Paw: Bengals on the Horizon: A look into football rivalry
Inside: An in-depth look against Idaho State

Angelina Fontenot

Coming off a loss against Sacramento State University, Weber State University will face their long time rivals: Idaho State University.

The Wildcats have walked away with a win against the Bengals for the past seven seasons and since 1962, have an overall record of 47–15 against Idaho State.

Weber State won the last matchup 40–17, a game remembered as a record breaking night when returner Rashid Shaheed ran back his seventh touchdown of the season, a Football Championship Subdivision record.

Taking a look at Weber State, the Wildcats dominated every team they played at the beginning of the season, going undefeated for six games until their loss to Montana State University on Oct. 22.

There are a few key players to their success on offense and defense.

Running back Dontae McMillan has four touchdowns and 512 rushing yards this season. Against the University of Montana, McMillan put up 100 rushing yards. He is currently ranked No. 10 in rushing yards across the Big Sky Conference and already has more yards this season than he did overall in 2021.

Another running back to look out for is Josh Davis. Despite missing a few games due to injury, Davis has 398 rushing yards this season. Davis recorded 100 rushing yards and one receiving touchdown for a season high against UC Davis on Sept. 24.

Wide receiver Jacob Sharp returned to play against the Hornets on Nov. 5 after missing the Wildcats’ game against the Montana Grizzlies on Oct. 29. So far this season, Sharp has 445 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Sharp had his best game against Portland State University, with 81 receiving yards and one touchdown.

Ty MacPherson leads the team in receiving yards with 743 yards and eight touchdowns. Against Utah Tech University, MacPherson had 140 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He’s currently tied for No. 2 in the Big Sky in touchdowns, averaging 18.6 yards per catch.

Quarterback Bronson Barron has made the most of his options this season. Barron has thrown for 152 completions, 1891 yards and 16 touchdown passes. Currently, he ranks No. 5 in total yards and No. 6 in touchdown passes across the conference.

Looking at the defense, linebacker Winston Reid is ranked No. 5 in the Big Sky in tackles with 46 solo tackles and 30 assisted tackles.

Both teams are strong in rushing yards, with over 1,000 rushing yards each. However, Weber State outweighs Idaho State in rushing touchdowns. The Wildcats have 19 rushing touchdowns compared to the Bengals’ eight.

Weber State will play Idaho State at Stewart Stadium on Nov. 12 at 1 p.m.