Bulldogs Shut Out The MSU Northern Lights With 66-0 Victory

UMW Sports Press Release:

The Montana Western Football Team defeated the MSU-Northern Lights at home this afternoon as the Bulldogs scored 66 unanswered points. The 66-0 victory was the largest margin of victory the Bulldogs have had over the Lights since the series began between the two teams. "Proud of the guys for how they prepared themselves. They knew that if they did the right thing then they should win the game. They prepared for them with respect and a lot of respect goes out to Coach Souers and his team. Those boys are fighters and warriors and they certainly did not disrespect themselves on the field today. It feels good to win your last game of the year on Vigilante and I am really happy the seniors got to go home with a win." Head Coach Ryan Nourse said after the win.

How it Happened The first half saw the Bulldog offense put up 42 points, 28 of which were in the second quarter alone. The Bulldog defense began by forcing the Lights to a three and out on the opening drive of the game. The Bulldogs answered with a 71-yard touchdown rush by Reese Neville on the following drive to put the first points of the game up on the board. The Bulldogs would then trade three and outs with the Lights before a 10 play and 68-yard scoring drive that ended in the first of two touchdown passes for Jon Jund to Isaiah Thomas. The Bulldogs went into the second quarter following a sack for a loss of 10 yards by Reese Artz and Tanner Harrell. With a 14-0 lead, the Bulldogs forced the Lights to punt just after the start of the quarter. The offense then drove down the field once again, resulting in Neville's second touchdown rush of the game. Harrell and Cooper Cleveringa combined for a sack on the following drive that led to a loss of four yards. Jund threw his second touchdown pass to Thomas with 7:38 left in the half to bring the score to 28-0. Another defensive three and out fueled an offensive drive that culminated in a Jund touchdown rush. Just before the end of the half, Colten McPhee broke out on a 68-yard touchdown rush that put the Bulldogs up 42-0 going into the half.

The Bulldogs took almost eight minutes off the clock on the opening drive of the second half before Jund rushed it in for a 10-yard touchdown run. With the score 49-0, Jaden Amasiu picked off Lights quarterback Kaymen Cureton and returned it for a quick pick-six with 6:50 left in the third quarter. The Bulldogs would go into the fourth quarter up 56-0. The first drive of the fourth quarter started out with McPhee rushing it in for a 7-yard touchdown run and the last Bulldog touchdown of the game. Gus Hanson intercepted a pass from Lights quarterback Kaymen Cureton and returned it for 23 yards to put the Bulldogs in great field position that would allow John Mears to make a 37-yard field goal, which sealed the 66-0 victory over the MSU-Northern Lights. Notables

• The Bulldogs came eight yards short of breaking the single game total offensive yards record with 646 yards. They were successful in scoring touchdowns on 9 out of their 12 drives of the game.

• Jund was 11 for 19 passing as he threw for 201 yards, and 2 passing touchdowns. He also rushed for 49 yards and had two rushing touchdowns.

• Bulldog special teams saw some standout performances as Mears went 9 for 9 on point after attempts for the Bulldogs, along with making a 37-yard field goal attempt in the fourth quarter. Angel Navarette also totaled 600 yards on 11 kickoffs, averaging 54.5 yards per attempt.

• Neville and McPhee combined for 251 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns.

• Thomas led the Bulldogs with two receiving touchdowns and 57 total receiving yards.

• The Bulldog defense totaled 53 tackles in the game, eight tackles for loss and two sacks.

• Amasiu and Hanson each had an interception in the game, with Amasiu turning his interception into a pick-six.

Up Next The Bulldogs will be on the road for their final two games of the season. They will face off with Montana Tech at 1 PM MST in Butte, Mont. The last time the two teams saw each other this season, the Orediggers won 33-24.