LA GRANDE, Ore. – Eastern Oregon Football opened the 2026 season Saturday night at Community Stadium, jumping to an early lead before No.4 College of Idaho pulled away for a 37-7 victory.
The Mountaineers showed early promise, taking a 7-3 advantage midway through the first quarter when quarterback
Kallen Gutridge connected with
Tyler Creswick for a 39-yard touchdown. Creswick's score capped a quick three-play, 44-yard drive and gave EOU an early spark.
College of Idaho answered with a field goal, to cut their deficit to one at the end of the first quarter. The Yotes eventually took the lead early in the second quarter on a three play, 67-yard drive that featured a 60-yard rush and a 5-yard run before finishing with a two-yard touchdown run to make it 13-7.
College of Idaho capitalized on a three play stop, adding another touchdown to push their lead to 20-7. The Mountaineers had an opportunity to respond later in the quarter, putting together their longest sustained drive of the night. EOU marched 58 yards in 12 plays and reached the College of Idaho 3-yard line, converting a fourth down along the way. The drive ultimately ended when Gutridge's fourth-down pass fell incomplete as the teams headed into the halftime break.
The Yotes controlled the second half, putting together an 18-play, 91-yard drive that consumed more than 10 minutes of the third quarter, finishing the march with an eight-yard touchdown run to extend the Yotes' lead to 27-7. College of Idaho added another touchdown early in the fourth quarter before a late field goal capped the scoring at 37-7.
Despite the final margin, Eastern Oregon's defense produced several standout performances.
Cole Martin led all players with 12 tackles and added two sacks.
Michael Lenke and
Jacobaas Van Ruiten each finished with eight tackles, while Van Ruiten also recorded a sack.
Eastern Oregon will look to bounce back when the Mountaineers return to action Sept. 12 at Whitworth University. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 PM PT.
