Idaho State (4-6, 2-5 Big Sky Conference) suffered its worst home loss since 2012 with an ugly 56-17 defeat Saturday against UC Davis on senior day. The loss guarantees a losing season for ISU, which has had one winning campaign this decade and four since the turn of the century.

“We’re a better team than that,” Bengals coach Rob Phenicie said Monday during his weekly press conference. “That’s not who we are.”

ISU has a bye this week before finishing its season Nov. 18 at 14th-ranked Weber State. Here are the takeaways from Saturday’s loss.

MINUS: Defense

Defense has been a weakness all season for the Bengals.

After giving up 488 yards Saturday, ISU ranks 117th in the 121-team Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) in total defense, averaging 486.8 yards allowed per game.

And though the Bengals’ defense is only charged with allowing 49 of the Aggies’ 56 points – seven came off a pick-six – the unit is 108th in the FCS with 35.6 points allowed per game.

UC Davis quarterback Jake Maier pinpointed holes in ISU’s secondary, racking up 358 yards passing and three first-half touchdowns while completing 29 of 40 pass attempts to earn Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week honors. The Bengals managed two sacks and three quarterback hurries and allowed one of the Big Sky’s worst rushing attacks to gain 126 yards on 3.6 yards per pop – both over the Aggies’ season averages.

UC Davis’ 56 points are the most scored against the Bengals at Holt Arena since Weber State scored 59 during ISU’s one-win 2008 season.

MINUS: Special teams

For the fifth game in a row, Idaho State was forced to start multiple possessions inside its own 10-yard line.

The Bengals began four drives Saturday from deep in their own territory , starting possessions on their own 4-, 7-, 2- and 8-yard lines following three punts and an Aggies fumble.

UC Davis punter Matt Blair was named the Big Sky Special Teams Player of the Week after averaging 50.5 yards per punt and pinning the Bengals inside the 20-yard line three times. ISU punt returner Kieran Yancy made a fair catch at the 3-yard line and let another kick bounce several yards toward his own end zone before UC Davis downed it.

“Kieran just lost where he was on the field for whatever the reason,” Phenicie said. “You can’t do that.”

ISU has started 11 possessions inside its own 10-yard line in the last three games, and has at least two such drives in four of six conference games this season.

MINUS: Penalties

The Bengals committed eight penalties totaling 108 yards Saturday, helping extend UC Davis drives and knocking off big chunks of yards with 15-yard infractions.

ISU is one of the least-penalized teams in the Big Sky. Its 54.7 penalty yards per game are the fourth-fewest in the conference. But against UC Davis, the Bengals were hit with four personal foul/unsportsmanlike conduct calls and three pass interference penalties. Two of the P.I. calls happened on one of the Aggies’ first-quarter touchdown drives, and two of ISU’s personal fouls led to UC Davis touchdowns.

ISU defensive lineman JonRyheem Peoples was ejected for a targeting penalty in the first quarter, marking the third such call against the Bengals this season (Chance Salutregui, Jrue Perkins). Peoples is eligible to play all of ISU’s game against Weber State.

PLUS: James Madison/Ty Flanagan

Phenicie highlighted his running back tandem as one of the most consistent features of the team.

Madison and Flanagan both averaged 4.8 yards per carry Saturday, combining to rush for 167 yards with two touchdowns by Flanagan.

Madison is third in the Big Sky with 101.3 yards rushing per game, while Flanagan is fifth (71.8). Madison needs 88 yards to reach 1,000 for the season, and Flanagan’s 11 rushing TDs lead the Big Sky and tie for fourth in the FCS.

Phenicie emphasized Madison and Flanagan as two players who never let up during Saturday’s blowout loss.

“Those two, from play one to play 85, spilled their guts out on the field,” Phenicie said. “It was so fun watching those two play, because they just hammer away. They don’t stop. They just go and go and go. I’ll just point to those two as an example of who we are.”