3C — THE OBSERVER
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2019
THE BLITZ
COLLEGE OF IDAHO (7-0, 7-0) AT EASTERN OREGON (2-6, 2-5)
GIMME FIVE — KEYS TO SATURDAY’S GAME
1. SLOW DOWN THE
YOTES’ RUN GAME
C of I has one of the na-
tion’s most prolifi c running
attacks, one that ranks fi fth
in NAIA football at 260.9
yards per game. EOU will
need penetration up front
to slow the ground game,
or it could be a long day.
2. LONG, CLOCK-
CHEWING DRIVES
The best defense can be
a good offense. EOU has
been better in the ground
game in recent weeks, and
if it can build longer drives,
get fi rst downs and —
most importantly — score,
it’ll be able to hang around.
3. FORCE MULTIPLE
TURNOVERS
The Coyotes are a team
that takes care of the foot-
ball. They have thrown just
three interceptions and lost
six fumbles. If the Mount-
ies can get a couple of
takeaways Saturday, they’ll
have a shot at the upset.
4. FINISH DRIVES WITH
TOUCHDOWNS
While the EOU defense
has been better, inevitably
C of I going to score some
points. If Eastern is able
to put some long drives
together, it’ll be vital to turn
those possessions into
touchdowns.
5. BLOCK A KICK IN
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Mountaineers’
lone touchdown last week
came on a blocked punt.
Getting through the line to
block a kick is a challenge,
but if Eastern can pull it off
Saturday, that will be an
added bonus.
SATURDAY’S KEY MATCHUP
C of I RB Nick Calzaretta
EOU LB Gunnar Blix
VS.
KEY STATISTIC: Leading C of I rusher with 864
yards; had 124 yards in opener against EOU.
It starts with the running game for College of
Idaho, which means is starts with the offensive line
and running back Nick Calzaretta. The junior has
emerged as one of the top backs in the Frontier
Conference and in the country this season, leading
the conference and ranking seventh in the nation
in yards per game rushing. He also has gone for
more than 100 yards fi ve times. Stopping C of I’s
offense will obviously require stopping more than
just Calzaretta, but if he is able to go for another
big day — as he has shown the ability to do this
season —the Mountaineers could be in trouble.
Calzaretta
KEY STATISTIC: Tied season high with eight
tackles last week against Montana Tech.
Gunnar Blix has had a solid second half of the
season as yet another player who is seeing the benefi t
of Eastern Oregon’s physical focus. He has 22 tackles
in the last three games, and twice in the last three
weeks has posted his season-best in tackles with eight.
That’s after having 19 in the fi rst fi ve games, and only
one against C of I in the opener. The defense has been
much better across the line, and how successful Blix
and the rest of the linebacking corps is at helping hold
the line will be important. It’ll be a tall order to hold a
fourth straight opponent under 300 yards. If EOU can
do so, it’ll be in position for the upset.
Blix
EDGE: CALZARETTA
BY THE NUMBERS
C of I
C OF I INDIVIDUAL STAT LEADERS
Passing
C-A-I
D.J. Peterson
102-177-3
Rushing
Carries
Nick Calzaretta
140
D.J. Peterson
71
Dominic Garzoli
50
Justin Hellyer
32
Ed Osterberger
9
Receiving
Rec.
Hunter Juarez
26
Connor Richardson 19
Keegan Crafton
14
Connor Gagain
19
Bo Stevens
7
Punt Returns
Tony Huebner
Kick Returns
Tony Huebner
Dominic Garzoli
Field Goals
Kyle Mitchell
Tackles
Forrest Rivers
Josh Elsberry
Graham Carnahan
Daniel Garcia
David Ford
Taeson Hardin
Landon Clark-Gammell
Interceptions
Taeson Hardin
Pct.
57.6
Yards
864
364
279
221
99
Yards
593
271
219
203
93
No.
19
No.
9
4
M-A
8-11
Solo
22
12
17
14
16
20
8
No.
3
Yards
1,526
Avg.
6.2
5.1
5.6
6.9
11.0
Avg.
22.8
14.3
15.6
10.7
13.3
Yards
94
Yards
195
90
Pct.
72.7
Ast.
