Sporting a mustache that would make an old-timey bare-knuckle boxer jealous, offensive lineman Jim Bagley approaches the game of football differently than most.

    A vicious protector of his quarterback, Bagley is as competitive as college athletes come. But instead of showing up his opponent play after play or bragging about his individual successes, he is all about respect.

    “Football is a gentleman’s game,” he said, explaining the purpose of the mustache that he waxes and curls each day. “You see the big, mean guys who just want to go out there and hit somebody. But, the gentleman’s game I think of, you’re helping the other guy up off the ground.

    “You’re going hard on the play, it’s physical contact and people get knocked down. You’re going, going, going, then you take the time, even though it’s the other team, and you help him up.”

    It’s not just a stunt the junior is trying to pull. He is the ambassador for Idaho State football, which makes sense when you find out his degree is in political science.

    “It’s great having (that) degree because I know the interactions between things,” Bagley said. “It also helps you learn how to speak well.”

    When an opposing defensive lineman gets in a three-point stance before each play, he gets an eyeful of the most unique mustache in college football. After Bagley knocks him on his rear end, he is offered a helping hand.

    Bagley is a Bengal diplomat — a gentleman in a sport usually devoid of them.

    “I did my job. I’m going to give you my hand to show you that we both did well,” he said. “I pull you back up and we get ready for the next play.”

    A graduate of Rocky Mountain High School in Meridian, Bagley entered the season as one of two experienced upper-classmen on ISU’s offensive line. When redshirt junior Nick Beckman went down with an ACL tear, he became the elder statesman.

    “It was difficult, seeing a friend go down,” Bagley said. “It was scary to watch him holding his knee. He was one of the returners, one of the experienced guys. Making me the senior guy, that was new. I didn’t expect that to happen yet.”

    Still just a junior, Bagley finds himself coaching and leading the young guys around him. A freshman, one sophomore, two redshirt sophomores and Bagley are on the Bengals’ starting offensive line. Fortunately for Bagley, he received the same help from graduated Bengal Mark Clampitt last season.

    “It’s not like playing next to Mark like last year,” Bagley said. “I have to help the guy next to me. I have to start making the calls faster. I have to start making decisions. Whereas last year when I would make the wrong decision, Mark would call me off of it.

    “I had to start making the correct decision all of the time, not just most of the time.”

    So far, so good.

    “I keep an eagle eye on that offensive front, and the less you say about an offensive lineman the better it is for them down the road,” said Idaho State head coach Mike Kramer. “That’s the case with Jimmy. I don’t worry about how he plays on Saturday because on Sunday, I know I’m going to watch him play well on video.”

    This isn’t a new experience for Bagley, however. As a junior at Rocky Mountain, the Grizzlies’ offensive line had two sophomores in the starting lineup.

    “We had a sophomore center. It was his first time playing football, and he didn’t know what to do,” Bagley said. “We had to help him along. You can make it work, but it’s a responsibility.”

    The Bengals have the added challenge of learning new positions along the offensive front. When Beckman, a left tackle, was lost for the season, Bagley moved from the right side to take over.

    True freshman Skyler Phillips slipped into the right tackle spot. Travis Namohala will come off the bench today against No. 3 Eastern Washington to take over Phillips’ vacated position at left guard.

    The idea of switching positions during the season may not be too comforting for Bagley and Co., but the transition has been seamless.

    “It’s always comforting to have Jim at left tackle,” said quarterback Justin Arias. “I never really have to worry about getting hit from the left side.

    “It definitely helps me be more comfortable in the pocket. I can just stay in there and throw the ball on third and 15 or third and 16 if I have to. I’m pretty confident that I won’t get hit.”

    As impressive as Bagley has played this season, his admittance to the college level was a trial by fire. The Bengals started the 2011 season at Washington State, and starting right tackle Elijah Ruhl was ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct early in the contest.

    Enter the gentleman.

    As a true freshman — who five months earlier was attending his senior prom — Bagley was called upon to fill in.

    “You think your adrenaline gets going for a game that you’ve been playing...” he said. “My first year, I was shaking in my stance real bad.

    “From the Washington State experience, I didn’t learn a lot. After that, I got to play more.”

    The game may have been a blur for Bagley, but he picked up some key wisdom pertaining to his position. It’s still fresh in his mind as Eastern Washington comes into town.

    “You have to prepare yourself, but you can’t, as an offensive player, lose your mind because we have to execute,” Bagley said. “Defense flies to the ball. They make instinct plays. We make decision plays.”

    Idaho State’s reworked — yet still very effective — offensive line will be put to the test today against a very solid Eastern Washington defense. Bagley and the Bengals will need to keep the ball out of the hands of quarterback Vernon Adams by establishing long, purposeful drives.

    “What we want to do, obviously, is make them go long field, and that has a lot to do with our offense and our kicking game,” Kramer said.

    The Bengals know the challenge the Eagles bring and are excited for the opportunity to play.

    With Bagley becoming such a dominant force for ISU, perhaps Kramer and Arias want the rest of the offensive linemen to grow their own mustaches?

    “They are a long ways away from being able to do that,” Kramer said. “They’re not as old as Jim.”

    “Just one is good. I don’t know if I could handle five,” Arias said. “I think that’s a unique thing.”

    Eastern Washington and Idaho State kick off from Holt Arena at 3:05 p.m.