CALDWELL, Idaho – Battling a much-improved College of Idaho team in a hostile environment, the No. 13 Eastern Oregon University football team couldn't recover from an early 14-point, second-quarter deficit en route to suffering a 40-28 defeat at the hands of the Yotes.
For the Mountaineers, junior quarterback Zach Bartlow completed 15 of 26 passes for 146 yards and ran for a 97-yard touchdown in the second quarter that stunned the sellout crowd of 5,289 at Simplot Stadium, but it wasn't enough.
"I give credit to College of Idaho's program for the way they played," said head football coach Tim Camp. "We will learn from our missed opportunities and move forward."
Senior wide receiver Jace Billingsley caught two touchdowns and finished with six catches for 45 yards, while junior wide receiver TJ Esekielu caught three passes for 50 yards.
After the Yotes ran in for a pair of touchdowns to take an early 14-0 advantage, the Mountaineers faced third-and-27 from their own 3-yard line. Amid a scramble and the deafening roar of the crowd, Bartlow found a seam in the defense and sprinted in for a 97-yard touchdown.
College of Idaho responded later in the quarter after forcing a fumble and then eventually converting a 22-yard pass for a touchdown to snag a 20-7 lead, but that's when senior defensive back Byron Benson gave his team some life in what had been a stagnant first half for EOU.
In the winding moments of the frame, Benson stepped in front of a Teejay Gordon pass and drove it 38 yards for the touchdown to pull the Mountaineers within six (20-14).
EOU had a chance to open the second half on the right foot and steal its first lead, but College of Idaho forced a 3-and-out and then drove it down for a touchdown to take a 26-14 advantage.
"We had opportunities but were unable to capitalize on them in crucial situations of this game," said Camp.
With 6:47 left in the third, EOU converted on fourth-and-4 after Esekielu found Billingsley wide open on the left side for a 13-yard touchdown pass to pull the Mountaineers back within striking distance, 26-21.
But that's when things went south for EOU. After the Yotes utilized a 14-yard scoring run to snatch a 33-21 lead, College of Idaho forced an interception and a pair of sacks to keep EOU in check.
Trailing 40-21, Bartlow found Billingsley for a 10-yard touchdown to pull the Mountaineers within 12 (40-28) at the 2:21 mark in the fourth quarter, but the second-year College of Idaho football team held on for the victory.
"We will go back to work and evaluate this film," said Camp. "This is a good starting point for this ball club."
As a team, College of Idaho (1-0) accumulated 27 first downs compared to 15 by EOU. The Yotes racked up 419 yards of total offense, while the Mountaineers amassed 321.
"Since I have been the head coach, we have one thing I will always stand by – we win and lose together as a family," said Camp.
EOU (0-1) returns to action on Sept. 5 against Sacramento State in Sacramento, Calif. Kickoff is set for 6:05 p.m.
