LA GRANDE, Ore. — For the second-straight week, Eastern Oregon held on for a one-possession victory.
Mountaineers' quarterback Kai Quinn threw four touchdown passes and No. 18 EOU built a 14-point lead midway through the final quarter and then dug in for a 35-28 win over Montana Western on Saturday.
Eastern Oregon improves to 2-0 a week after fending off Montana Tech 26-24. Western, which opened its season with a 26-22 win over Carroll College, drops to 1-1.
Trailing 35-21, Bulldogs' quarterback Jon Jund hit Trey Mounts for a 22-yard touchdown with 1:31 remaining in the game. Western's ensuing onside kick attempt failed, but the Mountaineers' drive only ate up 34 seconds of clock and the Bulldogs got one final chance at a comeback with 1:05 remaining.
But on a last-gasp 4th and 1 from Eastern Oregon's 45-yard line, Jund was sacked, enabling the Mountaineers to run out the clock.
Bulldog running back Reese Neville was again the centerpiece of Western's offense, rushing for three touchdowns and 79 yards on 20 attempts. He now has five scores through his first two games with Western.
Eastern Oregon scored first on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Quinn to Cade Reed with 6:33 remaining in the first quarter.
Western answered back a few minute later on Neville's first touchdown of the day, a 2-yard rushing score. The Bulldogs then took the lead with 11:47 left in the second quarter with Neville again scoring from 2 yards out to put the Bulldogs up 14-7.
Eastern Oregon then reeled off 21 unanswered points to take a 28-14 lead early in the third quarter.
Neville scored his third and final score with 1:50 remaining in the third quarter on a 16-yard rush. The Mountaineers responded with their final score, a 17-yard touchdown strike from Quinn to Jonah Blackham with 6:39 left in the fourth.
The Bulldogs didn't score again until after the two-minute warning on Jund's pass to Mounts.
Defensively, Dylan Pope, Braden Swank and Kyle Schulte all had five tackles for the Bulldogs.
Western travels to take on Dickinson State next Saturday in a non-conference game. Eastern Oregon travels to Helena to face Carroll College.
