DILLON – The Montana Western Bulldogs are currently sitting at 2-0 and just outside the national top 25. While the team continues to focus day in and day out, one might wonder what is clicking early for this team. The Bulldogs were picked to finish second to last in the Frontier Conference preseason rankings.
The Bulldogs steamrolled Montana State-Northern on Saturday 55-3, accumulating more than 650 yards on offense and holding the Lights to less than 300. But now they shift their focus to Rocky Mountain College, the 14th-ranked team in the country. Running back Nolan Donisthorpe says it all comes down to doing what the Bulldogs have been doing all season long.
“We’ve been preparing, taking leaps and bounds just to get better,” said Donisthorpe. “I think the biggest thing I think we just have to execute, go out and play our game.”
The Bulldogs’ win over Northern last Saturday was a huge momentum booster for the team at this point in the season, but coach Ryan Nourse says that the team won’t be looking into the past. Rather, Western will look to the future, preparing for its opponents week by week.
“Today’s Thursday, so we’re going to do Thursday and get ready for our Saturday ball game against another really good opponent in the Frontier,” Nourse said. “I don’t think any of those things are, I’d say, concrete motivators necessarily, where some guys might get them a little gassed up or something.”
Rocky will be the best team the Bulldogs have seen all season. The Battlin’ Bears average around 430 yards of offense per game and allow opponents just 220 yards of total offense.
“They’re a good team, both sides of the ball, and we just got to come out and play our game,” said Donisthorpe. “I think we’re going to do well. They’re a good defensive team, and we got to perform.”
The Bulldogs and Bears kick off at Vigilante Field at 1 p.m. Saturday.
