I totally agree with you OB, its obvious that football guy is looking at one game and if I'm correct all the guys in the MSU game was not backups in the 4th. But let's look pass the MSU game, #13 has put good numbers against WSU, BYU, heck all season and occuring to my records against some of the best in the FCS, if so I think #13 in 9 games is already first team and more and inspite of the season continues to work hard each game. Go Bengals

You must lead a lonely, bitter existence, footballguy. I bet you could find something negative about a winning lottery ticket.

So I checked the play by play from the MSU game, the great #13 caught 4 passes in the first half, when the game was some what close. Caught 7 passes int he 4th quarter against back ups! What a great player, keep pumping him up and padding his stats kramer and bailey by keeping him in the entire game. I just hope the other coaches in the Big Sky realize the majority of his receptions were against back ups and don't reward him with first team honors. Recognize receivers that made plays when it counted!

OB

Yes since that time the NCAA FCS has added an extra week at the beginning of the pay-offs for just such a situation as Idaho State found itself in in 2002. Too little too
late for 2002 however.

Now if prtland wins the next three games and secures second place (with or
without Montana) the Portland team will play the first Saturdau of the play-offs as did Coastal Carolina and Western Illinois last year. In all liklihood they will play a second place team from a close conference like Missouri Valley. It is possible they would play a team like Indiana State that has had some losses(in Portland's case it would be two boyh to Montana and Montana State) And idaiana has had a loss I would have to check again but has won a sufficient number like Portland to finish in second place. Then in the second round Portland would possibly get a rematch from Montana if they tied them for second, provided of course they won that first round. And the victor for that week would move to the Quarterfinals.

So be adding that extra week deserving teams are not eliminated like they were in 2002 and Idaho State came up on the short end of the stick because they were beaten by both Montana and Montana State but both these had fallen to other teams that were beaten by ISU which is really unfair and the NCAA realized it.

As a result of adding the extra week the FCS Championship in the Dallas suburb
will not be untill after New Year's instead of before Christmas as it was in the past.
Which to us FCS fanatics is the FCS Rosebowl.

I stand corrected Maggie, ISU did tie Montana and MSU (then coached by Mike Kramer) for the title in 2002, but were passed over for the playoffs.

OB

Just a slight correction. I believe ISU tied for the Conference Championship in either
2002 or 2003. There is a trophy and plague in Holt arena that tells the story.
For some reason they weren't allowed into the play-offs because they were a third team(the tie was three way with Montana and Montana State. At that time they only allowed two teams per Conference because of the play-off schedule. Now the rules have changed which will alow Portland even though a possible third place team provided they win the next three games and Montana and Montana State does the same---but of course either Montana is going to win or montana State when they play each other the last game of the regular season for them in the traditional, "Brawl of the Wild. If Montana wins they will share the Conference title with MS. If MS wins they will be the lone Big Sky Champions with Poetland and Montana tied for second. Either way if Portland wins its next three games they will be either in second place or alone or tied with Montana and will get an at large play-off berth.

Football guy, we get it, you don't like Kramer and are enjoying his struggles here. For us Bengal fans, well like him or not, he's what we have for the next four years. And given that he's won four conference championships in the last 15 years and we've won .... well, none in the last 29, I guess we'll have to trust him. He's got a lot of obstacles to overcome -- facilities that were neglected for 25 years, APR restrictions on scholarships, practice time and post-season play, and higher academic standards for recruits. Not to mention decades of bad football. But I've said it before and I'll say it again -- the only hope for Idaho State football is patience and determination. There are going to be a lot of tough times in the next few years, but nothing the Bengal faithful haven't experienced over the last 30 years.

I think a lot of it is just hype. Football players who can't make their grades and somehow it is the coaches fault. How ridiculous.

If it isn't one thing it is something else. How many players have been arrested this week. Trumane Johnson from Montana spent a night in for a wild party. if that happened in Pocatello the gossips would be having a heyday even if the team was 7-0.

Pocatello is a gossipy little town. The Karma coming back is what keeps it all wrapped up. What is really sad is when talking to the players they say they wished they had never come to Pocatello because of the gossip.

Aside from all that where is the initiative? So players need NCAA permission to lift weights. C'mon that is the worst excuse I have yet to hear. And they sure don't need NCAA permission to run either. Where is the athleticism??? Why aren't these guys running to maintain maximum fitness??

