2020-21 Football Notebook (Week 3 at Eastern Oregon)

COMING UP: at No. 21 Eastern Oregon, Saturday, 1 p.m. (PT)

COMPLETE WEEKLY MEDIA NOTEBOOK

WATCH LIVE: Saturday's game will be carried online through Eastern's Mountie Sports Network (play-per-view) with Will McLaughlin on the call.
 
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 299-286-28. 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 43-51-3, with the 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 teams seven of the nine 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 22-12 at Simplot Stadium since 2014.
 
YOTES RANKED #6: C of I dropped one spot to No. 6 in the third NAIA Top-25 poll of the season, released on Monday. The Yotes received 329 points from the 18 conference raters and are in the Top-25 for the 15th-straight polling period, dating back to 2018. Saturday's opponent, Eastern Oregon, is also ranked in the poll at No. 20. The poll will be released each Monday for the remainder of the regular season.
 
STREAKS STILL IN PLAY: The Coyotes will take two long streaks into Saturday's game. C of I has won their past 18 regular-season games and have won their last 18 Frontier Conference games - dating back to a September 2018 home loss to Rocky Mountain. Saturday's win over Rocky extended a home win streak to 11 games, the longest  by the team since winning 12-in-a-row at home from Sept. 1952 to Nov. 1954.
 
WIN NUMBER 300?: With their win on March 20, the Coyotes picked up their 299th victory in program history, dating back to Sam Ballantyne's first C of I team in 1905. As an Academy, the Yotes posted a 39-26-8 record; from 1919-77, the team finished 223-228-20; with the Coyotes 37-32 since football returned to the College in 2014.
 
AFTER A BYE WEEK: Since football returned in 2014, the Yotes are a perfect 5-0 coming off of a bye-weekend, including a 42-0 road win at Rocky Mountain and a 47-14 road win at Carroll during the 2019 season. C of I has an all-time record of 9-10 after a weekend off.
 
PLAYOFF PICTURE: With just two weeks remaining in the Frontier Conference season, the playoff picture will come into full view heading into Saturday's match-up with Eastern Oregon - as C of I and EOU are the lone unbeaten teams in the league. The NAIA's Administrative Council has adjusted their by-laws to allow all leagues to send a representative to the NAIA Football Championship Series, regardless of how many games played (typically teams must play seven countable opponents). In addition, the NAIA has waived the requirement that a league champion must be ranked in the Top-20 of the final regular-season poll. Currently, there are 13 automatic bids to be allotted to the league champs, while for the first time, a selection committee will determine the at-large bids to the FCS. The Top-8 seeds in the tournament who make hosting bid, will earn the right to host a first-round game on April 17.
 
 COLLEGE OF IDAHO OFFENSE VS. EASTERN DEFENSE: The ability for the Coyotes to run the football will be crucial, as C of I has mustered just 2.8 yards per carry on the year – the lowest average since football returned in 2014. Nick Calzaretta (35 rush 141 yards 2 TD) will be asked to shoulder a lot of the work, carrying the ball 21 times in the win over Rocky Mountain. Ryan Hibbs (12-of-18 126 yards 1 INT 2 TD) will make his first career start at quarterback after making relief appearances in each of the first two games. C of I's receiving group will be at full strength for the first time this spring – as speed threats Hunter Juarez (1 rec 20 yards) and Isaiah Veal (8 rec 162 yards 1 TD) will look to stretch the defense, opening up the field for Brock Richardson (8 rec 138 yards 1 TD and Connor Richardson (5 rec 50 yards). C of I will have to contend with an extremely talented group of linebackers, led by All-American Chase Van Wyck (15 tackles, 1.5 sacks), with Zak Donato (14 tackles, 1.5 TFL) and Hayden Brandon (9 tackles, 1.0 TFL) key in stopping the rush. Safety Joey Gutierrez (9 tackles) anchors the Mounties secondary, while the big question mark will be up front, as standout end Sage DeLong (7 tackles, 2.5 TFL) was injured at Rocky Mountain and is not listed on this week's 2-deep.
 
