HELENA, Mont. – Six years ago, Carroll College welcomed the College of Idaho to Nelson Stadium on a frigid afternoon and handed the Yotes a 57-point loss en route to a Frontier Conference title. Fast-forward to this afternoon, with snow piled around the field, the Coyotes returned the favor, scoring 41-straight points at one stretch, blowing out the Fighting Saints, 47-14, before 2,305 fans.
The No. 8-ranked Coyotes (5-0, 5-0 Frontier) extended their win streak to 11, piling up a season-high 575 yards of total offense, while holding Carroll to less than half their season offensive average. C of I sits alone atop the league standings – a game clear of both Montana Tech and Montana Western.
Darius-James Peterson threw for 356 yards and tied a school-record with four touchdowns, as C of I set a new single-game mark with 33 first downs – holding the football for over 37 minutes on the afternoon.
C of I struck first, as Peterson found
Connor Gagain on a 21-yard aerial strike to give the visitors a 6-0 lead. The Saints (2-3, 2-3) responded with their best drive of the day, with tailback Matthew Burgess rushing for 36 yards on the march, capped by a Devan Bridgewater to Jaden Harrison 4-yard touchdown pass and a 7-6 lead.
The Coyotes defense took over from there – limiting Carroll to just 32 total yards on their next eight possessions – including seven punts and a
Dylan Martinez interception.
The visitors found their offensive rhythm – using a
Hunter Juarez 43-yard reception to set up the first of two
Kyle Mitchell field goals – to retake the lead.
Connor Richardson was featured on a 12-play, 92-yard drive, making three grabs for 61 yards, including a 15-yard touchdown reception, to push the lead to 16-7.
Leading 19-7 at the break, C of I scored on their first three third quarter drive to blow the game open – as Richardson scored on a 18-yard touchdown pass,
Keegan Crafton caught a 9-yard touchdown pass, while following the Martinez pick,
Justin Hellyer had 19-yards for a score.
C of I pushed the lead to 47-7 in the fourth quarter after a 90-yard drive, ending with a
Nick Calzaretta 2-yard touchdown run.
Peterson finished the day 23-of-39 through the air – completing passes to nine different receivers – recording his second career 300-yard passing game and becoming the first C of I quarterback to record two games with four touchdown passes.
Richardson caught a season-high nine passes for 147 yards and two touchdowns, with Juarez catching five passes for 90 yards.
The Yotes ran for 219 yards on the day against the No. 1 rushing defense in the Frontier Conference, with Calzaretta recording his fourth 100-yard game of 2019, carrying 22 times for 101 yards and a score.
Carroll was limited to just 228 yards of total offense – including just 83 through the air. Bridgewater, an Eagle High grad, finished 8-of-22 with an interception. Shane Sipes caught four passes for 63 yards, including a 37-yard touchdown reception inside the final two minutes. Burgess led the Saints with 52 rushing yards.
C of I returns home next Saturday for their first Simplot Stadium game since Sept. 14, hosting No. 22 Montana Tech at 1 p.m.
NOTES: It was the third-straight game the Yotes scored 40-or-more points, the first time C of I has achieved the feat since 1953…It was the Coyotes seventh-straight win in Montana (dating back to 2017) and their sixth-straight road win…
Forrest Rivers and
Taeson Hardin led C of I with seven tackles and
Demetreus Taua had a career-high two sacks – as Carroll ran just 51 total plays on the day…the 575 yards of offense – No. 7 on the single-game record list – with the 358 passing yards the No. 5 single-game mark…Peterson had 400 yards of total offense, the fifth time in his career he has recorded 400 or more yards in a game.
