# 2018 Idaho State Bengals football team

The 2018 Idaho State Bengals football team represented Idaho State University as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by second-year head coach Rob Phenicie, the Bengals compiled an overall record of 6–5 with a mark of 5–3 in conference play, tying for fourth place in the Big Sky. Idaho State played their home games at Holt Arena in Pocatello, Idaho.

## Preseason
### Polls

On July 16, 2018 during the Big Sky Kickoff in Spokane, Washington, the Bengals were predicted to finish in twelfth place in the coaches poll and tenth place in the media poll.
Coaches poll :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Eastern Washington | 134 (6) |
| 2 | Weber State | 124 (3) |
| 3 | Northern Arizona | 121 (3) |
| 4 | Idaho | 101 (1) |
| 5 | Sacramento State | 94 |
| 6 | Southern Utah | 91 |
| 7 | Montana | 82 |
| 8 | Montana State | 76 |
| 9 | UC Davis | 64 |
| 10 | Cal Poly | 40 |
| 11 | Northern Colorado | 30 |
| 12 | Idaho State | 29 |
| 13 | Portland State | 21 |
Media poll :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Eastern Washington | 651 (27) |
| 2 | Weber State | 636 (19) |
| 3 | Northern Arizona | 535 (1) |
| 4 | Montana | 496 (2) |
| 5 | Idaho | 483 (3) |
| 6 | Southern Utah | 449 (1) |
| 7 | Sacramento State | 415 |
| 8 | Montana State | 391 (1) |
| 9 | UC Davis | 331 (1) |
| 10 | Idaho State | 170 |
| 11 | Cal Poly | 169 |
| 12 | Northern Colorado | 166 |
| 13 | Portland State | 103 |

### Preseason All-Conference Team

The Bengals had one player selected to the Preseason All-Conference Team.
James Madison – Sr. RB

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 31 | 6:30 p.m. | Western Colorado* | | Holt ArenaPocatello, ID | Pluto TV 243 | W 45–10 | 5,062 |
| September 15 | 4:00 p.m. | at California* | | California Memorial StadiumBerkeley, CA | P12N | L 23–45 | 37,104 |
| September 22 | 3:00 p.m. | at No. 22 North Dakota | | Alerus CenterGrand Forks, ND | Pluto TV 240 | W 25–21 | 11,157 |
| September 29 | 2:30 p.m. | Northern Arizona | | Holt ArenaPocatello, ID | Pluto TV 243 | W 56–42 | 9,129 |
| October 6 | 3:30 p.m. | Idaho | | Holt ArenaPocatello, ID (rivalry) | Pluto TV 243 | W 62–28 | 11,015 |
| October 13 | 5:00 p.m. | at No. 14 UC Davis | | Aggie StadiumDavis, CA | Pluto TV 245 | L 37–44 $^{OT}$ | 10,849 |
| October 20 | 12:00 p.m. | at Liberty* | | Williams StadiumLynchburg, VA | ESPN3 | L 41–48 | 16,502 |
| October 27 | 3:30 p.m. | Montana State | | Holt ArenaPocatello, ID | ELVN | W 24–17 | 8,851 |
| November 3 | 3:00 p.m. | at Portland State | | Hillsboro StadiumHillsboro, OR | ELVN | W 48–45 | 3,924 |
| November 10 | 5:00 p.m. | at Cal Poly | No. 24 | Alex G. Spanos StadiumSan Luis Obispo, CA | Pluto TV 244 | L 14–37 | 5,250 |
| November 17 | 2:30 p.m. | No. 3 Weber State | | Holt ArenaPocatello, ID | Pluto TV 235 | L 13–26 | 10,077 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from STATS Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Mountain time ||||||||

## Game summaries
### Western Colorado

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Mountaineers | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| Bengals | 14 | 17 | 14 | 0 | 45 |

### At California

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bengals | 0 | 3 | 6 | 14 | 23 |
| Golden Bears | 7 | 21 | 3 | 14 | 45 |

### At North Dakota

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bengals | 6 | 13 | 0 | 6 | 25 |
| No. 22 Fighting Hawks | 14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 21 |

### Northern Arizona

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lumberjacks | 7 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 42 |
| Bengals | 7 | 28 | 14 | 7 | 56 |

### Idaho

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vandals | 7 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 28 |
| Bengals | 14 | 21 | 20 | 7 | 62 |

### At UC Davis

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Bengals | 9 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 37 |
| No. 14 Aggies | 7 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 7 | 44 |

### At Liberty

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bengals | 0 | 17 | 14 | 10 | 41 |
| Flames | 7 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 48 |

### Montana State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bobcats | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 17 |
| Bengals | 0 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 24 |

### At Portland State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bengals | 14 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 48 |
| Vikings | 3 | 21 | 14 | 7 | 45 |

### At Cal Poly

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 24 Bengals | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Mustangs | 3 | 10 | 7 | 17 | 37 |

### Weber State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 3 Wildcats | 3 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 26 |
| Bengals | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 13 |

## Ranking movements

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Final |
| STATS | — | — | — | — | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | 24 | RV | RV | |
| Coaches | — | — | — | — | — | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | 25 | RV | RV | |