2020-21 Football Notebook (Week 2 - Rocky Mountain)

COMING UP: vs. Rocky Mountain, Saturday, 1 p.m.

COMPLETE MEDIA GAME NOTES
 
76 YEARS OF COYOTE FOOTBALL: The 2020-21 season marks the 76th year of Coyote football as a collegiate program (C of I competed as an Academy from 1905-17 against high school and local town teams), recording an all-time record of 297-286-28. The Yotes had a football program every season from 1905-77 (minus the 1917 season, due to World War I, and the 1943, 1944 and 1945 seasons due to World War II). The team was disbanded following the 1977 season, with the squad returning to the gridiron in 2014.
 
AT SIMPLOT STADIUM: The Coyotes are playing their 21st season at Simplot Stadium, beginning competition in 1964.  C of I has an all-time record of 42-51-3, with the 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019 teams five of the seven teams (joining the 1968 and 1969 clubs) to post a .500 or better home record. The 2019 squad was a perfect 6-0 - the most wins by a Coyote team at Simplot Stadium. C of I is 21-12 at Simplot Stadium since 2014.
 
SEASON OPENERS: With their win on Saturday, the Yotes are 45-40-2 in season openers since 1917 - recording a 11-15 record in road openers and 24-12-1 in home openers since 1942, including nine-straight wins from 1962-70. C of I won their home openers in 2014 and 2015, coming at the heels of a seven-game losing skid from 1971-77 - while the squad won their last road opener, 35-34, at Pacific in 2014. Twice, the Coyotes have won six-straight opening games (1946-51 and 1959-64).
 
COYOTES PICKED TO WIN FRONTIER TITLE: The Frontier Conference preseason poll was released last Friday, with the Coyotes the favorite for the second-straight season. C of I received three first-place votes and recorded 15 total points, with Carroll College in second, receiving the remaining two first-place votes and 13 points. Eastern Oregon, Rocky Mountain and Montana State-Northern rounded out the 5-team poll.
 
YOTES OPEN RANKED #5: C of I opens the season ranked No. 5 in the first NAIA Top-25 poll of the season - equaling their highest national ranking in program history. The Yotes received 335 points from the 18 conference raters and are in the Top-25 for the 14th-straight polling period, dating back to 2018. The second regular-season poll will be released next Monday and will be released each Monday for the remainder of the regular-season.
 
STREAKS STILL IN PLAY: The Coyotes will take three long streaks into Saturday's game. C of I has won their past 17 regular-season games, have won their last 17 Frontier Conference games and have posted a record 10 consecutive wins at Simplot Stadium - all dating back to a September 2018 home loss to Rocky Mountain.
 
FRONTIER VOTES NO FANS: The Frontier Conference presidents and athletic directors voted to continue the current spectator policy for the remainder of the 2020-21 season. In accordance to the policy, developed by the league, no spectators will be allowed at any Frontier Conference events – including football, basketball, golf, track and field, cross county, golf and volleyball. "We are a supportive member of the Frontier Conference and value our relationships with those institutions," said College of Idaho athletic director Reagan Rossi. "Though we truly wish we could have fans at our two home football games this spring, we will look forward to welcoming the best fan base in the NAIA back to Simplot Stadium in the fall." Saturday's game vs. Rocky Mountain – will be carried live on the Yotes Digital Network with Mike Safford calling the action, beginning at 12:45 p.m.
 
COLLEGE OF IDAHO OFFENSE VS. ROCKY MOUNTAIN DEFENSE: The Coyote rushing attack will face a much improved defensive front for Rocky Mountain, as the Battlin' Bears look to erase a 328-yard effort on the ground by C of I in Billings in September of 2019. Quarterback Jacob Holcomb was solid in his first Coyote start, throwing for 231 yards and a touchdown, making an immediate connection with Isaiah Veal (7 receptions) and Brock Richardson (4 receptions), with veteran receivers Hunter Juarez (41 receptions in 2019), Connor Richardson (26 receptions in 2019) and Connor Gagain (25 receptions in 2019) also key options. RMC will have to stop running back Nick Calzaretta (1,221 yards in 2019), who led C of I with 89 rushing yards and two scores vs. MSU-Northern, with Ed Osterberger (198 yards in 2019) and freshman Hunter Gilbert rushing for 22 yards in his C of I debut. Former 3-star recruit, defensive end Alex Bush, a transfer from TCU, made an immediate impact for RMC against Carroll, recording nine tackles, including three sacks, while returning defensive tackle, Chad Nebel (35 tackles, 5 sacks in 2019) had seven stops. Linebacker Dallas Mack returned from injury to post six tackles in his return, as did Nolan McCafferty. Safety Ty Reynolds (73 tackles, 3 INT in 2019) led the team with 13 tackles in Saturday's loss.
 
