POCATELLO — Safeties Taison Manu and Cody Sorensen were challenged, questioned and tested as juniors by Idaho State coach Mike Kramer.

Could they become the leaders of a maligned defense and help the Bengals reach a standard of play good enough to win football games?

A year later and Manu and Sorensen, the undisputed leaders of ISU’s 3-4 defensive scheme, have earned Kramer’s trust and are in complete control of what Idaho State is attempting to accomplish defensively.

“Taison and I are at the point where (defensive) coach (Spencer) Toone has coached us up enough to where we start to line other guys up and understand the entire defense and not just our position,” Sorensen said after ISU’s third practice of the spring Saturday. “We can go out there and be ... leaders.”

The duo combined for 205 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, three sacks and three interceptions in 2014. In eight Big Sky games, Manu finished sixth in the conference with 42 tackles and Sorensen was eighth with 40 takedowns.

“They showed that not only can they get aligned, but they can make plays,” Kramer said. “Cody Sorensen and Taison Manu just had outstanding seasons in 2014. They’ve just come right back on the field and picked up where they dropped off.”

Words of praise from Kramer haven't always been easy for Manu or Sorensen to earn. Before last season, Kramer lamented how Idaho State’s safeties hadn’t played to his level of expectations since he took over at ISU back in November of 2010.

The only way ISU’s defense would rise and become a unit capable of stopping Big Sky offenses would be if Manu and Sorensen boosted their production.

And now that they’ve proven themselves, ISU knows it can rely on the back end of its defense to make the right calls and ensure they’re prepared to counterattack whatever an opposing offense tries to pull off.

Kramer believes in Manu and Sorensen, and that helps both feel at ease on the field. They’re not worried whether their starting jobs are secure or if the coaching staff has any lingering doubts about their abilities.

“I know me and Cody are the leaders,” Manu said. “Last year, Kramer was always getting on us. We needed to play better because we were struggling a bit. But now I feel comfortable out there.”

Manu says he started to gain confidence after Idaho State’s opening game of the 2014 season at Utah. The former Highland Ram had seven tackles and forced a fumble.

“That’s when I felt like I can just compete, compared to my sophomore year when I felt like I was a little bit slower than the other guys,” Manu said.

Sorensen’s improvement has been more steady. The Spokane, Washington, native played as a true freshman in 2011 but blew out his knee against Montana State in late October.

After redshirting in 2012, the 5-foot-11, 200-pound free safety has returned to start the past two seasons.

In 2015, their roles and responsibilities will only continue to grow, especially with ISU’s largely unproven units at defensive line and linebacker. Manu and Sorensen are roaming in the back, ready to clean up any of the garbage.

“It reminds me of my senior year of high school,” Manu said. “I knew that the defense revolved around me and my other safety. And now that I’m in that same position, it feels like I can do anything.”

ISU FOOTBALL NOTES

— Live scrimmage

Wearing full pads for the first time this spring, ISU ran 30 full-contact plays at the end of Saturday’s practice.

Kramer approved of what he saw from his offensive line that has four returning starters and junior linebacker Hayden Stout, who is switching positions from outside to inside linebacker this spring.

“Hayden Stout has really made a great transition from a part-time player to being a full-time, all-the-time MIKE linebacker,” Kramer said. “I think he’s going to be just fine.”

Kramer added: “I love our offensive front. I love our veracity. I love the way they play in terms of communication, pad level. They really know what they’re doing.”

What Kramer didn’t like was the quarterback play. Sophomores Trae Pilster and James Delacenserie and freshman Tanner Gueller all split reps with the first and second teams.

“We’re a long ways away at quarterback,” Kramer said. “Our offense will feel totally different until we get up to speed at quarterback. And by up to speed, I mean not throws or catches but how fast they’re thinking. They’re not thinking. They’re not even close to being able to drive the ship.”

— No contact for Finney

A season after rushing the ball 259 times for an ISU single-season record 1,495 yards, senior Xavier Finney is sitting out of nearly all contact drills.

“He’s been tackled enough,” Kramer said. “There’s no reason to hit that kid. He’s already got enough carries and wear and tear on his body for two careers.”

Kramer doesn’t want to see his star running back taking a hit until the Bengals open the upcoming season at home against Black Hill State on Sept. 5. Until then, Finney is expected to be on the field for about four plays in each of ISU’s three scrimmages this spring.

And the Bengals might chuck a pass in every one of those plays, Kramer joked.

“He ran for 1,495 and he’d have run for 1,700 had he stayed healthy,” Kramer said. “I already know he’s as good a running back as there is in the United States.”

— Next week

Idaho State is off until picking up practice again on Tuesday at 3 p.m. The Bengals will hold the first of three spring scrimmages next Saturday.