And there are free tutors for every student on campus, so why are these football players not getting them. To lazy or to proud to sign up?

And you mean to tell me these receivers and quarterbacks can't get together on their own time and run plays. They need a babysitter to practise working together in rhythme. Well they have lost their rythme because they are out of sinc.
If I were Yost or Arias I would have these receivers out every Sunday afternoon
running routes till they could do them in their sleep. These guys need to do this on their own. The NCAA cannot stop these guys from practising on their own.
The coaches give them the homework and they do it and come back to practise and see if it is right. Just a couple of runs in practise is not going to get it.

And all this baloney about scholarships. What about the walk ons. Ponciono was a walk-on. There is just something missing about the love of football the thrill of drawing the crowds and the drive for pure athleticism.

This is what is needed at Idaho State. To be great you have to want to be great and that means team effort where these guys practise on their own with or without a coach, set up a regimen of weightlifting schedule where they don't need baby sitters to see it gets done. C'mon guys this is D1 Ball. Get with it and away from this middle school I need a babysitter syndrome.

You are correct Idaho needed some stability, that is why Kramer wasn't offered the job! You or your sources are kidding yourself if think he was offered the position. Kramer with APR issues, off the field problems with both coaches and players, he knew it was time to bail as MSU, he didn't plan on being fired first.
I chuckle at the comments regarding your APR issuses at ISU and how difficult it is going to be to turn the program around and the disgust with Zamberlin leaving the program is such condition. Well guess what! You now have the same APR problems MSU had after Kramer was gone, what goes around comes around for him.

Kramer was not offered the Idaho job, if this is coming from Kramer then consider the source.

On another note, I get a kick out of reading about the APR situaiton you have to deal now at ISU and how difficult it will be for Kramer to get things turned around. Well guess what, that is exactly how he left MSU!! Big time APR issues when he was dismissed, what goes around comes around.

All I can say is this. I said last year that Portland was going to be a contender
and everyone laughed at me. Who is laughing now. Not me.

And agin O.K. on this years season. Water under the bridge. It all boils down
to Kramer and his staffs recruiting ability to see what happens in the up coming season.

And then that falls again ISU doesn't get wiped out with injuries at Air Force.

Kramer's idea of recruiting Freshamn of promise is a solid plan that will build over the next few seasons. It is about his idea of a foundation. Offensive line---running backs--
Defensive line all need a shot in the arm. Sept 1 2012 is a ways to wait, but we got nothing but time.

For myself I am hoping Portland can hold its own to the end and make a playoff berth.

Kramer had the Idaho job. Besides the mess at MSU, Idaho was also going through its own football PR mess (Cable, Holt, the Dennis Erickson one night/season stand). Idaho was worried about more PR problems and decided to go another direction at the last moment, and, as most coaches do, he pulled his name out. Argue all you want, but most who know anything about the situation realized that the official announcement naming him head coach there was in the planning stages.

The program will get better. It's refreshing to see a recruiting class which doesn't include names from 1A-Division 2 (lol) 8 man squads where the player's position is listed as "athlete."

The dark horse that won one game last year against yours truly, ISU, is still in the running for a playoff berth. They play Sac State on their home field, NC at Nottingham, and Weber on their home field. Which team is going to be their biggest challenge??
Everyone of these teams beat them last year. We shall see.

Neither Montana or Montana State did a walk away. Portland is still showing up.
I would like to see this Dark Horse that for years has been rolling around at the bottom of the Conference make a go for the bright lights. Go Vikings

Okay where do I start?
-Regarding the Idaho job, Kramer pulled his name out after he realized he wasn't going to get the job, this was in January, long before his dismissal in May. Idaho looked at his program at MSU and wanted no part of him. This was his alma mater!
-He is one of the winniest coaches in the Big Sky, no one mentions that he is already the coach with the most loses in Big Sky history.
-Rumble playing hard? Most of his receptions against MSU were in the second half against backups, I would be willing to bet more than half of his receptions this season are versus teams No. 2's and 3's. He was a none factor the first half when it mattered. Why was he in the entire game anyway? Bailey just trying to pad his stats.
-I still remember Kramers comments back last spring when he joked about the NFL scouts laughing at him their first NFL day at MSU, and how there not laughing at Idaho State, what happend did all these NFL talent players transfer? Now there all DII talent?
-Finally 3 time outs with 3 minutes in the game, that is just being a jackass!

