CALDWELL, Idaho –
Nick Calzaretta and
Darius-James Peterson spearheaded a potent College of Idaho run game that rolled up 377 yards, as the No. 15-ranked Coyotes opened the 2019 season with a dominating 48-12 victory over Eastern Oregon at Simplot Stadium.
Calzaretta rushed for 124 yards and a touchdown and Peterson added 114 yards and a score, as the Yotes (1-0, 1-0 Frontier) ran their win streak to seven games – their longest since 1953.
The 48 points scored and the 36-point margin of victory were the most by a C of I team in a season opener in 99 years, dating back to a 90-0 victory over Gooding College in 1920. It was the largest margin of victory against Eastern Oregon since a 46-3 win in La Grande during the 1951 season.
C of I dominated the first half, using a ground game that helped the Yotes hold the ball for nearly 22 minutes. Calzaretta capped a methodical 82-yard drive to open the contest with a 15-yard touchdown run to stake the hosts to an early lead.
After forcing the Mountaineers (0-1, 0-1) into a 3-and-out, the Yotes marched 63 yards in 12 plays – settling for the first of two
Kyle Mitchell field goals.
The Coyote defense, which limited Eastern to just 259 yards of offense, stepped up on the next two possessions – as
Isaiah Abdul picked off Kai Quinn in Mountie territory to end a drive, with
Taeson Hardin stepping in front of a Quinn pass and returning it 53 yards – setting up a second quarter Peterson 11-yard touchdown pass to
Keegan Crafton and a 17-0 lead.
Leading 20-0 at the break, the Yotes extended the margin early in the third quarter, as a Peterson 21-yard run and a 15-yard pass to
Connor Richardson was followed by a 3-yard scoring jaunt by
Justin Hellyer.
EOU battled back, as Quinn went 4-for-4 for 44 yards on the Mountaineers next drive, calling his own number from 1-yard out, to cut the margin to 27-6. After a C of I 3-and-out, Quinn found Isaiah Thomas for 35 yards and Sage Wilkerson for 27 yards to set up a Kaler Moore 3-yard touchdown run to make it 27-12 late in the third quarter.
However, the Yotes controlled the rest of the day – answering the EOU score with a 74-yard touchdown drive – ended by a 25-yard
Dominic Garzoli scoring run.
Keagan McCoy would block a Mountaineers punt deep in EOU territory, with Peterson scoring on a short touchdown run to extend the lead to 41-12.
Ed Osterberger capped the day, sprinting 73-yards on his first career carry, for a touchdown.
C of I held a 477-259 edge in total yards – with the 377 rushing yards the seventh-highest total in program history.
Peterson finished 9-of-13 through the air for 100 yards – connecting four times with tight end
Connor Gagain for 50 yards.
Quinn was 17-of-35 for 184 yards for EOU – as eight different Mountaineers making a reception - and led the team with 31 rush yards.
The Yotes hit the road next Saturday, traveling to Butte for a match-up with Montana Tech.
NOTES: Linebackers
Forrest Rivers and
Dylan Martinez each had six tackles to lead the C of I defense, with Hardin adding five stops…it marked the first time the Yotes had two 100-yard rushers in a game since 2014 (
Teejay Gordon and
Zach Garzoli vs. Eastern Oregon) – with Peterson recording his 12th career 100-yard rushing game and Calzaretta his third…Mitchell made field goals of 27 and 22 yards, the third time in his career he has made two field goals in a game, while tying his own school record with 12 kick scoring points…the win snapped a three-game losing streak in season opening games, dating back to a 40-28 win over EOU in 2015.
