DILLON — The Bulldogs bounced back in a big way on Saturday.
Jon Jund threw two touchdowns to Nate Simkins and added another on the ground while rushing for over 100 yards as Montana Western quickly erased an early 7-point deficit en route to a 38-7 win over Southern Oregon at Vigilante Stadium.
The win for Western (5-2 overall, 4-2 in the Frontier Conference) came a week after last week's disheartening 41-31 loss to Rocky Mountain College that saw the Battlin' Bears take sole possession of first place in the conference.
The Red Raiders scored first on a 9-yard touchdown run from Matt Struck with 4:33 remaining in the first quarter. It would be Southern Oregon's first and final score of the game.
Western responded with a 1-yard touchdown run from Colten McPhee on the first play of the second quarter to tie the game and then scored again less than five minutes later on a goal-line run from Reese Neville.
Jund hit Simkins for a 27-yard score with 4:25 left in the half to give Western a 21-7 lead before the break.
In the third quarter, John Mears tacked on a 31-yard field goal and Simkins and Jund connected again for an 11-yard score to give Western a 31-7 lead.
With the game already iced, Jund added a 15-yard touchdown run with 5:33 remaining in the fourth quarter for the final score.
Western, still very much in the running for a conference title and playoff berth, hits the road to take on The College of Idaho on Oct. 23.
