DILLON, Mont. – Matt Lickfold caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from J.D. Ferris with 18 seconds remaining, lifting Montana Western to a 24-20 victory over College of Idaho at Vigilante Field.
After the Coyotes (1-2, 1-1 Frontier) took a 20-17 lead on a 26-yard Hartvig Bondo field goal with 2:29 remaining, Western marched 80 yards in 16 plays – getting a key 4th-and-1 conversion from Sam Rutherford at the 25 yard line with just 42 seconds remaining. Ferris found Lickfold for a 21-yard completion on a third down play to set up the winning score.
Trailing 17-10 at the break, the Yotes got a huge defensive stop on the first Western (2-0, 2-0) drive of the third quarter, as Jason Byce and Nate Moore stopped Rutherford on a fourth down carry at the Yotes seven yard line. C of I countered, marching 93 yards in 14 plays, converting three third downs, capped by a J.J. Hyde two-yard touchdown run to tie the score.
After the teams traded punts, the Bulldogs drove to the C of I 28 yard line, but Connor Greth missed a 46-yard field goal wide left.
C of I grinded out a seven minute drive, as Hyde converted a 4th-and-1 in the Yotes own end of the field, and Teejay Gordon found Zach Heinz for 18 yards on another third down play, setting up Bondo's second field goal of the day.
Western rushed for 299 yards in the win, as Ferris carried 19 times for 164 yards and a 14-yard touchdown run in the second quarter that gave the Bulldogs a 17-10 lead. The freshman finished 15-of-30 for 144 yards through the air, but was picked off twice by C of I cornerback Nate Moore.
Rutherford finished with 109 yards on 21 carries, with Lickfold making four receptions for 34 yards.
Gordon led the Yotes with 59 yards rushing, while going 12-of-21 for 168 yards and a first quarter scoring strike to Marcus Lenhardt that gave the Yotes a 10-0 lead.
The Coyotes return home Saturday for their annual Homecoming celebration, hosting No. 1 ranked Southern Oregon at 1 p.m.
NOTES:
- With the win, Western is just one of two unbeaten teams in the Frontier Conference, joining Montana Tech at 2-0 after Tech's 19-10 upset of Carroll
- Hartvig Bondo became just the third C of I player to make two field goals in a game, joining Jeff Harris (1973 and 1974) and Phil Keene (1977); his 41-yard field goal in the first quarter was the second longest in school history (Keene hit a 42-yard attempt vs. Pacific Lutheran in 1977)
- Zach Garzoli made his season debut for the Yotes, rushing 10 times for 35 yards
- Moore had a big day, leading the team with eight tackles and two pass breakups to go along with his two interceptions
- Gordon is now 10 yards shy of the 1,000-yard mark for his career, looking to become C of I's 13th 1,000-yard rusher.