ROCKY MOUNTAIN OFFENSE VS. COLLEGE OF IDAHO DEFENSE: Last season, the Rocky offense mustered just 121 total yards vs. C of I and were victimized by 10 sacks. The new look Bears used two quarterbacks vs. Carroll, as Montana transfer Nathan Dick threw for 121 yards and rushed for 36 more before leaving the game with a foot injury. Boise native, Drew Korf (1,333 passing yards in 2019), replaced him, tossing for 217 yards - including a 95-yard touchdown to Donavan Sellgren. Transfer Markel Quinney and returner Carter Garsjo (27 receptions in 2019) each caught five passes, while 2019's leading receiver Lucas Overton (67 receptions in 2019) had one grab. RMC rushed for only 85 yards vs. Carroll, led by Colton Williams (183 yards in 2019). C of I's front-four menaced RMC last season, with Keagan McCoy (38 tackles, 7 sacks in 2019) and Cade Flint (9 tackles, 1 sack in 2019) combining for 3.5 sacks vs. MSU-Northern. Linebackers Dylan Martinez (37 tackles, 2 INT in 2019) and Joey Calzaretta combined for 20 tackles in the season opener, with the group expected to be joined Saturday by J.T. Mahon (39 tackles, 6 sacks in 2019). The secondary will face a passing game that threw 45 passes Saturday, with Isaiah Abdul (43 tackles, 1 INT in 2019) and Dorian Hardin (39 tackles, 1 INT in 2019) the key to stop the vertical passing game.
 
COLLEGE OF IDAHO / ROCKY MOUNTAIN SPECIALISTS: C of I's young kickers all had an opportunity on Saturday - as both Jacob Johnson and Cameron Simons went 1-for-2 on extra point attempts and Stan Mulderij handled kickoffs. Johnson averaged 42.7 yards per punt in the win, with Andrew McKague averaging 39 yards on two punts. Hunter Gilbert handled punt return duties, returning one punt for 11 yards.  Riley Garrett (10-of-17 field goals in 2019) returns as Rocky's place-kicker, while quarterback Nathan Dick (30.0) and Wyatt Brusven (41.0) shared punting duties on Saturday. Western Michigan transfer Dawson Schick handled both kick and punt return duties.
 
RECAP LAST SEASON'S GAME: The Yotes dominated play in a driving rainstorm in Billings, holding Rocky to just 121 total yards in a 42-0 win. Nick Calzaretta rushed for 133 yards - opening the scoring on a 93-yard run and Dominic Garzoli added 102 yards and two rushing touchdowns in the win. C of I had 10 sacks in the win and added a Graham Carnahan fumble return for a touchdown in their first-ever win at Herb Klindt Field.
 
QUARTERBACKS SOLID IN DEBUT: The Coyotes got quality play from their young quarterbacks on Saturday, as starter Jacob Holcomb and back-up Ryan Hibbs combined to throw for 251 yards and two touchdowns. Holcomb was efficient, going 13-for-19 for 231 yards in the victory, while Hibbs came off the bench to complete all three of his passes for 21 yards.
 
CALZARETTA OPENS SEASON WITH TWO TOUCHDOWNS: Running back Nick Calzaretta started the 2021 spring season right where he left off, rushing for 89 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the win. His first score, a bruising 26-yard run, was his 25th of his career, pushing the senior into the No. 4 spot on the career chart. Calzaretta has rushed for 2,341 yards as a Coyote, the No. 5 mark in program history - needing 89 yards to move past Steve Douglas into fourth place and 251 yards to climb past Ted Martin into the No. 3 slot.
 
VEAL HAS BREAKOUT GAME: Last season, Isaiah Veal caught six passes for 93 yards as part of the Yotes receiver rotation. Saturday, as one of the featured options in the offense, the sophomore eclipsed those marks in one game - leading all Frontier Conference receivers with seven receptions on the opening weekend for 113 yards. Veal had a 55-yard reception late in the second quarter that set up a touchdown and added an 18-yard touchdown reception early in the fourth quarter.
 
