Denim Millward
Sports Editor
As a group, sports fans are not exactly known for their sweet understanding and ample patience.
When the often-irrational demand for a team to succeed is mixed with said team being stuck at or near the bottom of its conference, the result is an understandably pessimistic fan base.
Even the most rational fans that have a firm grasp on the cyclical nature of college football have every right to be frustrated, angered, irritated, despondent and just plain mad about the utter lack of improvement or consistency the Bengal football squad has shown since the mid-2000’s.
Thus far in the 2013 campaign, a casual glance at the ISU’s record shows yet another losing record, albeit with triple the wins of 2012 already. Delving into the record further could cause the small modicum of hope created by the increase in wins to be dismissed as nothing more than the result of playing two Division II schools.
This cursory analysis of ISU’s performance certainly does not do the vast improvement the Bengals have shown thus far justice, as it ignores the massive strides the Bengals have taken in multiple facets of the game.
The still-developing defense has displayed the most notable improvement from last season’s historically awful unit. After averaging a staggering 53.8 points allowed per-game last season, including giving up over 70 points four separate times, the Bengal defense has slashed that number down to 30 points allowed per-game in 2013.
Led by the stellar play of junior linebacker Mitch Beckstead, the still-learning defensive unit has not yet shown any inkling of quitting on plays or games as often appeared to be the case last season.
The future for the defense appears to be exceptionally bright. Despite losing notable senior defensemen, such as cornerback Cameron Gupton, linebacker Jake Pele and defensive lineman Kimo Makaula, the Bengals are set up nicely to continue their defensive development in 2014.
Defensive back transfers Brandon Golden and Vai Peko, both of whom joined the Idaho State squad fairly late in training camp, will have a year of experience and an entire offseason regimen under their belts.
Redshirt freshman defensive back Pat Carter has also shown flashes of brilliance this season, and should realize significantly more of his potential next season. Alongside Golden and Peko, Carter will comprise a secondary that is well equipped to combat the increasingly pass-heavy offenses in the Big Sky Conference.
Simply judging the Bengals by the record also unfairly ignores the stellar job done by the precocious offensive linemen in opening holes for the revitalized running game and protecting first-year starting quarterback and redshirt junior Justin Arias.
Idaho State suffered a significant blow to its offensive line in the first game of the season when senior offensive lineman Nick Beckman was lost for the season due to injury.
True freshmen Skyler Phillips and Thomas Vazorka were thrust into much more significant roles than they likely expected to have in their first season at ISU, yet both have turned in performances that belie their relative lack of experience at the collegiate level.
And, stop the presses, ISU actually has a respectable running attack! Sophomore Xavier Finney has given the prolific Bengal offense an entirely new dimension the team completely lacked in 2012.
Finney’s rushing yards per-game average is 73.8, a higher total than any one running back amassed in a single game last season.
The Oceanside, Calif., native has singlehandedly made the Bengal offense a much more complicated and difficult assignment for opposing teams to defend.
Finney’s ability to churn out yardage and break multiple tackles on any given play also makes Arias’ job much easier, as defenses take a much bigger risk only rushing three defensive linemen and utilizing the other eight defensive players to defend the pass.
While the importance of winning is not lost on me, I’m not a subscriber to the notion that “a loss is a loss.” Not all losses are created equal, especially when judging the performance and development of a very young and inexperienced team that is still early in the development process.
Lumping in this squad’s gritty performance with the lackadaisical efforts of last year is a tremendous disservice to the players and the coaching staff of the Idaho State University football team.
