Football Notebook - Game 2 vs. Pacific

COMING UP: vs. Pacific, Saturday, 1 p.m.

CLICK HERE FOR THE COMPLETE VERSION OF WEEK 2 GAME NOTES
 
LAST WEEK: vs. No. 13 Eastern Oregon (W 40-28)
 
ON THE AIR: All College of Idaho football regular-season games will be carried live in the Treasure Valley on 1350 KTIK-AM with Dave Tester and Kelly Barbour calling the action (or listen online at http://www.ktik.com/2015/05/04/college-of-idaho-audio-3/ – and click on the Listen Live icon).  Airtime on Saturday is set for 12:45 p.m.  The game will also be carried live in the Portland metro area on 1360 KUIK-AM with Matt Reichert on the call.
 
LIVE STATS/LIVE VIDEO: Live Stats and Live Video all six home C of I home games will be available online through the Yotes streaming portal (http://portal.stretchinternet.com/yoteathletics), with the Live Video a pay-per-view fundraiser for Coyote football ($7.95 per game, $29.95 for the season). The Live Video will be simulcast with the 1350 KTIK-AM radio broadcast.
 
COACHES SHOW LIVE EACH MONDAY AT STEWART'S BAR AND GRILL: For the third-straight year, the Mike Moroski Coaches' Show will originate from Stewart's Bar and Grill (2805 Blaine Street – Caldwell) each Monday night from 6-7 p.m. throughout the season.  Mike Safford will host the show live on 1350 KTIK-AM, beginning Aug. 31, and feature Coach Moroski and the Coyote football program.
 
TICKET/TAILGATE/PARKING INFORMATION: Season tickets and Tailgate Zone spots are still available online for the 2015 football season (http://yoteathletics.com/sports/2015/7/9/FootballTickets.aspx?id=109), with general admission season tickets costing $58 and reserved season tickets $136.  Car spots in the Tailgate Zone are $133, with RV spots $260.  The C of I ticket office inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center will be open through Thursday at 5 p.m., with the ticket window at Simplot Stadium opening at 11:30 a.m. on game day (individual reserved seats are $29, individual general admission tickets are $13, youth general admission tickets are $11). Parking will be available at the west end of the Simplot Stadium parking lot and also behind Simplot Stadium off of Stock Trail Road (a shuttle will be available for those parking in the Stock Trail Road load north of the stadium).
 
YOTES OPEN WITH BIG WIN: Last season, Eastern Oregon humbled the Coyotes on two separate occasions, dropping C of I 47-7 in La Grande and 45-21 in Caldwell.  Fast forward a year and the Yotes had those games in the back of their mind, putting together their most complete game since football return to the College, defeating EOU 40-28 on Saturday afternoon.  The Yotes offense piled up over 400 yards of total offense, while the defense (outside of a 97-yard touchdown run), limited the Mountaineers to just 224 total yards, forced three turnovers, and recorded five sacks.
 
AGAINST THE TOP-25: Saturday's win marked the Yotes first victory against a Top-25 team in program history.  C of I faced seven ranked opponents in the 1960s and 70s (Linfield / Willamette / Pacific Lutheran) without a win, while going 0-5 against Top-25 teams in 2014.
 
FAR CRY FROM 2014: To put Saturday's win in perspective, C of I was outscored 92-28 in the two meetings against EOU in 2014, allowing a combined 949 yards of total offense in the two games. 
 
MOST POINTS IN AN OPENER SINCE: The 40 points scored by the Coyotes on Saturday were the most in a season opener since Sept. 22, 1956, a 40-13 victory vs. Eastern Oregon.  The school record for points in a season opener is 90 in a 90-0 win over Gooding College in 1920.
 
SEASON OPENERS: Since the 1917 season, the Yotes have posted a 33-24-1 record in season opening games, including last season's 35-34 win at Pacific. Twice the Coyotes have won six-straight opening games (1946-51, 1959-64), while teams from 1925-32 combined to lose eight-straight openers (six losses to Washington State and one each to Idaho and BYU).  C of I is 22-11-1 in home openers since 1942, including nine-straight wins from 1962-70.  Last season's 31-28 win over Montana Western ended a seven-game home opener losing streak, dating back to 1971.
 
