Football hosts Tabor on Saturday in contest between division unbeatens

By KWU Athletics Release October 29, 2024

The Coyotes are back home Saturday for a pivotal Kansas Conference and Gene Bissell Division game against Tabor. Kickoff is 1 p.m. at JRI Stadium and the Graves Family Sports Complex.

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 ticket gate. Very few spots remain in the Premium Tailgate lot. Premium Tailgate parking is reserved for KWU fans only. Reserve a remaining spot now at www.kwucoyotes.com/tickets

GAME DAY SPONSORS
Saturday’s official game day sponsors are Ryan Roofing and A-Plus Architecture and Construction Services of Salina. KWU would also like to thank Little Caesar’s and Chick-Fil-A for providing team and game day staff meals

PROMOTIONS

  • 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 and will be receiving their 2024 KCAC Championship Rings
  • The football game is just one of many activities on campus on Saturday, as KWU has two women’s volleyball matches, and four basketball games at the Student Activities Center in addition to the football game

RECORDS

  • Kansas Wesleyan 4-4 (2-0 Bissell)
  • Tabor 4-4 (2-0 Bissell)

THE SERIES

  • The Coyotes have won the last six and seven of eight against the Bluejays including a 31-0 victory last season in Hillsboro. They won 62-0 in 2022 at JRI Stadium and have a 14-9 advantage since 2001.
  • KWU leads the all-time series 34-21, which dates back to the 1969 season.

KANSAS WESLEYAN AT A GLANCE

  • The Coyotes defeated Saint Mary 38-19 last Saturday in Leavenworth. It was a mirror image of their game against Avila a week earlier. KWU led Avila 35-3 at intermission and raced to a 38-7 halftime lead against the Spires.
  • Offensively the Coyotes shredded Saint Mary for 384 yards rushing on 38 carries, an average of 10.1 yards per carry. Tailbacks Luke Armstrong and Zarek Fewell combined for 379 yards and four touchdowns. Armstrong led the way with 264 yards on 19 carries and three touchdowns while Fewell had 115 yards on 17 attempts and a TD.
  • Armstrong was named the KCAC Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts. He’s averaging 8.0 yards per carry and has 755 yards on the season – 95.4 per game – and nine touchdowns. Fewell has 417 yards rushing and four touchdowns.
  • Defensively KWU intercepted three passes in the first half and limited the Spires to 120 yards passing on 15 of 31 attempts for the game. Linebacker Myles Elam had a team-best nine tackles.
  • Byron McNair threw for 184 yards and two touchdowns and Tyler Boston had 97 yards rushing in last year’s victory over Tabor. KWU had 425 total yards and the Bluejays 151. The Coyotes led 17-0 at halftime.

TABOR AT A GLANCE

  • The Bluejays defeated Avila 41-28 in overtime last week in Kansas City. Tabor took a 35-28 lead in OT on Willie Green’s one-yard run and Brooks Gardner returned an interception 85 yards for a touchdown that ended the game. The Bluejays trailed 17-14 at halftime.
  • Avila had 372 total yards and Tabor 311 – 160 rushing and 151 passing. Green, a junior quarterback, ran for three touchdowns and was 17 of 26 passing.
  • Green has completed 54.7 percent of his throws for 1,266 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Sean Hunter has a team-best 321 yards rushing and Deonte Hill a team-leading 27 receptions for 417 yards and two touchdowns.
  • Tabor averages 19.8 points and allows 28. The Bluejays also average 231 total yards per game – 163 passing. Opponents average 373 total yards – 210 rushing and 163 passing.
  • The Bluejays are coached by Mike Gardner who returned to Tabor in 2010 for his second tint. He previously coached the Bluejays during the 2004 and 2005 seasons and has a 107-65 record at the school.

COACHES CHRIS SNYDER/DAVID LEONARD
Leonard: “We executed (against USM). We were flying around, making plays and then unfortunately came out flat in the second half. There’s a lot of great things to take away from it and there’s a lot of things that we know that we need to address and work on.”

Snyder: “There are things that we’re talking about as coaches to try to have better second halves but when you win, as that saying goes, it’s easier to make corrections. I’m not going to be overly mad about it because we can definitely improve.”

Leonard: “(Armstrong and Fewell) both do really good things. They both have their own skill set and those skill sets work extremely well with what we do on offense. The big thing is neither one of those players have let egos come in the way. That’s a special thing when you have two guys that are carrying the ball and making explosive plays and are working well together.”

Snyder: “Tabor is going to be very well coached; they’re going to be very sound. Coach Gardner has been there for two different stints. We’re going to face a team that is 2-0 and they’re in the control of their own destiny – knockoff K-Dub and they’re division champs. We know what’s in front of us too so we should be highly motivated to match that.”

TAILBACK LUKE ARMSTRONG
“I think (Fewell) is more grimy and gutty. He runs with heart and will break off any tackle and you won’t believe it. I think I thrive in open space. We both have the ability to assess leverage and make people miss. We have a lot of experience so we’re a tandem.”

“The nice part is (our remaining games) are doable. It helps with the belief and the camaraderie and the unity and the drive of the whole team. When you have something to play for it’s much different than just coming out and practicing. Last year we realized after it was too late that we made that Ottawa game too big of a thing. We’re just thinking play our game, execute your assignment every play and see what happens.”

NEXT WEEK
The Coyotes are at home again for a Bissell Division game against Ottawa on Senior Day. Kickoff is 1 p.m. Saturday at JRI Stadium.