2021 Football Notebook (Week 5 vs. Carroll College)

COMING UP: vs. Carroll College, Saturday, 1 p.m.

COMPLETE WEEKLY MEDIA NOTEBOOK
 
LIVE LINKS: The C of I-Carroll game will be broadcast live on the Yotes Digital Network (PPV - $10.00 or $25.00 for a season pass) with Mike Safford calling the action. Live Statistics will be available for fans through C of I's SIDEARM Stats Portal.
 
SPECTATOR INFORMATION: Tickets for the C of I-Carroll game are currently available for online purchase through the C of I Ticket Portal, with tickets ranging from $12.00 to $30.00. The Tailgate Zone at the J.A. Albertson Activities Center opens at 8 a.m., gates to Simplot Stadium open at 11:30 a.m., with kickoff set for 1 p.m. Spectators are strongly encouraged to wear masks to help stop the potential spread of COVID-19.
 
77 YEARS OF COYOTE FOOTBALL: The 2021 season marks the 77th year of Coyote football as a collegiate program (C of I competed as an Academy from 1905-16 against high school and local town teams), recording an all-time record of 304-288-28. 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. C of I has logged 4-straight winning seasons, including the record-setting 11-1 campaign in 2019.
 
SUCCESS AT HOME: With Saturday's win over Southern Oregon, the Yotes have posted a 23-13 record at Simplot Stadium since football returned to the College in 2014. Dating back to their first game at the facility in 1964, the Coyotes have an all-time record of 43-49-2 at Simplot Stadium.
 
POSTSEASON APPEARANCES: The 2019 season marked the Yotes third postseason appearance in program history and their first appearance in the NAIA Football Championship Series. In 1948, C of I was selected to participate in the Pear Bowl in Medford, Ore., defeating Southern Oregon, 27-20. In 1953, an unbeaten Northwest Conference champion Coyotes played in the Refrigerator Bowl in Evansville, Ind., losing to Sam Houston State, 14-12. In 2019, the Frontier Conference champs defeated Ottawa (Ariz.), 70-23, in a first-round game in Caldwell, before losing a 14-6 quarterfinal decision to Grand View (Iowa) in Des Moines.
 
HISTORY OF HOMECOMING GAMES: It is Homecoming and Family Weekend on the C of I campus, as we welcome all former Coyotes, family and friends to today's game. Since 1933, the Yotes are a combined 25-17-2 on Homecoming Weekend – including a string of 10-straight wins from 1946-55. C of I is riding a 3-game win streak in Homecoming games.
 
A GEM STATE PARTY: There will be a lot of Idaho connections on the field, as both C of I and Carroll feature a roster full of Gem State players. Nearly half of the Yotes roster comes from Idaho (64 total players), while the Fighting Saints will have 20 Idaho players on their roster. Rocky Mountain High in Meridian will have 12 former players in uniform – eight Coyotes and four on the Carroll roster.
 
LOG JAM IN THE FRONTIER: With the Yotes win at Eastern Oregon, C of I pulled into a 4-way tie atop the Frontier Conference standings heading into Week 5. The Coyotes are 3-1 in league play, tied with Montana Western, Eastern Oregon and Rocky Mountain – all one game ahead of fifth-place Southern Oregon (2-2).
 
POLL POSITIONING: C of I returned to the NAIA Top-25 after a two-week hiatus, entering at No. 23 - one of three Frontier Conference teams in the poll. The Yotes have been ranked or receiving votes in every NAIA poll since Oct. 29, 2018 - a stretch of 26-straight weeks in the rankings.
 
COACH MO WINS #41: With the win over Eastern Oregon, head coach Mike Moroski picked up his 41st win with the Yotes - joining Anse Cornell (54 wins from 1916-32) and Clem Parberry (47 wins from 1935-50) in C of I football's 41-win club.
 
C OF I OFFENSE VS. CARROLL DEFENSE: It has been a broken record this year – the high-powered Coyote running attack against a premier run defense. That will be the case again – as the Yotes average 247 yards on the ground, while Carroll holds opponents to just 95 yards rushing per game. Nick Calzaretta (88 rush, 500 yards, 5 TD) has been a workhorse, leading the league in rushing yards and has five career touchdowns against the Saints. He will face a solid front seven for Carroll, led by linemen Garrett Kocab (19 tackles, 6 TFL, 2.5 sacks) and Garrett Worden (18 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 3 sacks), along with linebacker Rex Irby (29 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 2 INT). Quarterback Jack Rice (44-of-84 558 yards 4 INT 5 TD, 103 rush yards) is coming off his best game of the season at EOU and has found a rhythm with receivers Hunter Juarez (17 rec 296 yards 1 TD) and Isaiah Veal (7 rec 142 yards 2 TD). They will face a Saints secondary that has recorded eight interceptions – including three from safety T.J. Abraham (21 tackles, 3 INT), with both Zach Spiroff (29 tackles, 1 INT) and Dawson Zebarth (23 tackles) both active in stopping the run.
 
