Benjamin Franklin famously said only death and taxes are certain. The Kansas Wesleyan football team would add a third item to his list – tailback Luke Armstrong.
On a day when offensive yards were difficult to come by, he rose to the occasion once again. Armstrong rushed for 181 yards on 23 carries (7.9 yards average) and a touchdown in leading the Coyotes to a 23-20 Kansas Conference and Gene Bissell Division victory over Ottawa on Saturday at Gene Bissell Field at JRI Stadium and the Graves Family Sports Complex.
KWU (6-4) clinched the division title with the Senior Day victory (4-0) and as a result will play in the first round of the NAIA Championship Series that begins November 23. The regular season ends next Saturday with a game at Sterling.
The victory, their fourth in a row, avenged the Coyotes’ 27-24 overtime loss to OU a year ago in Ottawa — a setback that cost them a postseason berth.
Playing on his birthday Armstrong had 105 yards on 12 carries and a touchdown in the first half – the score coming on a two-yard run with 1:04 remaining before intermission that gave KWU a 13-3 lead.
His 50-yard run with 6:01 left in the half led to Cole Segraves’ game-tying 50-yard field goal. Talon Cope followed with a 28-yard field goal with 3:40 remaining gave the Coyotes a 6-3 lead. It came six plays after linebacker Ricardo Garciarecovered a fumble at the OU 21-yard line.
Byron McNair’s 41-yard touchdown pass to Buck Taylor with 4:56 left in the third quarter capped a quick three-play, 39-yard drive that gave the Coyotes a seemingly safe 20-3 lead. Ottawa, though, made it interesting with two fourth quarter touchdowns sandwiched around a 36-yard Cope field goal.
Ottawa’s second touchdown came with 1:26 remaining but KWU secured the onsides kick. Armstrong sealed the deal by gaining 40 yards on four carries – the game ending with the ball at the Ottawa 2.
Armstrong ranks eighth in the NAIA with 1,123 yards on the season.
“Luke does a great job,” KWU interim co-head coach Chris Snyder said on the postgame show. “It’s a collaborative effort with the O-line and Z (tailback Zarek Fewell). You know what you get with Luke and Z with how well they run the ball.”
Ottawa (1-9, 1-3 Bissell) finished with 443 total yards – 244 rushing and 199 passing. The Coyotes had 285 total yards, 205 on the ground.
Quarterbacks Richard Lara and McNair were both 3 of 7 passing, McNair with 41 yards and Lara 21. Neither threw an interception.
Linebacker Myles Elam spearheaded the defense once again finishing with 10 tackles, seven of them solo. Garcia and linebacker Daniel Cabrera had seven tackles apiece. Garcia also blocked a punt in the fourth quarter that led the Cope’s second field goal that proved to be the difference.
“It starts with the kids but also the effort that the coaches have put in,” Snyder said. “Everybody has bought in and invested. I think the kids see that and we’re getting their best effort. I’m not saying we’re perfect, we’ve always got things to clean up.”
Sterling (2-8, 2-2 Bissell) lost to Avila 20-7 Saturday in Sterling. The Coyotes and Warriors game will kickoff at 1 p.m. at Smisor Stadium in Sterling.
“I’ll take any win,” Snyder said. “Half the nation loses every Saturday so we’ll take a win and I’m not going to apologize for 23-20.”
