Coyotes face Southwestern in key cross-divisional contest Saturday

By KWU Athletics Release September 12, 2024

The Coyotes are back home for a game against Kansas Conference foe Southwestern. Kickoff is 6 p.m. Saturday at JRI Stadium and the Graves Family Sports Complex. Both teams received votes in the NAIA GoRout Top 25 released Monday.

LIVE COVERAGE

GAME INFORMATION
TICKETS

  • Tickets are on sale now at www.kwucoyotes.com/tickets. Tickets are also available at the door. Cash and cards are accepted at the gates. Gates open 90 minutes before kickoff.
    Very few spots remain in the Coyote Premium Tailgate lot. Coyote fans be sure to reserve a remaining spot now at www.kwucoyotes.com/tickets

GAME DAY SPONSORS

PROMOTIONS

  • There is a tailgate on the concourse area of JRI Stadium starting at 4:30 p.m.
  • Saturday’s game is for The Bishop’s Cup. The winning team will be presented the Bishop’s Cup from the Bishop of the Methodist Church, in which both Southwestern and Kansas Wesleyan are affiliated.
  • At half time, the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference will present KWU Athletic Director Miguel Paredes with his 2023-24 Athletic Director of the Year award, and will present the entire KWU Athletic Department with the 2023-24 KCAC Commissioner’s Cup
  • Yotee’s Spirit Store will be open in the Student Activities Center AND on the concourse level at JRI Stadium.
  • Coyote Dance Team will perform at half time
  • Check out the latest vehicles from our transportation partners Marshall Motor and Long McArthur

RECORDS

  • Kansas Wesleyan 1-1
  • Southwestern 2-0

THE SERIES

  • KWU leads the series 17-6 since 2001 but Southwestern has won the last four including a 24-3 victory last season in Winfield. The Coyotes had won the previous six games and 14 of 15.
  • Southwestern leads the all-time series between the teams 40-28-2. The series dates back to 1950.

KANSAS WESLEYAN AT A GLANCE

  • The Coyotes are coming off a 54-16 rout of rival Bethany last week in Lindsborg. It was their 10th consecutive victory and 12th in the last 13 games against the Swedes.
  • KWU trailed 16-12 midway through the second quarter but scored three unanswered touchdowns in the final 5:39 – the last two interception returns. Quatama Massaquoi returned the first 95 yards for a touchdown with 1:35 left in the half and James Preston followed with a 33-yard pick-six with 21 seconds left that gave the Coyotes a 33-16 halftime lead. Bethany didn’t score the final 44:39 of the game.
  • Tailback Luke Armstrong was sensational finishing with 168 yards rushing on just eight carries – a whopping 21.0 yards per carry. He ran 90 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the second quarter and also returned a kickoff 85 yards for KWU’s first score in the first quarter. He was named the KCAC’s Offensive Player of the Week for his performance.
  • Linebacker Daniel Cabrera led the defense with 11 tackles and a sack while safety Colby Klieman had 10 tackles and an interception that he returned 33 yards.
  • Neither team scored in the second half of last year’s game in Winfield. Talon Cope’s 45-yard field goal in the second quarter accounted for KWU’s points.
  • The Coyotes are 8-3 at home against Southwestern since 2001.

SOUTHWESTERN AT A GLANCE

  • The Moundbuilders were impressive in their first two games. They defeated Ottawa 41-0 in Ottawa in the opener and Avila 40-21 last Saturday in Winfield.
  • They’re averaging 543.5 total yards per game – 289 passing, 254.4 rushing. Running backs Martez Jones and J.B. Barnett each average more than eight yards per carry; senior quarterback Braden Howell has completed 68 percent of his passes for 562 yards and six touchdowns; and wide out Matthew Holthusen has a team-best 14 receptions and three scores.
  • Southwestern’s defense has allowed an average of 168 total yards – 128.5 passing and 39.5 rushing.
  • Howell threw for 148 yards and two touchdowns and Jones ran for a score in last year’s game.
  • Southwestern is coached by Brad Griffin who’s in his 12th season. He has a 56-42 record with the Moundbuilders, 45-34 in the KCAC.

KWU COACH MATT MYERS
“Their defense is going to be very well coached and very tough. We know going in their quarterback is very good, so we expect a very tough, hard-fought game. They’re capable of throwing it and running it and they’re not afraid to run with the quarterback so we need to make sure that we’re assignment-sound defensively.

“We want to come out hot. We’re at home so we need to play as hard and as fast as humanly possible. We have to make sure we keep their offense capped, don’t give up any big plays and make sure that when we take our shots (passing) we’re good on protection. And we have to be able to run the ball.”

KWU SAFETY COLBY KLIEMAN
“We’ve got to be able to start fast and finish fast as well. The second half against Bethany we played phenomenal but we’ve got to be more consistent. We try to keep it simple on defense for the most part. Last year we did a really good job of doing our job and we didn’t complicate things too much this year for the most part.

“Having three picks in games is awesome, I think we can keep that up. We’d like to be top 10 (defense) in the country again so it’s not trying to do another person’s job and not making it more complex than it needs to be.”

“Southwestern is a really good team. We definitely have to communicate, we’ve got to talk and be on the same page. They’re always really well coached. I know they’ve got some older guys so we have to talk and play ball like usual.”

NEXT WEEK
The Coyotes are back on the road for a game against No. 21-ranked Friends at 6 p.m. Saturday at Adair-Austin Stadium in Wichita.