Hadley Bodell
Sports Editor
The Idaho State Bengals took on the Northern Colorado Grizzlies in an intense match Saturday evening at Holt Arena for the yearly Homecoming Game.
In one of the biggest turnouts of the year, hundreds of students made their way to Holt Arena Saturday night for the Homecoming Football game. This year the Bengals battled 12th-ranked Northern Colorado. Both teams had gone 0-3 so far in their seasons and were ready for a win in their first Big Sky conference game.
With the stands more packed than they’ve been all season, the Bengals rushed onto the field, ready to play. The first play of the game didn’t go as planned, as freshman quarterback Jordan Cooke threw a tipped interception. After a failed field goal attempt by the Bears and a three-and-out by the Bengals, NCU started their second possession with a 16-yard rushing touchdown by Darius Stewart. Not to worry, the Bengals had the answer with just three seconds left in the quarter, with Alfred Jordan getting a touchdown to tie up the game.
The second quarter brought more action, with Cooke rushing in another touchdown at the one-yard line after a pass to wide receiver Christian Fredericksen. With the Bengals up in a 14-7 lead, the Bears seemed to have the reply on their first drive, wide receiver Blake Haggerty taking off towards the end zone with no one in sight. Out of nowhere, Bengal Josh Alford turned on the jets and poked the ball out of Haggerty’s grip one yard short of the endzone for a touchback and turnover for Idaho State.
With a quarterback switch to Hunter Hays, the Bengals scored another touchdown with 20 seconds left in the second quarter. Kicker Thomas Kopcho locked in the extra point, for ISU to take a 21-7 lead.
After halftime performances by the Idaho State marching band, color guard, cheer, and dance teams, the team was back on the field ready to close out their Homecoming match. However, Northern Colorado got their heads in the game and scored two touchdowns in the third quarter to tie up the game 21-21. ISU students and fans rocked the arena in support of the riveting game. With just under three minutes remaining in the quarter, sophomore Aiden Taylor got a touchdown with an eight-yard pass from Hays.
Jordan Cooke wasn’t the only quarterback to score Saturday night, Hays rushed into the endzone for a final touchdown in the fourth quarter. The Bears had no answer, and the Bengals secured the win for their Homecoming game with the ending score of 35-21. Idaho State Students rushed the field after the game, cheering for their football teams’ first win of the season.
In a press conference following the Homecoming win, head coach Cody Hawkins said, “I think the reason today felt so good is because we are building some bonds in the locker room. When you really care about the guys that you’re working with and playing with, and you have some success, it’s all the more sweet.” Hawkins believes in the team and their work both on and off the field will lead to more success this season. Saturday’s win marks Coach Hawkins’ first win in the position as head coach at ISU.
The ISU football team is scheduled to play their next conference match on Saturday, September 30th against 7th-ranked Montana State at 2 p.m.
