1983 Idaho State Bengals football team

1983 Idaho State Bengals football
ConferenceBig Sky Conference
Record8–4 (5–2 Big Sky)
Head coach
Home stadiumASISU Minidome
Seasons
← 1982
1984 →
1983 Big Sky Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 11 Nevada* $^ 6 – 1 – 0 10 – 4 – 0
No. 12 Idaho State ^ 5 – 2 – 0 8 – 4 – 0
Idaho 4 – 3 – 0 8 – 3 – 0
Boise State 4 – 3 – 0 6 – 5 – 0
Weber State 3 – 4 – 0 6 – 5 – 0
Montana 3 – 4 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Northern Arizona 2 – 5 – 0 4 – 7 – 0
Montana State 1 – 6 – 0 1 – 10 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant
  • * – Nevada was given a win on the Fremont Cannon after UNLV was forced to forfeit the game after an investigation found that ineligible players had participated in the 1983 and 1984 seasons.
Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Poll

The 1983 Idaho State Bengals football team represented Idaho State University as member of the Big Sky Conference during the 1983 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Bengals were led by first-year head coach Jim Koetter and played home games at the ASISU MiniDome (now Holt Arena), an indoor venue on campus in Pocatello, Idaho.

After a disappointing season as defending national champions in 1982, the Bengals regrouped and went 8–3 overall in the regular season (5–2 in Big Sky, second). Led by senior quarterback Paul Peterson, Idaho State hosted the first round of the 12-team I-AA playoffs,[1][2] but lost to conference champion Nevada by seven points and finished at 8–4.[3]

Koetter was promoted to head coach in early June after Dave Kragthorpe left to become athletic director at his alma mater, Utah State in Logan.[4][5][6][7] Later that month, quarterback Peterson had knee surgery.[8]

  1. ^ Stalwick, Howie (November 21, 1983). "Nevada-Reno, Idaho State in playoffs; Vandals are out". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). p. C2.
  2. ^ "Reno, Idaho State open national playoffs". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. November 26, 1983. p. 5B.
  3. ^ "Nevada-Reno downs Idaho State in playoffs". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. November 27, 1983. p. 2B.
  4. ^ "...Koetter take over as ISU head mentor". Great Falls Tribune. (Montana). Associated Press. June 4, 1983. p. 17. Retrieved September 9, 2019 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  5. ^ "Transactions: College". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). June 4, 1983. p. 13.
  6. ^ "ISU searching for two football assistants". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. June 28, 1983. p. 2C.
  7. ^ Sorensen, Mike (June 4, 1983). "Kragthorpe's back at his alma mater". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). p. 4A.
  8. ^ "Bengals' Peterson undergoes surgery". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. June 28, 1983. p. 2C.