SOU Raiders Gain 12-5 Series Edge By Besting Montana Western Bulldogs – Game Highlights

ASHLAND, Ore. — Going into Saturday’s game, Montana Western had never won at Raider Stadium in eight all-time appearances. That number is now nine as the SOU Raiders sent another top-10 team off from the Raider Stadium with a loss by beating their opponents 28-26.

SOU Raiders Vs Montana Western Game Highlights

Standing at no. 14 going into the game against no. 4 Montana Western, before halftime, the Raiders went in front for good 11 seconds and took a three-score lead in the third quarter on back-to-back TD connections from Blake Asciutto to Sawyer Cleveland. Highlights of Saturday’s game included:

Becoming the first Raider since the turn of the century to register multiple rushing TDs in four consecutive games, Gunner Yates rushed 31 times for 154 yards. His first was a 22-yarder that put the Raiders ahead four minutes into the game and he found the end zone a second time from close to complete a 10-play, 72-yard drive right seconds before halftime.

Reigning FC Offensive Player of the Year, Palandri, finished 22-of-35 for 371 yards but by turning the Bulldogs over on downs at their 10-yard line in the second quarter and at their 1-yard line a few minutes into the fourth, the Raiders limited the damage.

Asciutto went 14-of-20 for 180 yards, which gave the Raiders a 28-10 lead, and hooked up with Cleveland for two big plays in the third quarter. Cleveland went over his defender to snag a 12-yard TD pass in the corner of the end zone with 9:16 left in the period.

Down 28-13, UWM  threatened late as Palandri hit Eli Nourse for a 23-yard score with 4:02 remaining. Although their two-point conversion attempt failed, they did recover an onside kick and got another Palandri-to-Nourse TD connection from 19 yards out.

Leading the SOU defense, Jaxon Jedrykowski had seven tackles and a pair of pass-breakups and Adonis Jackson assisted two sacks, with Gabe Foster and Iona Purcell.

The Raiders were outgained by the Bulldogs 332- 38-332 but the Raiders are 4-0 for the eighth time in team history. SOU  is now one of just two teams left without a Frontier Conference loss.

Last night’s other match-up, Carroll or Arizona Christian, will determine who else has these bragging rights. And the result could leave SOU as the Frontier’s highest-ranked team when the next NAIA Top 25 is released on Monday.