LA GRANDE, Ore. – No doubt one of the most thrilling finishes of the 2014 campaign, the Eastern Oregon University football team used a last-second field goal to escape Rocky Mountain College last September in Billings, Mont., as Marc David connected on a 30-yarder to seal the 27-24 victory over the Bears.
For EOU, it was the sixth victory over Rocky Mountain in the last nine meetings, and the Navy and Gold will look to continue that success on Saturday in La Grande.
Week Five - (RV) Eastern Oregon vs. Rocky Mountain College
The Opponent
The Bears enter Saturday's contest with a 2-2 record overall and a 1-2 mark in Frontier Conference play. Rocky Mountain is currently third in the country in total passing yards (1,270), and the Bears are fifth in the land with a punt return average of 22.8 per attempt.
Rocky Mountain is coming off a 42-36 loss to No. 7 Carroll College on Sept. 19. Chase White registered a season-high 449 yards passing with three touchdowns, while Andre McCollouch caught 11 passes for 165 yards. Defensively, Jordan Uptown paced the Bears' effort with 12 tackles (6 solo, 6 assists).
While White leads the Frontier Conference in passing yards per game (269), McCollouch directs the league with 7.3 receptions per contest.
All-Time Series
Eastern Oregon boasts an all-time record of 12-6 vs. Rocky Mountain.
EOU's Last Time Out
The Mountaineers are riding high after a 33-21 upset victory over No. 15 Montana Tech last weekend. EOU recorded a season-high 439 yards, as junior quarterback Zach Bartlow led the way with 231 yards passing and a pair of touchdowns.
Meanwhile, sophomore wide receiver Joshua Richards caught four passes for a career-high 95 receiving yards.
Trailing 14-13 in third quarter, senior wide receiver Jace Billingsley scored a pair of unanswered touchdowns to give EOU a 26-14 advantage. The Nevada native eventually struck again in the fourth frame, as he caught an 11-yard pass from Bartlow for the touchdown to put the Mountaineers up by 12 (33-21) and keep the Orediggers at bay.
Last Meeting vs. Rocky Mountain
David's field goal split through the uprights as time expired in EOU's 27-24 upset victory against then-ranked No. 10 Rocky Mountain on Sept. 27, 2014. The Mountaineers came into the contest as the No. 21 team in the land, and it was their first top 25 win of the season.
Leading the Country
On the season, Billngsley is first in the nation in all-purpose yards (968), while senior linebacker Gary Posten ranks fifth in tackles per game (13).
Benson Garners Weekly Honor
For the second time this season, a Mountaineer took home a weekly conference honor, as senior defensive back Byron Benson earned Frontier Conference Defensive Player of the Week accolades for his seven-tackle, one-interception performance vs. Montana Tech last weekend.
Game Time
Kickoff on Saturday at Community Stadium is set for 1 p.m.
Live Video
While live stats are free on the Mountaineer website, fans can pay to watch the game on www.eousports.com.
Live Audio
Fans can tune into NewsTalk 103 or listen online at www.myeasternoregon.com to listen to Saturday's contest. Once again, Ken Kennedy (play-by-play) and Rich Kennedy (color) will be the commentators for the Mountaineers this weekend.
Follow EOU Athletics
Fans can follow Mountaineer athletics on Facebook at www.facebook.com/EOUsports, on Instagram via "EOUsports," or follow the teams on Twitter via @EOUsports.
