LA GRANDE, Ore. – Senior linebacker Dakota Wainwright blocked a punt and returned it 36 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with just over two minutes remaining, and No. 22 Montana Western escaped Community Stadium with a 30-23 victory over the Eastern Oregon University football team in the Mountaineers' Homecoming game.

"I'm disappointed for our players and coaches, but I know our fans are sick about it and I don't blame them," said head football coach Tim Camp. "It's no fun to lose on Homecoming. I am very proud of how the team battled. The blocked punt is what will stick in my mind! I do the special teams, so I obviously need to and will do a better job moving forward. We will make corrections and get back on track."

Key Performances
Junior quarterback Zach Bartlow completed 25 of 34 passes for 204 yards passing, as well as 34 yards on 10 carries.

Meanwhile, senior wide receiver Jace Billingsley rushed 93 yards on 22 carries, including a career-high 68 yards passing thanks to a touchdown pass in the first quarter that put the Mountaineers on the board.

With a career-high 104 receiving yards on five catches, sophomore wide receiver Joshua Richards had quite the afternoon for EOU. In addition, sophomore wide receiver Calvin Connors amassed 98 yards on 11 catches, and he also tallied 51 yards on three kickoff returns.

Defensively, senior linebacker Gary Posten paced the Mountaineers with 17 tackles (5 solo, 12 assists) and an interception.

The Storyline
After stopping the Bulldogs on their first possession, the Mountaineers wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, as Billingsley found Richards for the 68-yard touchdown pass with 12:15 left in the first quarter.

UMW responded with an 8-play, 79-yard drive capped by a 44-yard rushing touchdown, but a missed PAT kept the advantage in the hands of the Navy and Gold.

EOU couldn't get past its own 35, and UMW capitalized with a 13-play, 86-yard drive to take its first lead (13-7) of the game. The Mountaineers appeared to have stopped the Bulldogs on 3rd-and-3 at UMW's 48, but the Navy and Gold was hit with a holding call. A balancing rushing attack by junior running back Sam Rutherford and freshman quarterback JD Ferris eventually lifted the Bulldogs to the end zone with 1:37 left in the first stanza.

With just under 10 minutes left in the second quarter, Posten stepped in front of Ferris' pass and returned it 41 yards to start EOU's next drive at Bulldogs' 44-yard line.

The Mountaineers regained a one-point (14-13) advantage with 8:30 left in the second after Bartlow launched a 33-yarder to Connors for the touchdown. EOU forced 4th-and-4 at its own 21-yard line, but UMW junior kicker Connor Greth connected on a 38-yarder to give the Bulldogs a 16-14 lead going into the locker room.

Despite turning it over on its first possession of the third quarter, EOU recovered thanks to its defense, as Posten and junior linebacker Tucker Stanley teamed up for a huge assisted tackle on 4th-and-2 to stop the Bulldogs on the Mountaineers' 34-yard line. Bartlow completed five passes amidst a 14-play, 59-yard drive, but the Bulldog defense held the Mountaineers to a field goal. 

Once again, UMW found an answer, starting the fourth quarter with an 8-play, 73-yard drive capped by a seven-yard touchdown pass from Ferris to senior wide receiver Matt Lickfold to put UMW on top, 22-17, after the failed PAT.

The back-and-forth battle continued with 7:17 remaining after Billingsley snuck his way into the end zone to put EOU up by one (23-22) for the third time of the game. The Mountaineers went for the two-point conversion but came up short on a failed pass attempt.

EOU's defense mustered another big stop on the ensuing possession, but the Bulldogs showed why they're the best defensive team in the league, confining the Mountaineers to its side of the field and forcing 4th-and-2.

Moments later, Wainright rejected a punt attempt by sophomore Nathan Harden and scooped it up for the 36-yard return for the touchdown, and following a two-point conversion, the Bulldogs snatched a 30-23 lead with just over two minutes left in the game.

The Navy and Gold went 4-and-out on its next possession, and UMW (4-2, 4-2 Frontier) escaped with a seven-point win.

"No doubt it's hurtful, but the only choice we have is to get back in there and start swinging," said Camp. "It's business as usual. We will look at the film and come up with the best plan possible that give us the best chance to win. Then we need to execute it. Without execution, it's tough. We must continue to learn and get better at the details in certain phases of the game."

Stat of the Game
11 – Third-down conversions by EOU, a season-high effort.

Up Next
The Mountaineers (2-5, 2-4 Frontier) take on MSU-Northern on Saturday, Oct. 24, in Havre, Mont., at 1 p.m. MT.