BIGGEST CROWD: The crowd of 5,289 was the second largest crowd since football returned to the C of I last season (5,356 vs. MSU-Northern). The crowds are the largest at Simplot Stadium for a C of I game – as the largest previous crowd was 4,500 vs. Idaho State on Sept. 26, 1964.  When the Yotes played at Hayman Field on the C of I campus, the stadium held upwards of 6,500 fans – and filled regularly during the 1940s and 1950s.
 
HYDE HAS MONSTER DEBUT, WINS FRONTIER AWARD: Five years after playing in his last competitive game, C of I quarterback J.J. Hyde (Caldwell, Idaho / U. of Utah) made the most of his collegiate debut, using a bruising running style to rack up 85 yards and three touchdowns in the victory.  The freshman averaged nearly seven yards per carry, scored touchdowns on each of his first two rushes, and was honored as the first Frontier Conference Offensive Player of the Week for the 2015 season.
 
MERRITT JOINS THE 100-YARD CLUB: After missing more than half of last season due to injury, a healthy Kyle Merritt (Irvine, Calif. / Santa Ana CC) served as the Yotes feature back for the majority of the afternoon, rushing for 104 yards and a score.  He became the fourth different player to record a 100-yard rushing game in the past two years.
 
GORDON HAS WORKMANLIKE GAME: Earning praise from head coach Mike Moroski was quarterback Teejay Gordon (Manteca, Calif. / Modesto CC), who efficiently ran the Yotes offense, leading a balanced attack.  Gordon was 10 of 17 for 151 yards and two touchdowns through the air, connecting with six different receivers, while rushing 13 times for 57 yards.  The senior ranks No. 4 in career passing yards (1,879) and No. 14 in rushing yards (914).
 
DEFENSE STEPS UP: The biggest key Saturday was the play of the Coyote defense, which dominated the line of scrimmage all afternoon against an EOU offense that ranked No. 14 in the NAIA last season in total offense.  The C of I defense limited the Mountaineers to three yards or less on 29 of their 57 plays run from scrimmage, recording five tackles for loss on run plays and five sacks. Troy Carr (Rathdrum, Idaho / Lakeland HS) and Tanner Oshiro (Kanehoe, Hawaii / Menlo Coll.) led 27 different players who made a tackle with seven each, while Josh Price (Boise, Idaho / Snow Coll.) had five tackles, including two for loss.
 
SACK PARTY: Defensive coordinator Chris Jewell brought the house against EOU, as his defense recorded five sacks on the afternoon.  During the 2014 season, C of I recorded just 17 sacks on the season, with the high-water mark of three vs. Montana Western.
 
NEWCOMERS MAKE IMPACT: A bevy of new talent on the defensive side of the ball was key to the Yotes success, as along with Tanner Oshiro, six other first-year C of I players had at least three tackles in the win.  Safety B.J. Newman (Riverton, Utah / Fort Lewis Coll.) had six tackles, a tackle for loss, a forced and recovered fumble, and a pass break-up on the day in his first game in the Purple and Gold. Corner Marcus Kroma (Florence, Ariz. / Hamilton HS) had five tackles, with fellow freshman Nikolas Lyons (Van Nuys, Calif. / Notre Dame HS) recording four.  Three players had three tackles – Zac Crosgrove (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS), Jaquan Mayberry (Chandler, Ariz. / Hamilton HS) and James Fononga (San Mateo, Calif. / Aragon HS) – with Mayberry and Fononga each recording a sack.
 