EASTERN OFFENSE VS. COLLEGE OF IDAHO DEFENSE: Can the Yotes stop the playmaking abilities of EOU quarterback Kai Quinn (40-of-63 472 yards 1 INT 4 TD; 23 rush 100 yards 2 TD), the top dual-threat signal-caller in the Frontier Conference. Quinn accounted for all five touchdowns last Saturday in EOU's 36-33 overtime win over Rocky, passing for 256 yards and three scores, while rushing for 85 yards and two touchdowns – including the game winner. John Lesser (29 rush 116 yards 1 TD) and Jordan Eggers (13 rush 52 yards) share duties in the backfield, while three returners – Isaiah Thomas (7 rec 111 yards), Tanner Zenke (6 rec 130 yards 3 TD) and Saige Wilkerson (6 rec 75 yards) – anchor the receiving group. Defensive ends Cade Flint (8 tackles, 2.0 sacks) and Keagan McCoy (7 tackles, 2.5 sacks) will be charged at containing Quinn, with tackle Brock Funke (8 tackles, 1.5 TFL) key in the inside run game. Linebackers Graham Carnahan (8 tackles, 1.5 TFL) and Dylan Martinez (12 tackles, 1 INT), along with safeties Taeson Hardin (13 tackles, 2 FF) and Jacob Batubenga (11 tackles) will have to contend with the complexity of the EOU aerial game.
 
COLLEGE OF IDAHO / EASTERN SPECIALISTS: C of I will use all four of their specialists on Saturday, as Cameron Simons (1-of-2 PAT) and Stan Mulderij (1-of-1 PAT) have shared kickoff duties and kicking duties with Jacob Johnson (1-of-2 PAT, 1-of-1 FG, 36.8 punt avg) sharing punting duties with Andrew McKague (35.0 punt avg). Expect Brock Richardson (13.0 PR) to handing both kickoff and punt returns. For EOU, Zach Cahill (3-of-3 PAT, 1-of-1 FG, 43.3 punt avg) and Jaiden Machuca (4-of-4 PAT, 46.3 punt avg) share both the kicking and punting duties, with Isaiah Thomas (26.8 KOR, 7.3 PR) the top return man.
 
RECAP LAST SEASON'S GAMES: C of I swept both games last season, rolling to a season-opening 48-12 win in Caldwell, before outlasting EOU 24-17 in a November date in La Grande. In the first meeting, the Yotes outgained Eastern 377-66 on the ground, jumping out to a 27-0 third quarter lead. In the second match-up, C of I had to rally from a 14-7 halftime deficit, as Darius-James Peterson threw for 274 yards and a score and Nick Calzaretta rushed for 124 yards and two touchdowns – holding EOU to just 45 rushing yards on the day.
 
SERIES HISTORY: C of I and EOU have met each of the last 16 seasons the Yotes have fielded a football team (1969-77, 2014-), with the Yotes holding a 32-13-1 all-time series edge that started in 1929. The 46 meetings between the rivals ranks third on C of I's all-time list, as the Coyotes have played only Pacific (52 meetings) and Whitman (51 meetings) more.
 
HARDIN HONORED AS NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK: A dominant performance by the Coyote defense was headlined by safety Taeson Hardin, who was honored as Frontier Conference and NAIA National Defensive Player of the Week. The junior became just the third C of I player to earn the national award, joining Cory Brady in 2014 and Nate Moore in 2016. Hardin led the squad with nine tackles, but it was two huge plays that were difference-makers in the win. Midway through the fourth quarter, Rocky drove deep into C of I territory, but Hardin stripped tight end Andrew Simon after a pass completion that was recovered by Jacob Batubenga – setting up the Yotes go-ahead touchdown drive. On RMC's final possession, the Battlin' Bears reached the Coyote 2-yard-line, but Hardin tipped a pass in the end zone, with Isaiah Abdul picking off the pass, sealing the win.
 
CORNERS HAVE BIG DAY: Facing the top passing attack in the Frontier Conference, the Coyote cornerbacks had a big day against a potent Rocky Mountain offense. At one stretch, the Battlin' Bears managed just 40 total yards on five total drives between the second and third quarters, as Dorian Hardin and Isaiah Abdul locked down the outside receivers.  Hardin finished the day with five tackles and added a pair of pass breakups, with Abdul adding five tackles and recorded his league-leading second interception of the season with just five seconds left, to clinch the win.
 
LINEBACKERS AT FULL STRENGTH: After using strictly underclassmen during the season opening win over MSU-Northern (as starters Joey Calzaretta and Dylan Martinez combined for 20 tackles), the Coyotes linebacker group got a big boost against Rocky – as Graham Carnahan and J.T. Mahon returned to action. Carnahan, a 2-year starter, picked up right where he left off after a banner 2019 season, posting eight tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss. Mahon, who moved from a defensive end position to linebacker, added three stops.
 
