Coyotes power past McPherson 38-10
Wesleyan controls ball for over 40 minutes, runs for 372 yards

Jason Dolan leaps for a touchdown pass from Drew Dallas in the first quarter of KWU's 38-10 win over McPherson

Kansas Wesleyan put together one of its most impressive offensive showings in recent memory, racking up 481 yards of total offense and holding the ball for over 40 minutes of time of possession as the Coyotes dominated the McPherson Bulldogs 38-10 on Saturday night at Salina Stadium.

It was the Coyotes’ night, offensively, defensively, even on special teams. The Coyotes pounded the ball on the ground for 372 yards on 65 attempts, held McPherson to just 254 yards offense, and made several key plays on special teams.

Wesleyan opened the game with the ball and marched 67 yards in just seven plays to go ahead 7-0. Drew Dallas hit Jason Dolan on a fade route to the left side of the end zone from 18 yards out with 12:13 left in the first quarter. The scoring play was set up by a penalty on McPherson for a late hit on a run by Preston McCorkle.

McPherson’s first drive of the night went for minus three yards as Andrew Panigada and Dustin Trimble sacked Aaron Sunday for a nine yard loss on third down from the Wesleyan 48 yard line.

After the McPherson punt pinned the Coyotes at their own 19, McCorkle got two yards on first down, and on second down Dallas dropped back to pass, but was flushed out of the pocket and made an incredible scramble play for 29 yards, going out of bounds at midfield. The Coyotes could get no closer than the McPherson 43, where the drive stalled. On the punt, a bad snap nearly forced Scotty McKeon to eat the ball for almost a 20-yard loss, but he was able to pick up the ball, scramble to his right and get off a end over end punt that took a massive KWU bounce and rolled out of bounds at McPherson’s six yard line.

McPherson put together a nice looking drive, aided by two big pass plays from Sunday to Gary Cox. The Bulldogs got to the KWU-11 thanks to a face mask penalty on a run by Scotty Moore, but had to settle for a 28-yard field goal from Travis Eason to make the score 7-3 Coyotes.

The two teams the traded back and forth interceptions on their next drives. After the Coyotes were pinned deep in their own territory after a holding penalty, Dallas threw a ball that was intercepted by Mark Watson at the KWU-32, giving McPherson great field position. However, the Bulldogs were also in the giving mood, as Sunday’s pass on the first play of the drive was picked off by Ken Mitchell at the KWU-3.

McPherson had all sorts of trouble in its first drive of the second quarter. After gaining seven yards on the first play, the Bulldogs went backwards on the next two, losing nine yards on the drive, and gave the ball back to the Coyotes with 12:45 left in the quarter.

Wesleyan used three different ball carriers on its next drive, marching 47 yards in 11 plays, capping the five and a half minute drive with a one-yard run by speedster Jeremy Washington. McKeon’s kick made it 14-3 Coyotes.

Scott Moore knocked the ball loose from McPherson’s Scotty Moore on the next drive for the Bulldogs and Panigada recovered at KWU’s 49 yard line, but the Coyotes gave the ball back to the Bulldogs two plays later when Dallas’ pass for Marcus Lowe was picked off by Austin Brown.

McPherson put together another drive, getting as close as the KWU 29, before the drive would stall, and Eason’s 47-yard field goal try was very wide right.

The Coyotes capitalized on their next drive, using a 44-yard pass from Dallas to Jason Dolan to set up a seven yard pass from Dallas to Steve Valliere on the next play for the score. McKeon’s kick made it 21-3 with three seconds left before the half.

After a failed drive by McPherson (1-1, 1-1 KCAC) to open the second half, the Coyotes marched 66 yards on 11 running plays, using a Washington run from four yards out to go ahead 28-3 on McKeon’s kick.

The Bulldogs appeared to be driving on their next possession, but Mitchell stepped in front of a ball thrown by Sunday on fourth and four and nearly went the other way for the score, but was tripped up at the last minute at the McPherson 44-yard line.

When Wesleyan’s drive stalled at the MAC-32, the Coyotes tried a little trickery with a fake punt, but McKeon’s pass was picked off by Jeff Paulson at the McPherson 33 yard line.

It only took one play for the Bulldogs to find the end zone, when Sunday laid up a beautiful ball to a wide open Gary Cox over the middle, who went 67 yards for the score. Eason’s kick made it 28-10 with 3:18 left.

The Coyotes marched into the fourth quarter on another lengthy drive, and ended up settling for a 29-yard McKeon field goal with 14:12 left in the game.

Wesleyan (1-1, 1-1 KCAC) got its final score of the night on a bit of a trick play. Facing a second and 12 at McPherson’s 47, Dallas appeared to hand off to Washington, but instead took off over the middle of the field and went nearly untouched into the endzone. The only opponent that had a chance at Dallas was the McPherson 20-yard line, which he almost tripped over en route to the score. McKeon’s kick made it 38-10 Wesleyan.

The Coyotes got some younger players some time on their final drive as Dane McCoy, Tyler Zachman and Tommy Horacek all got touches, and Johnny Park made his collegiate debut at quarterback, as Wesleyan got to the McPherson 16, but Park’s pass to Cortney Caraway on fourth down was incomplete.

The Coyotes pounded out 481 yards of total offense, including 372 yards rushing, led by McCorkle, who carried 29 times for 148 yards. Dallas added six carries for 106 yards and a score, and Washington pitched in 14 carries for 66 yards and two scores. Dallas was 8-for-15 for 109 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Dolan had two catches for 62 yards and a score, and Valliere had three grabs for 22 yards and a score.

Scotty Moore led McPherson with 63 yards rushing on 19 attempts, but his progress was nearly all negated by losses on sacks and bad snaps, as the Bulldogs finished the night with just 29 yards rushing. Sunday was 15-of-28 passing for 225 yards, mostly coming on big plays to Gary Cox, who finished the night with seven catches for 172 yards and one touchdown.

The Coyotes step out of conference next Saturday for a game against Southwestern Assemblies of God at 5 p.m. in Waxahachie, Texas. The Coyotes are back on the road the following week at Southwestern in Winfield, before returning home on October 11 for Homecoming 2008 against Ottawa University at 1:30 at Salina Stadium.

-- KWU SI --