By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director
SALEM, Ore. -- College of Idaho scored two touchdowns and a field goal on its first three possessions to build a 17-0 lead, and the Coyotes went on to defeat Willamette University, 42-12, on Saturday, Sept. 10 at McCulloch Stadium. The Yotes, who compete in the NAIA, improved to 1-1 on the season. Willamette, a member of NCAA Division III, fell to 0-2.
The Coyotes led 27-0 at halftime and held a 285-92 advantage in total offense at the break. After C of I added a touchdown late in the third quarter, Willamette scored on drives of 99 yards and 93 yards in the fourth period, before the Yotes recorded the game's final touchdown with 3:15 left.
Willamette outgained College of Idaho 340-161 in total yards in the second half. C of I finished the game with a 446-433 edge in total offense.
Senior running back Taylor Wyman (Bellevue, WA/Issaquah HS) of Willamette rushed for 111 yards on 12 carries, including a 79-yard run to the 2-yard line to set up the Bearcats' second touchdown. Jeremiah James (Jr./So., WR, Salem, OR/South Salem HS/Chemeketa CC) scored both of WU's touchdowns on catches of 41 yards and two yards.
C of I quarterback Tyler Cox completed 15 of 21 passes for 216 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Willamette quarterback Ryan Knowlton (Jr., Puyallup, WA/Emerald Ridge HS) was 26 of 42 passing for 255 yards and two scores, but tossed three interceptions, including two on tipped passes.
Colby Brown from C of I returned the opening kickoff 45 yards to give the Coyotes possession at the Willamette 35-yard line. Four plays later, Cox hit Marcus Lenhardt on 14-yard touchdown pass. The conversion kick by Kyle Mitchell gave the Yotes a 7-0 lead with 13:24 left in the first quarter.
Knowlton was intercepted on a long pass seven plays later by Nate Moore at the C of I 18-yard line. On the fourth play, Cox connected with Shayne Robinson on a 59-yard scoring strike. Mitchell kicked the extra point, and added a 29-yard field goal on College of Idaho's next possession for a 17-0 lead with 3:18 left in the quarter.
Mitchell tacked on a 24-yard field goal at the 7:47 mark in the second quarter. The Coyotes also scored on an 8-yard run by Cox with 2:21 to go before halftime at the end of a nine-play, 82-yard drive.
After Willamette's first drive of the second half, College of Idaho took over at its own 20 following a punt. The Yotes also had to punt four plays later. Hartvig Bondo's kick -- while running toward the sideline -- went just four yards. WU gained control at the C of I 25-yard line, but turned the ball over on downs.
The Yotes kept the ball for 11 plays and drove 75 yards to take a 34-0 lead. The drive started with a 24-yard pass from Cox to Turner Simmons, and later featured a 31-yard run by Mike Kirby to the WU 4. Cox scored on a 1-yard run on 3rd-and-goal.
Early in the fourth quarter, Hunter Temple intercepted a pass by Knowlton and returned it four yards to the WU 21-yard line. The Coyotes eventually gained a first down at the 9-yard line.
On 2nd-and-goal from the four, Darius-James Peterson rushed up the middle. Elijah Hall-Crockett (Fr., DB, Phoenix, AZ/Cesar Chavez HS) forced Peterson to fumble at the 1-yard line, and Trent Spallas (Sr., LB, Elk Grove, CA/Franklin HS) recovered the ball for Willamette.
Two plays later, Knowlton completed a 31-yard pass to Kevin Martz (Jr./So., WR, Salem, OR/South Salem HS/Claremont McKenna College), bringing the ball to the WU 40. The Bearcats eventually faced 2nd-and-19 at the C of I 41. Knowlton, who went 6 for 7 on the drive, tossed a 41-yard touchdown pass to James. The extra point kick failed.
On Willamette's next possession, the Bearcats took over at their own 7-yard line following a 56-yard punt.
Knowlton completed a 12-yard pass to Alex Israel (Sr., WR, McMinnville, OR/McMinnville HS) to start the drive. Wyman followed with a 79-yard run down the left sideline before Tristen Alesi made a shoe-string tackle to prevent a score. Knowlton tossed a pass to James for a 2-yard score on the next play. Willamette's two-point conversion failed.
Israel topped the Bearcat receivers with eight catches for 78 yards during the game. James added seven receptions for 83 yards, while Wyman caught four passes for 30 yards and Martz grabbed three passes for 46 yards.
James also returned three kickoffs a total of 72 yards. He has averaged 25.2 yards on six kickoff returns this season.
For College of Idaho, Robinson caught seven passes for 97 yards, and Lenhardt hauled in four passes for 77 yards. Kirby led the Yotes with 70 rushing yards on 12 carries.
Nick Brickous (Sr./Jr., SS, Mesa, AZ/Perry HS/U.S. Military Acad.) provided the WU defense with 11 total tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss. Nikk Ryan (Jr., DE, Oakdale, CA/Oakdale HS) tacked on seven tackles and made 2.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Spallas, in addition to a fumble recovery, earned six tackles (5 solo) and broke up a pass. Benjamin Jahn (Jr./So., DL, Juneau, AK/Thunder Mountain HS) also contributed six tackles.
Nikolas Lyons recorded seven tackles for College of Idaho. Jacques Carter achieved six tackles -- all solo stops -- and was credited with one tackle for loss.
The Bearcats will play at California Lutheran University on Saturday, Sept. 17. Game time in Thousand Oaks, California, is set for 12 p.m. (PDT).
