TEMPE, Ariz. - It seemed like everyone at Sun Devil Stadium saw the hit coming but Clint Knickrehm.

Idaho State's senior running back tried cutting back upfield on a second-quarter run near the right sideline when Arizona State linebacker Mike Nixon arrived.

Nixon then delivered a vicious tackle that snapped Knickrehm's helmet back and caused him to fumble, a hit so stunning it drew a collective "oooh" from the 42,588 fans on hand.

The Bengals suffered punishing hits like that all night in their 50-3 loss to the Sun Devils in their first-ever meeting Saturday night. Facing an Arizona State defense pundits say is the program's best since the mid-'90s unit led by eventual NFL star Pat Tillman, Idaho State gained a grand total of zero yards on offense in the first half.

During that time, Idaho State quarterback Kyle Blum matched his career total with three interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. His final line: three completions in 10 attempts for 10 yards. Time and again, Knickrehm took a handoff, ran into the wall that was Arizona State's defensive line and crumbled to the turf.

Nixon tortured the Bengals all night, picking off three passes and blocking a punt. Arizona State ended up out-gaining Idaho State 407 yards to 37.

The Sun Devils hardly sparkled on offense themselves, but they didn't need to. With the way their defense was playing, the game was over by halftime.

Idaho State's greatest consolation from the game may have been the $400,000 payout it cashed in from Arizona State.

"You've got to realize that we're playing a Pac-10 team," a subdued Idaho State coach John Zamberlin said. "They've got quite a few more scholarships than we do, so you've got to take all those things into account. I thought we competed hard."

The game began encouragingly for the Bengals (0-1). After holding the Sun Devils (0-1) to a field goal on the opening drive, the Bengals quickly got a first down on their own initial drive, with Blum tossing a pitch to Knickrehm for 8 yards.

But that gain turned out to be more of a fluke than anything. Idaho State punted four plays after that, and then the real trouble began. On its next drive, Blum threw a pass into traffic that Arizona State linebacker Brandon Magee picked off. The Sun Devils capitalized on the short field for a Dimitri Nance rushing touchdown and a 10-0 lead.

Idaho State's next possession ended with Nixon picking off Blum's desperate third-down heave from his own end zone. Two drives later, Blum threw a pass right at Nixon, who returned it 34 yards for a 20-0 Sun Devils lead. In Blum's defense, the Sun Devils sent blitzers at him all night and gave him hardly any time to throw on his dropbacks.

Perhaps the most fitting symbol for how Arizona State's first-string defense manhandled Idaho State's starting offense was the Bengals' final drive of the half. On a third-and-13 with 31 seconds left before halftime, Idaho State called a straight handoff to Knickrehm. That carry went nowhere, and on the ensuing play, Nixon blocked Jon Vanderwielen's punt. That led to another field goal and a 23-0 Arizona State halftime lead.

Although Idaho State's offense accomplished little, Zamberlin said he was happy with the way his defense played. The Bengals, who allowed 2,784 rushing yards last season, held the Sun Devils to just 58 in the first half. Zamberlin was particularly encouraged with the fact that the defense allowed just one touchdown during that span.

"I thought the first half, defensively, we played pretty darned good," Zamberlin said. "Time and time again, they were put in bad situations, and they kept them off the board."

The second half did provide some relief. Against second-string defenders, Idaho State's backup quarterback, Russel Hill, directed a five-play drive in the third quarter that ended in a 55-yard field goal by Jarrett Huk. That tied for the fourth-longest kick in Bengals history. The drive included a 22-yard catch by receiver Jaron Taylor.

But the Sun Devils rebounded shortly after that with Nixon snagging his third interception of the game off a Hill pass. That marked the first time in 20 years a Sun Devil had three picks in a game.

Idaho State's final two plays of the game, fittingly, were a 1-yard carry by backup tailback Ben Laporta on third-and-long, followed by an errant snap on the ensuing punt. It certainly wasn't any prettier than that for the first 58 minutes of the game.