CARROLL OFFENSE VS. C OF I DEFENSE: This spring, Carroll dominated the line of scrimmage, rushing for 248 yards in a 28-19 win over the Yotes – but the Saints come into Week 5 averaging just 127 rushing yards a game (while C of I has limited teams to 105 rush yards a contest). With all-league back Matthew Burgess missing the last three games with injury, Duncan Kraft (81 rush 391 yards, 6 TD) has been the featured ball carrier – but will have to contend with defensive ends Keegan McCoy (10 tackles, 1.5 TFL) and Cole Schmidt (10 tackles, 3 TFL), along with linebackers Dylan Martinez (42 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 3 FumRec) and Tanner Leaf (20 tackles, 4 TFL, 2 sacks). The quarterback spot is a question mark, as Devan Bridgewater (53-of-92 544 yards 3 INT 1 TD) a former Eagle High standout, started the first three games before being injured vs. Eastern, with Jack Prka (23-of-38 262 yards 1 INT 2 TD), a Coeur d'Alene standout, earning the start vs. Southern. Receiver Camron Rothie (26 rec 230 yards 1 TD) and tight end Tony Collins (13 rec 145 yards 2 TD) are the top pass catching options and will contend with the No. 1 pass defense in the Frontier – paced by safety Taeson Hardin (31 tackles, 2 INT).
 
C OF I / CARROLL SPECIALISTS: Special teams play will be key – as both squads have been solid in their coverage units in 2021. The Yotes have used two kickers through four games – as Stan Mulderij (5-of-7 PAT, 2-of-4 FG) has handled placekick duties, while Cameron Simons (9-of-9 PAT, 2-of-5 FG) has handled kickoffs – with the C of I 4-of-4 on field goals inside 30 yards, but 0-of-5 outside that range. Punter Jacob Johnson (34.2 punt avg) is coming off a solid Saturday at Eastern Oregon, averaging over 40 yards a boot. Hunter Gilbert (7.4 avg) is a threat on punt returns, as is kick returner Caden Cobb (23.1 avg). The Saints kicking game is much improved this season, paced by Stephen Powell (10-of-10 PAT, 5-of-6 FG), who is perfect on extra points and converted five field goals. Punter Brock Paldi (38.9 avg) has pinned opponents inside the 20-yard-line six times this season. Jaden Harrison (15.8 avg) is Carroll's top kick returner, while Camron Rothie (5.0 avg) has handled all punt returns.
 
LAST MEETING - APRIL 10, 2021 (CARROLL 28, COLLEGE OF IDAHO 19): Matthew Burgess rushed 32 times for 170 yards and two touchdowns, as Carroll claimed a share of the Frontier Conference title and earned the league's automatic bid to the NAIA Football Championship Series with the victory. The Yotes got 22 and 36-yard field goals from Stan Mulderij and a touchdown run from Connor Richardson to cut the Fighting Saints lead to 14-13 midway through the third quarter - but four C of I turnovers on the day and 248 rushing yards by Carroll were the difference. The Yotes Ryan Hibbs passed for 260 yards, as Hunter Juarez led all players with eight receptions for 108 yards, but the signal caller tossed three interceptions and was sacked six times. The win for Carroll ended a 3-game losing streak to the Yotes, dating back to 2016.
 
AMONG THE TOP DRAWS IN THE NAIA: The Coyotes have been among the Top-3 in NAIA attendance every year from 2014-19 (fans were not allowed at games during the 2020-21 spring season) and 2021 has been no different. Through two home games, C of I is averaging 3,679 fans a game – second only to Montana Tech (5,029) – but well ahead of Georgetown (3,000), Evangel (2,983) and Taylor (2,874). The Coyotes are well ahead of every Division III Northwest Conference team – including Linfield (2,504), George Fox (2,299) and Whitworth (1,795) – and just behind Division II Central Washington (3,752), but ahead of Division I Portland State (3,565).
 
