News Story - Idaho State Journal

Nine losses in a row.

The Idaho State football team reached that long streak of futility on Saturday at Holt Arena following a 33-21 loss to Montana State in which the Bengals failed to compete in the second half.

Their usually dependable offense disappeared, their usually bad special teams play was horrible and their defense couldn't come up with a stop when it really needed one.

Sounds pretty bad, doesn't it?

In most settings, "yes" would be the answer to that question. But here in Pocatello following nine straight losses -- five this season and four last season -- everyone is pretty much used to it by now.

The few locals still brave enough to attend Idaho State's home games left shaking their heads and murmuring something about how tiresome all these losses were getting. But nobody displayed any outrage.

The players and coaches themselves had about the same reaction. Coach John Zamberlin said his entire team needs improvement, and top wide receiver Eddie Thompson said not even breaking the program's record for all-time receptions, which he did against the Bobcats, could bring a smile to his face in this tailspin.

But even in their bad mood, no one was flipping out.

This nine-game losing streak, which is the third-worst current active losing streak in the country -- Indiana State has lost 19 in a row and Columbia 11 -- has simply numbed everyone involved.

Because not only is it a hideous number of games to lose in a row, it stretches out over two seasons. The last time Idaho State won a game was Oct. 20 at home against Portland State.

Yes, it's really been that long.

That's almost an entire year without a victory.

Just think of all that's happened in that time period.

Pocatello lost a Dilliard's but gained a Costco. The Democratic and Republican parties went through the entire nomination process and honored Barack Obama and John McCain at their respective national conventions. The BYU football team won 12 straight games.

More than 4 million babies were born. The price of gas ballooned to more than $4 a gallon in certain parts of the country. Thompson caught 71 passes for 681 yards.

Idaho State switched athletic directors, a women's basketball coach, a softball coach and dropped men's golf from its official list of sponsored sports. Idaho actually won a football game -- against Idaho State -- and ended an 11-game losing streak. Montana lost a regular-season football game.

The United States reestablished itself as the world's basketball power at the Olympics, and Michael Phelps won eight gold medals. Brett Favre retired, graced the cover of "Madden 09," unretired and led the Jets to two victories. A man in Bend, Ore., gave birth to a baby girl.

Every major sport in the country other than baseball established a new champion, and if this streak goes on much longer, we will have a new 2008 World Series champion, too.

I could keep going here, but you get the point. It's been a long time since Idaho State has won a football game.

In the last 50 weeks, there has been nothing but heartache for the Bengals. Especially because they lost practically all nine of their games in close fashion. Even against the superior Bobcats on Saturday, the Bengals had chances to win.

A play here or a good break there could have changed the outcome in just about all of their recent games.

But the play never came, and the good break never happened. For teams on a nine-game losing streak, they rarely do.

The question now is, when will the losing end? Saturday against Northern Colorado? At Portland State on Oct. 25? On Nov. 22 against Sacramento State?

All are winnable games, and Idaho State needs to find a way to win one of them. For the rest of the season, that should be the team's goal: Just win one game.

Losing nine games in a row will numb you, sure. But nobody wants to know what a winless season and 16-game losing streak will do to you.

Kellis Robinett's column appears on Sundays. Call him at 239-3136 or e-mail krobinett@journalnet.com with comments or story ideas.

This document was originally published online on Sunday, October 05, 2008

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Reader Comments

The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of our paper.

Steve from Eagle wrote on Oct 5, 2008 3:00 PM:

" Maybe it is time someone did 'flip out'. Over the last nine games, who can not do what coach Z and staff has done? Part of the problem is, the administration doesn't care, JT dosen't care, and the great city of Poky dosen't care. Will this team win a game this year? No way--no one really cares and no is even close to flipping out. Maybe it's time someone lite a flipping fire under some people. "

JW wrote on Oct 5, 2008 5:46 PM:

" That's really the feeling I get from ISU and its athletic department. Nobody cares. Ask anybody up on the hill why something was done a certain way, and you'll receive a million explanations/excuses, when they find the time to get back to you that is. You'll be told a lot of woulda/coulda/shoulda's. You'll never get a simple apology. You'll never get ownership of a problem.

It really is as if people just don't care. That apathetic attitude spreads fast, so it's no wonder students don't care. The administration doesn't care. The city doesn't care.

Just sayin... "

Biter wrote on Oct 10, 2008 11:23 AM:

" Go Bungles!
ISU should leave the Big Sky and look for a lesser league. If ISU is going to be run like a community college it should only be playing other community colleges.
And Steve from Eagle makes a good point. But the biggest problem is that the players don't care. They are wannabe gangsters and thugs that care more about SUVs and hip hop music than wins. Go talk to these guys face to face and this is the attitude you get from them. ISU needs more local players with local pride. Importing inner city kids to play is NOT working for ISU. "

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