IDAHO STATE'S KEYS TO VICTORY

Get defensive stops

Seems simple enough, but may be easier said than done against a Montana offense that's scored 41 points or more in four of five games this season. The Griz's 63-7 loss to then-No. 7 Washington brings the team's scoring average down to a Big Sky Conference-best 38.8 points per game.

Montana is one of three FCS teams to convert all of its red-zone attempts this season at 22 for 22. Griz opponents have also committed a league-high 45 penalties for 399 yards.

“They go fast, like to throw the ball,” ISU coach Rob Phenicie said. “They've got one of the brightest minds in college football coaching their offense, and it's going to be a challenge for us just to stop them.”

Limit big plays

Long gains have hamstrung ISU's defense the last two games, as Northern Colorado and Cal Poly combined to score six touchdowns of 20 yards or longer. Montana hasn't had the same success, scoring six of its 22 offensive touchdowns from 20 yards or farther and is tied for eighth in the Big Sky at 5.8 yards per play.

However, redshirt freshman quarterback Gresch Jensen has stretched out defenses more than injured former starter Reese Phillips. Jensen averages 13.2 yards per completion (30th in the FCS), while Phillips was at 11.4.

Fire away

Idaho State's offensive roll should continue Saturday against a Montana defense that's yielding 474.2 yards and 34 points per game. The Bengals combined to racked up 1,108 yards and 80 points their last two games and are showcasing their best all-around offense since 2014's high-flying attack that finished second in the FCS.

“We need to take advantage of what the defense gives us,” Phenicie said. “We could very well be a heavy, heavy heavy pass and light run, or vice versa, but it turns out it seems somewhat balanced, which is nice.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

IDAHO STATE

QB Tanner Gueller

Gueller played his best game of the season last week against Cal Poly, passing for 341 yards and three touchdowns with a career-high 60 yards rushing and one rushing touchdown. Gueller's 341 yards passing are his second-highest single-game total.

As of Wednesday, ISU's redshirt junior signal caller ranks eighth in the FCS with 1,345 yards passing for the season, is 20th in pass efficiency, tied for ninth in passing touchdowns and seventh with a career-high 15.8 yards per completion.

RB James Madison

Madison hasn't let the running game miss a beat in Ty Flanagan's absence.

Flanagan, who was among the FCS rushing leaders before suffering an injury against Nevada, has been inactive for ISU's last two games. Enter Madison, who was at the forefront of ISU's historic offensive output at Northern Colorado with 253 yards rushing and is the top rusher in the Big Sky Conference at 105.5 yards per game.

DL JonRyheem Peoples

Peoples made key stops down the stretch in last week's win against Cal Poly, raking up a career-high 14 tackles.

The 6-foot-5, 320-pound redshirt senior has 23 tackles this season, tops among ISU linemen. Peoples played on the interior of ISU's defensive line when it ran a 4-3 base defense, but has since moved outside in the newly adopted 3-4.

Peoples is on the verge of eclipsing his tackle totals from each of the last two seasons (31, 24).

MONTANA

QB Gresch Jensen

Jensen replaced former Grizzlies starter Reese Phillips during their Sept. 16 game against Savannah State, when Phillips suffered a broken fibula and dislocated foot. The injury ended Phillips' season but gave way to the start of Jensen's career.

Since taking over at QB, the redshirt freshman has rifled off 847 yards passing with a completion percentage of 59.3, six touchdowns and four interceptions. He's added 56 yards rushing and two scores for good measure.

“We're really happy with the way he's playing,” Griz coach Bob Stitt said Wednesday during the weekly Big Sky coaches teleconference. “We don't really feel like he's a redshirt freshman. He seems like he's a guy that's been in our system for three or four years.”

LB Josh Buss

Widely considered one of the top defensive players in the Big Sky, Buss is second on UM with 45 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. The redshirt junior Meridian native piled up 17 tackles in the Griz's conference opener against Eastern Washington and is up to 14th in school history with 28 career tackles for loss.

Buss left last week's game against Portland State with a head injury, but Stitt said Wednesday he thinks “Josh is going to be fine” for Saturday's matchup with ISU.

“He is, what we like to say, the straw that stirs the drink for their defense,” Bengals coach Rob Phenicie said Monday. “You've got to account for him every play some way, one way or another.”

DE Tucker Schye

Montana's redshirt senior defensive end leads the conference with 8.5 tackles for loss and has a team-high four sacks this season. The 6-foot-4, 242-pounder also has 25 tackles, two fumbles forced and two fumbles recovered. He wears Montana's famed No. 37 jersey, which is handed down from an outgoing player to another Montana native who represents the 'spirit of Montana' — hard work, dedication to the team, tough play on the gridiron.