The 1980 Idaho State Bengals football team represented the Idaho State University as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 1980 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by first-year head coach Dave Kragthorpe, the Bengals compiled an overall record of 6–5 (4–4 in Big Sky, fourth). Home games were played at the ASISU Minidome (now Holt Arena), an indoor venue on campus in Pocatello, Idaho.

Before their first win in late September, ISU had lost eighteen consecutive games, the longest losing streak in Division I-AA.^[1] The homecoming victory over Montana in mid-October was the Bengals' first conference win in nearly three years.^[2]

Previously the offensive line and assistant head coach at Brigham Young University, Kragthorpe was hired in late November 1979,^[3] following the resignation of Bud Hake after a winless season.^[4]

More information Date, Opponent ...

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 13	at Utah State*	Romney Stadium Logan, UT	L 7–14	16,187	[5]
September 20	at Weber State	Wildcat Stadium Ogden, UT	L 17–21	11,031	[6][7]
September 27	No. T–10 Portland State*	ASISU Minidome Pocatello, ID	W 59–33	8,042	[1][8]
October 4	at Northern Arizona	Walkup Skydome Flagstaff, AZ	L 13–38
October 11	at Montana State	Reno H. Sales Stadium Bozeman, MT	L 7–21
October 18	Montana	ASISU Minidome Pocatello, ID	W 17–0	9,782	[2]
October 25	Western Montana*	ASISU Minidome Pocatello, ID	W 41–0		[9]
November 1	at No. T–10 Nevada	Mackay Stadium Reno, NV	W 33–26	8,142	[10]
November 8	at Idaho	Kibbie Dome Moscow, ID	W 28–21	12,000	[11][12]
November 15	Weber State	ASISU Minidome Pocatello, ID	W 46–5
November 22	No. 9 Boise State	ASISU Minidome Pocatello, ID	L 13–22	13,865
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from Associated Press Poll released prior to the game

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Source:^[11][12]