POCATELLO — Idaho State wore shoulder pads for the first time Friday in fall camp. As the pads slipped on, the intensity ratcheted up.

Especially from Mike Kramer. Nobody had more energy than ISU’s fifth-year head coach. He demanded his team rise to his level.

“I think every head coach that’s successful has a great sense of practice and what he wants to accomplish,” Kramer said. “And they mirror it and image it, and they carry themselves in a way that demonstrates what they want from their coaches and their players.”

And what Kramer wanted was extreme effort — and speed. Not necessarily just in terms of how fast a guy runs during a play. Kramer was watching how quickly the Bengals moved between plays during drills.

Idaho State played at a lightning-quick offensive pace in 2014, running as many as 97 plays in a game. The Bengals rattled off at least 81 plays six times.

Kramer was all about making sure his team knew how fast he wants to go.

Just as big of a factor, players have started to show signs of wearing down. They’ve practiced hard for three straight days. The grind is starting to set in.

“It’s like riding a bike,” Kramer said. “Some days there’s no wind and you can handle it. Some days there’s wind and you’ve got to put your head down and stay on it. Otherwise, you’re not getting anything done.”

UPDATE ON THE QUARTERBACKS

How are the quarterbacks playing so far? Kramer hemmed and hawed Friday when trying to answer.

On one hand, he said, they’re better than he thought they would be. But they’ve still got a long way to go. Not just in one specific area, either. Kramer sees room for improvement everywhere. The mental side of the game is where they have to make the biggest strides.

“The entire corps of quarterbacks is waiting for guys to get open and throwing them the ball,” Kramer said. “We’re not playing quarterback yet.”

On the positive side, Kramer said he’s been pleasantly surprised by quarterback Robert Kvinsland, the freshman from Gig Harbor, Washington. Kvinsland’s arm strength is one aspect where he’s impressed.

INJURIES TO MANU, MANGUM, PILSTER

Senior safety Taison Manu, senior receiver Madison Mangum and sophomore receiver Trae Pilster missed practice Friday.

Mangum and Pilster haven’t practiced this fall for undisclosed injuries. Manu went down with a leg injury Thursday.

Manu had 110 tackles and eight tackles for loss as a junior. Kramer said Manu tweaked the same injury Thursday that kept him out of a chunk of the spring and estimated Manu, who was in a boot at practice, will be out a week.

“He didn’t hurt the bone. But it was sore,” Kramer said.

Pilster wore shoulder pads and a helmet at practice but was limited in drills. Kramer said the Blackfoot native is battling a leg injury.

Mangum, Idaho State’s top returning receiver and a preseason All-American, “ran into a sled during July,” Kramer said. It’s unclear what his timetable to start practicing looks like.

JONRYHEEM PEOPLES’ STATUS

BYU transfer JonRyheem Peoples is in camp with the Bengals, but the 6-foot-4, 330-pound defensive tackle isn’t eligible yet.

According to Kramer, Peoples hasn’t been “cleared totally” and didn’t elaborate further. Obviously, the goal is to have the former three-star recruit out of Rigby High School on the field for their first game against Black Hills State on Sept. 5.

But Peoples has struggled with academic eligibility after leaving BYU in the summer of 2014. If he does clear his academic hurdles, he’ll be a factor in a rebuilt defensive line working in several newcomers.

“He’s not green lighted yet, and that’s all I can say,” Kramer said. “... If he can join us, that’s great. If he can’t join us, we’ll wait until he can.”

TOM JEWELL TEMPORARILY SWITCHING SPOTS

Former Highland quarterback Tom Jewell has played wide receiver the first three days of camp. A starting varsity receiver for the Rams as a junior, Jewell is helping fill in while Mangum and Pilster are nursed back to health.

Kramer doesn’t expect Jewell, who will redshirt the 2015 season, to stay at receiver as his career progresses. But he wants to take advantage of Jewell’s versatility.

“He’s got a good body,” Kramer said of Jewell. “He can play in a lot of spots and do a lot of things.”

UPDATE ON SUNDAY’S PRACTICE

Idaho State is scheduled to practice at 3 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. The Bengals will don full pads for the first time Sunday, and Kramer said they’ll go live (i.e. tackle football) for the final 20 minutes of practice.