CALDWELL, Idaho –
Teejay Gordon passed for 298 yards and three touchdowns as the College of Idaho stunned 6-time NAIA national champion Carroll College, 35-21, before 4,455 fans on Senior Day at Simplot Stadium.
The Yotes (4-7, 4-6 Frontier) used three huge defensive stops in the fourth quarter to defeat the Fighting Saints – avenging a 69-12 loss in Helena last season – and pulling C of I into a tie for fourth place in the final conference standings.
Leading 28-21 in the fourth quarter, the C of I defense forced the Saints into three 3-and-outs – including a sack by
Nate Moore and two sacks by
Josh Price – to keep the defending league champs at bay.
Taking over at their own 32-yard-line with just over five minutes remaining, the Yotes got a huge 43-yard pass play from Gordon to
Shayne Robinson on a third down to move the chains. Gordon added a 6-yard run on a 3rd-and-6 to extend the driving, followed by a 4-yard scoring run to put the game out of reach.
Gordon added 72 of the Yotes 208 yards on the ground – part of a 506-yard offensive attack.
Carroll (4-6, 4-6) took the opening kickoff and marched 81 yards in nine plays, as Dylan Green bowled over from a yard out for a 7-0 lead. C of I answered with a quick 4-play, 75-yard drive, as
Kyle Merritt busted loose for a 60-yard touchdown run – the longest running play of the year for the Yotes.
The Saints took advantage of two C of I penalties to drive to the Yotes 3-yard-line, but were unable to find the end zone, with freshman Marcus Kroma blocking Braden Braesicke's 20-yard field goal attempt to stymie the drive. On the Yotes next play, Gordon found
Tyler Higby on a hitch route, with the junior racing 87-yards to the end zone and a 14-7 lead.
After a Carroll punt, the Yotes pushed the lead to 21-7 on a quick three play, 59-yard drive, with Gordon heaving a 34-yard touchdown pass.
Leading 21-14 at the break, C of I extended the lead on the first drive of the second half, as Gordon found a wide open Robinson on a 35-yard scoring strike. Carroll answered, as Mac Roche looped a 45-yard touchdown pass to Troy Arntson, before the defenses took over.
Merritt led the Yotes with 85 yards rushing on 16 attempts, while Higby added 188 all-purpose yards – catching three passes for 136 yards and rushing three times for 52 yards.
Roche was 17-of-33 for 293 yards for the Saints, with Arntson catching four passes for 105 yards and a score. Walsh rushed 21 yards for 85 yards in the loss.
YOTE NOTES:
- The 87-yard pass reception by Higby was the second longest in program history, behind a Cisco Limbago 93-yard touchdown catch in 1968 vs. Willamette
- B.J. Newman led the Yotes with 12 tackles and a fumble recovery, while Jordan Vielma had nine tackles and two sacks
- Kevin McLemore punted five times for 49.2 yards, including a monster 71-yard punt – the second-longest in program history
- Gordon finished the season with 2,372 yards passing – the most in program history, while his career total of 4,100 yards sets a new career school record
- Both Austin Diffey (44 receptions) and Marcus Lenhardt (40 receptions) become the first C of I players to record 40-or-more receptions in back-to-back seasons
- The Yotes won despite having Carroll hold the ball for 34 minutes on the afternoon
- C of I converted 7-of-13 third down opportunities
