Countdown to camp: Can Idaho State improve its defense enough to be competitive this season?

The Idaho State football team begins fall camp on Aug. 1.

And to get you ready, we’re counting down with a question every day until the start of it.

Today’s question. Can Idaho State improve its defense enough to be competitive this season?

There is just no getting around it, Idaho State’s defense struggled in every measurable category last season. The Bengals were last in the Big Sky in scoring defense (39.7 points per game) and yards allowed per game (477), 11th out of 12 teams in rushing defense (225 yards per game) and 12th in passing defense (252 yards per game − on almost 69% completion percentage by opponents).

Those are the traditional defensive categories. Then there are the “sudden impact” plays, where even if you struggle to stop your opponents from gaining yards, you might be able to turn the momentum of a game with a turnover or a sack. ISU was 11th in interceptions with eight, behind only Cal Poly. The Bengals did finish a respectable fifth in fumble recoveries with six. But ISU was 11th in sacks with 15, ahead of only Portland State.

Finally, there are the “get off the field” categories: third down conversation defense (the Bengals were 10th, with their opponents converting almost 44% of third down opportunities), fourth down conversions (ISU was 11th at 59% allowed) and red zone defense (ISU was 10th, giving up a score 88% of the time when opponents got inside the 20 — including 38 touchdowns).

ISU defensive coordinator Josh Runda brought his 3-3-5 defensive look with him from Iowa State, and there were some grumblings that the approach that uses just three down linemen and five defensive backs is just simply not physical enough to stop the high-scoring offenses of the Big Sky Conference.

Ironically, however, Montana, the best scoring defense in the Big Sky, yielding just over 17 points a game, also employs a 3-3-5 look. So, the question becomes: Do the Bengals have the manpower to make their relatively unique defense work?

The good news for the Bengals as they approach the Aug. 1, is they return a good deal of experience from that defense. Ten of the top 14 tacklers return, including safety Calvin Pitcher, a second-team all-conference selection last season, and tackle David Rowe, an honorable mention choice, who tied for the team lead with four sacks.

Also returning are defensive end Cortland Horton, who tied with Rowe for the team sack lead, Nathan Reynolds, who started at linebacker as a true freshman, and defensive lineman Logan George, who the Bengal coaching staff thinks is destined for all-conference honors.

The question then becomes, can all of these returnees improve enough to drag the Bengal defense from the Big Sky basement? Because, even though the Bengals added some depth in the offseason, it doesn’t appear they brought in any immediate difference-makers on that side of the football.

So as productive and entertaining as the Bengals were on offense last year, there is no doubt the only way this football team makes the kind of improvement ISU coaches, players and fans are hoping for, is if the defense takes a significant step up.