COUNTDOWN TO CAMP: What nonconference road game will be the most important for the Bengals?

The Idaho State football team begins fall camp on Aug. 1. To get you ready, we’re counting down with a question every day until camp begins.

Today’s question is: What nonconference road game will be the most important for the Bengals?

Idaho State opens the season with four consecutive nonconference games, including a “money game” at Oregon State, the home opener with Division II Western Oregon, and then two FCS contests — at North Dakota and home against Southern Utah.

“The other two preseason games are important, but I think the FCS opener will be very interesting for me,” said ISU head coach Cody Hawkins of the Sept. 14 contest at Grand Forks, North Dakota. “I have a ton of respect for the program coach (Bubba) Schweigert has built at North Dakota. I’ve played them a few times (when coaching at UC-Davis). We beat them once and they beat us once at the end.”

The Fighting Hawks, former members of the Big Sky Conference, are coming off a 7-5 season when they finished third in the rugged Missouri Valley Football Conference. Their 5-3 record in league play included a 49-24 thumping of traditional FCS powerhouse North Dakota State. North Dakota made the FCS national playoffs last season, losing 42-35 to the Big Sky’s Sacramento State in the opening round.

UND was picked to finish fifth in the Missouri Valley this season in the conference preseason polls. They return running back Gaven Zierbarth, who ran for 156 yards and three touchdowns in the win over North Dakota State, and averaged 6.54 yards per carry on 107 rushes last season.

He’ll team up with returning wide receiver Bo Belquist, a preseason first team all-conference selection, as offensive weapons. Belquist caught 55 passes for 772 yards and six touchdowns last season, and had 12 plays of 20 yards or more.

The Fighting Hawks will have to replace starting quarterback Tommy Schuster, who completed 70% of his passes last season. Backup Trey Feeney, who completed 15-of-20 attempts off the bench, is Schuster’s likely successor.

Defensively, UND gave up just over 26 points a game last year. They’ll be led by returning all-conference linebacker Wyatt Pedigo, who led the nation with four forced fumbles. He topped the Fighting Hawks in tackles with 72, had four sacks and 7.5 tackles-for-a-loss.

The Fighting Hawks will be coming off two taxing games before hosting the Bengals, opening the season at Power 4 member Iowa State, then hosting Montana, the preseason favorite to win the Big Sky, the week before meeting Idaho State.

The Bengals, meanwhile, open the season at Oregon State, then get to come home to Division II Western Oregon the week before travelling to Grand Forks. ISU will be flying charter, by the way, to the North Dakota contest.

“I think North Dakota is important because it’s a road game against an FCS team that’s nonconference,” Hawkins said. “Just look at the opportunity to play two FCS teams in the nonconference — we haven’t done that in how long? Just to be able to go on the road against a team that has as many scholarships as we do and probably is similar to us in budget, that will be the first measuring stick for our team.”