CALDWELL, Idaho – Paced by a ferocious pass rush that recorded six sacks and nine quarterback hurries, the College of Idaho rode a big first half to earn a 28-7 victory over Carroll College on Homecoming at Simplot Stadium.
Darius-James Peterson recorded his second-straight 100-yard rushing game – breaking the school-record for total offense in a career – as the Yotes (1-5, 1-4 Frontier) ended a five-game losing streak.
C of I limited the Fighting Saints (3-3, 2-3) to just 39 rushing yards in the victory – the fewest rush yards allowed in a game since football returned in 2014. Carroll finished with 280 yards of total offense – the second-straight season the Yotes have held the Montana squad under 300 yards of offense.
The hosts were dominant in the first half – taking a 21-0 lead to the locker room. C of I took the opening kickoff and methodically marched 81 yards for a score. The Yotes converted four third down conversions on the drive – three by Peterson runs – with
Connor Gagain hauling in a 7-yard jump-pass from Peterson giving C of I the lead.
After forcing Carroll to punt, Peterson went 4-for-4 on the next drive – including an 11-yard pass to
Keegan Crafton, a 16-yard strike to
Justin Hellyer and a 24-yard pass to
John Horn – before calling his own number from 2-yards out for the 14-0 edge.
C of I's defense kept the pressure on with a 3-and-out and a short punt set the Yotes up at the Carroll 38-yard-line. Seven plays later, Peterson found an open
Connor Richardson in the end zone for an 8-yard scoring pass for the three-score lead.
The Saints defense stiffened – forcing five C of I turnovers – and allowed just 97 total yards by the Yotes over the next 30 minutes, but could not take advantage. A McBride Galt interception was turned into a 26-yard touchdown pass from Hunter Bledsoe to Shane Sipes early in the fourth quarter, but on their next drive, the Saints were stopped on fourth down in C of I territory.
The Yotes defense put the game away, as a strip-sack by
Landon Clark-Gammell was recovered by Danny Garcia, returning the loose ball 47-yards for the clinching touchdown.
Peterson finished the day with 132 yards rushing and a touchdown – his ninth career 100-yard rushing day. The quarterback added 177 yards through the air – with his 309 yards of total offense moving the junior past
Teejay Gordon for the top spot in the all-time record book (now with 5,508 yards). Richardson caught five passes for 40 yards – one of eight different receivers with at least one grab.
Defensively, six different C of I players had one sack – Clark-Gammell, Garcia,
David Ford,
Forrest Rivers,
Graham Carnahan and
Levi Russo-Bell – with Russo-Bell adding three quarterback hurries. Ford and
Tristen Alesi each had eight tackles, while Nik Lyons recorded his second interception of the year.
Bledsoe was 20-of-44 for 241 yards in the loss for Carroll, finding Sipes five times for 83 yards. Major Ali, the No. 2 rusher in the Frontier Conference, was held to just 58 yards on 18 carries. Defensive back Drew Melton had eight tackles and two interceptions in the loss.
C of I returns to action next Saturday with a road date at No. 20 Montana Tech in Butte.
NOTES: The opening drive by the Coyotes (15 plays, 81 yards, 7:09) was their longest drive of the season in terms of plays and time of possession – their longest drive since the 2015 season and just the sixth time the team has had a drive of at least seven minutes or 15 plays…C of I had recorded five or more sacks on three different occasions before surpassing the total today…the Coyotes finished the day 6-of-12 on third down conversions, while the Saints were 3-of-15 (and 0-of-4 on fourth down attempts)…punter
Spencer Lambert averaged 48.7 yards a punt, including a season-high 61 yard boot in the third quarter…the fumble return for a touchdown by Garcia was the first by the Yotes since
Nate Moore returned a fumble 67-yards for a score at Montana Western in 2014…C of I has won three of the past four meetings with Carroll, the six-time NAIA champion from 2001-10.
