HELENA, Mont. –
Nick Calzaretta rushed for two touchdowns and the College of Idaho defense did the rest, as the Coyotes won for the first time at Carroll College, spoiling the Saints homecoming with a 21-6 victory at windy Nelson Stadium.
The Yotes (2-4, 2-3 Frontier) stopped Carroll three different times on downs inside the 25-yard-line – limiting the Saints to just 265 yards of total offense in the victory. The six points surrendered by C of I was the fewest since a 7-0 victory at Eastern Oregon to open the 1976 season.
Darius-James Peterson had 294 yards of total offense - orchestrating three touchdown drives of over 70 yards in length.
After forcing the six-time NAIA champion Saints (1-4, 1-4) to punt on their first possession – the Yotes marched the length of the field to take the lead. Peterson extended the drive with a pair of third down completions to
Shayne Robinson and added a 34-yard pitch-and-catch to tight end
Keegan Crafton, before calling his own number from 7-yards out to give C of I the 7-0 lead.
Carroll sustained a quality drive early in the second quarter, but lost quarterback Tanner Gustavsen after a hit on a run play – forcing freshman Reese Hiibel to play the rest of the day. Hiibel found Ryan Arnsten on a third down pass to get inside the Coyote 30, but three incompletions and a short run stymied the drive.
The visitors took advantage of an offside call on a 4th-and-3 punt on the ensuing drive – and Peterson found Robinson for 39 yards on a third down pass, setting up a 3-yard Calzaretta touchdown run to give C of I a 14-0 lead at the break.
A sloppy third quarter, where the Yotes had a punt snapped bobbled and tossed a pair of interceptions – but the stingy defense kept the Saints at bay – including stopping CC leading rusher Major Ali on a 4th-and-1 at the C of I 8-yard-line.
Following the Coyotes second interception of the quarter, the Saints finally broke through taking nearly eight minutes off the clock on a 55-yard drive – with Ali rushing for 36 yards on the march, including diving over a pile into the end zone from a yard out. Dylan Torgerson missed the point-after, keeping it a 14-6 game.
The Yotes answered in a big way – as Peterson had scampers of 17 and 18-yards on a 73-yard drive, capped by a Calzaretta 20-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 21-6.
The Saints drove to the C of I seven in the waning moments – but could not find the end zone.
Peterson finished 15-of-24 for 208 yards and one interception, while adding 86 yards on 14 carries. Calzaretta had 35 yards on seven carries in the victory. Robinson had four receptions for 64 yards; both
Turner Simmons and
Wes Fitzpatrick had three grabs for 40 yards; with Crafton making two receptions for 41 yards.
Ali led all rushers with 99 yards on 24 carries – but the Yotes limited CC to just 3.6 yards per carry and recorded three sacks. Hiibel was 7-of-19 for 87 yards through the air and was picked off once – the first interception of the season for C of I. Eric Dawson had five catches for 59 yards to lead the Saints receiving corp.
The Yotes return home on Saturday, hosting Montana Western at 1 p.m. – the game is the annual Breast Cancer Awareness Day, with fans encouraged to wear pink.
NOTES:
Hunter Temple led the Yote defense with 12 total tackles, with
Troy Carr adding 11 stops, including a key fourth quarter sack;
Nate Moore logged his tenth career interception on the final play of the first half, adding eight tackles and four pass break ups.
