The Coyotes will host the 116th meeting of the rivalry series on Saturday evening.
GAME INFORMATION
- Kickoff: 7 p.m.
- Day: Saturday, September 5
- Location: JRI Hospitality Stadium in the Graves Family Sports Complex
- Records: Kansas Wesleyan 0-1; Bethany 0-1
LIVE COVERAGE
- The video stream of the game will be available online on the Coyote Sports Network, powered by the Urban Edge Network (https://www.urbanedgenetwork.net/watch/1777). The game will also be streamed on the KCAC Network. Saturday's network stream will include the KINA Pregame show starting at 6 p.m.
- Live Stats will be available at https://kwucoyotes.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
- The KINA Radio Pregame Show with Tyler Henry and Brooks Garretson will start at 6 p.m. on KINA Radio. The online radio stream is available at https://radio.securenetsystems.net/ce/kina2.
THE SERIES
This will be the 116th meeting. KWU has won the last 11 games and 13 of the last 14 including a 38-7 victory in the 2025 season opener in Lindsborg. The Coyotes have had a 20-5 advantage in the series since 2001. Bethany leads the all-time series 57-52-6. KWU's current winning streak in the series is the second longest by either team in series history, which dates back to 1893.
KANSAS WESLEYAN AT A GLANCE
- The Coyotes lost to Ottawa 33-13 in their opener last Saturday in Ottawa. Five turnovers and a blocked punt. The Braves took advantage and led 27-6 at halftime after KWU had four turnovers and the blocked punt.
- KWU outgained Ottawa in total yardage 277-180 that included 226 yards rushing on 52 attempts - 4.3 yards per carry. Caleb Deal had a team-best 55 yards rushing on 12 carries. Deal and fellow quarterbacks Wyatt Oak and Alex Jackson were a combined 8 of 21 passing for 51 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions.
- The defense played well. Ottawa finished with 14 yards rushing on 31 attempts - 0.5 yards per carry. The Braves' longest touchdown drive of the game was 40 yards. Myles Elam had a team-best eight tackles, six of them solo. Taylor Collins and Callum Armstrong each had six tackles.
- The Coyotes have averaged 51.2 points and allowed 11.5 points during their 11-game winning streak against the Swedes and have averaged 36.3 points since 2001. The largest margin of victory was 54 points in 2021 (54-0).
- Henry Austad passed for 276 yards and three touchdowns, and Will Wilcox seven receptions for 126 yards and two touchdowns last year in coach Matt Middleton's first game in the rivalry series, a 38-7 win for the Coyotes. KWU amassed 415 total yards and led 28-0 at halftime.
BETHANY AT A GLANCE
- The Swedes lost to No. 9-ranked Friends 85-10 in their opener last Saturday in Lindsborg. Bethany trailed 12-10 early in the second quarter before the Falcons pulled away and led 40-10 at halftime. Friends finished with 481 yards and Bethany 125.
- Freshman quarterback Kane Forman completed 7 of 18 passes for 87 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Sophomore wide receiver Lael Eddens had four receptions for 40 yards and freshman running back Kendrick Hawkins gained 48 yards on eight rushing attempts. Freshman linebacker Antione Reese III led the defense with 12 tackles.
- Friends had 455 yards rushing and averaged 6.5 yards per carry. Bethany finished with 37 yards rushing and averaged 1.0 yard.
- The Swedes are a young team. Twelve freshmen and three sophomores are listed as starters along with two seniors.
- Coach Mike Grossner is in his fourth season as head coach. He spent 15 seasons at Baker and led the Wildcats to 12 winning seasons in a row, seven NAIA playoff appearances, six Heart of America Conference championships, and one NAIA championship appearance.
HEAD COACH MATT MIDDLETON
"We didn't turn the ball over in a scrimmage (against Hastings) with 100 snaps the week before. We haven't turned it over in inter squad (scrimmages) or anything like that through the entire (fall) camp and then we go in one game, and it snowballs so obviously ball security needs to be a really big deal. It goes back to me having to have them prepared; I've got to do a better job.
"I knew going into the season that (defense) was our strength. We've got a lot of really good players, and I think you saw the scheme. We held (Ottawa) to 14 yards on 31 carries so that tells you enough about what they did. (Quarterback Luke Edwards) threw for (2,500) yards last year; he threw for (166) yards against us, so I'm extremely pleased with them.
"I love Mike Grossner. I think he's an unbelievable football coach. Defensively, their front four can go. They've got two guys back; they're super athletic. They do have some young guys on the back end, but they're going to fly the ball. I think the critical part of the game is to pressure the quarterback as much as we possibly can.
"We've got to be simple in our approach and what we do, not overthink a bunch. We need to be able to run football, but we've got to be able to throw the football. We've got playmakers and we've got to find a way to get the ball in their hands."
BOOMER CUNNINGHAM, CO-OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR/OFFENSIVE LINE
"We have three new starters up front so getting them to understand where their eyes need to be, then obviously getting our backs to where they get an edge, or they see a hole and putting their foot in the ground and getting through it. We thought we had corrected some of those things after the scrimmage versus Hastings, but it just bled over and snowballed.
"We're figuring out we don't have the old man (tailback) D'Heaven Domena anymore so it's kind of going to be by committee and until somebody separates themselves. The receivers are the same way, making sure that they keep working hard because a lot of them haven't played a bunch, and they are still young.
Bethany is extremely athletic up front on the D-line. They're a lot bigger than what we just saw; they do move a lot a lot better at some of those spots too. I think that's a strength of their team. It's a challenge to me as an offensive line coach to get my guys to understand this is where it's going to be won."
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