The Coyotes are back home for a Kansas Conference game against the Avila Eagles.
 

GAME INFORMATION

• Kickoff: 6 p.m.
• Day: Saturday
• Location: Dr. Gene Bissell Field at JRI Hospitality Stadium and Graves Family Sports Complex
• Records: Kansas Wesleyan 2-0; Avila 0-2

LIVE COVERAGE 

• The video stream of the game will be available online through the Coyote Sports Network on the Urban Edge Network (https://urbanedgenetwork.net/watch/2868). The game will also be available on the KCAC Network at www.kcacnetwork.com/kansaswesleyan. 
• Live Stats will be available at https://kwucoyotes.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
• Radio coverage will be on KINA starting at 5 p.m. with Tyler Henry and Brooks Garretson. The online radio stream is available at https://radio.securenetsystems.net/ce/kina2.

THE SERIES 
KWU is 5-2 against Avila since the Eagles joined the KCAC in 2018. The Coyotes have won the last two games – 38-3 last year at JRI Stadium and 34-16 in 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri.

 
KANSAS WESLEYAN AT A GLANCE

• The Coyotes walloped Bethany 38-7 last Saturday night in Lindsborg. It was their 11th consecutive victory and 12th in the last 13 games against their archrivals. KWU built a 28-0 halftime lead and cruised in the second half.
• Henry Austad completed 26 of 34 passes for 276 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Will Wilcox caught seven for 126 yards and two scores while Jevin Dorsey had six receptions for 34 yards and a TD. D'Heaven Domena led the ground attack with 62 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown.
• Defensively the Coyotes limited the Swedes to 246 total yards, just 40 rushing on 24 attempts for a 1.7 average. Bethany quarterbacks were 17 of 44 passing and were sacked five times, twice by Josh King-Bradley. Jamison Price and Myles Elam had eight tackles apiece.
• Talon Cope kicked a 31-yard field goal in the third quarter and was four for four on extra point attempts. Griffin Wiltse averaged 44.3 yards on four punts, the longest 60 yards.
• Running back Luke Armstrong left the game with an injury in the third quarter and did not return. Domena and Kohl Nolan (six carries, 29 rushing yards, one touchdown) replaced him.

   

AVILA AT A GLANCE

• The Eagles lost to Friends 62-7 last Saturday in Kansas City, Missouri. They've been outscored 114-14 in their first two games after losing to McPherson 52-7 in the opener.
• Opponents have rushed for 731 yards, 9.0 per carry, and have scored 15 touchdowns through the first two games.
• Avila averages 190.5 yards per game – 44.5 rushing, 146.0 passing. Duce Taylor and Francisco Beltran have shared quarterback duties and are a combined 14 of 43 passing. Taylor has 192 yards and two touchdowns; Beltran 91 yards and no TDs. Quentin Curtis has a team-best 67 yards rushing and Seth Myers a team-high seven catches for 137 yards and two scores.
• The Eagles trailed KWU 35-0 at halftime a year ago and finished with just 183 total yards that included seven rushing on 31 attempts.
• Avila is led by Derrick Alexander who is in his third season as head coach. He played nine seasons in the NFL including four with the Kansas City Chiefs. He was selected in the first round by the Cleveland Browns in the 1994 draft.

 

HEAD COACH MATT MIDDLETON
"We were up 28-0 (vs. Bethany) and then in the second half if you want to count halves, we won 10-7. So, it was having an opportunity to finish somebody off and not doing that. We talked about playing a complete game and as good as I felt about the first half on both sides of the ball the second half took a whole lot out of me.
 
"Across the board total offense would make me feel better. We haven't done that yet. If you look at week one, we weren't able to throw the ball based off the secondary looks and we were able to run it. Then this past week was the other way. I said that if I've got to run it 60 times and throw it 20 to win, I will; if I've got to throw it 60, I'll do that.
 
"I think Avila is more athletic on film than they were a year ago but they're scary to me because they're a team that's backed in a corner. They're 0-2 and I believe they feel like this is their chance at life meaning 'we've got to come out and win' so I think they're going to come out swinging. They've got a quarterback (Taylor) that's smooth. I mean he can run, he can throw it, and he has a receiver (Myers) that I think is a dude. Then defensively they're going to run hard to the football.
 
"Luke is an All-American, he's a great player but in the same sense other guys have got to be ready to go. That's football, that's part of it. … I've made a point over the years to make sure that I have guys ready to go in most positions."
 

QUARTERBACK HENRY AUSTAD
"From the get-go (Middleton) wanted to give me the reins. He wanted to give me freedom in his offense so that obviously that attracted me here. Just being able to kind of do or not do what I want and if I see something do it. Obviously, he wants to throw the ball around so that's also attractive for a quarterback. I think our biggest strength is that we can beat you, run and pass. I think we can beat you multiple ways. It's hard to game plan when you've got different guys who can beat you.
 
"(Wilcox) makes my job easy. He's a big guy, throw the ball up and he's going to go get it. He's our security blanket, he's out go-to guy on third down and stuff like that. He's knows what he's doing, he knows what he sees on defense, he's able to make plays so I have a lot of confidence in him.
 
"I want to throw the ball, that's what I do. It makes it a lot easier when you can sit in there the pocket and you don't feel a lot of pressure. Just having a group up there (offensive line) that's played, that's been there, that's done it at a high level makes my job a ton easier." 
 

NEXT WEEK
The Coyotes are back on the road for a game against Bethel at 6 p.m. Saturday at North Newton.