Aug 28, 2026

🏈 Coyotes open 2026 season on Saturday on the road at Ottawa

Posted Aug 28, 2026 2:01 PM

GAME INFORMATION

  1. Kickoff: 6 p.m.
  2. Day: Saturday
  3. Location: AdventHealth Field, Ottawa
  4. Records: Kansas Wesleyan 0-0; Ottawa 0-0

LIVE COVERAGE

  1. The video stream of the game will be available online on the Urban Edge Network at https://www.urbanedgenetwork.net/watch/118. The game will also be available on the KCAC Network at www.kcacnetwork.com/kansaswesleyan.
  2. Live Stats will be available at https://kwucoyotes.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
  3. Radio coverage will be on KINA Radio 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

The Coyotes have won the last two games and 10 of 11. They won 27-10 in last year's season opener at JRI Hospitality Stadium and the Graves Family Sports Complex. KWU has a 14-11 advantage in the series since 2001 and is 6-6 in games at Ottawa during that span. Ottawa leads the all-time series 44-38-4.

KANSAS WESLEYAN AT A GLANCE

  1. The Coyotes enter their second season under head coach Matt Middleton after going 7-4 in 2025. Ravaged by injuries Middleton and his staff spent the offseason shoring up the team's depth. Several transfers, the majority from Division II schools, give Middleton optimism KWU will be able to better compete in the rugged Gene Bissell Division that features three teams ranked in the NAIA's preseason top 25 - Friends, McPherson and Southwestern.
  2. The offense features a host of new faces led by transfer quarterbacks Caleb Deal and Wyatt Oaks. Both will play in the opener, according to Middleton. Four running backs will also see duty led by transfer Sam Mitchum and redshirt freshman Tyson Johnson. Wide receiver Will Wilcox returns after suffering a season-ending knee injury and is joined by transfer Max Wilson and redshirt freshman Kyler Brown. Both tight ends return in David Sheffer and Mason Ross. Three offensive line starters are back as well.
  3. The defense has several familiar faces including end Callum Armstrong, nose tackle Diego Davis who was superb before a season-ending knee injury, linebackers Gavin Skerik, Daniel Cabrera and Myles Elam and safety Taylor Collins. Transfer newcomers of note are cornerback Dyleon Caradine and end Kavion Majors.
  4. Josh Qualls is the new offensive coordinator after spending last season as coordinator at Division II Arkansas Monticello. Middleton's father Eric will help with the defense. He retired after a long and distinguished career as a high school coach in Louisiana. Defensive coordinator David Leonard enters his sixth season at KWU.
  5. Luke Armstrong ran for 136 yards, and Henry Austad threw for 140 and a touchdown and ran for another in KWU's 27-10 victory last year at JRI Hospitality Stadium. The Coyotes led 14-10 at halftime and limited Ottawa to 166 total yards including 5 yards rushing on 19 attempts.

OTTAWA AT A GLANCE

  1. The Braves were 6-5 last season, 4-1 in the Ted Kessinger Division. They started the season 2-5 before winning their last four. They were picked second behind Evangel in the Kessinger Division coaches' preseason poll.
  2. The offense is led by junior quarterback Luke Edwards who threw for 2,552 yards, 15 touchdowns and eight interceptions. The top two receivers a year ago, Jayden Johnson and De'Anthony Curtis, are back. They combined for 110 receptions, over 1,500 yards and eight touchdowns.
  3. Edwards had 141 yards passing and a touchdown against KWU last season. He was 19 of 32 passing and had 13 yards rushing on seven carries.
  4. The strength of the OU defense is the back seven led by three returning starters in the secondary - Donovan Martin, Ethan Yinger and Elijah Hann. Linebacker Cade Monroe and lineman Bryson Nolan also return.
  5. Coach Nick Davis enters his fifth season as head coach and defensive coordinator. He was defensive coordinator in 2021 before being promoted to head coach and was a graduate assistant during the 2010 and 2011 seasons.

HEAD COACH MATT MIDDLETON

"I'm not in favor of a two-quarterback system as much as some people, but we're in a situation where we have two guys that are going to both have reps and bring two different dynamics to the team. Caleb played three years at (Division II) Northwestern Oklahoma State, played a lot of games, and has a lot of experience. He can run, he can throw, he can do it all. Wyatt had a phenomenal juco career and is a transfer from (Division II) Southwest Minnesota State. He's a really good player; he's a polished pocket passer, super smart, cerebral.

"Coach Leonard's done a good job with (the defense). There are guys that play with their absolute hair on fire, and that's what I love. My dad (Eric) has done a phenomenal job by bringing an intensity and type of system that I think Coyote fans are going to enjoy watching. Make no mistake about it; we're going to hit the quarterback as much as we possibly can and find out if they can stand in the pocket and how good they are.

"(Edwards) is a really good player. He threw for almost 2,500 yards last year and is super talented. Most of their skill guys are back; they've got a couple of receivers that are super talented. Got a new coordinator so we'll see some different flavor with him. On defense, the back end is their strength. They've got four guys back there that started 20 plus games for them. Donovan Martin, I think is one of the best corners in the country. We know they're going to blitz like crazy and try to get after us.

"How do we handle adversity? You find out a lot about a team if you give up a big play or the other team makes one. How do you bounce back; how do you respond? Do you keep chopping wood for 60 minutes, and how does that happen? I think that's pretty much the unknown for us right now with a lot of new faces."

DAVID LEONARD, DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR

"It's massive for any coach to have returners that understand how you operate, how you coach, and know what the expectation is for new guys that come in. It's one thing being a coach-led defense, but when it becomes player-led where they set the standards and challenge those new guys to uphold that, that's when you really start to roll. Great leadership, great kids, guys that just work hard, work for each other. I think that is the biggest thing.

"(Ottawa has) a fantastic offense. There are things that we're going to have to step up to up front with the run game. They have a lot of guys coming back up front that have played a lot of football. We obviously know about their skill guys and their quarterback is extremely good, so I think across the board it's just guys doing their job.

"Up front we just have to be extremely aggressive, we have to be extremely disciplined, we have to do our job. We have to get off the ball, use our hands well, and sustain a good pass rush. (Edwards) is fantastic on the run. We can't let him get out and run forever and throw on the run because he's just as good of a thrower on the run as he is in the pocket."

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