LA GRANDE, Ore. — Blake Thelen threw four touchdown passes as 12th-ranked Montana Tech rolled to a 45-22 Frontier Conference football win over Eastern Oregon on Saturday.
The Mountaineers took an early 6-3 lead after Malachi Spurrie scored a 20-yard touchdown off a pass from Quincy Glasper, but the Orediggers scored the next 21 points to take a 24-6 lead into halftime.
Thelen first connected with Wyatt Alexander for a 10-yard touchdown, and then Demario King intercepted Glasper and returned the pick 38 yards for another Tech score. Thelen's 7-yard TD pass to Derek Pearse late in the second sent Tech into halftime with the 18-point lead.
Glasper threw a short touchdown pass to Tanner Sweek in the third quarter to bring EOU back within 24-14, but Thelen and the Diggers quickly responded. Thelen threw two touchdowns in the span of 14 seconds — a 3-yarder to Nick Michelotti and a 27-yarder to Logan Kennedy — to help blow open the game.
Tech got the ball back after the Michelotti touchdown thanks to an interception by Payton Gonser on the Mountaineers' first play of the possession.
Landers Smith added a 1-yard scoring run for Tech in the fourth quarter, and Glasper and Sweek hooked up for one more Eastern Oregon score later in the fourth.
Thelen finished the game 13-of-18 passing for 238 yards and the four TDs. Alexander had five catches for 128 yards, and Kennedy had five catches for 99 yards. Smith gained 63 rushing yards on 14 carries, while Cade Wyant had a team-high 75 yards and eight carries.
Glasper was 31-of-45 passing for Eastern Oregon for 259 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.
Montana Tech (3-0) is on the road against next week, visiting College of Idaho, which fell to 2-2 after losing to Southern Oregon on Saturday.
