DILLON – Nobody was sure about the Montana Western Bulldogs after the first two weeks of the season. They’re sure now.
UM Western proved its 2-0 start wasn’t a fluke by taking down the No. 14 team in the country Saturday, in a 24-21 win over Rocky Mountain College. A big reason why was the defense, which held Rocky – one of the best offenses in the Frontier Conference – to just 21 points.
“I think we’re pretty good on defense,” said Western head coach Ryan Nourse. “We’re very inexperienced on offense, but the one thing we got going for us is that our D believes, and they’re going to do what they got to do, and they’re going to do it together.”
The Bulldogs’ offense had a bit of a roller-coaster ride throughout the game, but quarterbakc Jon Jund buckled down and drove his team down in the final minutes and ran in for the winning touchdown.
“I think one of his strengths, that we loved about him, was his competitive fire and his composure,” Nourse said of Jund. “Things just don’t faze him, and that’s a huge deal for a quarterback, especially for a young guy — it’s his third college football game.”
It wasn’t just Jund who was resilient – it was the whole Bulldog squad that showed it’s ready to make some noise in the Frontier Conference.
“I think it’s the best thing we’ve got going for us,” Nourse said.
Western is tied atop the Frontier at 3-0 and will hit the road for its next game against Eastern Oregon on Sept. 22. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. (MT).
