Idaho State didn't get the memo. The Bengals came in off a 6-6 season, picked outside the Big Sky's top tier in the preseason polls, but they brought a preseason All-American front in running back Dason Brooks and receiver Chedon James, and a defense that had no interest in playing along with the script. Utah State had won 6 straight in this series and hadn't lost to an FCS team since Weber State beat them in 2022 — the number crunchers had the Aggies as sizable home favorites and the total near 60 points, betting on Utah State's offense to simply overwhelm a lower-division opponent.
It never did. Idaho State's Jordan Cooke opened the scoring on the ground, punching in a 1-yard touchdown run, and the Bengals' defense spent the rest of the afternoon making Hillstead's Pac-12 debut miserable. What was drawn up as a laugher for the home crowd turned into a track meet that Idaho State controlled from snap to snap.
Cooke finished 18-of-29 for 325 yards and 4 touchdowns, adding the rushing score for good measure, and connected with Chedon James on an 8-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter to put the game away. Kicker Mason Lindberg was just as big a story, hitting 5 field goals including a 43-yarder late in the third that put Idaho State back in front for good. On the other side, TreShawn Shorty had 2 of Idaho State's 4 interceptions and linebacker Nathan Reynolds racked up 15 tackles, smothering an Aggie offense that had promised to be more explosive than a year ago.
Hillstead threw for 178 yards and 2 touchdowns but was picked off 3 times, and backup Grady Brosterhous added another interception when he came in. It's a rough first data point for a quarterback brought in to be the centerpiece of Mendenhall's retooled offense, and it undercuts the coach's preseason talk about a team built to take over games rather than just score in bunches. Idaho State's win snapped Utah State's 6-game streak in the series, was the Bengals' first in Logan since 2000, and marked the Aggies' first loss to an FCS opponent since that 2022 Weber State game — an ugly footnote to open a season with much bigger ambitions.