Kansas Wesleyan University

Kansas Wesleyan lost to NAIA powerhouse Friends on Saturday, but coach Matt Middleton was far from disappointed with his team's performance, and with good reason.
 
A tipped pass in the end zone on a two-point conversion attempt with 21 seconds left was the difference in the Coyotes' 49-48 Kansas Conference and Gene Bissell Division loss on Senior Day at JRI Hospitality Stadium in the Graves Family Sports Complex.
 
In a wild and unexpected shootout from the get-go, the teams combined for 1,155 yards and 63 first downs in addition to the 97 points. KWU punted twice while Friends' punter had a bye week.
 
"If you would have told me before we came in that we'd be in a shootout in the end, I probably wouldn't have believed it," KWU coach Matt Middleton said on the postgame radio show. "My plea today (to the team) was no matter what happens, don't quit. Keep fighting till the end and that's what we did."
 
It was indeed a shootout and an epic one at that.
 
Coyote quarterback Caleb Deal was magnificent, completing 34 of 55 passes for 489 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions. He entered the game with 929 passing yards and nine touchdowns in eight previous contests.
 
Deal's performance was just the 10th 400-yard-plus game in program history and just missed the school record of 497 yards set by Doug Webster almost 16 years ago to the day, Oct. 30, 2010 against Ottawa.
 
Wide receivers Will Wilcox, Kevo Taylor, Kyler Brown and Daylan Moore had monstrous games on Halloween as well – Wilcox 13 catches for 154 yards, Taylor six for 96 yards and three touchdowns, Brown eight for 73 yards and Moore two for 60 yards and a touchdown.
 
"Offense played extremely well," Middleton said. "Caleb Deal played lights out and we were tip away from winning that thing."
 
The "tip" was the ill-fated play that decided the outcome.
 
Trailing 49-42 following the Falcons' final touchdown, the Coyotes embarked on an 11-play, 72-yard drive that began with 2:48 left. Deal completed five of nine passes for 66 yards – the final 23 to a wide open who Brown who caught the ball at the 10-yard line and dashed into the end zone.
 
Middleton opted to go for the potential game-winning two-point conversion, but Deal's pass to Brown in the right corner of the end zone was tipped away. KWU converted a two-point conversion pass Deal-to-Taylor with 8:51 remaining that tied it 42-42.
 
"Kevo deflected it, I guess he thought it was to him," Middleton said. "I don't know but that wasn't the intention. Intention was to go to Kyler."
 
Taylor, a speedy transfer from Prairie View A&M, caught touchdown passes of 18 and nine yards in the second quarter and a 36 yarder in the third quarter. Wilcox had nine receptions for 132 yards in the first half.
 
Friends countered with its familiar and triple option rushing attack. The Falcons came in averaging an NAIA-best 420.3 yards per game and NAIA-best 8.2 yards per carry. Saturday, they amassed 554 yards and averaged 14.3 yards with three backs surpassing 100 yards – E'Derian Sykes 117, Michael Lopez 111 and Joey Millspaugh 108.
 
"We couldn't stop them," Middleton said, "but here's what I'll say about us defensively: those kids played lights out; they played hard. They never quit.
 
"(Friends) is a good football team. You can't defend (the triple option) in four days (of preparation). I ran it hard (at Harding University) and won a national championship doing it. Coach (Terry) Harrison does a phenomenal job and they're really good at it."
 
Friends (8-1, 2-1 Bissell Division) led 14-10 after one quarter, the Coyotes scoring on AJ Woods' 41-yard field goal and Deal's 37-yard pass to Moore.
 
The Falcons took a 28-24 lead into the locker room at halftime, Deal's two passes to Taylor accounting for KWU's touchdowns.
 
Woods' 39-yard field goal and Deal's 36-yard scoring strike to Taylor had Wesleyan within 35-34 after three quarters and set the stage for the frantic finish — the team's alternating on four touchdowns in the final 15 minutes.
 
The Coyotes (6-3, 2-1) close out the season with road games at McPherson next Saturday and at Southwestern on Nov. 14. The Moundbuilders (8-1, 3-0) took control of the Bissell Division with a 27-24 victory over McPherson (6-2, 1-2) Saturday in McPherson. They defeated Friends 40-21 a week earlier in Wichita.
 
KWU All-time 400-yard single game passing marks
497 – Doug Webster – October 30, 2010 vs Ottawa
489 – Caleb Deal – October 31, 2026 vs Friends
466 – Doug Webster – November 13, 2010 vs Southwestern
421 – Jake Curran – September 19, 2015 vs Sterling
414 – Johnny Feauto – October 26, 2019 vs Avila
411 – Johnny Feauto – September 14, 2019 vs Friends
405 – Isaiah Randalle – September 18, 2021 vs Bethel
405 – Jake Curran – September 13, 2014 vs Central Methodist
403 – Johnny Feauto – October 6, 2018 vs Saint Mary
401 – Isaiah Randalle – September 25, 2021 vs Bethany