SOU Raiders Cover 338 Yards More Than Rocky Mountain Battlin’ Bears For The Win

ASHLAND, Ore. — While Rocky Mountain (the Battlin’ Bears) gained an early 3-0 lead, things went the Raider’s way from there to take them to a 54-14 by the end of the game.

SOU Raiders vs Rocky Mountain Battlin’ Bears Game Highlights

The 14th-ranked Raiders defeated Rocky Mountain on their homecoming day in Ashland as they covered 541 yards- 384 passing, and 157 rushing, compared to their opponent’s 203 yards (147 and 56).

Quarterback Luke Holcomb made his first start of the season, throwing for 117 yards on the afternoon. Some of the game highlights were:

• Quarterback Blake Asciutto completed 21-of-36 passes for a season-high 355 yards and a touchdown.
• Gunner Yates, the NAIA leader in rushing yards per game, was held to just 80 yards and 3.5 yards per rush but tallied three touchdowns on the afternoon.
• The Raider’s defense grabbed two interceptions, including Da’mon Carter returning his fourth-quarter touchdown for 85 yards and a touchdown.
• A Rocky Mountain team effort set them up for the opening score of the day, with Kyan Jesperson swatting away the punt over a Raiders blocker. Ben Rooney recovered it at the Raider ten-yard line to settle for a 28-yard field goal from Austin Drake.
• Southern Oregon tied the game at 3-3 with a big play as Brandon Barthel sprang free for a 62-yard gain on a screen pass.
• After a Rocky three-and-out, a 27-yard touchdown pass from Blake Asciutto to Jackson Clemmer gave the Raiders an 11-3 lead after a successful two-point conversion.
• Austin Drake hit the attempt from 19 yards out to force another Rocky field goal to cut the deficit to 11-6 before the end of the first quarter.
• Southern Oregon found the end zone in the second quarter, as Gunner Yates found space for a four-yard rushing touchdown. The Battlin’ Bears’ Jasper Djouma and Trey Smith scooped the ball up and ran it back the length of the field for a two-point defensive PAT  but from there it went all the Raider’s way as they put together 23 unanswered points over the next quarter and a half of play.