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No rest for ISU football team
dthompson@journalnet.com
POCATELLO -- Rest days are becoming the stuff of myths for the Idaho State football team. Last season, the Bengals played 11 straight games without a bye. This fall, they have practiced at least once a day since the morning of Aug. 4.
Then, starting with their season opener Aug. 30 against Boise State, the Bengals will be one of five Big Sky teams to play 12 games -- and they'll do so without a true bye week. But the Bengals are taking it all in stride. They're actually rather happy about the grueling slate, mostly because they don't see it as all that grueling.
"Once you get past a certain point, it's all repetitive," said sophomore quarterback Russel Hill. "Once you run 25 miles in a row, the 26th isn't too bad." Last season, Idaho State did technically have a bye week, but it came before its first contest. Players sat at home while the rest of the Big Sky started its non-conference schedule, then competed the next 11 Saturdays.
But this year is a quirky one for all Division I FCS schedules, not just Idaho State's. Per NCAA rules, teams cannot play their first game until the Thursday before Labor Day. In most years, then, FCS teams have 12 weeks to complete an 11-game schedule, wrapping up before Thanksgiving.
Occasionally, though, there are five Saturdays in November. In those years, FCS teams are allowed 13 weeks to play 12 games, according to Rule 17.11.5.1. The calendar aligns in such a way this season, as it did in 2003 and as it will in 2013, 2014 and 2019. FBS teams are allowed 12 regular-season games every season but will not gain a 13th contest because of this scheduling anomaly.
But if a team plays in Hawaii, it is allowed an additional regular-season contest in either Division I subdivision; for example, the Pac-10's Washington State and the Big East's Cincinnati will actually play 13 games this season because they play at Hawaii to close out their schedules. FCS teams are not compelled to play 12 games this season, though. If one plays its opener on the first allowed playing day (Aug. 30), ends the regular season on the last (Nov. 22) and chooses to play only 11 games -- which is the case with Eastern Washington and Portland State -- it will actually have two byes.
In the Big Sky, Idaho State, Montana State, Sacramento State, Montana and Weber State are taking advantage of the extra weekend and will play 12-game schedules. With the exception of Montana, which won't open until Sept. 6, they all have traditional byes. Idaho State does not. Rather, it scheduled North Dakota to play a Thursday night game on Sept. 18, 12 days after Idaho State visits Idaho and nine days before it plays at Eastern Washington.
So not only are the Bengals playing an extra game, they aren't going to get a true week off, either. "I'd rather have a bye week," said junior defensive tackle Demetrius Amos, "but if that's how it comes, that's how it comes."
He seems to speak for the entire team on the topic. They are all welcoming the extra game, and they figure playing without a weekend off will keep them from suffering a bye-week digression. "Twelve games? Hey, it's a great opportunity," coach John Zamberlin said. "If I was a senior I'd say, 'Man I get to play an extra game and hopefully get to keep playing after that.'" Hill agreed. "Coaches talk about it sometimes, the fact we need to prepare really hard for a 12-game season," he said. "It's a long season, and we've got to take advantage of every chance we've got." Final fall scrimmage 3 p.m. today at Holt Arena Other Sky teams Team Bye Total games Montana State Sept. 20 12 Sacramento State Oct. 11 12 Eastern Washington Sept. 13, Oct. 25 11 Montana None 12 By Dan Thompson
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