Box Score ASHLAND, Ore. – Travis Dodge threw for 476 yards and five touchdowns, leading ninth-ranked Southern Oregon past upset-minded College of Idaho, 56-28, at Phillips Field.
The Raiders (4-0, 3-0 Frontier) scored the final 28 points of the game in the first meeting between the squads since 1968.
After the Yotes (2-1, 1-1) tied the game late in the third quarter at 28-28 on a Zach Garzoli 12-yard touchdown run, Dodge orchestrated an eight-play, 74-yard drive, capped by an eight-yard scoring pass to Keegan Lawrence.
The Southern defense took over from there, forcing a fumble on a pass to Marcus Lenhardt early in the fourth quarter – setting up a Dodge to Dylan Young 22-yard touchdown pass to make it 42-28. C of I marched down the field, setting up first and goal on the six – but stopped the Coyotes on consecutive plays from the one-yard to get the defensive stop.
SOU capped the scoring with a late 50-yard Keegan Lawrence touchdown run and a Daniel Abernathy fumble recovery for a score.
The Coyotes stunned SOU early, as C of I forced a three-and-out on the Raiders first possession – then marched 91 yards to take a 7-0 lead on a Teejay Gordon 48-yard run. After forcing a Southern punt, Gordon connected with Lenhardt for 42-yards, setting up a Garzoli four-yard touchdown run to give the visitors the two touchdown lead.
SOU dominated the second quarter, as Melvin Mason scored from eight-yards out on the first play of the period, with Dodge connecting with Sean McShane twice for scores – giving the Raiders a 21-14 lead at the break.
Gordon got the Yotes even on the third play of the third quarter, running a draw play for 82-yards to knot the score at 21-21. After Dodge hooked up with Matt Retzlaff for 62-yards to give the hosts the lead, the two teams traded turnovers – with Tyler Andreason's 42-yard return of a fumble setting up Garzoli's second scoring run of the day.
Dodge was 30-of-42 on the afternoon, connecting with nine different receivers, as McShane hauled in eight passes for 118 yards. Mason led SOU on the ground with 90 yards.
Gordon had a season-high 352 yards of total offense – rushing 13 times for 152 yards and two scores, completing 16 passes for 200 yards. Garzoli rushed for 104 yards and Kyle Merritt added 68 yards on 15 carries, as C of I recorded 320 yards of rushing offense. Lenhardt led the receivers with eight catches for 139 yards.
The Coyotes return home next Saturday, hosting Montana Tech at 1 p.m.
NOTES: The 485 yards of passing offense by SOU was the most ever allowed by a C of I team in program history…C of I turned the ball over four times on the afternoon, leading to three SOU touchdowns, while being stopped inside the 10-yard line twice…the Coyote defense recorded three sacks, including big stops by Andreason and Trevor Henderson…Cory Brady led the team with nine tackles, with Andreason and Jason Byce each recording seven…the two teams combined for 1,201 total yards of offense.
