DILLON, Mont. – After a 30-year playoff win drought, the no. 4 ranked Montana Western football team (10-1) picked up their first NAIA Football Championship Series (FCS) win in Bulldog Stadium with a 41-14 rout of the no. 14 seeded Dickinson State Blue Hawks (10-2) this afternoon.
The Bulldogs were led by
Michael Palandri who threw for 388 passing yards and five touchdowns.
How It Happened
After a slow start, where both teams combined for 12 unsuccessful offensive drives, the Bulldogs were the first to put together a scoring drive. John Mears kicked a 34-yard field goal, giving UMW a 3-0 lead with 6:38 remaining in the first half.
The Bulldog defense continued to shine when Keegen Muffich recovered a blocked punt at the Western 24-yard line, setting up another scoring drive for the offense. UMW capped a nine-play, 76-yard drive with a touchdown pass from Palandri to Eli Nourse, extending their lead to 10-0 as they headed into halftime.
After Dickinson State missed a 22-yard field goal attempt on their opening drive of the second half, the Bulldogs quickly broke the game open. Palandri connected with Coby Tanioka for a 34-yard touchdown, pushing the lead to 17-0 early in the third quarter.
Dickinson State responded swiftly, with quarterback Will Madler throwing a five-yard touchdown pass to CJ Stinson, cutting the lead to 17-7.
The Bulldog offense struck again in the third quarter, as Palandri hit Jon Kirkley with a touchdown pass for his first of two scores in the game, making it 24-7 with 1:45 left in the third. However, Dickinson State answered on the very first play following the kickoff, as Madler launched a 63-yard pass to Kyle Meinecke, narrowing the gap to 24-14 as the game entered the fourth quarter.
Despite the competitive third quarter, Montana Western's defense held firm in the fourth, keeping the Blue Hawks scoreless while the Bulldogs scored 17 unanswered points to seal the win.
With 11:47 left in the game, Palandri threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Kirkley for his second score of the game. Dickinson State was unable to respond on their next drive, leaving UMW with ideal field position to score once more—a 32-yard touchdown pass from Palandri to Dylan Shipley.
Mears capped the scoring with a 36-yard field goal, giving Western a 41-14 victory and securing their spot in the NAIA FCS quarterfinals.
N
otables
- The last time the Bulldogs won a playoff game was in 1994 against Glenville State when the Bulldogs won 48-38 in a chilly affair.
- Western has won six straight matchups over the Blue Hawks, dating back to 2012.
- Palandri went 28-39 on the day with 388 passing yards and five touchdowns.
- Two Bulldog receivers totaled over 100 yards in the air, with Tanioka leading the way with 126 yards and Nourse following with 108 total receiving yards.
- Keegen Muffich and James Ochs led the Bulldog defense. Muffich totaled nine tackles and a blocked punt while Ochs added eight tackles and a sack for a loss of 11 yards.
Up Next
Montana Western will return for FCS Quarterfinal action next weekend on Dec. 7 with location and opponent to be determined.
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