FULL GAME NOTES vs. No. 25 Montana Western (Sept. 10)
 
LA GRANDE, Ore. – The (RV) EOU football team will shoot for its second-straight top-25 victory on Saturday, as the Mountaineers face No. 25 Montana Western in Dillon, Mont.
 
Ninth-year head football coach Tim Camp caught up with the Sports Information Office to comment on the matchup, as seen in the video above.
 
THE MATCHUP
EOU returns to the gridiron for game two of the 2016 campaign on Saturday, September 10, by traveling to Dillon, Mont., to face No. 25 Montana Western. Kickoff at Vigilante Stadium is slated for 1 p.m. MT.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday will be the 25th meeting between EOU and Montana Western. The Mountaineers lead the series, 15-9. The Blue and Gold's last victory came on Nov. 16, 2013, when it handled the Bulldogs on the road, 42-20.
 
LIVE STATS/VIDEO
Live video is available pay-per-view ($7.95) via Montana Western's athletics website, at portal.stretchinternet.com/montanawestern.
 
CAMP CLOSING IN ON HISTORY
With the victory over the Raiders, Camp tied the school record for the most wins at the helm. In his nine seasons, he holds a 48-40 (.545) overall mark.
 
BARTLOW, CONNORS EARN WEEKLY HONOR
Elected by the Frontier Conference sports information directors, senior quarterback Zach Bartlow (offense) and junior wide receiver Calvin Connors (special teams) earned player of the week honors for their efforts against Southern Oregon.
 
EOU'S LAST TIME OUT
The Mountaineers upended No. 2 Southern Oregon in wild fashion, ousting the Raiders by a five-point (45-40) margin on Sept. 3 in La Grande. What was a comfortable lead for EOU turned out to be a nail-biter, as Southern Oregon overcame a 17-point (38-21) deficit and later executed an onside kick to give itself a chance in the fourth quarter.
 
But the Blue and Gold got stops when it needed it most, as John Payne and Jesus Retano broke up potential touchdown passes on third and fourth down, respectively. Bartlow went 23-for-31 for 292 passing yards and two touchdowns, and he also added two rushing touchdowns. Meanwhile, Michal Arenas was big on the defensive end, compiling a career-high 16 tackles (five solo).
 
THE OPPONENT
The Bulldogs are off to a 2-0 start in 2016 after collecting wins over Dickinson State (29-13) and College of Idaho (26-13), both of which were road victories. Montana Western most recently defeated the Yotes in its Frontier Conference opener on Sept. 3 in Caldwell, Idaho. The Yotes were the first to get on the board in the opening frame on an eight-yard touchdown pass, but the Bulldogs responded with 26 straight to pull away.
 
Montana Western compiled three interceptions in the victory, while Bulldog quarterback J.D. Ferris remained steady with 14 completions for 137 yards and two touchdowns. Matt Lickfold caught six passes for 65 yards and a touchdown, and Sam Rutherford led the ground attack with 83 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries.
 
Zach Janis recorded 14 tackles (six solo), while Jay Owens caused nightmares all game long with two interceptions.
 
Montana Western finished in third place last season in the Frontier Conference with a 7-3 record. The Bulldogs boasted one of the best defenses in the country, as they held opponents to only 17.5 points per game (8th in NAIA) and 104.7 rushing yards per contest (6th in NAIA).
 
EOU vs. Top-25 Opponents Under Camp
EOU improved to 14-18 all-time against top-25 opponents under Tim Camp after defeating No. 2 Southern Oregon, 45-40. Montana Western enters Saturday's matchup ranked 25th in the NAIA Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll.
 
MOUNTAINEERS BY THE NUMBERS
41: Camp's largest win vs. Montana Western. On Nov. 5, 2011, the Blue and Gold toppled the Bulldogs in Dillon, Mont., 54-13.
15-9: EOU's all-time record vs. Montana Western.
8-6: Camp's all-time record vs. Montana Western.
45-35: EOU's all-time record in the Frontier Conference.
48: Number of career victories for Camp. He is now tied with Bob Quinn for the most wins in program history.
14-18: The Mountaineers' all-time record vs. top-25 opponents under Camp.
17.4: Average margin of victory vs. Montana Western.
5-5: EOU's tally for red-zone conversions in 2016.
21-1: EOU's record when scoring 40 points or more. The Mountaineers posted 45 in a victory over Southern Oregon.
4: Number of touchdowns for senior quarterback Zach Bartlow this season (two passing, two rushing).
T-2: Bartlow's all-time rank in school history for rushing touchdowns (20). He needs six more to break the record.
 
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