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Weber State football: Wildcats no match for Idaho State; Bengals keep Train Bell

Big Sky final: Idaho State 31, Weber State 3

By BRETT HEIN - Standard-Examiner | Nov 15, 2025
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Weber State running back Colter May, center, rushes against Idaho State on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, in Pocatello, Idaho.
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Weber State linebacker Sione Hala (13) tackles Idaho State running back Dason Brooks on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, in Pocatello, Idaho.
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Weber State quarterback Dijon Jennings runs near Idaho State's sideline on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, in Pocatello, Idaho.
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Weber State receiver Jayleen Record, center, runs with the football against Idaho State on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, in Pocatello, Idaho.

Idaho State football moved the ball at will to open the contest and Weber State never put up a fight in what became a 31-3 decision Saturday evening in Pocatello, Idaho, allowing the Bengals to retain the Train Bell Trophy.

It’s the first time since 1984 that Idaho State (5-6, 4-3 Big Sky) has won consecutive games in the rivalry series with Weber State, which dates back to the creation of the Big Sky in 1962. The Train Bell Trophy was used in the 1970s but was dormant until reintroduced in 2024.

Weber State (3-8, 1-6) took a loss in the first game with Brent Myers as interim head coach after the firing of third-year head coach Mickey Mental to start a tumultuous week for the program.

“The look in the kids’ eyes was like, ‘hey, we’re still with you.’ I tried to approach it in the locker room that it wasn’t good enough — by any of us, we’re all in it together — and I told them I still believe in them, and they’ve got to keep working,” Myers said in a postgame radio interview.

Idaho State scored in five plays to open the game and never looked back. Quarterback Jordan Cooke connected with receiver Damian Morgan three times for 62 yards, leading Cooke to punch in a 2-yard touchdown run for a 7-0 lead at the 12:51 mark of the first quarter.

The Bengals’ passing offense didn’t completely run WSU over immediately, but got enough shots in to build a lead and eventually wear down the Wildcats — especially because Weber State’s offense struggled to pick up first downs, let alone threaten to score.

Junior Dijon Jennings got the start at quarterback when freshman Kingston Tisdell was held out. Myers said that WSU planned for Tisdell to start but he hurt his shoulder during warmups, while Jennings missed two practices this week due to illness. That left Weber with one active quarterback for the game.

“We were not able to get a rhythm going enough to keep up with a very explosive offense,” Myers said. “Considering that we’re down two other quarterbacks, that makes three. When it’s bad, it’s bad. It poured, there’s no question.”

Through three quarters, Weber State ran just four non-punt plays on Idaho State’s side of the 50 and had just eight first downs. Those four plays came late in the second quarter, a drive the Wildcats left at the ISU 43 when Bird Butler was dropped for a loss of 3 yards on a fourth-and-1 inside rush.

It wasn’t until the first play of the fourth quarter that Weber State threatened a scoring drive. Jennings eyed a deep ball that an ISU rusher got a finger on, causing it to float downfield.

But Roy High alum Robert Young, possibly the shortest player on either team, won the jump-ball battle for a 27-yard gain to the ISU 31-yard line. That drive continued when Jennings hit Davis High alum Spencer Ferguson for an underneath route on fourth-and-3, a 15-yarder to the ISU 9.

But on third-and-goal from the 3, Weber State again went to Butler — this time on an outside run — and again, he was dropped for a loss. Sloan Calder put through a 25-yard field goal to break the blanking and keep former 11-year Weber State assistant coach Grant Duff, now the Bengals’ defensive coordinator, from handing WSU only its second shutout loss against an FCS opponent in the last 10 seasons.

That made it 31-3 with 10:19 left in the ballgame.

ISU left a drive at Weber’s 2-yard line in a turnover on downs late in the first quarter, but it barely mattered. Cooke connected with Michael Shulikov on a 52-yard throw to open the second quarter that keyed a scoring drive capped with a Dason Brooks 3-yard touchdown, putting the home team ahead 14-0.

The Bengals erased an offensive pass interference deep in WSU’s territory with a 29-yard touchdown pass from Cooke to Morgan to make it 21-0. ISU kicker Trajan Sinatra missed a 49-yard attempt as time expired on the half, so 21-0 was the halftime score.

Sinatra made a 48-yard attempt midway through the third and Ian Duarte punched in an 11-yard touchdown with 2:44 left in the third to account for Idaho State’s 31 points.

In the end, Idaho State outgained Weber State 531-227 and totaled 27 first downs to WSU’s 11.

For Weber State, Jennings finished 24 of 33 for 192 passing yards. Young was his top receiver, catching four passes for 39 yards. Marvin Session caught four passes for 32 yards. Jennings led the rushing effort with 22 yards on 10 carries. Mayson Hitchens led WSU with 11 tackles. Sione Hala had eight, with two for loss.

For Idaho State, Cooke passed 24 of 39 for 363 yards, and rushed for a game-high 65 yards. Morgan caught eight passes for 122 yards. Former WSU defensive lineman Bronson Childs had five tackles for Idaho State. Former Ben Lomond High lineman Jake East tallied two tackles for the Bengals.

Weber State concludes the 2025 season on Nov. 22, hosting Northern Arizona.

“No matter what happens after Saturday, let’s put some great game tape up for them and see where it takes us,” Myers said. “It’s tough for me. I don’t want to go out this way, because I’ve had such a wonderful career here. So I’m ready to work as hard as we can to get them prepared the best we can for next Saturday.”

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