BUTTE, Mont. - Eastern Oregon held their ground against Montana Tech for three solid quarters in their first Frontier Conference matchup of the season. However, the Orediggers exploded offensively in the second for a 28 point swing that would ultimately decide Saturday's contest.
The game started in favor of Eastern Oregon as
Ethan Cutler converted a 31-yard field goal, claiming an early lead at the end of the first quarter. Despite holding the Orediggers scoreless in the first, Montana Tech roared back in the second quarter with a flurry of touchdowns. Blake Counts, Kaleb Winterbur, and Blake Thelen all found the end zone.
Anthony Peterson pushed 9 yards for an Eastern Oregon score, but the Mountaineers would go into halftime trailing 28-10.
Tanner Sweek added a touchdown to Eastern's side of the scoreboard early in the second half, but Montana Tech responded with scores from Blake Counts and Wyatt Alexander. By the end of the third quarter, Montana Tech maintained a significant 42-17 lead.
The fourth quarter saw Eastern Oregon attempt a late comeback, rallying for two touchdowns. One came in the form of an 86-yard pass to
Malachi Spurrier completed by
Luke Ross. Montana Tech's Blake Counts punctuated the game with a 44-yard rushing touchdown, solidifying the victory.
Despite the final score, Saturday's contest was an evenly matched offensive game. Both teams exhibited substantial offensive firepower, each gathering over 400 yards of total offense. Eastern Oregon demonstrated their ability to implement an impressive run game for the first time this season, racking up a total of 133 rushing yards. This feat was prominently highlighted by the performance of running back
Anthony Peterson. Peterson dominated the field with 58 yards, finding the end zone twice.
Malachi Spurrier had a big game as well, leading all receivers with 147 yards and a touchdown.
On the Montana Tech front, Blake Thelen threw for 224 yards from 14 completions and 2 touchdowns. However, it was Blake Counts who stole the spotlight on the ground for Montana Tech. Counts rushed for 122 yards and delivered 3 touchdowns from just 14 carries.
Defensively,
Josh Mendoza of Eastern Oregon registered 10 tackles, while Jadyn Downs of Montana Tech finished with 11.
The Mountaineers will return to Community Stadium September 23rd, when they face the Battlin Bears of Rocky Mountain College.
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