating Nevada, 30-28. Nevada scored 14 points in the fourth quarter, but failed to defeat Idaho State.

Facilities

On November 4, 1922, the football team played its first game on Hutchinson Field, named after head coach Ralph Hutchinson. There were separate football and baseball fields, surrounded by a quarter-mile track, and provisions for bleachers to hold 5000 spectators along with automobile parking. This field was used until partway through the 1936 season. Hutchinson Field was replaced by an outdoor stadium in 1936. The first game held there was a 19-32 loss to the Montana State Bobcats on November 11, 1936. Newspaper reports indicate the stadium was named the "Spud Bowl" during the 1946 season. It remained the team's home field through the 1969 season. At the south end of campus, the former Spud Bowl is now Davis Field (named for William E. Davis).

The team's current home venue is an indoor arena that was conceived by ISU athletic director Milton W. "Dubby" Holt in 1966. ISU students voted to appropriate not more than $2.8 million to the project two years later. Originally named the ASISU MiniDome, it was renamed Holt Arena in 1988 to honor Holt. The arena is an indoor multi-purpose athletic stadium located on the north end of the ISU campus.

Notable Players

The Bengals have had five two-time All-Americans: wide receiver Eddie Bell ('68-'69), defensive end Josh Hays ('95-'96), placekicker Pete Garces ('98-'99), defensive end Jared Allen ('02-'03), and punter David Harrington ('10-'11). Allen also won the prestigious Buck Buchanan Award in 2003 as the top defensive player in the nation in Division I-AA. Wide receiver Rodrick Rumble was an All-American in 2011, a season in which he broke the Big Sky conference record for receptions with 112. Return specialist Tavoy Moore was given first-team All-American honors by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) for the 2010 season. Quarterback Mike Machurek was named a Kodak All-American for his 1981 championship season.

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