Weber State University Athletics
Weber State University
Idaho State
Game 10: Wildcats host Bengals in rivalry game Saturday
11/5/2024 4:21:00 PM | Football
Weber State and Idaho State will meet for the 65th time on Saturday at Stewart Stadium.
• It's a return home for a rivalry game for Weber State football Saturday afternoon as the Wildcats host Idaho State at 1 p.m. at Stewart Stadium.
• Weber State is 3-6 overall and 2-3 in Big Sky play. The Wildcats are coming off a 27-6 loss at Northern Arizona last Saturday.
• Idaho State is 4-5 overall and also 2-3 in conference play. The Bengals are coming off a bye week last week.
• The two schools are bringing back the Train Bell Trophy as a traveling trophy staring with this Saturday's game. The trophy was used between the two schools from 1964-73.
• This will be the 65th all-time meeting between the two schools, the most for WSU against any opponent. The Wildcats have won the last 10 games against the Bengals.
• Idaho State's last win in Ogden came in 1984.
• WSU junior running back Damon Bankston moved up to seventh in WSU career rushing yards.
• The Wildcat defense recorded three sacks with seven tackles for loss in Saturday's game.
• Wildcat senior Kyle Thompson moved into a tie for the second most field goals in school history.
Media coverage
Saturday's game will be streamed on ESPN+ and the ESPN app with Tony Parks and Riley Jensen on the call. The Weber State radio broadcast will be on 103.1 FM "The Wave" with Carl Arky and former WSU head coach and athletic director Jerry Graybeal calling the action.
Live stats available at WeberStateSports.com and the Weber State Wildcats app.
'Cats drop road game at Northern Arizona
Weber State lost 27-6 last Saturday at Northern Arizona, the third straight loss for the Wildcats. NAU got off to an incredible start as the Lumberjacks scored on a 75-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage. The Wildcats threw two interceptions on their first two plays and NAU led 21-0 just 6:10 into the game. The rest of the way, the game was tied 6-6. Weber State totaled 332 yards of offense with 180 yards rushing and the defense accounted for three sacks.
Damon is Da-Man!
Weber State junior running back Damon Bankston continued his strong play as he led the Wildcats again in rushing in Saturday's game at NAU. He finished with 16 carries for 96 yards and has rushed for at least 80 yards in seven of the nine games this season.
In Saturday's game he also surpassed 1,000 rushing yards this season. He has 159 carries for 1,023 yards and six touchdowns through nine games this season. Bankston ranks second in the Big Sky and seventh in the nation in rushing yards at 113.6 per game.
He also moved up even more in the all-time ranking list and now ranks seventh in Weber State history with 2,242 career yards and 22 touchdowns. He is the 12th player in WSU history to reach 2,000 career rushing yards.
Train Bell Trophy on the line for Saturday's game
Weber State and Idaho State have partnered to bring back the Train Bell Trophy for the annual series, beginning with Saturday's game at Stewart Stadium.
The two teams are charter members of the Big Sky Conference and have played 64 times since joining the league.
In 1964, Weber State secured an old locomotive bell made of solid brass which according to an article in the Weber State Signpost, "rings like the dickens" to symbolize the growing tradition and rivalry between the two railroad towns of Ogden and Pocatello. Fans would take a "game train" to the other campus for the annual game.
The Train Bell Trophy was used from 1964-73, and is now being reinstituted for the annual series beginning Saturday. The bell and wooden base weigh 86 pounds.
Military Appreciation Day and t-shirt giveaway
This Saturday's game is also Military Appreciation Day at Stewart Stadium. In addition, the first 1,000 fans will receive a Weber State black t-shirt, courtesy of UCCU.
Kyle Thompson adds two field goals to move up top ten list
In Saturday's game, Weber State senior Kyle Thompson made two field goals and moved up in the career record list. He is now tied with Trey Tuttle with 61 career field goals made, the second-most in WSU history. Thompson needs seven more field goals to pass Scott Shields as the all-time leader.
In the game at Sacramento State, Thompson became Weber State's career leader in points scored. He now has 343 career points with 61 field goals and 160 extra point kicks made. He has played in 43 career games at Weber State.
This season, Thompson has made 13 field goals and ranks seventh in the country in field goals per game.