YOTES VS. BRONCOS ON A SATURDAY AFTERNOON: Saturday marks a rare occasion – as two simultaneous college football games will be going on in the Treasure Valley. For the eighth time in 37 home games since 2014, both the Coyotes and Boise State will be playing on the same date in the 208 area code. It will be just the second time that the games will be at the same time – joining a 2018 BSU-San Diego State game in Boise that was being played alongside a C of I-Carroll game in Caldwell. The Yotes are 7-0 during those games, while BSU is 4-3.
 
TOP-25 WINS: Since football returned in 2014, the Coyotes have played 36 games against Top-25 competition, recording a combined 15-21 record. During the first three years of competition, C of I posted a 3-15 record against ranked teams, but since 2017, the Yotes have flipped the script – winning 12-of-18 games. The win over EOU equaled the second-highest ranked team C of I has defeated (topping No. 11 Eastern in 2017), with a 2016 victory over the No. 10 ranked Mounties the only time the Coyotes have beat a Top-10 team (1-10).
 
OFFENSE CONTINUES TO ROLL: The Yotes continued to pile up yards on offense – surpassing 200 yards both on the ground and through the air in the win at EOU. C of I had 419 yards of total offense (212 rush yards, 207 pass yards) – the third time this season they have recorded 400-or-more yards of total offense. The Coyotes lead the Frontier Conference in rushing yards per game (247.0), while ranking second in the circuit in total offense (449.8) – second only to Montana Western.
 
RICE GOES THE DISTANCE: For the first time since the season opener, quarterback Jack Rice took every snap for the Yotes – and posted an efficient afternoon. The transfer set season-highs with 16 completions, 30 attempts and 207 passing yards, connecting on two touchdown passes without an interception. His five touchdown passes on the season rank No. 5 in the Frontier Conference.
 
CALZARETTA BREAKS THE 3,000-YARD MARK: Fifth-year senior Nick Calzaretta recorded his 11th career 100-yard rushing game at EOU, carrying the ball 25 times for 119 yards – the third-most 100-yard games in C of I history (Tom Winbigler posted 16 100-yard games from 1946-49 and Darius-James Peterson had 12 100-yard games from 2016-19). His efforts pushed his career rushing total to 3,025 – just 388 yards away from Peterson's career school record of 3,413 yards, established from 2016-19. Calzaretta leads the Frontier Conference and ranks No. 4 in the NAIA with 500 rushing yards on the season.
 
VEAL IMPRESSES AGAIN IN LA GRANDE: For the second-straight season, receiver Isaiah Veal had a big day in Community Stadium – both in the passing and the run game. Veal, who caught five passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns in last season's 49-38 win, led the team with four receptions for 86 yards, including a 39-yard first quarter touchdown grab. He added 31 yards on a career-high six rushing attempts. For the year, Veal leads the squad, averaging 20.3 yards per reception and is averaging 6.1 yards per rushing attempt.
 
SPREADING THE WEALTH: The pass game featured eight different players recording at least one reception – five receivers, two tight ends and a running back. Receiver Charlie Maynes recorded two catches for 17 yards, his first two receptions as a Coyote, while tight end Ben Hruby caught his first pass since the 2017 season. Hunter Juarez added two receptions – pushing his career total to 90.
 
YOTES BOAST TOP DEFENSE IN THE FRONTIER: For the third time in four games, the Coyotes limited their opponent to under 300 yards of total offense – lowering their season average of yards allowed per game to 288 – tops in the Frontier Conference. C of I ranks No. 16 in the NAIA in total defense and No. 18 in rush defense.
 
DEFENSIVE LINE FINDS THE END ZONE: The turning point in Saturday's win was an interception by defensive end Cade Flint, returned for a touchdown to give the Yotes a 10-point third quarter lead. It marked the fifth interception returned for a touchdown since football returned in 2014 and the fourth touchdown scored by a defensive lineman. Defensive end Daniel Garcia returned a fumble for a score vs. Carroll in 2018, defensive end J.T. Mahon returned an interception for a score in 2019 vs. MSU-Northern, while defensive end Keagan McCoy returned a fumble for a touchdown in 2020-21 at Eastern Oregon.
 
