CALDWELL, Idaho – Making their NAIA Football Championship Series debut, the 16th-ranked OUAZ football team ran into a team determined to make a deep run as No. 5 College of Idaho defeated the Spirit 70-23 on Saturday afternoon at Simplot Stadium.
 
OUAZ (9-2) got off to a slow start as College of Idaho (11-0) went right down the field on its first two possessions to build a 14-0 lead. The Spirit scored their first touchdown on the day with 4:06 to play in the first quarter when Antonio Day broke a tackle and went 36 yards for the score.
 
After the Yotes – champions of the Frontier Conference – scored on their next possession, the Spirit began to settle in. They capped a 12-play drive with a 29-yard John Williams field goal and then turned their first defensive stop into a 2-yard rushing TD from Kristopher Ewens to get within 21-16 with 7:37 to play in the first half.
 
The teams would then trade scores before the momentum swung in C of I's favor. The home team scored a TD with 30 seconds to play in the half, and then got a 47-yard pick-six to close the first half with a 42-23 lead.
 
C of I then held the Spirit scoreless in the second half while scoring four touchdowns to pull away for the first-round victory.
 
OUAZ moved the ball at times and finished with 489 yards of total offense with 24 first downs. They went 11 of 19 on third down but committed four turnovers that resulted in 28 points for the Yotes.
 
Austin McCullough finished 33 of 51 for 383 yards and the touchdown to Day. He completed passes to eight different receivers with Ray Springer setting a school record with 10 catches. He turned those into 158 yards.
 
Kristopher Ewens ran for 105 yards – his fifth straight 100-yard game – with one touchdown.
 
Amare Burks led the Spirit defense with 10 tackles – eight solo – while making one tackle-for-loss. Maurri DeBerry had nine tackles and Jevan Hogan made eight stops.
 
College of Idaho gained 547 yards of offense, including 359 yards rushing. Darrius Peterson ran for 138 yards and passed for another 188.
 
OUAZ ends its second season with a 9-2 overall record and champions of the Sooner Athletic Conference. They are now 16-6 in the program's history with two postseason appearances.