BILLINGS, Mont. – Montana Tech and No. 11 Rocky Mountain College traded leads throughout the game before the Orediggers capped the game with an upset victory 31-27.
Jed Fike led the Oredigger offense with 228 yards on 40 attempts. The junior running back finished the day with three touchdowns. Fike's big day included a 66-yard touchdown in the second quarter that kicked the Tech offense into gear.
Rocky scored first on quarterback Jacob Bakken's 9-yards touchdown run at the end of the first quarter.
The Orediggers followed up with a
Cody Gagnon 33-yard field goal making the score 7-3.
The Bears worked down the field again quickly on a 3 play 75-yard drive scoring on a 3-yard Bakken touchdown pass to Darneail Jenkins. Rocky extended their lead to 14-3.
Montana Tech scored the final touchdown of the half on Fike's long run chipping away at the Bears lead. Fike scored again on the opening drive of the second half sustaining the Oredigger momentum and giving the lead to Tech 17-14.
Rocky answered with a 12-yard strike from Bakken to Max Gray completing a 15 play drive grabbing a 21-17 lead.
But Tech answered back on the next drive with Fike's third score of the day, a 3-yard run out of the jumbo package, going up 24-21.
Lucas Overton returned the ensuing kickoff 75 yards setting up Rocky's next score. Bakken completed his third touchdown of the day and second to Gray with a 20-yard score. The Bears missed the extra point and held on to a slim 27-24 lead.
Montana Tech would have the last word with a 15 play, 61-yard drive.
Jet Campbell completed a 12-yard pass to
Will Hunthausen for the final score of the game 31-27. The Oredigger defense held on for the final minutes of the game to seal the
victory.
Campbell completed 20 of 28 for 224 yards.
Dion Williams caught 7 passes for 84 yards. Hunthausen had 6 catches for 66 yards.
Bakken finished with 259 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Tucker Rauthe,
Carter Myers and
Jacob Clarke had 6 tackles each.
Connor Wines had 2 tackles and a sack.
Montana Tech finishes the season with a 5-5 record.
