Matt Middleton wasn't sure how his Kansas Wesleyan football team would respond after last week's season-opening, turnover-plagued 33-13 loss at Ottawa.
He found out in a big way Saturday night.
The Coyotes amassed 566 total yards, intercepted four passes and four quarterback sacks in a 76-6 demolition of Bethany at JRI Hospitality Stadium and the Graves Family Sports Complex.
"The way we played with all the (six) turnovers (last week), it was a big challenge to see if we could bounce back and how we would handle adversity throughout the week," Middleton said on the postgame radio show. "I was very pleased how they bounced back and competed tonight."
The 76 points are the most scored by either team in the 116-game series, and the 70-point margin of victory was the largest by either school in the series. The Coyotes defeated Bethany for the 12th consecutive time and is the second longest winning streak for either school behind the Swedes' 15 straight wins between 1987 and 2000.
KWU used a balanced offensive thrust that consumed 293 yards rushing and 273 yards passing. Quarterbacks Wyatt Oak and Caleb Deal combined for 251 yards passing and three touchdowns, and Deal added 117 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Freshman Alec Jackson, the third quarterback on the night, had 69 total yards that included a touchdown pass.
Deal was 3 of 6 passing for 72 yards and two touchdowns and had a team-best 117 yards rushing on eight carries (14.6 average). Oak, who started the game, was 6 of 13 for 142 yards and a touchdown.
Deal, Oak and Jackson were a combined 8 of 21 passing for 51 yards and two interceptions against Ottawa.
"It's good to see (Deal) running the way he does," Middleton said. "I mean, he's super talented. You see the speed and what he's able to do with his feet. I thought Wyatt had several really good drives as well and then Alec got in and ran the ball pretty hard."
The defense was at least as good. Bethany had 169 total yards - 47 rushing and 122 passing. Nearly half of the passing yardage came on Alex Mustain's 57-yard toss to Blayne Wilson in the fourth quarter and accounted for the lone touchdown.
Taylor Collins, Mason Boone, Yamnoel Oyloa-Bernier and Trey Ford each had an interception - Boone returning his 60 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. Ford scampered 42 yards with his pick in the fourth quarter.
Myles Elam, Marcus Delgado, Caleb Smith, and Diego Davis each had a sack. Gavin Skerik had a team-best eight tackles.
"Our defense is legit," Middleton said. "They get after people and that's what I love to watch. I told you our style was going to be different, that we were going to attack and get after people and make people be perfect and make plays. I think you've seen two weeks of a relentless pursuit of football, and it was nice to have some turnovers tonight."
AJ Woods, who made all four of his field goal attempts and all eight of his extra points, gave the Coyotes a 3-0 lead with a 42-yard field goal with 7:52 left in the first quarter.
After Bethany went three and out, KWU scored three plays later on Oak's 57-yard pass to Kyler Brown at the 5:18 mark. Following Collins' interception, Deal found Max Wilson on a 27-yard touchdown pass for a 17-0 lead with 17 seconds remaining in the quarter.
KWU scored five times in the second quarter. Defensive lineman and offensive short yardage specialist Troy Sylve scored on a six-yard run with 11:17 left in the quarter, making it 24-0. Oyola-Bernier's interception gave the Coyotes the ball on their 21-yard line and Deal raced 79 yards for the score on the first offensive play extending the lead to 31-0 with 8:40 left in the half. Boone's interception and 60-yard return for a touchdown increased the lead to 38-0 with 6:48 left.
Woods' 25-yard field goal with 1:56 left in the half gave KWU a 41-0 lead and his 34-yard kick with 18 seconds left gave the Coyotes a 44-0 halftime cushion.
Sylve's second touchdown, a one-yard run at the 9:38 mark of the third quarter, made it 51-0. After a Bethany punt Deal hit Kevo Taylor with a short pass and Taylor did the rest racing 73 yards into the end zone with 7:36 left for a 58-0 advantage Deal scored again on a one-yard run with 40 seconds left in third and it was 65-0.
Woods' fourth field goal with 9:35 left in the game made it 68-6 and Jackson's 22-yard scoring pass to Taylor and a two-point conversion with 2:32 left accounted for the final points. Taylor, a speedy transfer from Division I Prairie View A&M, had two receptions for 94 yards and two scores.