79 YEARS OF COYOTE FOOTBALL IN THE BOOKS: The 2023 season will mark the 79th 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 308-290-28. 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.Â
TENTH YEAR BACK: 2023 marks the 10th year since the return of football to the Caldwell campus and head coach
Mike Moroski has led the Yotes to a 55-38 mark including six-straight straight winning seasons (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022), including the record-setting 11-1 campaign in 2019.
FRONTIER FAVORITES: The Yotes enter the 2023 season as the preseason favorite in the poll announced of Frontier Conference head coaches. College of Idaho finished the 2022 season with an 8-2 record, earned 57 voter points and five of nine first-place votes. Behind College of Idaho was Saturday's opponent, Montana Tech, who received a first-place votes, earning 53 points for the second spot in the poll. Next was defending champion Carroll College, who got a first-place votes with 48 points for the third spot with Rocky Mountain College and Montana Western to round out the top four. The remainder of the poll was Arizona Christian (31 points), Southern Oregon (21 points), Eastern Oregon (18 points) and MSU-Northern (8 points).
END ZONE NOTE: In 16 of the last 17 games, College of Idaho has recorded at least one rushing touchdown. In the last three games, College of Idaho has had three rushing touchdowns in each of the contests. Prior to last season, College of Idaho had not recorded at least three rushing touchdowns in three-straight games since the return of football. In 13 of the contests, the Yotes have recorded multiple rushing touchdowns.Â
A VARIETY IN THE END ZONE: Jon Schofield leads the team with six touchdowns. He is just one of eight Yotes, who have scored a touchdown through the first three games.Â
TANNER TERROR: The College of Idaho features three individuals with the first name, Tanner. Thru three games,
Tanner Leaf (#39) has made 22 tackles including two TFLs;
Tanner Sackman (#82) has been involved in a pair of tackles for loss;
Tanner Steele (#31) has made 14 tackles with a sack and 1.5 TFLs.Â
PICKING UP THE FUN: Four Yotes -
Brady Frame,
Jordan McKean,
Isaiah Griffin and
Chip Mitchell - each have an interception. The active career leader is
Keegan Croteau, who had four interceptions as a freshman in 2022. With his next interception, Croteau would be one of 21 players in program history with at least five career interceptions.Â
CLIMBING THE CHARTS: Quarterback
Andy Peters has moved ino the top 10 all-time in pass attempts (314, 10th) and pass completions (189, seventh) and passing TDs (17, seventh).
SUCCESS AT SIMPLOT: With a 4-1 mark in 2022 and wins in its first three games in 2023, the Yotes have posted a 32-15 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 52-51-2 at the venue.
MAKING IT TO THE NFL: Segun Olubi of the Indianapolis Colts will begin his second season in the NFL. Olubi started his college career at College of Idaho before matriculating to Saddleback College, Harding and San Diego State. In his one season with the Yotes, he was second on the team in tackles with 85 and recorded 10 pass breakups.
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BRAINS and FOOTBALL: Tight end
Ben Hruby (Boise, Idaho / Bishop Kelly HS) and wide receiver
Brock Richardson (Fallon, Nev. / Churchill County) were named to the 2022 Academic All-America football teams selected by the College Sports Communicators. Hruby and Richardson are the sixth and seventh Academic All-Americans in the history of the program. Â The program also had 47 student-athletes earn Academic All-Frontier Conference honors. To be eligible for the team, the student-athlete must be at least a sophomore in standing and maintain a 3.25 GPA or greater. Furthemore, 20 student-athletes on the 2022 Daktronics NAIA Football Scholar-Athlete list as announced by the NAIA National Office. In order to be named as a Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athlete, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, must appear on the eligibility certificate for the sport and have attended one full year at said institution, and have achieved sophomore academic status prior to the start of the academic year. The NAIA Scholar-Athlete program is sponsored by Daktronics.Â
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