National/Big Sky rankings
As a team, Weber State ranks fourth in the country in net punting and seventh in kickoff returns. WSU is eighth in the country in rushing offense at 212.7 yards per game. The Wildcats are fourth in the conference in passing defense.
Individually, Bird Butler ranks fifth in the nation in combined kick returns, and is ninth in punt returns. Senior Jacob Sharp is eighth in the nation in receiving touchdowns with eight and Richie Muñoz is 15th in passing touchdowns with 17.
On defense, Kemari Munier-Bailey ranks 10th in the country in tackles for loss and is 14th in sacks.
Seven seniors on the Wildcat team
Weber State begins the 2024 season with just seven seniors on the roster. The seven seniors are linebacker Garrett Beck, defensive tackle Zeke Birch, defensive tackle Steven Bryant, defensive end Kemari Munier-Bailey, long snapper Grant Sands, wide receiver Jacob Sharp, and kicker Kyle Thompson. Sharp is the only senior on offense.
Seven seniors is the fewest of any school in the Big Sky Conference.
Head coach Mickey Mental in his second season as head coach
Mickey Mental is in his second season as head coach at Weber State and his third season as the offensive coordinator with the Wildcats. Prior to coming to Weber State in 2022, Mental was the head coach at Notre Dame College in Ohio for two seasons where he posted a 16-2 overall record and a 13-1 record in conference play. In the spring 2021 season, he led the Falcons to a conference championship.
A native of Olmstead Falls, Ohio, Mental came to WSU for the 2022 season as the offensive coordinator under Jay Hill and helped lead the Wildcats to a 10-3 overall record and a trip to the second round of the FCS Playoffs.
Team captains
As selected by their teammates, Weber State has named five captains for the 2024 season. The five captains are junior running back Damon Bankston, senior linebacker Garrett Beck, senior defensive end Steven Bryant, junior wide receiver Jayleen Record, and junior cornerback Jalon Rock.
About Idaho State
Idaho State enters Saturday's game with a 4-5 overall record and a 2-3 mark in Big Sky play. In non-conference play, the Bengals lost to Oregon State and North Dakota and beat Western Oregon and Southern Utah. They started the Big Sky season with a loss at Montana State, then beat Cal Poly, before losses to Portland State and Northern Arizona. They are coming off a 30-27 overtime win over Sacramento State on October 26.
This season Idaho State is second in the Big Sky and seventh in the country in passing offense at 289 yards per game. They are also third in the league in passing defense. ISU leads the conference and is sixth in the nation in sacks allowed with seven this season.
Quarterback Kobe Tracy is second in the league and 20th in the country in passing yards per game. Kicker Gabe Panikowski leads the nation in field goal percentage. He is a perfect 13 of 13 on field goal kicks this season, the most attempts without a miss of any player in the nation.
The Bengals were 3-8 last season and 3-5 in Big Sky play.
Idaho State is coached by Cody Hawkins who is in his second season as head coach of the Bengals. He is the son of longtime college coach Dan Hawkins who is the Director of Player and Staff Development with ISU.
Series history with Idaho State
Saturday's game will be the 65th all-time meeting as Division I opponents between Weber State and Idaho State, two charter members of the Big Sky Conference. Weber State has played Idaho State more than any opponent in its history and has the most wins against any opponent.
The Wildcats hold a 49-15 series lead over Idaho State. Weber State has won the last 10 games, with ISU's last win in Pocatello in 2014. The Wildcats have won 10 straight, 21 of the last 22 games, 27 of the last 29, and 37 of the last 40 meetings with Idaho State.
ISU's last win in Ogden came 40 years ago in 1984. Weber State has won 19 straight games against Idaho State at Stewart Stadium, the longest home winning streak against any opponent in WSU history. WSU is 25-5 all-time against the Bengals at home.
Quick hits
WSU sophomore quarterback Richie Muñoz currently ranks 20th in WSU history in career passing yards with 2,909 yards and 27 touchdowns in 14 career games with the Wildcats...Muñoz needs 91 more passing yards to become the 19th player in WSU history to reach 3,000 career passing yards...Weber State won its final three games of the season last year, beat Idaho State, Idaho, and Cal Poly. Those same opponents are in the same order for the final three this season.
Looking ahead
After Saturday, the 'Cats return to the road for the final time this season when they play at Idaho on November 16 in Moscow. It will be Weber State's first trip to Moscow since 2019. The final home game of the season will be on November 23 against Cal Poly.
