POCATELLO, Idaho – Western State Colorado University has a new leader in career kick return yards. Rodray Perkins needed 99 yards on Friday night against Idaho State University to supplant Jimmy Evans as the Mountaineers' all-time leader in kick return yards. Perkins gained 160 yards, but it wasn't enough as Western fell to the Bengals, 45-10.
 
Perkins now has 1,455 kick return yards in four seasons at Western. His 160 yards on eight attempts Friday are also career bests for the senior. Perkins has now gained over 100 yards on kick returns in six games during his career.
 
It was also a big night for punter Garrett Boyd. The junior set a career best mark with 495 yards punting on 11 attempts. It's the sixth time in his career Boyd has netted over 300 yards punting.
 
Defensively, linebacker Desmond Marfizo led the team in tackling. Marfizo's 13 tackles are also a career high for the redshirt junior.
 
Dominick Fletcher recorded the Mountaineers' lone takeaway against the Bengals. Fletcher intercepted ISU's Tanner Gueller with 9:06 to play in the third.
 
Despite a slow start to the game, Western's offense found their groove in the third quarter. The Mountaineers put together a five-play 46-yard drive, capped with a 28-yard touchdown strike down the middle of the field from Cameron Shumway to Kai Emmsley at the 5:57 mark in the third.
 
Shumway led the Mountaineers in passing with 87 yards, completing 12 passes. Connor Desch came into the game as quarterback late in the fourth quarter, completing three-of-six passes for 20 yards.
 
Kicker Chandler Davis put Western's first points on the board, splitting the uprights with a 26-yard field goal with 2:28 left in the first half.
 
The Mountaineer defense pitched a shutout in the fourth quarter against ISU. Western held four opponents scoreless in the final 15 minutes last season.
 
Neil Vanlerberghe led the Mountaineers in receiving with 28 yards on two catches.
 
Western will look for their first win of the season next Saturday on the road against South Dakota School of Mines & Technology in the Mountaineers' conference opener.