LA GRANDE, Ore. – Mountaineer gameday flags lined the lush green grass of Community Stadium, and fans dressed in Navy and Gold anxiously scurried through ticket lines to get a glimpse of the (RV) Eastern Oregon University football team for the first time.
Finally, the Mountaineers hosted a contest at home, and what an affair it turned out to be, as the team tallied a season-high 439 yards and came up with key defensive stops en route to upsetting No. 15 Montana Tech, 33-21.
"The kids and the assistant coaches did a great job this week and today," said head football coach Tim Camp. "Very proud of them against a good top 15 program in Montana Tech."
Key Performances
Junior quarterback Zach Bartlow finished with a season-high 231 yards passing and two touchdowns, while junior wide receiver Joshua Richards caught four passes for a career-high 95 receiving yards for the Mountaineers, including a 73-yard catch in the third stanza.
Senior wide receiver Jace Billingsley registered a season-high 182 rushing yards on 34 carries, while senior linebacker Gary Posten led EOU's defense with 12 tackles (1 solo, 11 assists).
Causing nightmares for the Orediggers, senior defensive back Byron Benson tallied seven tackles (4 solo, 3 assists) and snatched a key interception in the fourth quarter to keep the Montana Tech at bay.
The Storyline
Senior kicker Marc David opened up his last season in an EOU uniform in style, as the Spokane, Wash., native connected on a career-long 48-yard field goal to put the Navy and Gold on the board (3-0) with 7:01 left in the first quarter.
The Orediggers (2-1, 2-1 Frontier Conference) responded with a 13-play, 83-yard drive capped by a two-point conversion to snatch an 8-3 advantage, but EOU fired back to score on its next possession. With 8:54 remaining in the second frame, Bartlow found Richards for the 11-yard touchdown pass, and then David connected on the PAT to remain perfect on the season and regain the lead (10-8) for the Mountaineers.
Montana Tech had a chance to take a one-point advantage with a field goal on EOU's nine-yard line, but Benson had other plans, as he blocked the attempt to keep the Orediggers at bay.
As the clock winded down in the half, David capped a 5-play, 13-yard drive with a field goal from 18 to give EOU a 13-8 lead into the locker room.
In the third quarter, Montana Tech converted on an EOU turnover and took its second lead of the contest with a three-yard touchdown run, but the Orediggers advantage stayed at one (14-13) following a failed two-point conversion.
On the Mountaineers' next possession, Billingsley made his presence felt after sprinting in for a 33-yard rushing touchdown to put EOU ahead, 20-14, with 5:48 left in the third.
EOU's defense mustered a stop and followed it with a 6-play, 94-yard drive for a touchdown that included a 73-yard pass from Bartlow to Richards. It was a career-long pass for the junior captain out of Waitsburg, Wash.
Although Montana Tech closed the third quarter with a 71-yard rushing touchdown to pull within five (26-21), Bartlow bounced back with his second touchdown of the afternoon, finding Billingsley for the 11-yard pass to put the Mountaineers on top, 33-21.
After struggling to get past midfield on a trio of possessions, the Orediggers eventually reached the Navy and Gold's 8-yard line with 16 ticks on the clock. However, Benson continued to wreak havoc on Montana Tech's day, as he intercepted Dawson Reardon's pass to seal the victory for EOU.
"The important thing today was that the kids played with a purpose and played with good effort," said Camp. "It was great to be back home. We committed too many controllable penalties, which we must clean up. I want to thank the community, families, and friends who came out today and supported our program for four quarters."
Stat of the Game
5 for 5 – On red-zone touchdowns for EOU.
Up Next
The Navy and Gold (1-3, 1-2 Frontier Conference) returns to the gridiron next Saturday against Rocky Mountain College in La Grande at 1 p.m.
