BILLINGS, Mont. – The Eastern Oregon Mountaineers football team earned their first win of the season on Saturday, edging out Rocky Mountain College 23-20 in a tightly contested Frontier Conference matchup at Herb Klindt Field. Despite a slow offensive start, EOU surged in the second half with explosive plays and large gains to secure the victory.
After a scoreless first quarter for Eastern Oregon, Rocky Mountain took an early lead with a 40-yard touchdown pass from Graedyn Buell to DeNiro Killian Jr. Eastern Oregon responded in the second quarter with a 22-yard field goal by Quin McLaren, cutting the deficit to 6-3 at halftime.
The second half saw the Mountaineers explode out of the gates, as Quincy Glasper connected on an 80-yard touchdown pass to Colton Kesey on the first play from scrimmage to take a 10-6 lead. Rocky Mountain answered with a 2-yard rushing touchdown by Buell to regain the advantage, but Glasper quickly responded with a 65-yard scrambling touchdown run to put EOU back in front, 17-13, at the end of the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Glasper added another rushing touchdown to extend the Mountaineers' lead to 23-13. Rocky Mountain fought back, with Buell connecting on a 30-yard touchdown pass to Jack Waddell to narrow the gap to 23-20 with 11 minutes remaining. With the Bears threatening in the red zone and poised to complete the comeback, Eastern Oregon's Jason Grant made a game-saving interception at the goal line. The Mountaineers then orchestrated a long drive, controlling the clock for the final 5:34 and sealing the victory by running out the remaining time.
Statistically, the Mounties out gained Rocky with 453 total yards to the Battlin' Bears' 392. Glasper fueled the Mountaineers' offense, completing 19-of-30 passes for 296 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 125 yards and two scores. Malachi Spurrier led EOU's receiving corps with seven catches for 135 yards, while Kesey added 87 yards and a touchdown. Brody Macmillan contributed to the teams ground game with 14 carries for 42 yards.
Rocky Mountain was led by Buell, who threw for 229 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 93 yards and another score. Waddell and Killian Jr. each had five receptions for the Battlin' Bears, with Waddell totaling 83 yards and a touchdown.
The Mountaineers' defense was anchored by Nehemiah Medrano and Jason Grant, who combined for 19 tackles. Medrano contributed two tackles for loss, while Grant added a crucial late-game interception. Max Prazer also made a significant impact, recording seven tackles, including two for loss.
Following the win, the Mounties improve to 1-3 overall and 1-1 in Frontier Conference play. Eastern Oregon will look to continue their winning streak next weekend when they travel to face Arizona Christian in Glendale, with kickoff set for 7:00 p.m.
