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EOU Football

Football Iain Dexter, EOU Sports Information Director

Notes: No. 23 Football Battles No. 5 Montana Tech on Saturday

Full Game Notes at No. 5 Montana Tech (Sept. 23)

LA GRANDE, Ore. – For the third time in four games, the Eastern Oregon football team will face a top-25 ranked team, visiting No. 5-ranked Montana Tech on Saturday in Butte, Montana.
 
THE MATCHUP
The Mountaineers fell last week 28-20 at the College of Idaho to drop to 1-2 on the season. The defense forced three turnovers in the loss including two interceptions, but three offensive fumbles proved to be too much to overcome.
 
EOU and Montana Tech represented the Frontier Conference in the NAIA Football Championship Series in 2016. The Orediggers fell 27-0 in the quarterfinals at No. 3 Reinhardt while EOU made its first trip to the semifinals in program history.
 
The Mountaineers are 31-24 on the road all-time under Camp. They went 7-1 as the visiting team in 2016, but are 0-2 on the road this season.
 
Kicker Nathan Harden connected on a career-long 45-yard field goal at C of I on Saturday. He was 2-for-2 on the day and is now 4-for-4 on the year. Harden also ranks 6th in the NAIA in punt yards per attempt.
 
After the loss at C of I, EOU dropped 12 spots to No. 23 in the NAIA Coaches' Top-25 Poll
 
The Orediggers are 3-0 on the season, averaging the fifth most yards in the NAIA with 601.3 per game. They are also 10th in the country in points (49.7).
 
LIVE STATS/VIDEO
Live stats for Saturday's game can be found at http://www.godiggers.com, while a live video stream can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/user/MontanaTechAthletics.
 
SERIES HISTORY
The Mountaineers are 13-15 all-time against Montana Tech, but are 10-8 under head coach Tim Camp. The Orediggers own a two-game winning streak after defeating EOU 37-24 in La Grande in 2016.
 
MOUNTAINEERS BY THE NUMBERS
29: The meeting number between EOU and Montana Tech on Saturday.       
 
23: EOU's ranking in the first NAIA Regular Season Coaches' Top-25 Poll.
 
6: Kicker Nathan Harden's ranking in the NAIA in punt yards per attempt in 2017.
 
17: The Mountaineers' rank in rushing yards per game (213.7) in the NAIA in 2017.
 
45: The length in yards of Nathan Harden's career long field goal on Saturday at C of I.
 
2: EOU and Montana Tech were the top-two teams in the Frontier Conference in 2016, with both making the NAIA Playoffs.
 
10-8: EOU's record against Montana Tech since Camp's arrival in 2008.
 
3: EOU has led in time of possession in all three games this season.
 
6: Jorden Payne's ranking in the NAIA in passes defended per game (2.3).
 
For more information on Eastern Oregon football, follow @EOUAthletics or visit eousports.com.
 
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Contact: Iain Dexter; 541-962-3946; idexter@eou.edu
 
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Players Mentioned

Nathan Harden

#17 Nathan Harden

P/K
6' 0"
Redshirt Junior
Jorden Payne

#12 Jorden Payne

DB
5' 8"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Nathan Harden

#17 Nathan Harden

6' 0"
Redshirt Junior
P/K
Jorden Payne

#12 Jorden Payne

5' 8"
Senior
DB