MORE BIG PLAYS: The defensive line was active throughout the game, with tackle Tanner Sackman recording his first career two sack game. He was joined in the sack parade by end Alex Ojukwu, who nearly recorded a safety with a fourth quarter stop deep in EOU territory. End Cole Schmidt had three tackles in the game, including a pair of stops behind the line of scrimmage.
 
LINEBACKERS KEY IN STOPPING THE RUN: The linebacker crew of Dylan Martinez and Tanner Leaf had another big day, helping the Coyote defense hold EOU to just 79 rushing yards (with 43 yards coming on first quarter quarterback scrambles). Martinez had five tackles – combining for a tackle for loss – while adding a key fourth quarter fumble recovery, his league-leading third of the season. Leaf followed up a big starting debut by leading the squad with eight more tackles – including five solo stops.
 
SECONDARY STELLAR: For the second straight game and third time this season, the Yotes have held an opponent under 200 passing yards for a game – along with a completion percentage under 50-percent. C of I limited Eastern to 180 passing yards – with 50 of the yards on a final no-huddle drive – with the Mounties completing just 14-of-37 pass attempts. For the season, the C of I secondary has held their foes to a 45-percent completion percentage, forced five interceptions and just 188 passing yards an afternoon.
 
JOHNSON HAS QUALITY DAY: Punter Jacob Johnson helped the Yotes flip the field position in La Grande, having his best game of the season in the road win. Johnson punted five times – equaling a season high – averaging 40.4 per boot, upping his season average to 34.2 yards a punt.
 
TIME OF POSSESSION AND TURNOVERS: A key to the Coyotes success this season has been controlling the football and forcing turnovers. C of I has won the time of possession battle in each of the last three games – holding the football for an average of 12 minutes more per game than the opposition. In addition, the Yotes have forced more turnovers than their opposition in all four games this season and currently lead the Frontier Conference with a (+7) turnover margin.
 
SPRING 2021 VS. FALL 2021: The Yotes are at the same point of the season where the spring slate ended – with the statistical numbers showing marked improvement, despite an identical 3-1 record. This fall, C of I is averaging nearly a touchdown more per game (31.2 points vs. 26.0 points), with the Yotes offense averaging 90 yards more per game (449 vs. 359) and the defense allowing 52 fewer yards a contest (288 vs. 340). Two big statistics – the Coyotes have more than doubled their rushing output (246.0 vs. 109.2), while C of I currently has a (+7) turnover margin in comparison to a (-2) turnover margin this spring.
 
RECORD BOOK: A total of 12 players find themselves on the career Top-25 record list, including Nick Calzaretta, who ranks No. 3 all-time in rushing attempts (614), rushing yards (3,025), rushing touchdowns (33) and in total touchdowns (34), is No. 4 in points scored (204) and No. 6 in total offense (3,025) and in touchdowns responsible for (34). Hunter Juarez ranks No. 3 in receiving yards (1,836), No. 5 in receiving touchdowns (13), No. 6 in receptions (90), No. 19 in total touchdowns scored (13), No. 23 in points scored (78) and No. 24 in touchdowns responsible for (13); Connor Gagain is No. 12 in touchdown receptions (6), No. 16 in receptions (55) and No. 20 in receiving yards (537); Ryan Hibbs is No. 10 in touchdown passes (7), No. 13 in passing yards (908) and in pass completions (62), ranking No. 20 in pass attempts (103); Stan Mulderij is No. 6 in field goals made (4) and No. 14 in extra points made (14); Cameron Simons is for No. 7 in field goals (2) and No. 20 in extra points made (9); Isaiah Veal is No. 12 in touchdown receptions (6) and No. 21 in receiving yards (535); with Jack Rice No. 15 in touchdown passes (5), No. 19 in pass completions (44), No. 20 in passing yards (558) and No. 24 in pass attempts (84). Defensively, Keagan McCoy ranks No. 2 in sacks (13.5), No. 5 in tackles for loss (21.0) and No. 20 in tackles (94); Isaiah Abdul is No. 13 in interceptions (5) and No. 16 in tackles (109); Taeson Hardin is No. 10 in tackles (131) and in interceptions (6); with Dylan Martinez No. 14 in tackles (112) and No. 22 in interceptions (3).
 
LOOKING AHEAD: C of I will hit the road next weekend for a road date at Montana Tech in Butte, followed by their second of two bye weekends during the 2021 schedule. The Yotes will return home on Oct. 23 for a huge match-up against current No. 20 ranked Montana Western, currently tied with C of I atop the Frontier Conference standings.