STOPPING THE RUN: The Yotes have been dominant this season in stopping the opposition's running game, as C of I leads the Frontier Conference, allowing just 84 rushing yards per game. Opposing ball carriers have mustered just 2.5 yards per tote this season – with just one rush longer than 20 yards. Dating back to last season, the Coyotes have limited opponents to less than 100 rushing yards in a game in eight of their last 12 games.
 
HIBBS IN CHARGE: C of I split time at the quarterback position in the season opener vs. MSU-Northern, but in Game 2 vs. Rocky Mountain, it was an injury to starter Jacob Holcomb that got Ryan Hibbs off the bench. The redshirt freshman started slowly, completing just 3-of-8 passes with an interception – however, showed marked poise in the Yotes go-ahead touchdown drive, completing 6-of-7 passes for 82 yards, capped by a touchdown pass. Hibbs, who will have his first collegiate start on Saturday, leads all Frontier Conference quarterbacks with a 66-percent completion percentage.
 
CALZARETTA ADDS RECEIVING SCORE: The bulk of the offense revolved around all-conference running back Nick Calzaretta, who toted the ball 21 times for 52 yards. However, it was his job coming out of the backfield as a receiver that was key, catching a career-high three passes for 30 yards – including the game clinching touchdown reception inside the final minute of play. Coming into the season, Calzaretta had just one reception in his first three seasons as a Coyote, while the touchdown grab was his first non-rushing score of his career – pushing his career total to 27.
 
ALEXANDER MAKES COLLEGIATE DEBUT: After missing the season opener against MSU-Northern, Boise State transfer Allamar Alexaner made his C of I and his college football debut, serving as the back-up to Nick Calzaretta. The redshirt freshman rushed eight times for 16 yards against the stout Rocky defense, while adding a key third-down conversion on a pass reception.
 
RICHARDSON BROTHERS HAVE BIG DAY: With speed threats Hunter Juarez and Isaiah Veal limited in the win against Rocky, it allowed both Richardson brothers to lead the Coyote receiving group. Senior Connor Richardson had a big afternoon, leading the team with five receptions for 50 yards, moving into the Top-10 in program history for receptions and receiving yards. True freshman Brock Richardson recorded his second-straight four catch day and is tied for the team lead with eight receptions – with his fourth down grab late in the fourth quarter setting up the winning touchdown.
 
REVOLVING SPECIALIST ROLES: The four freshmen specialists continued to contribute in the win over Rocky Mountain – as Jacob Johnson became the 13th player in program history to make a field goal, converting a 22-yard attempt. He and Andrew McKague shared punting duties, with both players dropping a punt inside the opponents' 20-yard-line. Stan Mulderij converted the lone extra point attempt of the afternoon, while Cameron Simons handled the three kickoffs, averaging 60 yards per attempt.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS: The Yotes continued their trend from the 2019 season, with 26 of their 36 points scored this season coming off of opponents turnovers. C of I scored just 10 points in their victory over Rocky – just the second time in 34 games since football returned in 2014 that the Yotes failed to score more than 10 points, while the three points allowed were the fewest in a home game since a 27-0 win over Eastern Oregon in 1963. Though C of I has played just two games, the team ranks No. 3 in the NAIA in points allowed (7.5) and are No. 8 in rushing defense (84.5).
 
RECORD BOOK: A total of nine players rank on the career Top-25 list, with Connor Richardson ranking No. 5 in touchdown receptions (12), No. 10 in both receptions (80) and receiving yards (1,050), No. 21 in total touchdowns (12) and No. 24 in points scored (72); Nick Calzaretta is No. 4 in rushing attempts (485), rushing touchdowns (26) and total touchdowns (27), No. 5 in rushing yards (2,393) and points scored (162), No. 8 in touchdowns responsible for (27) and No. 10 in total offense (2,393); 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); Connor Gagain No. 16 in receptions (47), No. 17 in touchdown receptions (4) and No. 25 in receiving yards (462); Nathaniel Holcomb is No. 17 in touchdown passes (3), No. 19 in pass completions (37) and No. 21 in passing yards (421); Isaiah Abdul is No. 17 in total tackles (93) and No. 22 in interceptions (3); Keagan McCoy is No. 2 in sacks (13.0), No. 6 in tackles for loss (19.5) and No. 24 in total tackles (82); Graham Carnahan is No. 8 in tackles for loss (17.5) and No. 10 in total tackles (121); with Taeson Hardin is No. 19 in interceptions (4).
 
LOOKING AHEAD: The Yotes will close out the 4-game spring season next Saturday, traveling to Helena, Mont., for a match-up against Carroll College.