CALDWELL, Idaho – Calvin Connors returned a kickoff 100-yards for a touchdown and Kalliy Ceesay returned an interception 83-yards for a score, as No. 11 Eastern Oregon rolled to a 48-14 victory over the College of Idaho before 4,685 fans at Simplot Stadium.
The win for the Mountaineers (6-2, 6-2 Frontier) extended their win streak to four games and remained a game back of Montana Tech in the league standings.
Connors return in the first quarter broke a 7-7 tie, as EOU rattled off 27-straight points to take a 34-7 lead. After the Yotes (3-6, 2-6) pulled within 34-14 on a
Darius-James Peterson touchdown run and a defensive stop, Ceesay stepped in front of a third down pass in the C of I red zone and went the distance to put the game out of reach.
EOU won despite being outgained by C of I, 430-395, with quarterback Zach Bartlow going 17-of-29 for 269 yards – including a 75-yard touchdown pass to Josh Richards on the Mountaineers first drive. Richards had six receptions for 174 yards in the win.
After the initial Mounties score, C of I countered with a 12-play, 63-yard drive – with back-up quarterback
Tyler Cox finding
Zach Garzoli for 10 yards and
Marcus Lenhardt for 27 yards on third down conversides – setting up a Peterson 1-yard scoring run to even the score.
On the ensuing kickoff Connors took a line-drive boot at the goal line and sprinted untouched down the left sideline, equaling the longest kickoff in EOU history.
The Eastern defense took over from there, stopping C of I on downs at the EOU 26-yard-line and forcing a 3-and-out, adding a pair of Nathan Harden field goals and a Bartlow 6-yard touchdown strike to Brenden Kelly.
EOU extended the lead to 34-7 on their first drive of the second half on an Alfred Gross 3-yard touchdown run, before the Yotes answered. Peterson found Lenhardt on a 24-yard strike, and then called his own number from 5-yards out to cut into the deficit.
After forcing a 3-and-out, the Yotes drove to the EOU 22, before Ceesay jumped a third down pass along the far sideline and returned the interception the length of the field to put the game out of reach.
Peterson tied a C of I school record with 30 carries in the loss, logging his second-straight 100-yard rushing game – tallying 124 yards and two scores.
Marcus Lenhardt caught five passes for 83 yards – surpassing R.C. Owens' single-season school record (48) – pushing his 2016 total to 51 grabs.
The Yotes return to action next Saturday, traveling to Montana Tech for a Noon kickoff.
NOTES – C of I finished the season averaging 4,455 fans per game – among the top draws in the NAIA;
Carlos Murana had a huge game defensive game, recording four tackles for loss, while
Nate Moore led the team with 12 tackles.