27
24
16
19
16
12
19
Yards
82
TD
15
TD
6
2
3
4
1
TD
5
4
4
2
0
Avg.
5.0
Avg.
21.7
22.5
40+
2-4
Total
49
36
33
33
32
32
27
Avg/Ret
27.3
Yds/G
218.0
Avg/G
123.4
52.0
39.9
31.6
16.5
Avg/G
84.7
38.7
31.3
29.0
13.3
TD
0
TD
0
0
Long
58
TFL
7.0
0.0
5.0
5.0
1.0
0.5
6.5
TD
0
EOU
EOU INDIVIDUAL STAT LEADERS
Offense
224.9
193.4
Passing
260.9
109.1
Rushing
485.8
302.5
Total
Defense
190.1
216.3
Passing
90.6
175.0
Rushing
280.7
391.3
Total
Passing
Kai Quinn
Rushing
Victor Dias
Kai Quinn
Kaler Moore
Victor Rosas
Receiving
Saige Wilkerson
Isaiah Thomas
Phoenix Millhollen
Conner Falk
Tanner Zenke
Victor Dias
Punt Returns
Isaiah Thomas
Kick Returns
Tanner Zenke
Isaiah Thomas
Field Goals
Jaiden Machuca
Tackles
Haziel Ledezma
Isaiah Cranford
Gunnar Blix
Chase Van Wyck
Solo Taylor
Zack Jacobs
Sage DeLong
Interceptions
Zack Jacobs
C-A-I
120-251-12
Carries
101
63
35
7
Rec.
20
23
11
18
13
17
Pct.
47.8
Yards
417
208
127
44
Yards
360
303
177
171
146
134
No.
4
No.
14
5
M-A
8-9
Solo
25
18
16
15
10
14
17
No.
4
Yards
1,419
Avg.
4.1
3.3
3.6
6.3
Avg.
18.0
13.23
16.1
9.5
11.2
7.9
Yards
31
Yards
337
52
Pct.
88.9
Ast.
29
25
25
25
29
20
14
Yards
0
TD
5
TD
3
3
3
0
TD
1
0
2
1
0
1
Avg.
7.8
Avg.
24.1
10.4
40+
0-0
Total
54
43
41
40
39
34
31
Avg/Ret
0.0
Yds/G
177.4
Avg/G
52.1
26.0
18.1
14.7
Avg/G
45.0
37.8
25.3
21.4
18.3
16.8
TD
0
TD
0
0
Long
33
TFL
0.5
6.0
2.5
3.5
2.0
1.0
9.0
TD
0
POSITION MATCHUPS
BACKFIELD
The
Yotes not
only have
a top-fi ve
C OF I
rushing at-
tack nationally, but
are paced by a top-10
running back, as Nick
Calzaretta is seventh
in the country in yards
per game. They also
have just three picks
thrown to 12 for EOU.
RECEIVERS
The Yotes
don’t have
to throw it
often, but
C OF I
have shown
to have that capability
with more then 350
yards passing two of
the last three weeks.
They also have the
Frontier’s No. 3 receiver
in yards per game in
Hunter Juarez.
OFFENSIVE LINE
You’ve
gotta have
a good
offensive
C OF I
line to get
the yardage that C of
I does on the ground.
The Yotes also do a
great job of protecting
the quarterback, as
they’ve only allowed
nine sacks in seven
games.
DEFENSIVE LINE
If there is
a position
where the
teams are
EOU
close to
even, it would be here
and at the linebacker.
The Mountaineers
have who are widely
considered two of the
conference’s better
defensive ends (Van
Wyck and DeLong).
LINEBACKERS
The last
three weeks,
the Moun-
taineers’
EOU
run defense
has allowed just 91
yards per game and
only 2.31 yards per
carry —numbers that
are actually better than
C of I in that span. This
is close to a push, but
we’ll give it to EOU.
SECONDARY
The
teams have
similar
numbers
C OF I
in terms
of yardage allowed
and interceptions, but
what gives C of I the
edge here is that it’s
giving up just a 53.8%
completion rate. The
Mountaineers are
allowing 63.9%.
