LA GRANDE, Ore. – Eastern Oregon Football closed out its conference season in dramatic fashion Saturday afternoon, defeating No. 14-ranked Carroll College 26-20 in overtime at Community Stadium.

Prior to kickoff, Eastern Oregon honored their 2026 senior class, recognizing 20 individuals for their contributions and impact on the Mountaineer football program. The pregame ceremony celebrated the seniors' dedication, commitment, and lasting role in the continued growth of EOU Football.

The victory marked the Mountaineers' biggest upset of the season, capping an impressive 8-2 overall record and 5-1 conference campaign. Under first-year Head Coach Solo Taylor, EOU secured second place in the Frontier Conference West Division.

The Mountaineers struck first in the opening quarter, with the defense setting the tone by limiting the Saints to a pair of three-and-out possessions. On offense, Chase Nelson connected with Dylan Shipley for a 36-yard completion before finding him again for a five-yard touchdown pass to give EOU an early 7-0 lead. The Mountie defense continued to apply pressure, forcing another three-and-out and stopping an eight-play Carroll drive short of the red zone to preserve the lead through the first quarter.

Carroll cut into the deficit in the second quarter, putting together a 10-play, 56-yard drive to move into field goal range. Eddie Ballanco converted from 33 yards out to bring the Saints within four at 7-3. The Mountaineers looked to answer with a field goal of their own, but Carroll blocked the attempt to keep the score unchanged heading into halftime.

Carroll opened the second half by forcing an incomplete pass before recovering a fumble by the Mountaineers to take possession early. EOU's defense responded, limiting the Saints to just four plays and four yards before the Mountaineers regained possession. Nelson then connected with Tyler Creswick for a 26-yard touchdown pass, followed by a successful extra point from Tyler Bissel to extend EOU's lead to 14-3.

The Saints answered quickly with a touchdown of their own, cutting the Mountaineers' advantage to four. EOU responded with another scoring drive, highlighted by two long completions, including a 28-yard connection from Nelson to Creswick. The touchdown pushed the Mountaineers ahead 20-10, although the extra point attempt was unsuccessful. Carroll responded on the first play of its next possession, as Kaden Huot connected with Ethan Triplett for a 70-yard touchdown to make it a 20-17 game heading into the final quarter.

The Mountaineers looked to put the game away in the fourth quarter, advancing to within two yards of the end zone before a fumble gave possession back to the Saints. Carroll then had an opportunity to even the score with a 32-yard field goal, but the Mountie defense got a hand on the attempt, deflecting it wide of the posts. Carroll continued to battle, eventually tying the game at 20-20 on their next scoring drive with just 49 seconds remaining in regulation. Neither team was able to find the go-ahead score, sending the contest into overtime.

Eastern won the coin toss and elected to begin on defense. The Mountaineers immediately delivered, holding Carroll to just three yards over four plays. Kayden Mozingo came up with a crucial fourth-down sack to force a turnover on downs and give EOU possession with a chance to win. With the game on the line, Nutter and Nelson led the Mountaineers down the field on the ground, covering the necessary 24 yards. Nutter finished the drive with a one-yard touchdown run to seal the 26-20 overtime victory and deliver the upset over the nationally ranked Saints.

Nelson led the Mountie offense, completing 18 passes for 285 yards and three touchdowns while adding 56 rushing yards. Malakai Nutter paced the ground game with 85 yards on 25 carries, followed by Waylon Riedel with 77 yards on 14 attempts. Shipley led the receiving corps with 135 yards and a touchdown, while Creswick accounted for the other two receiving touchdowns and added 74 yards.

Defensively, Cole Martin led the Mountaineers with 13 total tackles, including 11 solo stops, while recording 2.0 sacks for a loss of 19 yards and a pass breakup. Nehemiah Medrano contributed eight tackles and a sack.

With the victory, the Mountaineers strengthened their case for an at-large bid to the NAIA Football National Championship Series for the first time since 2016, and just second time in program history. EOU finished the regular season with an 8-2 record, with their only losses coming against No. 2 College of Idaho, and secured a runner-up finish in the Frontier Conference West Division.

The Mountaineers will learn their postseason fate during the NAIA Football Championship Selection Show on Sunday, November 15, at 4 p.m. PT.