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EOU Football
32
Winner Southern Oregon SOU 1-0 , 1-0
13
Eastern Oregon EOU 1-1 , 1-1
Winner
Southern Oregon SOU
1-0 , 1-0
32
Final
13
Eastern Oregon EOU
1-1 , 1-1
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
SOU Southern Oregon 0 7 22 3 32
EOU Eastern Oregon 0 10 0 3 13

Game Recap: Football | | Spencer Jones, EOU Sports Information Assistant

EOU Football Falls to No. 4 SOU 32-13

LA GRANDE, Ore. – The Eastern Oregon football team battled the No. 4-ranked Southern Oregon Raiders Saturday afternoon at Community Stadium, falling 32-13.

After the Mountaineers took a 10-0 lead early on, the Raiders scored 29 unanswered points. The biggest difference in the game was the disparity in rushing yards. Southern Oregon out-rushed EOU 236-39, averaging 4.8 yards per carry and finding the end zone on the ground three times. SOU also won the turnover battle 3-0, one of them being a fumble recovery for a touchdown and an interception that led to a TD the next play.
 
The first quarter started as a defensive battle with punts on the first few drives for each team. Punter Nathan Harden switched the field in a big way with a 79-yard punt in the first quarter. The next drive for EOU, a facemask penalty by the Raiders kept the chains moving on 3rd and 14 that ended in a missed FG by Harden 19 yards out.

The SOU rushing attack was working in the first quarter, gaining 71 yards on 13 rushes. They would go on to run for 95 yards on 23 carries in the half.

The Mountaineers first drive in the second quarter started with a first down on a scramble from quarterback Kai Quinn, and was extended on a defensive holding call on third down. Running back Victor Dias sprinted up the middle for 12 yards on the following play. Quinn then fired a 32-yard strike down to the 2-yard line, and followed that up with a fade pass to wide receiver Brenden Kelly for a touchdown.

Next drive, an SOU offside penalty negated a missed field goal from Harden. Harden did not squander his second chance, and hit a 34-yard field goal the next play. Both scoring drives by EOU in the first half stemmed from Raider penalties; a defensive holding and an offside. Southern Oregon finished the first half with eight penalties for 86 yards.

SOU had their most impressive first half drive right at the end of the second quarter. With one minute left in the half, they drove the field for a touchdown. As time expired, quarterback Wyatt Hutchinson scrambled into the end zone to get the Raiders on the board. The Mounties went into the half holding onto a three-point lead, 10-7.

The Raiders came out determined to run the football in the third quarter and got down to the EOU 27-yard line on nine runs. Kicker Marcus Montano converted a 44-yard FG to tie the game at 10 apiece.

The next possession for the Mountaineers ended in an interception by SOU defensive back Tyler Dean. The Raiders capitalized off the turnover, with running back Ray Vega rushing for a 53-yard touchdown. Montano would miss the PAT, as SOU took a 16-10 lead.

The Mountaineer offense was out of sorts the entire third quarter. The Raider pass rush forced Quinn out of the pocket multiple times, and the Mounties only converted two first downs in the quarter.

Southern Oregon could not be stopped on the ground in the second half. They drove right down the field on their next possession for a TD to make it 23-10. Hutchinson ran for his second TD of the game, a scramble from 18 yards out. SOU gained 135 yards via the run in the third quarter alone.

On the next drive, Quinn took a shot at the Southern Oregon 45 and lost the football, which was recovered by Raider linebacker Devvon Gage who took it 55 yards for another touchdown. The lead increased to 29-10 after a failed 2-point conversion attempt from SOU.

The offense regained some of its composure to start the fourth quarter, driving all the way down to the SOU 11 yard line. The drive would stall there, but Harden converted his second FG of the game, this time from 28 yards out.

Right when it looked like the offense was finding its rhythm, a pass from Quinn tipped off the intended receiver's hands, and was intercepted by SOU defensive back AJ Cooper. The turnover was converted into a 42-yard FG by Montano, putting the score at 32-13, where it would ultimately stay.

Quinn connected with Kelly again for 83 yards late in the fourth quarter, however the Harden FG attempt was blocked by the Raiders.

The Mountaineers will look to bounce back next week for their first road game at Montana Tech, Saturday night at 6 p.m. mountain time.

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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