# 2021 Idaho State Bengals football team

The 2021 Idaho State Bengals football team represented Idaho State University in the Big Sky Conference during the 2021 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by fifth-year head coach Rob Phenicie, the Bengals finished at 1–10 (1–7 in Big Sky, twelfth) and played their home games on campus at Holt Arena in Pocatello, Idaho.
After being shut out at home by intrastate rival Idaho in the season finale on November 20, Phenicie was fired with a cumulative record of 16–35 (.314).

## Preseason
### Polls

On July 26, 2021, during the virtual Big Sky Kickoff, the Bengals were predicted to finish ninth in the Big Sky by both the coaches and media.
Coaches poll :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Weber State | (7) |
| 2 | Montana | (3) |
| 3 | Eastern Washington | (2) |
| 4 | Montana State | (1) |
| 5 | Sacramento State | (1) |
| 6 | UC Davis | |
| 7 | Northern Arizona | |
| 8 | Idaho | |
| 9 | Idaho State | |
| 10 | Portland State | |
| 11 | Southern Utah | |
| 12 | Cal Poly | |
| 13 | Northern Colorado | |
Media poll :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Weber State | (14) |
| 2 | Montana | (4) |
| 3 | Eastern Washington | (3) |
| 4 | Montana State | (3) |
| 5 | Sacramento State | |
| 6 | UC Davis | |
| 7 | Northern Arizona | |
| 8 | Idaho | |
| 9 | Idaho State | |
| 10 | Portland State | |
| 11 | Southern Utah | |
| 12 | Northern Colorado | |
| 13 | Cal Poly | |

### Preseason All–Big Sky team

The Bengals had one player selected to the preseason all-Big Sky team.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 4 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 8 North Dakota* | Holt ArenaPocatello, ID | ESPN+ | L 14–35 | 4,667 |
| September 11 | 8:30 p.m. | at Nevada* | Mackay StadiumReno, NV | Stadium | L 10–49 | 23,965 |
| September 25 | 1:00 p.m. | Sacramento State | Holt ArenaPocatello, ID | ESPN+ | L 21–23 | 5,997 |
| October 2 | 2:00 p.m. | at Northern Arizona | Walkup SkydomeFlagstaff, AZ | ESPN+ | L 17–48 | 9,713 |
| October 9 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 7 UC Davis | Holt ArenaPocatello, ID | ESPN+ | W 27–17 | 5,206 |
| October 16 | 3:05 p.m. | at Portland State | Hillsboro StadiumHillsboro, OR | ESPN+ | L 10–31 | 1,809 |
| October 23 | 1:00 p.m. | at No. 8 Montana State | Bobcat StadiumBozeman, MT | SWX/ESPN+ | L 9–27 | 19,297 |
| October 30 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 23 Weber State | Holt ArenaPocatello, ID | ESPN+ | L 17–40 | 2,500 |
| November 6 | 1:30 p.m. | at No. 15 (FBS) BYU* | LaVell Edwards StadiumProvo, UT | BYUtv/ESPN3 | L 14–59 | 63,470 |
| November 13 | 6:05 p.m. | at Cal Poly | Alex G. Spanos StadiumSan Luis Obispo, CA | ESPN+ | L 29–32 | 5,651 |
| November 20 | 1:00 p.m. | Idaho | Holt ArenaPocatello, ID (rivalry) | ESPN+ | L 0–14 | |
| *Non-conference gameRankings from STATS Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Mountain time |||||||

## Game summaries
### No. 8 North Dakota

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 8 Fighting Hawks | 7 | 3 | 14 | 11 | 35 |
| Bengals | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |

### At Nevada

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bengals | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| Wolf Pack | 14 | 7 | 7 | 21 | 49 |

### Sacramento State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hornets | 7 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 23 |
| Bengals | 7 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 21 |

### At Northern Arizona

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bengals | 7 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
| Lumberjacks | 3 | 20 | 15 | 10 | 48 |

### No. 7 UC Davis

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 7 Aggies | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 17 |
| Bengals | 14 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 27 |

### At Portland State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bengals | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| Vikings | 17 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 31 |

### At No. 8 Montana State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bengals | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| No. 8 Bobcats | 0 | 10 | 3 | 14 | 27 |

### No. 23 Weber State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 23 Wildcats | 10 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 40 |
| Bengals | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |

### At No. 15 (FBS) BYU

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bengals | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| No. 15 (FBS) Cougars | 21 | 21 | 7 | 10 | 59 |

### At Cal Poly

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bengals | 7 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 29 |
| Mustangs | 7 | 7 | 12 | 6 | 32 |

### Idaho

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vandals | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Bengals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |