HAVRE, Mont. – The College of Idaho Yotes secured a dominant 28-7 victory over Montana State-Northern on Saturday at Blue Pony Stadium.
How It Happened
Montana State-Northern struck first with a 40-yard touchdown pass from Zach Brooks to Colter Woldstad midway through the first quarter, but that was their only score of the game. The Yotes responded on their next drive with a 1-yard touchdown run by Rylie Byington, capping a methodical 13-play, 75-yard drive to even the score at 7-7.
In the second quarter, College of Idaho took control. Quarterback Caden Young found Brock Richardson for a 5-yard touchdown pass, giving the Yotes a 14-7 lead. Just before halftime, Andy Peters extended the advantage with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Tommy Hauser, finishing off a 70-yard drive in under two minutes.
The third quarter saw the Yotes' offense strike again, as Peters connected with John Kreps for a 57-yard touchdown, the longest play of the game. The Yotes' defense shut down MSU-Northern for the rest of the game, allowing just 43 rushing yards and sacking the Lights' quarterback three times.
Big Plays & Key Stats
- Andy Peters led the Yotes' aerial attack, completing 23 of 37 passes for 349 yards and two touchdowns. His targets included John Kreps, who hauled in four receptions for 97 yards, and Brock Richardson, who added four catches for 79 yards and a score.
- On the ground, Hunter Gilbert paced College of Idaho with 10 carries for 63 yards, including a key 18-yard run.
- The Yotes' defense was stout, holding MSU-Northern to just 142 total yards of offense. Kobe Roberts and Jacob Arms each recorded six tackles, while Gavin Ozuna added a sack and 9 yards in tackles for loss.
- Graduate student long snapper Devon Long made a key contribution on special teams, recording his first career tackle during a punt return in the fourth quarter.
Defensive Dominance
The Yotes' defense dominated the line of scrimmage, forcing three sacks and limiting the Lights to 11 first downs. MSU-Northern struggled to establish their running game, averaging just 1.3 yards per carry, with quarterback Zach Brooks under pressure throughout the afternoon.
