Denim Millward
Sports Editor
Let’s get one thing clear: Idaho State football is plenty familiar with, and sick of, losing.
On Saturday, Sept. 6 the ISU Bengal football team lost to the Utah State Aggies in Logan, Utah extending their road-losing streak to an almost unfathomable 46 consecutive games.
Obviously, head coach Mike Kramer and his players are disappointed in the loss and wish for a different result.
However, to dismiss the Bengals’ gritty performance against an FBS team as “just another loss” would be entirely unfair and a tremendous disservice to the hard-working and rapidly-improving Bengals.
The final score of 40-20 was much closer than many likely anticipated but even that score doesn’t quite do the actual competitiveness of the game for all but a 5-6 minute period justice.
Going up against one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the country in Utah State’s Chuckie Keeton, the Bengals never appeared intimidated or overwhelmed by going up against an upper-tier opponent.
On numerous occasions, the Bengals lambasted Keeton (albeit cleanly) and the Aggie gunslinger was clearly feeling the effects of a very physical Idaho State defense.
Interior defensive lineman Tyler Kuder was a nightmare for Aggie linemen to deal with, registering several big hits and tackles for loss.
Defensive back Taison Manu had the hit of the game, a wicked (but again, perfectly clean) hit on Aggie wide receiver JoJo Natson at the goal line that saved a touchdown.
Bengal football fans should also remember the name Mario Jenkins. The freshman linebacker started his second career game at Idaho State in place of the suspended PJ Gremaud, and just like he did in the first game against the University of Utah, he made the most of his opportunity.
In addition to making numerous tackles, Jenkins recorded his first career interception after smartly stepping in front of a Keeton pass.
The offensive performance, to be frank, was not nearly as impressive or as consistent, but did have a number of bright spots.
Though Bengal quarterback Justin Arias had quite possibly his worst game as a Bengal from a statistics standpoint, he eventually settled down and demonstrated good chemistry with wide-outs Madison Mangum and KW Williams.
Continuing his impressive start to the season against FBS opponents, running back Xavier Finney was able to churn out 93 hard-earned rushing yards.
Despite the loss, an expected one to be perfectly honest (ISU hasn’t beaten an FBS opponent since 2000), the Bengals have shown more to be excited about in two losses this season than they did the previous two seasons combined.
By all accounts, the Bengals appear to be ramping up the revitalization of their defense, continuing the trend seen last year when the Bengals vastly improved their all-time worst defense from 2012.
This year, instead of just looking competent, they look downright scary.
Offensively, the Bengals continue the development of the rushing attack that was virtually nonexistent in 2012. The one position that may take a collective step back this year, the wide receiving corps, has shown significant signs of exceeding expectations and more ably replacing the production of departed wide receiving studs Cam Richmond and Luke Austin.
To say the information is somehow invalid or to argue that nothing positive can be taken from a loss is woefully inaccurate.
Losing is disappointing for everyone, but letting that disappointment and disgust in the final result lessen the stock placed in the performance of the players on the losing side is downright foolish.
Part of the reason we get in the bad habit of erroneously clasifying any losing performance as a bad one is the term moral victory, which is seen by many as a nonexistent concept, if not a pejorative term.
To take anything positive out of a devastating loss is unquestionably unacceptable.
To do so would be showing far less than the requisite passion for winning, some would have you believe. Therein lies the flaw in the logic of that assertion.
The idea that taking any positives out of a loss somehow is indicative of a lack of passion or importance placed upon winning is patently false and short-sighted.
With last year’s three win total being the best the Bengals have seen since most of you were in grade school, it’s easy to look no farther than the Bengals’ win-loss column thus far and write it off as just another terrible season but if anything, the Bengals have shown the exact opposite thus far, or at least that they have the potential to improve upon last year’s win total.
When the level of competition evens out and the Bengals will be playing Big Sky opponents (or the two lower-tier opponents on their schedule, the vast improvements made by the Bengals on both sides of the ball will be even more pronounced, and in all likelihood will also result in an increase in victories for Idaho State.
The Bengals return in their home-open to take on Chadron State at 2:35 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13 in Holt Arena.
