Clay Krousie shines in first start at quarterback for Coe in 55-10 victory over Cornell

CEDAR RAPIDS — Coe’s Clay Krousie admitted he had to brush off a little dust and rust.

He probably shed some nerves, too.

After all, Krousie was making his first start at quarterback for Coe and his first for any team in almost five years.

“I kind of had to knock the cobwebs off a little bit,” Krousie said. “I hadn’t started a game in a while. It was good to get out there.”

Krousie was effective and successful with the reins of the Kohawk offense firmly in his hands. Krousie passed for 222 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another, leading Coe to a 55-10 victory over rival Cornell in the Bremner Cup game Saturday at Clark Field. The Kohawks have won 24 straight in the series.

“I thought our guys played hard,” Coe Coach Tyler Staker said. “We had some hiccups early on but once our guys settled in I was happy with how our guys played and executed.”

Krousie has bided his time for this chance. He worked in the offseason, hitting the weights and building trust with teammates. Krousie said he was confident he would be the starter during the spring ball.

“I embraced that and took on more of a vocal leadership role,” Krousie said. “It worked out for the best.

“For me, it just came down to getting out there and getting the reps in practice with the (first string). Our defense is one of the best in the conference. Coach Baethke does a great job throwing different looks and discussing things. It’s caused me to up my game to survive some of those meetings after practice.”

Coe (1-0) suffered a slow start, punting on its first two possessions. The third time was a charm. The Kohawks went 56 yards on six plays, consisting of five rushes and a 24-yard pass from Krousie to Jeron Senters. Trenton Barnes capped the drive with an 8-yard TD run for a 7-0 lead with 2:02 in the first quarter.

On Coe’s next series, Krousie telegraphed a pass to the sideline that was intercepted by Rams defensive back Josh Martin, who returned it 22 yards for a TD, tying the game, 7-7.

“The secondary has been good all camp,” said Cornell Coach Dan Pifer, noting Martin moved from offense to defense. “We can do those kind of things. I think our defense is better as a whole. We knew they’d be physical and wore us down.”

Interestingly, it was the moment that finally allowed Krousie to relax.

“Once that happened and stuff hit the fan, let’s lock it in now,” Krousie said. “You see it. I got hit a couple times and it was just dialing it back and in let’s go execute.

“The line gave me time to confirm what I was seeing. We had guys downfield who were getting open. It all worked out.”

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Krousie said he was tense early but the miscue allowed him to dial in and play loose. He completed 14 of 16 passes. He showed a lot of resolve, leading the Kohawks to TDs in the next three series and a 35-7 lead in the third.

“It was almost like he just settled in and it was now or never,” Staker said. “You could really see him rebound from that play. He was cooking for a while. He really felt it. The rest of the game he was in a good rhythm and playing confident, fast and loose.

“That was great to see. I was really proud of him and how he responded after that bad play.”

His first scoring strike was a 42-yard TD to Will Hiserote, following his pick-6. Hiserote torched the Rams on a wheel route and Krousie hit him in stride along the sideline.

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“Just selling the out right away and he bit on it,” Hiserote said. “I was ready for the look and the ball to come. He pretty much set me up right. It was a good ball by Clay.”

The speedy Hiserote started at Coe as a slot receiver. Injury led to a move to defensive back last season. He’s back on offense and contributing. He led the Kohawks with 75 receiving yards.

Hiserote said he might remain a receiver but has no preference as long as he helps the team.

“I want the best opportunity to make plays,” Hiserote said. “As long as I can be on the field, I’ll take every opportunity I can get.”

Krousie used his legs to complement his passing. He ran around right end for a 5-yard TD, making it 21-7 with 1:12 left before halftime.

“He’s a steady player,” Staker said. “He’s not too high or too low. He operates well with what we ask him to do.”

Strategy paid dividends for Coe before the break. With Cornell deep in its own territory, Coe opted to use its timeouts and force a punt. The move worked well. Cayden Schultz blocked the punt near the goal line and Henry Ryan covered it in the end zone with 39 seconds left before halftime. The Kohawks led 28-7 at the break.

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“I thought that was a big-time play on special teams right before the half to really shift the momentum more,” Staker said. “Put the emphasis on as we go in at halftime. It was good to see.”

Krousie only played one possession in the second half. He hit Senters for a 15-yard score before reserves entered and played the rest of the way.

“He’s really intelligent,” Staker said of Krousie. “He’s got a football mind and he processes. He’s able to read coverages.

“I think he did a really good job on the in-breaking routes today, getting it on time and on target.”

Eleven Kohawks caught at least one pass and the team tallied 285 passing yards. Coe also rushed for 223 yards and amassed 508 of total offense. The Kohawks were able to wear down the Rams beginning in the second quarter. It showed in the second half.

“We mixed the run and the pass,” Staker said. “I was happy how we did that. We were pretty efficient in the pass game. We continued to lean. Running the football is something we will always do. We’re going to play a physical brand. We had good push from our offensive line and continued to lean on them late in the game. We saw some big runs bust late that weren’t opening up quite as big early.”

Coe’s defense limited the Rams to just 23 rushing yards and only nine first downs. The Kohawks defense didn’t allow a touchdown and the only points it surrendered came on a 35-yard field goal with 45 seconds remaining in the game.

Cornell (0-1) managed stretches of moving the ball and played stout defensively early. The Rams, who were short-handed in the trenches, couldn’t keep up. They were able to pass for 164 yards.

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“We did some good things,” Pifer said. “We knew their defense was going to be good. We knew it would be tough.

“We have to learn from this. All of our goals are still ahead of us.”

Coe continued its dominance in the series. Cornell hasn’t won since 1999.

“We always look forward to this game to show everybody what we’re all about,” Hiserote said. “This is the game to do it.”

Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com