The season is grinding on Kramer because he knows the truth.
The season was over at Northern Arizona when it was Second and goal
and ISU gets called for a fumble instead of a touchdown. Yesterday SD and KC
the same play was a touchdown.

The refs make the season. Twice Rumble has been robbed of touchdowns by blind refs. We saw the TD on film. But the Big Sky is caveman football. And ISU just does not get the calls.

The season is over for ISU. The only man still playing Ball is Rodrick Rumble.
The rest of the team is just going through the motions.
The recivers looked like HS sophmores gone to the big city. They looked scared and played scared.
Yost had no time to throw the ball. It is a wonder he is still walking.
It wouldn't surprise me if he goes back to Arizona and doesn't show up for Spring ball. Who would want another season with ISU lazy lineman who can't even get a C in class or are too lazy to even go.

The situation is more than pitiful. Like these guys say what ISU needs is a big infusion of bucks for facilities. Without that they are just small time looking for some sucker to take the punches for their own ineptitude.

Start with a decent practise field for crying out loud!!!!!!

You are right about the press. If the ISJ doen't like your comment that just call it SPAM
and refuse to print it.

Idaho State is not alone. Weber took a beating from Montana 45-10 and I don't hear anyone smacking the Old Man at Weber that he isn't the man for the job.

Face the facts. Montana's only loss was against the Utes of Utah. I mean these guys (the Utes ) beat Iowa for crying out lound and the Utes did not beat Montana State by much. Hey Eastern last year was the only Conference team to score 50 against ISU and they won the Nationals. So if this is any indication Montana State is THE FCS
CONTENDER so get over it.

And it is right on. Kramer is looking right now by his words of trying to give ISU a winning season. But I will say this. Portland renovated and enlarges their stadium and in two years in gone from the bottom ro running the middle of the pack. It is like buying a new set of track shoes.

I agree with lagneb. ISU's athletic leadership was a joke. Throw in a former university president who "reigned" for 20-25 years AND was openly anti-athletics, then it's easy to see that it's not an easy mess to dig out of it. Doable, but it's not a quick fix.

Kramer is a good coach. His players love him. Many sources came out and reported that Kramer was "the" guy to take over the Idaho program in Moscow a few years ago. I remember some media sources were reporting the actual day it was to be announced. This was around the time the mess started to happen in Bozeman with former athletes (not just football, mind you), and Idaho backed out. You could argue Idaho wasn't a step up, but it was an FBS program and Kramer's alma mater. He's from the Palouse, so it was probably a sort of dream job for him. Point is, he has the ability to get out of the Big Sky, but the Bozeman mess slowed it down. While his lawsuit was ongoing (which he did win), other programs said they wouldn't consider hiring him until it was settled.

Regarding some of the other thoughts - I don't blame ANYBODY for being weary of the media. I've come to realize that there are a lot of individuals out there with vendettas who use their media outlets for the absolute wrong reason. The offense is what it is because of the offensive line. Look how bad ISU's offense was with Zamberlin and crew. The rushing was a joke. Kramer knows the OL needs TONS of work. At least with the passing game, you can achieve some success in gaining yards. It's not great, don't get me wrong, but I'm already seeing improvements from the previous staff. And I do believe Kramer knew exactly how hard this job would be. Didn't he meet with the NCAA in person to get some of the lost scholarships back, which was granted. He knows the depth and talent issues won't be fixed overnight. You can be the absolute best horse trainer in the world, but if you bring a donkey to a horse race, you can't expect a miracle.

You make some fair criticisms Chase. Kramer was handed a weak and thin talent base to build on, however, he probably would have taken the ISU job regardless. I don't expect much from him this first year and not alot of improvement next. It will probably take far more time then we have patience. He has far more problems to deal with then when Z started. APR issues, fewer players, less practice time, new assistants and staff, and less talent then Z started with. Kramer not only has OL problems, he has issues practically at every position except LB.

ISU has had decades of poor athletic leadership. Many, many incompetent ADs and extremely poor support from ISU's presidents. I like our current AD; Jeff and his staff are working hard and getting something done, but without presidential leadership you are not going to change the environment and encourage donarship..

Kramer has a tough job ahead to change this program around but I like his toughness, leadership, and management skills seen so far. Good luck Kramer; don't let the bastards drag you down.