SURVEYING THE OPPONENT – PACIFIC: Making their first trip to Caldwell since a 24-23 loss to C of I in 1977, Pacific is coming off a 6-3 season in 2014, including a 6-1 Northwest Conference record and a share of their first league title since 1952.  Head coach Keith Buckley, a UC-Davis graduate who played under and coached with C of I coach Mike Moroski with the Aggies, has built the Boxers program from the ground up after the squad returned to the gridiron in 2010.  Pacific returns four of their five offensive linemen, including All-NWC tackle Kevin Peterson, hoping to protect returning quarterback Warner Shaw, who threw for 1,814 yards last season (including 16 touchdowns and only four interceptions).  The Boxers lost their top running back, but return backfield mates Kamana Pimentel (409 yards) and Bronson Barretto (219 yards). A brand new receiver group will make their debut in Caldwell, as Buckley has the task of replacing his top five receivers from 2014 - including All-NWC pick Jakob Lawrence, who torched C of I for three touchdowns last season.  Defensively, All-Conference end is the lone returning starter on an unproven line, but the Boxers make up for it at linebacker, returning three starters, including top tackler Jack Perez, an All-NWC pick.  The secondary will have to replace All-NWC safety Brandon Harms, but have a solid group of talented, but unproven players.  Pacific will have a new kicker in 2015 after graduating a four-year starter in Moses Villareal-Gomez, with punter Nathan Suyematsu averaging 36.9 yards per punt in 2014.
 
LAST MEETING: Last season, the teams met in Forest Grove, Ore., with a blocked field goal in the final two minutes preserving a C of I 35-34 victory.  Teejay Gordon rushed for 137 yards and three touchdowns, while throwing for 195 yards in the win.  Boxers quarterback Warner Shaw passed for 244 yards, connecting with Jakob Lawrence for three touchdown passes.
 
SERIES HISTORY: Saturday's matchup is the 52nd between the Yotes and Boxers, dating back to a 7-6 Pacific win in 1922.  C of I holds a 28-18-5 all-time series lead, including two-straight wins - with the teams meeting every season both teams have fielded a team since 1946. The biggest win in the series for the Yotes was on Sept. 29, 1955, a 39-7 win in Caldwell, while Pacific handled C of I 48-0 in Forest Grove on Nov. 12, 1949.
 
AROUND THE LEAGUE: Only one other Frontier Conference team was in action last weekend, as Chase White threw for 297 yards in a Rocky Mountain 23-13 victory over Dickinson State in Billings.  All eight league teams are in action this weekend, including a Top-5 match-up between Southern Oregon and Carroll in Helena, Mont. Rocky hosts Montana Western, Montana Tech is at MSU-Northern, with Eastern Oregon traveling to Sacramento State.
 
KEYS TO THE GAME – C OF I OFFENSE VS. PACIFIC DEFENSE: Last season, it was the big unknown for the Pacific defense - what were the Coyotes going to do, what were the Coyotes going to run? A year later and 12 game films to peruse from, the Boxers will have a good idea at the multi-faceted C of I attack.  The Yotes had success with play-action pass last season vs. Pacific, with both Wes Fitzpatrick (Valencia, Calif. / Hart HS) and Marcus Lenhardt (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS) recording receptions of 40-or-more yards. C of I will look to reprise their attack from 2014 against the Boxers, when they rushed for 245 yards and recorded 195 more through the air.
 
KEYS TO THE GAME – PACIFIC OFFENSE VS. C OF I DEFENSE: Can C of I slow down the Pacific offense a week after dominating the line of scrimmage against Eastern Oregon?  The Boxers grinded out nearly six yards per carry in the 2014 matchup, while Warner Shaw completed 16 passes for 244 yards in the loss.  An improved defense will face a unit that  returns four starting offensive linemen; returns quarterback Warner Shaw and tailbacks Kamana Pimentel and Bronson Barretto.  The big key will be the Pacific receiving group, as the top five receivers from 2014 have graduated, with the inexperienced group facing a much improved C of I secondary.
 
