Here are a few key points about Idaho State as the Beavers prepare to open training camp this week with the opener just over a month away.
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Oregon State will kick off the Trent Bray era with a home game against Big Sky Conference opponent Idaho State on Aug. 31 at Reser Stadium.
The Beavers last faced the Bengals in 2016, taking a 37-7 victory. Oregon State has dominated its games against FCS opponents in recent years, taking a 55-7 win over UC Davis last year, defeating Montana State 68-28 in 2022 and shutting out Idaho 42–0 in 2021.
The Beavers’ last close call against an FCS team was a 35-32 win over Portland State in 2017 and the last loss was in the 2013 season opener against Eastern Washington, falling 49-46.
Here are a few key points about Idaho State as the Beavers prepare to open training camp this week with the opener just over a month away.
Former UNLV wide receiver Jeff Weimer transferred to Idaho State after last season and was one of the standout players in the Bengals’ spring game.
LACHLAN CUNNINGHAM, Associated Press
Dual QBs
Idaho State went with a dual-quarterback system last year in which Jordan Cooke and Hunter Hays each saw action in every game. Cooke, a 6-foot-4 junior, completed 59% of his pass attempts for 2,453 yards with 12 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
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Hays, a 6-foot-4 senior, connected on 63% of his attempts for 882 yards with nine touchdowns and five interceptions. He was also the team’s leading rusher with 233 yards and five touchdowns.
Second-year head coach Cody Hawkins said after the team’s spring game that he was happy with the ongoing competition at quarterback that also includes redshirt freshman Jackson Sharman.
It remains to be seen if Hawkins will continue to use multiple quarterbacks this season, but it does give Oregon State’s defensive staff an extra wrinkle to think about before the opener.
Pass-heavy offense
As suggested by the numbers above, Idaho State did not have an effective rushing attack in 2023. Overall, the Bengals attempted 543 passes and 243 running plays, a 70/30 mix. Idaho State ran for just 652 total yards and gained an anemic 2.7 yards per attempt.
Idaho State added a couple DI transfers at the running back position this offseason, signing Justice Jackson from Eastern Washington and Hunter Roddy from Army.
But the Bengals expect to remain a pass dominant team. They lost leading receiver Chedon James to the transfer portal, but return senior Christian Frederickson, who caught 53 passes for 791 yards and five touchdowns a year ago.
Idaho State also added former three-star recruit Jeff Weimer from UNLV and he made a strong impression in the Bengals’ spring game.
Coaching family
Hawkins added his father, Dan Hawkins, to his coaching staff this offseason. Dan Hawkins is a former head coach at Boise State, Colorado and UC Davis, and also has experience in the CFL and NFL Europe.
The elder Hawkins brings experience to the Bengals staff as Cody Hawkins enters his second season as a head coach. The team went 3-8 a year ago, but Cody Hawkins said the program is in a much better place coming out of spring drills.
“Spring practice this year, it’s better in every way than it was last year. … Every time you’ve done something once before you have the opportunity to improve,” Hawkins said. “Last year, you spend so much time just getting to know people and ‘Where’s my meeting?’ Not ‘How do we make this meeting great?’”
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Les Gehrett is the sports editor and covers Oregon State football, women’s basketball and gymnastics. Follow him on X at @lgehrtet.
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