CALDWELL, Idaho -- The Montana Tech football team's bid for a second-straight unbeaten regular season ended Saturday with a 35-19 loss at The College of Idaho.
It was the Orediggers' first regular-season defeat in nearly two years.
Montana Tech, ranked No. 2 in the NAIA, got 18 tackles out of senior linebacker Kellan Beller and 10 more from junior linebacker Tyler Kovick, but the third-ranked Yotes shut out the Orediggers in the second half to seal the win.
After Tech's opening drive stalled and resulted in a punt, the Yotes (4-0) pushed down the field for the first touchdown of the game on their first possession. The Orediggers responded with a scoring drive of their own, racing into the red zone before Casey Kautzman knocked a 31-yard field goal through to make it a 7-3 game.
The College of Idaho responded with another TD and led 14-3 at first quarter's end.
Montana Tech (4-1) punched into the end zone early in the second. Merek Mihelish got the Orediggers into enemy territory with a 49-yard run to the CI 24-yard line, and a pass interference penalty on the Yotes earned Tech a first-and-goal. Jamal Cariglia polished the drive off with a two-yard run.
The Yotes responded with a touchdown of their own, but Tech pushed the deficit to 21-13 with Kautzman's 47-yard field goal.
After the Oredigger D forced a punt, the offense had a response. Jarrett Wilson hit Colby Martinez for a 58-yard touchdown with just 2 seconds left in the half. Tech went for the 2-point conversion to tie the game, but the pass fell incomplete.
It looked like the Orediggers were headed into halftime with a 21-19 deficit, but CI's Trezell Patterson took the ensuing kickoff 84 yards for a TD as time expired to extend the lead to two scores.
The second half was a defensive battle. CI punched through an insurance touchdown in the third, but otherwise the Digger defense was nails. Trevor Miller blocked a third-quarter field goal attempt, and Tech tackled efficiently the whole half.
The offense pushed into the red zone twice in the fourth quarter but was unable to find pay dirt either time, and CI held home turf with the 35-19 win.
Montana Tech will look to get back on the winning track Saturday, again on the road for a 1 p.m. Central start at No. 21 Dakota State.
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