THE COACHES – MIKE MOROSKI AND KEITH BUCKLEY: The Yotes are led by Mike Moroski, is in his third year as head coach at the College and has a 5-7 all-time record.  He was named head coach in January of 2013 and led the Yotes through their "zero year" program, prior to the return to the field in September of 2014. As head coach, Moroski has coached one All-Frontier Conference selection, two NAIA All-America Scholar-Athletes, and 22 Frontier Conference All-Academic Team selections. Moroski came to the College after three decades at UC-Davis – both as a player and a coach.  As offensive coordinator from 1993-2010, his schemes helped the Aggies to eight NCAA Division II postseason appearances, including three trips to the national quarterfinals and trips to the national semifinals in 1996, 1997, 2000 and 2001. In 2000, his offense averaged 47 points per game, ranking second in Division II, while in 2001, his offense averaged 41 points and 511 yards per game, helping Moroski earn Division II National Assistant Coach of the Year honors. With Moroski serving as offensive coordinator, UC-Davis posted an overall record of 148-80, including a 98-32 record as a Division II school. Moroski coached every offensive group during his tenure at UC-Davis – quarterbacks (1987-88), wide receivers (1992-97), offensive line (1998-2009), tight ends (2010-11), and running backs (2012), while serving as the junior varsity head coach from 1989-91. He helped the Aggies in their move from Division II to the Football Championship Subdivision in 2003, with UC-Davis transitioning to the Great West Conference and the Big West Conference. A native of Novato, Calif., Moroski played quarterback at UC-Davis from 1975-78, earning Far West Conference Player of the Year honors in both 1977 and 1978, and leading the Aggies to the 1977 Division II national semifinals.  He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the sixth-round of the 1979 NFL Draft, spending eight years as a backup quarterback with the Falcons (1979-84), the Houston Oilers (1985) and the San Francisco 49ers (1986). Moroski played in 69 career games, completing 57 percent of his passes for 2,864 yards and eight touchdowns. Moroski graduated from UC-Davis with a degree in managerial economics and has a master's in educational psychology.  He and his wife, Cathie, have four children – sons Nate, Will and Ben, and daughter Emilie.  Pacific is led by head coach Keith Buckley, in his sixth year at the Forest Grove school.  Buckley has an all-time record of 17-35, but has posted consecutive 7-3 and 6-3 seasons, including a share of the 2014 Northwest Conference title. Buckley arrived at Pacific after a four-year stint at UC Davis, where he coached alongside C of I coaches Mike Moroski and Tim Keane; served as assistant head coach and coordinated recruiting efforts for the Aggies' NCAA Division I-FCS program; while also coaching the safeties. 
 
RECORD AT SIMPLOT STADIUM: C of I opened their 16th season at Simplot Stadium with the win over EOU, beginning competition on the site in 1964.  The Yotes have an all-time record of 26-41-3, with the 2014 team going 3-2 – just the third time C of I has posted a winning home record at Simplot Stadium and equaling the 1968 and 1969 teams that won three home games.
 
FRONTIER CONFERENCE/NAIA PRESEASON POLL:  The C of I was picked in a tie for sixth-place in the 2015 Frontier Conference Preseason Football Coaches' Poll, announced July 28 by the league office. The Yotes received 16 voter points from the eight league coaches – sitting in a tie with Montana Tech in the tabulation, with Montana State-Northern placing eighth. Defending league champion, Carroll, earned top-billing in the poll, followed by NAIA national champion Southern Oregon, Eastern Oregon, Montana Western, and Rocky Mountain.  In the Preseason NAIA Top-25 Poll, Southern Oregon and Marian (Ind.) were tied in the top spot, followed by Morningside (Iowa), St. Xavier (Ill.), and Carroll, with Eastern Oregon ranked No. 13.  The first regular-season NAIA poll will be released on Sept. 14.
 
NEXT WEEK: The Coyotes hit the road for the first time this season, traveling to Dillon, Mont., for a meeting with Montana Western.  Kickoff is kickoff set for 1 p.m.
 
FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more on the C of I football program, visit the official homepage of the Yotes, http://yoteathletics.com/index.aspx?path=football&&tab=0 and follow Yote Football on Twitter (@YotesFootball).