PREDICTION: COLLEGE OF IDAHO 30, EASTERN OREGON 13
EASTERN OREGON SCHEDULE/RESULTS
AT
COLLEGE
OF IDAHO
AT
SOUTHERN
OREGON
VS.
MONTANA
TECH
AT
PORTLAND
STATE
AT
MONTANA
WESTERN
VS. MONTANA
STATE
NORTHERN
VS.
SOUTHERN
OREGON
AT
MONTANA
TECH
VS.
COLLEGE
OF IDAHO
AT
ROCKY
MOUNTAIN
VS.
CARROLL
COLLEGE
LOSS
WIN
LOSS
LOSS
LOSS
WIN
LOSS
LOSS
48-12
24-21
35-10
59-9
49-13
45-7
31-25
23-10
Nov. 2
1 p.m.
Nov. 9
Noon
Nov. 16
1 p.m.
EOU improvements should be encouraging
E
astern Oregon’s gradual
improvement is about to get
the ultimate test.
With all due respect to MSU-
Northern, Southern Oregon and
Montana Tech, none of those
teams can hold a candle to College
of Idaho — though Montana Tech
is a team that has consistently
stayed close to the Coyotes and,
were it not for a 58-yard Kyle
Mitchell fi eld goal two weeks ago,
would have beaten C of I and been
right in the middle of the confer-
ence title chase.
The last three weeks — really,
the last four if you count the bye
week — have, in a way, built to
this point of seeing if Eastern can
put up a better showing against
the Frontier Conference front-
runners than it did in the opener
when it lost 48-12, a game that it
trailed by 20 at halftime, by 27 in
the third quarter and really didn’t
give itself a chance of winning.
First, the bye week, where
the Mountaineers made the call
to return to a physical brand of
football, focus on the run game
and on getting in plays that best
FROM THE
SIDELINE
RONALD BOND
suit the offensive personnel.
Next, the initial trial run
against MSU-Northern — the
exact team you would want to face
out of the gate when making an
adjustment like the Mounties did
— which resulted in a 45-7 win.
Then, the Small School Civil
War against SOU, a game that,
were it not for a couple costly turn-
overs, Eastern maybe escapes with
the win, rather than a 31-25 loss.
Last week, a visit to Butte to
face a team in Montana Tech that
is currently second in the confer-
ence and that ran EOU out of its
own home stadium a few weeks
back. The end result was a loss,
but one that was much closer than
the 35-10 setback earlier this year.
The Mountaineers were within a
touchdown in the fourth quarter
before losing 23-10.
Now comes C of I. Undefeated.
Ranked No. 6 in the nation. On
the cusp of a conference title (the
Yotes can actually earn a share
of it if they win Saturday). A
powerful offense. A stout defense.
A 13-game winning streak dating
to last season. The team many
people projected it to be at the
start of the season.
The Mountaineers have their
hands full, for sure. Vegas would
probably have EOU as roughly
20.5-point underdogs.
But this game will be closer, and
there are two reasons why that
can be drawn from the last three
weeks.
1) EOU has better a defense
than a few weeks ago: The Moun-
taineers have held their last three
opponents to an average of 91
yards per game on the ground, and
have kept four of their opponents
under 300 yards in total offense
this season. EOU hasn’t done that
since 2011. Yes, yards allowed in a
game aren’t the greatest indicator
of success, but when you consider
the Mountaineers were allowing
nearly 470 yards per game at the
bye week, it shows they are getting
stops more consistently.
2) EOU’s focus on physicality
is paying off: The Mountaineers’
physical play is probably the No. 1
reason for improvement the last
three weeks. Yes, they are just 1-2
during that time. But they aren’t
getting pushed in games around
like they were earlier in the sea-
son. The rematch against Tech is a
good example of that. They didn’t
match the Yotes on the physical
aspect the fi rst time. But they
should be closer to it this weekend.
That in and of itself will allow the
Mountaineers to hang around.
Keep this in mind, too. EOU
has a history of success against
high-ranked teams. The Moun-
taineers have 10 victories against
top-10 opponents under Tim
Camp, including a handful in the
most unlikely of circumstances —
most notably the 2013 team which
upset No. 3 Carroll despite coming
into the game with an 0-4 record.
