DILLON, Mont. – The No. 7 ranked Montana Western football team (4-1) squared off against the No. 12 ranked Montana Tech Orediggers (4-2) Saturday afternoon, emerging victorious with a final score of 27-21 in a closely contested matchup.
The Bulldogs’ defense put on an impressive performance, limiting the Orediggers to just one conversion on 10 third-down attempts and holding them to a total of 330 yards of offense throughout the game.
Defensive Stars Shine
Senior defensive back Braden Swank was a standout for the Bulldogs, recording two interceptions in the first half, in addition to three pass breakups and two tackles. His efforts were instrumental in shifting the momentum in favor of Montana Western.
Game Recap
Montana Tech struck first, executing an efficient drive that culminated in a touchdown, putting them ahead 7-0 early in the game. The Orediggers carried that lead into the second quarter, but things quickly turned around.
The second quarter saw a flurry of defensive plays, with three consecutive interceptions, including two from Swank. Following the second interception, the Bulldogs drove 80 yards down the field, capped off by a 41-yard touchdown pass from Michael Palandri to Jake Humphrey, tying the game at 7-7.
The Bulldogs then forced a turnover on downs at the UMW 37-yard line, stopping the Orediggers on a crucial fourth-and-two. This led to another scoring opportunity, as Western quickly moved downfield on a seven-play drive, culminating in a 14-yard touchdown pass from Palandri to Coby Tanioka, giving the Bulldogs a 14-7 lead at halftime.
Second Half Action
The second half began with Bulldogs kicker John Mears nailing a 49-yard field goal to extend the lead to 17-7. Montana Tech responded with a touchdown rush from Landers Smith, closing the gap to 17-14 with just under five minutes left in the third quarter.
The Bulldogs answered back decisively with an 85-yard drive resulting in a rushing touchdown by Palandri, bringing the score to 24-14. A quick three-and-out by the Bulldog defense was followed by Mears’ second field goal of the game, this time from 22 yards out, pushing UMW's lead to 27-14.
Montana Tech managed a late-game touchdown with less than a minute remaining, making the score 27-21, but the Bulldogs held on for the victory.
Notable Performances
Palandri finished the day with 238 passing yards, completing 20 of 34 attempts, contributing two passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown.
Humphrey was just shy of reaching 100 rushing yards, totaling 97 yards in the game.
The receiving corps was led by Nourse, who racked up 94 yards on nine receptions.
Defensively, Keegen Muffich led the Bulldogs with 10 total tackles, including one tackle for loss, while Jace Fitzgerald recorded nine tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and one sack.
Looking Ahead
The Montana Western Bulldogs will be on the road next week for a matchup against Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana. The game is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m.
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