Bulldogs Dominate Senior Day with Record-Breaking 66–14 Victory

DILLON, Mont. — The Montana Western Bulldogs closed out their regular season in spectacular fashion Friday, steamrolling Arizona Christian 66–14 on Senior Day at Vigilante Field. The win capped the Bulldogs’ regular season at 7–3, setting a high note heading into postseason consideration.

Quarterback Michael Palandri delivered a performance for the record books, throwing eight touchdown passes and racking up 423 passing yards, breaking his own single-game touchdown mark of seven set last year—also against the Firestorm. Western raced to a 42–7 halftime lead and never looked back.

The Bulldog receiving corps was unstoppable. Eli Nourse hauled in 154 yards and a touchdown, while Seth Shook added 117 yards and two scores. Aidan Lammers, Jakob Humphrey, Jonathan Kirkley, and Mason Rasmussen each found the end zone as well, spreading the offense’s dominance across the field.

On the defensive side, Western’s unit set the tone early and never relented. The Bulldogs totaled 75 tackles, including 11 tackles for loss and three sacks, while forcing three fumbles and recovering one. Keegen Muffich led the way with 12 tackles and a sack, while Reece Stanish added seven tackles and another sack, with six stops behind the line. Arizona Christian managed just 295 total yards and was held to 35% on third down, not scoring again until the game’s final 14 seconds.

“This was a great way to finish the season off,” said head coach Ryan Nourse. “This team has practiced and prepared well all season—one of the best I’ve ever had in that regard. They deserved to get a resounding victory in their last home regular-season game.”

With momentum and confidence on their side, the Bulldogs now turn their focus to what’s next—potential postseason play and a chance to keep their red-hot offense rolling.