If the Mounties stay physi-
cal up front and is able to play
well enough on defense to slow
down the Yotes, they could put
themselves in a position to have a
chance at the upset. And that alone
would be a mark of improvement.
Change in
style fits ‘grit’
of EOU senior
By Ronald Bond
The Observer
The move to a physical, hard-nosed
style of offense seems to fi t Eastern
Oregon senior running back Victor Dias
perfectly.
His stats since the bye week, when
the Mountaineers made that move, bare
that out. In the last three weeks, Dias has
rushed for 283 yards and three touch-
downs — 94.3 yards per game and 4.8
yards per carry — after gaining just 134
yards — 26.8 per game and 3.2 yards per
carry — in the fi rst fi ve contests.
“That’s the style of football I’ve always
played,” he said. “I embrace that, for sure.
I’m not one to shy away from contact or
anything of the kind. I try to do my best
with that sort of thing in all phases of the
game.”
The gritty style of play was empha-
sized to him on the fi eld by his coaches at
Middleton, Idaho — which included his
father, Pete Dias.
“All those guys instilled in me the real-
ity that physically I could enforce my will
on people,” he said. “That is something I
try to do. Protecting the football is priority
No. 1, but the second thing is making sure
it takes more than one guy to bring me
down. I think I’ve been pretty successful
with that in my career.”
It also fi ts his build as a football player,
as the senior is listed on the EOU roster
at 5-foot-8 and 210 pounds.
But it also suits him — and, perhaps
best — mentally.
“It’s how I’ve been raised and how I’ve
lived my life. (I’m) not one to shy away
from contact or confl ict,” he said. “I have
somewhat of an aggressive nature when
it’s time to get stuff done.”
As one gets to know Dias more, you
learn that the work ethic needed to have
success in that style of play and the grind-
it-out attitude is deeply ingrained in him.
When he isn’t playing football, studying or
spending time with his wife, former EOU
women’s basketball standout Maya Ah
You-Dias, he’ll often be on the back of a
horse working cattle.
“I work outside for a living, what I enjoy
the most is being a working cowboy,” he
said. “I spend my time riding horses and
tending to livestock.”
His family back in Idaho owns livestock
that he helps tend to, but he also works
for different ranchers in the La Grande
area.
“It’s always fun when we get to go
home and work cattle or (do it) here in
La Grande,” he said. “It’s something I’ve
always enjoyed doing.”
His bloodline — on both sides of his
family — is also accustomed to the hard-
working lifestyle. His great-great-grand-
parents on his mom’s side of the family
were pioneers. His great-grandparents on
his dad’s side immigrated from Portugal.
His grandfather, Manuel Dias, was a
veteran of the Korean War.
When he considers the sacrifi ces and
trials his family has made through the
years, he considers himself blessed to be
able to play football, and one can see why.
It also makes the perceived struggles of
a 2-6 season on the football fi eld pale in
comparison.
“I have this opportunity to play college
sports (that they didn’t),” he said. “The
struggles are small.”
Even if he didn’t have the lineage
ahead of him, he’s witnessed ample suc-
cess in his time at EOU that would offset
this season. As he put it, “I’ve done a lot
more winning than losing.”
“I understand fully well that in my
career I’ve done a lot of winning, and it’s
a blessing. In my previous sports, middle
school, high school and here at Eastern,”
he said. I’m not going to dwell as much
on the hard times. The hard times for us
right now here at Eastern pale in com-
parison to the people who went before.”
It also helps put into perspective his
use of the word “grit” when asked what
would describe his time at EOU.
His family has shown it in the past.
He shows it in his choice of work. He’s
shown it on the fi eld. It seems to describe
Eastern Oregon as a whole — not just the
school, but the region.
“Grit has been the word that for what-
ever reason when we talk (to people) they
say they want to have that grit,” he said.
“That’s what it takes to be a Mountie.”
It makes it easy to see why EOU head
coach Tim Camp called the senior the
“type of player” a coach would want as a
program leader.
“Vic has been an outstanding addition
to this team, obviously as a player but
more importantly the type of young man
he is,” Camp said. “He is a hard-working
(and) dedicated husband, teammate, and
captain of this football program.”