# 1981 Idaho State Bengals football team

The 1981 Idaho State Bengals football team represented Idaho State University in the Big Sky Conference during the 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Bengals were led by second-year head coach Dave Kragthorpe and played their home games at the ASISU Minidome (now Holt Arena), an indoor venue on campus in Pocatello, Idaho.
Quarterbacked by senior Mike Machurek, the Bengals won the Big Sky championship with a 6–1 record and were 9–1 overall in the regular season. The sole loss was at Montana, when Machurek remained in Pocatello with mononucleosis, and backup Dirk Koetter filled in; the Griz kicked a late field goal to win by three points in Missoula.
In the eight-team Division I-AA playoffs, Idaho State easily won two home playoff games, then secured their only national championship in the Pioneer Bowl at Wichita Falls, Texas. The Bengals defeated Eastern Kentucky 34–23 in the title game to finish with a 12–1 record, just two years removed from a winless season.

## Schedule

| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 12 | Eastern Washington* | | ASISU MinidomePocatello, ID | | W 34–10 | 8,005 |
| September 19 | at Boise State | | Bronco StadiumBoise, ID | | W 21–10 | 20,486 |
| September 26 | Nevada | No. 3 | ASISU MinidomePocatello, ID | | W 23–7 | 9,883 |
| October 3 | Northern Arizona | No. 3 | ASISU MinidomePocatello, ID | | W 31–6 | 11,284 |
| October 10 | at Portland State* | No. 2 | Civic StadiumPortland, OR | | W 28–9 | 2,757 |
| October 17 | at Montana | No. 2 | Dornblaser FieldMissoula, MT | | L 21–24 | 9,190 |
| October 31 | at Idaho | No. 3 | Kibbie DomeMoscow, ID | | W 24–14 | 10,500 |
| November 7 | Montana State | No. 2 | ASISU MinidomePocatello, ID | | W 31–3 | 10,468 |
| November 14 | Utah State* | No. 2 | ASISU MinidomePocatello, ID | | W 50–24 | 12,008 |
| November 21 | Weber State | No. 2 | ASISU MinidomePocatello, ID | | W 33–30 $^{3OT}$ | 13,444 |
| December 5 | Rhode Island* | No. 2 | ASISU MinidomePocatello, ID (NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal) | | W 51–0 | 12,153 |
| December 12 | No. 3 South Carolina State* | No. 2 | ASISU MinidomePocatello, ID (NCAA Division I-AA Semifinal) | | W 41–12 | 12,300 |
| December 19 | vs. No. 1 Eastern Kentucky* | No. 2 | Memorial StadiumWichita Falls, TX (NCAA Division I-AA Championship Game—Pioneer Bowl) | ABC | W 34–23 | 11,002 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the game ||||||||
* The regular season finale against Weber State went to triple overtime; the Big Sky introduced overtime for conference games the previous season, and this was its first-ever usage.

## Roster

    Source:

## All-conference

Five Bengals were named to the all-conference team: quarterback Mike Machurek (unanimous), tight end Rod Childs, linebacker Dave Walser, defensive back Matt Courtney (sophomore), and punter Case de Bruijn. The second team included linebacker Lem Galei (sophomore) and de Bruijn at placekicker. Honorable mention were wide receivers Jerry Bird and Charles Ewing, tackle Steve Anderson, tailback Dwain Wilson, and linebacker Bill Snapp.

## NFL draft

Two Bengal seniors were selected in the 1982 NFL draft, which lasted 12 rounds with 334 selections.
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL club |
| 6 | 154 | Mike Machurek | Quarterback | Detroit Lions |
| 8 | 214 | Case deBruijn | Punter/Kicker | Kansas City Chiefs |