Bulldogs Dominate Eastern Oregon in 56–14 Home Victory

DILLON, Mont. – The No. 20 Montana Western Bulldogs (6–3, 3–2 Frontier West) delivered a commanding performance Saturday afternoon, overpowering Eastern Oregon 56–14 at Bulldog Stadium.

“We clicked in all three phases of the game today,” said head coach Ryan Nourse. “The guys played confident and physical. Defense dominated the line of scrimmage again this week, and offensively we ran the game plan very well and connected on the vertical pass game that we knew we would have to in order to set up scoring opportunities.”

Western rolled up 508 total yards of offense—377 through the air and 131 on the ground—while converting nine third downs and scoring on all seven red-zone trips. The Bulldogs found the end zone eight times and moved the chains for 21 first downs in a balanced and efficient display.

Quarterback Michael Palandri was electric, accounting for 418 total yards and five touchdowns. He threw for 352 yards and two scores while adding a team-high 66 rushing yards and three more touchdowns on the ground.

Running backs Aidan Lammers (44 yards, 2 TDs) and Jakob Humphrey (26 yards, 1 TD) added punch to the rushing attack, with Humphrey also hauling in a two-yard touchdown reception.

In the receiving corps, Jonathan Kirkley led the way with 142 yards on five catches, followed by Eli Nourse with 83 yards and a touchdown. Seth Shook contributed 71 yards, Colton Cornwell added 23, and Mason Rasmussen chipped in 22.

Defensively, the Bulldogs stifled the Mountaineers at every turn. Tyler Walker and Manuel Variz IV each notched six total tackles to pace the team, with Walker leading all players in tackles for loss (2.0). Variz IV, Reece Stanish, Tyler Schoen, Keegan Muffich, and Connor Dunlea each tallied a tackle for loss, while Stanish, Schoen, and Variz IV recorded one sack apiece. Muffich finished with four solo stops, and Dunlea forced the lone fumble of the contest.

Special teams remained flawless. Maclain Burckley went 8-for-8 on PATs, averaged 44.0 yards per punt (long 61), and booted kickoffs an average of 66.4 yards. Edward Deward added two kickoffs at a 55.5-yard average.

Western exploded out of the gates with 21 points in the opening quarter and extended the margin to 35 by halftime. The Bulldogs tacked on another 21 points in the third to take full control before Eastern Oregon broke through in the fourth, recovering a fumble in the end zone and capping the day with a 53-yard touchdown drive.

Up Next

Montana Western closes out the regular season at home on Saturday, Nov. 8, hosting Arizona Christian. Kickoff is slated for 12 p.m. MT at Bulldog Stadium.