No. 5 Montana Western Football Opens 2025 Campaign At No. 11 Montana Tech Thursday

UMW Sports Press Release

DILLON, Mont. – UMW Football begins its 2025 season on the road at rival Montana Tech Thursday evening. The Bulldogs and Orediggers are set for a 6 p.m. MT kickoff at Alumni Stadium in Butte.

 GAME COVERAGE 

Thursday at Montana Tech- Watch Live, Live Stats

 FROM THE DAWG HOUSE 

Montana Western, tabbed fifth in the nation in the first NAIA poll of the season, start out on the road for the third time in the last four seasons. It also marks the earliest rivalry matchup between UMW and Tech in recent memory, with the two sides having enjoyed mid-season bouts since at least 2017.

The Bulldogs are coming off a 10-2 2024 season and enter Thursday's clash as back-to-back Frontier Conference regular-season champion.

 PLAYERS TO WATCH 

The Bulldogs brought back some key players from its 2024 title-winning squad:

Offense

• Michael Palandri (QB)- threw for nearly 3,700 yards and 34 touchdowns in '24.

• Eli Nourse (WR)- 1,205 yards and 12 touchdowns last season.

• Jake Humphrey (RB)- 948 yards, 12 touchdowns.

Defense

• Jace Fitzgerald (LB)- 81 tackles, nine tackles-for-loss, 4.5 sacks.

• Keegen Muffich (LB) 98 tackles, seven tackles-for-loss, 1.5 sacks.

• Tyler Walker- 45 tackles, 10 tackles-for-loss, 6.0 sacks.

 NEW-LOOK FRONTIER CONFERENCE 

With the expansion of the Frontier Conference prior to the 2025 season, UMW now competes in the West Division of the league. The six other programs in the division are Arizona Christian, Carroll, College of Idaho, Eastern Oregon, Simpson, and Southern Oregon. This season, the Bulldogs will play four "non-conference" contests, two on the road (Montana Tech, RMC) and two at Bulldog Stadium (MSU-Northern, Dickinson State) before FC play begins at Southern Oregon.

 THE OPPONENTS 

The Orediggers, who finished 9-3 and reached the second round of the 2024 NAIA Football Championship Series, returned some important players on both sides of the ball this season. Third-Team All-Frontier wide receiver and First-Team All-Frontier return specialist Levi Torgerson (685 return yards, 487 receiving yards, six touchdowns) is back, as are Second-Team All-Frontier offensive lineman Shannen O'Brien and Second-Team All-Frontier defensive lineman Anthony Oakes (57 tackles, 11 tackles-for-loss, 5.5 sacks).

All-Frontier honorable mentions Payton Gonser (defensive back- 66 tackles, two tackles-for-loss) and Derek Pearse (tight end- 73 receiving yards, five touchdowns) also return to strengthen Montana Tech's 2025 squad.

 LOOKING AHEAD 

Montana Western welcomes MSU-Northern Sept. 6 for its 2025 home opener. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. MT.