Bulldogs Snag Revenge Win Against Montana Tech 27-21

UMW Press Release

The Bulldog Football team won their sixth game of the season today after defeating up No. 20 ranked Montana Tech 27-21 in Butte, Mont. The Bulldog defense allowed just 104 rushing yards on 32 attempts by the Orediggers. Reese Neville rushed for 160 yards as the Bulldogs rushed for a total of 195 yards in the game.

"We just talked about believing and trusting each other and fighting to the finish. That is Bulldog football and that is the end of the season wrapped up in a nutshell. I was really proud of the work that the guys put in, but more importantly they believed the whole time and trusted their teammate and they fought until the end and got the win." Head Coach Ryan Nourse stated after the win. How It Happened The Bulldogs got off to a roaring start as they drove 75 yards in just over a minute on the game's opening possession. They scored on a Jon Jund 38-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Thomas that gave the Bulldogs their first lead of the game. A pair of sacks from Tanner Harrell and Reese Artz ended the Orediggers first drive. After trading three and outs three times, the Bulldog defense came up big again after Braden Swank picked off Montana Tech quarterback Blake Thelen and returned it for 42 yards. With great field position at the Montana Tech 13-yard line, the Bulldogs were able to add three points to their lead on John Mears' first field goal of the day. Both defenses played well for the remainder of the second quarter. Reese Artz forced an Oredigger fumble and the Bulldog defense had a red zone stop that led to a missed field goal attempt by Oredigger kicker Ryan Lowry. Montana Tech defense matched the Bulldog defense as they held the Bulldogs scoreless for the remainder of the half. The Orediggers cut into the Bulldog lead with a blocked punt that was returned for a touchdown with 25 seconds left until halftime. The Bulldogs would go into the half up 10-7.

Montana Tech drove down the field and scored on the opening drive of the second half, after a Braden Smith interception was called back on a roughing the passer penalty. Montana Tech would take their final lead of the game as they went up 14-10 on the Bulldogs with 9:38 left in the third quarter. On the following drive, the Bulldogs marched down the field after a 49-yard rush by Reese Neville swung the momentum back to the Bulldogs. Jund would keep the ball and pick up his lone rushing touchdown of the game. With the Bulldogs up 17-14, Kameron Rauser ended the following Oredigger drive with an interception that he returned for four yards. The Bulldogs used that momentum to score in just two plays on a Jund touchdown pass to Elijah Benedick. The Bulldogs went into the fourth quarter up 24-14 on the Orediggers. Montana Tech answered with a touchdown after a seven-minute drive to bring the score to 24-21 Bulldogs. The Bulldogs worked the clock on their following drive, running off just under nine minutes of time on their way to another successful Mears' field goal attempt. Up 27-21, the Bulldog defense two more game clenching stops that secured the Bulldog victory over the Orediggers. "It was a great win out here. We came out as a team and we had a real change in the middle of the season there. We changed mentally and we were able to come out here and do exactly what we thought we would be able to do. To get a Bulldog win like that at Tech, it is awesome and nothing beats this feeling." Senior running back Reese Neville stated after the game.

Notables

• The Bulldogs secured their second win in three weeks over a top 25 ranked team. Two weeks ago, they handed College of Idaho their first loss of the season.

• Neville rushed for 160 yards on 22 attempts, averaging 7.3 yard per carry.

• Jund passed for two touchdowns and rushed for another, giving him three total touchdowns on the day.

• Rauser totaled seven tackles, four of which were solo. He also added an interception that led to a Bulldog score.

• Harrell and Artz each had two sacks in the game, resulting in a loss of 22 total yards for the Orediggers.

• Swank had an interception in the first half that he returned for 42 yards.

• Mears made two field goal attempts and was three for three on point after attempts.

Up Next The Bulldogs will be on the road for their final game of the season next week at Rocky Mountain College. The two teams faced off back on Oct. 1 in Dillon and the Battlin' Bears defeated the Bulldogs 41-26. The Bulldogs come into the matchup on a three-game win streak and are hoping to end the season on a win. The game is scheduled for 1PM MST in Billings, Mont.