Sixth-ranked Kohawks fight off Spartans
The Spartans put the first points on the scoreboard after a
Kohawk fumble on their second possession of the game. Dubuque
went just 36-yards on six plays before settling for a 27-yard field
goal from Skyler Gebhard.
Following another Kohawk punt, the Spartans went to their bag of
tricks as Sean Anderson threw a 62-yard pass to Antwan Teal on a
jet sweep pass. The point after attempt failed, giving the
Spartans a 9-0 lead with :24 left in the first quarter.
The second quarter saw five combined punts result in zero points
for either team, as Dubuque missed a 24-yard field goal wide right
with :02 left in the half. Coe's offense couldn't get
anything going in the first half, as junior quarterback Brad Boyle
(New Sharon, Iowa/North Mahaska) was just 1-of-7 passing for six
yards, while Coe rushed the ball 17 times for 77 yards. Coe
entered the game with the fifth best offensive numbers in the
country.
Just like last week's win over then number-seven Central, the
Kohawks dominated the second half. After a three-and-out for
the Kohawk defense, Dubuque was forced into a punt, resulting in
negative three yards. In under two minutes, the Kohawks
scored their first touchdown of the game as Boyle rushed in from
four-yards out, giving Dubuque a 9-7 lead with 10:51 to play in the
third quarter.
On the ensuing kickoff, junior Austin Lloyd
(Center Point, Iowa/Center Point-Urbana) stripped the ball from
DeMacus Fleming, with the Kohawks recovering at the Spartan 21 yard
line. On the first play of the possession, Boyle found senior
Michael Rozum
(Byron, Ill./Byron) for a touchdown.
Coe forced another three-and-out on defense, setting the offense
up with the ball at the Spartan 48-yard line. On the first
play, Boyle found sophomore Jared Kuehner
(Center Point, Iowa/Center Point-Urbana) for a diving 41-yard
reception. With 6:00 to play in the third quarter, senior Elliot Rausa
(Waterloo, Iowa/Columbus) capped the drive with a 31-yard field
goal, giving Coe a 17-9 lead.
After another punt, Coe drove to the Spartan one-yard line.
Facing fourth and goal from the one, the snap went over Boyle's
head, resulting in a turnover. Dubuque took the drive
88-yards in 12 plays, scoring on a one-yard run by James
Thomas. The two-point attempt failed, leaving Coe with a
17-15 lead with 10:27 to play.
Eating up 4:45 on the clock, Boyle found junior Nick
Ratchford (Waterloo, Iowa/Columbus) uncovered in the end zone
for a 15-yard touchdown. Rausa's point after was good, giving
Coe a 21-15 lead with 5:39 left.
Dubuque wasted no time getting back in the game, as they went
54-yards in :57, with Wyatt Hanus finding Fleming for a 38-yard
touchdown with 4:48 to play. With 2:13 to play, the Kohawks
were forced to punt. On the first play of the drive for the
Spartans, junior Jacob
Breitbach (Panora, Iowa/Panorama) intercepted a pass from
Hanus, sealing the Kohawk win.
Coe tallied 330 yards of total offense, while Dubuque had
403. The Kohawks struggled on third downs, converting just
2-of-12 attempts, while the Spartans were 7-of-14. Sophomore
Brendan
Leiran (Waukon, Iowa/Waukon) led the Kohawks with 85 yards
rushing on 21 carries, while Boyle added 83 yards on 17
carries.
Ratchford caught five passes for 47 yards, while Kuehner had a
team-high 74 yards receiving on three grabs. Rozum added 42
yards on three catches. Junior Ben Carr
(Clinton, Iowa/Prince of Peace) had a team-high 10 tackles,
including nine solo. Junior Jacob
Lower (Volga, Iowa/Central Elkader) added nine tackles, while
Connor
Worthington (Carlisle, Iowa/Carlisle) had eight.
The Kohawks enter their bye week with a 5-0 overall record and 3-0
in the Iowa Conference. Coe's next game is a homecoming date
with conference rival Wartburg. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
Oct. 16 at Clark Field.
