DILLON, Mont. – The Eastern Oregon Mountaineers dropped a tough road game to No. 20 Montana Western, falling 56-14 Saturday afternoon. The Bulldogs dominated from the start, while the Mounties struggled to gain traction on both offense and defense.
Montana Western wasted no time getting on the board, striking three times in the opening quarter to build a 21-0 lead. A recovered fumble at the Eastern 40-yard line set up the Bulldogs' first chance to score – a 32 yard pass followed by an 8 yard touchdown run. A few more long completions and short runs helped the Bulldogs add two more touchdowns, stretching the lead 35-0 by halftime. A series of incomplete passes and an aggressive bulldog defense kept the Mounties struggling for first downs, and ultimately out of the end zone before the half.
The Bulldogs continued to pile on their dominance, posting three third-quarter touchdowns to extend the lead to 56-0. The Mountaineers finally broke through late in the fourth, sparked by a defensive highlight from
Jason Grant. Grant recovered a fumble and returned it three yards for the Mounties' first touchdown, with
Ethan Cutler converting the extra point. Kirisimasi then hit Harper Hejtmane on a short pass for Eastern's second score, with Cutler again adding the extra point to make it 56-14. Despite building on some late momentum, the comeback came too late as Montana Western secured the victory.
Eastern football returns home next Saturday, November 8th, for its final home game of the season against Simpson University. The Mounties will honor thirteen seniors prior to the start of the game, with kickoff set for 1PM PT at Community Stadium.
