Box Score CALDWELL, Idaho – Luke Taylor kicked a 22-yard field goal with seven minutes to go to lift the College of Idaho to a 31-28 victory over Montana Western before a sellout crowd of 4,961 fans at Simplot Stadium.
The Coyotes (2-0, 1-0), making their Frontier Conference debut and playing their first home game in nearly 37 years, forced five second half turnovers – including three interceptions by Cory Brady – to pick up the league win.
Brady's second pick of day set up the Yotes at the Western 25 yard line. Teejay Gordon found Marcus Lenhardt for 14 yards on the first play of the drive to get C of I into the red zone, with Taylor splitting the uprights to give the hosts a three-point lead.
The Bulldogs (1-3, 1-1) had two chances to take the lead – marching 38 yards on the ensuing possession, reaching the C of I 16-yard-line, but Brady picked off Tyler Hulse to snuff out the drive. Following a 38-yard Mitch Pelroy return of a Coyote punt, Western had the ball on the Yotes 38 yard line with two minutes to play, but four consecutive incomplete passes by Hulse sent the home crowd into a frenzy.
Gordon rushed for 70 of the Yotes 134 yards on the ground, while completing 9-of-20 passes for 208 yards and a touchdown.
After stopping the Yotes on fourth down on C of I's first drive, Western wasted no time getting into the end zone, as Hulse capped a six-play drive with a 39-yard touchdown run to take a 7-0 lead. The Bulldogs took a 10-0 lead on their next possession on a 35-yard Connor Greth field goal, but a penalty gave Western a first down – with the visitors electing to take the points off the board. A Tyler Andreason sack of Hulse on a third down play forced Greth to try from 41 yards, a boot he missed wide left.
The Coyotes tied the game at 7-7 midway through the second quarter, as a Jordan Jacobs hauled in a 50-yard reception to flip the field position. Gordon converted a fourth-and-two in the red zone, then scored from five yards out on the next play.
Just before halftime, Western regained the lead, as a 49-yard bomb to Matt Lickfold set up a Sam Rutherford two-yard touchdown run, as the Bulldogs took a 14-7 lead to the locker room.
On Western's first second half possession, Brady picked Hulse off, returning the ball to the Bulldog 21 yard line. A pair of pass interference calls on UMW – including one on a fourth down play – set up a Gordon three-yard score.
The Bulldogs came right back, as Rutherford rumbled 45-yards on the first play of the possession, with Hulse finding a wide open Matt Fuhrman in the end zone for a 12-yard scoring strike to stake UMW to a 21-14 lead.
After UMW stopped C of I on fourth down midway through the third quarter, Andreason forced a Rutherford fumble near mid field, with Jordan Vielma scooping up the ball – giving the Yotes another chance. Gordon found Lenhardt for 17 yards, then tossed a 22-yard scoring strike to Austin Diffey.
Western took their final lead of the day, as Hulse capped a 58-yard drive with a one-yard sneak to make it 28-21, but C of I came right back, as Gordon found Diffey for a 62-yard gain on the first play of the fourth quarter, setting up a Kyle Merritt seven-yard run to the pylon to make it 28-22.
Diffey caught four passes for 98 yards for the Yotes, with Merritt carrying the ball nine times for 45 yards.
Rutherford had 122 yards on 15 carries to lead the Bulldogs, with Hulse going 19-of-34 for 183 yards in the loss.
C of I returns to action next Saturday, traveling to Ashland, Ore., for a 1 p.m. (PT) kickoff at nationally-ranked Southern Oregon.
NOTES: The Coyotes did not commit a turnover for the second-straight game and have a plus-six turnover margin this season…Idaho governor Butch Otter handled the ceremonial coin flip prior to the game…Brady and Grant Darrington each had six tackles in the victory, with Darrington adding a pair of pass break-ups…Andreason had four solo tackles in the victory, as did Vielma and Hunter Temple…Brock Hulsey picked off a fourth quarter pass and scored an apparent touchdown, but it was nullified due to a penalty…Philip Selin had three sacks for Western, with Connor Langel and A.J. Wilson each recording seven tackles for the Bulldogs…it was the second straight week that C of I has rallied from a 28-21 fourth quarter deficit.