RICHARDSON MAKES IMMEDIATE IMPACT IN COLLEGIATE DEBUT: True freshman Brock Richardson earned a start as the Yotes slot receiver and was key in C of I's home win. The Nevada native made his first catch on a 3rd-and-13 situation, a sliding 20-yard grab to move the chains. His breakout moment came in the third quarter, hauling in a 72-yard touchdown pass to extend the Yotes lead to 19-0. Richardson finished the day with four catches for 94 yards.
 
LINEBACKERS HAVE MONSTER DAY: C of I limited MSU-Northern to just 93 rushing yards on the day, with the Coyote linebackers leading the charge. True freshman Joey Calzaretta posted 13 tackles - the second-highest total by a C of I rookie in program history, with his running-mate, Dylan Martinez posting seven tackles and an interception. Back-up Willie Nelson finished his first Coyote game with five tackles and a fourth quarter sack.
 
DEFENSIVE LINE PROVIDES THE PRESSURE: The Yotes pressured the quarterback throughout Saturday, recorded five total sacks. Sophomore defensive end Cade Flint recorded two sacks, junior defensive end Keagan McCoy had 1.5 sacks, with tackle Gino Allen recording a half-sack and adding a fumble recovery. The trio combined for 13 tackles - with Flint leading the way with seven stops.
 
ABDUL ANCHORS SECONDARY: C of I's secondary allowed just three pass plays longer than 12 yards on Saturday, with two of the plays in the fourth quarter. Corner Isaiah Abdul was outstanding throughout the day, recording three pass break-ups, including a key fourth-down stop inside the 30-yard-line. Abdul added a second quarter interception, the second of his career, setting up a touchdown.
 
FOUR SPECIALISTS SEE THE FIELD: With the graduation of kicker Kyle Mitchell and punter Spencer Lambert, the Yotes trotted out four freshmen on the field Saturday for the wide open specialist jobs. Stan Mulderij handled all five kickoffs and had one touchback, Cameron Simons and Jacob Johnson shared placekick duties each making one extra point and missing one extra point. Johnson also punted three times, averaging over 40 yards a punt - including a 61-yard effort that was the longest by a Coyote punter since a Ryan Texeira 65-yard punt in 2016. Andrew McKague handled a pair of punt opportunities, averaging 39 yards a kick.
 
IS IT THE FINAL HOME GAME: With the NAIA allowing all players to earn an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 C of I senior class has the opportunity to return this fall and have a final season. Eight players in uniform this spring are identified as seniors - running back Nick Calzaretta, receivers Connor Richardson and Devin Grant, defensive linemen Brock Funke and Chase Owen, linebacker Graham Carnahan and defensive back, Moses Nyirakomini. Two others - Cameron Dawson and Oscar Reyes - have decided to not play this spring and are looking forward to the fall season.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS: The Yotes continued their trend from the 2019 season, forcing four turnovers and turning the miscues into 19 of their 26 points. C of I had a plus-5 turnover margin during their Frontier Conference championship campaign. C of I did struggle on third down, converting just 3-of-12 opportunities, with the squad missing a pair of extra points - more than the team missed during the entire 2019 season. C of I allowed just 173 yards through the first 50 minutes of the game, with MSU-Northern recording 150 yards of offense late in the contest against C of I's second and third-team defensive units.
 
RECORD BOOK: A total of eight players rank on the career Top-25 list, with Connor Richardson ranking No. 5 in touchdown receptions (12), No. 12 in both receptions (75) and receiving yards (1,000), No. 21 in total touchdowns (12) and No. 24 in points scored (72); Nick Calzaretta is No. 4 in rushing attempts (464), rushing touchdowns (26) and total touchdowns (26), No. 5 in rushing yards (2,341) and points scored (156), No. 8 in touchdowns responsible for (26) and No. 10 in total offense (2,341); Hunter Juarez is No. 4 in receiving yards (1,392), No. 6 in touchdown receptions (11), No. 15 in receptions (64) and No. 23 in total touchdowns (11); Nathaniel Holcomb is No. 17 in touchdown passes (3), No. 19 in pass completions (37) and No. 21 in passing yards (421); Connor Gagain No. 17 in touchdown receptions (4) and in receptions (45); Keagan McCoy is No. 2 in sacks (12.0); Graham Carnahan is No. 7 in tackles for loss (16.5) and No. 12 in tackles (113); with Taeson Hardin No. 19 in interceptions (4).
 
LOOKING AHEAD: The Yotes will take next weekend off as a scheduled bye weekend in preparation for an April 3 road date at Eastern Oregon, before closing out the 4-game spring season on April 10 at Carroll College