Football September 25, 2026 Claire Gay, UMW Sports Information

(RV) Bulldog Football Competes at Dickinson State

GAME NOTES (PDF)

DILLON, Mont. – The (RV) Montana Western football team (1-2) travels to Dickinson State (1-3) this weekend for the final non-division game of the 2026 season. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. MT.

GAME COVERAGE
@ Dickinson State – 1 p.m. MT | Watch Live | Live Stats

LAST WEEK ON….
Montana Western slipped to 1-2 on the season after a hard-fought 38-32 loss to Rocky Mountain

The Bulldogs tallied 614 yards of total offense (421 passing, 193 rushing), four touchdowns, one field goal, and 28 first downs in the contest.

Kaden LaPlaunt accounted for all 421 passing yards and tossed the four touchdowns. He posted a long of 65.

Seth Shook caught three touchdowns on four receptions while Colton Cornwell went for 98 yards and one receiving TD.

Eli Nourse led the game with 104 receiving yards, followed by Cornwell, Maxwell Williams (97), and Brody Munson (91).

LaPlaunt also led the Bulldogs on the ground with 11 rushes for 73 yards. Aidan Lammers (11 carries, 64 yards) and Jakob Humphrey (eight carries, 47 yards) ranked second and third on the team, respectively.

The Bulldog defense posted for 57 total tackles, including 33 solo efforts, 1.0 tackles-for-loss, 1.0 sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and one safety

Connor Dunlea led the way with nine total takedowns while he, Tyler Schoen, and Manuel Variz IV each put up five solo tackles.

Carson Gulick earned a nine-yard TFL while Cole Flugge had a sack for a five-yard loss.

Dunlea and Schoen each forced a fumble from the Battlin' Bears, one of which was recovered by Bodie Smith. Smith also broke up two passes in the contest.

FROM THE DAWG HOUSE
The Bulldogs are averaging 29.3 points, 506.3 yards of total offense, 343.3 passing yards, and 163.0 rushing yards per game in 2026. They have put up 11 touchdowns and 69 first downs.

Western has scored on nine-of-14 red zone attempts and converted on 39.5 percent of third downs.

The defense has posted 52.7 total tackles, 2.3 tackles-for-loss (32 yards), and 1.3 sacks per game. They have also tallied three safeties, 11 pass breakups, and three QB hurries on the campaign.

FIRING THE CANNON
Kaden LaPlaunt is averaging nearly 300 passing yards and over three touchdowns per game through three contests this season. He has amassed 889 yards and 10 touchdowns on the campaign.

THE COMPASS POINTS NOURSE
Wide receiver Eli Nourse has caught for over 100 yards in each game this season, including a season-best 170 in the opener at MSU-Northern. He's also tallied six touchdowns already this season.

MAKING THE MOST OF HIS CHANCES
Seth Shook was the model of efficiency against Rocky Mountain, catching three touchdown passes on four total receptions. It marks the fourth time in his career that he has caught multiple touchdowns on fewer than five total receptions.

BRODY'S BREAKTHROUGH
Brody Munson earned career-highs in both receptions (nine) and receiving yards (91) against the Battlin' Bears. He averaged 10.1 yards per catch in the contest.

GO LONG
Maxwell Williams caught two receptions for a career-high 97 yards against RMC, averaging 48.5 yards per reception.

ANSWERING THE CALL
Colton Cornwell tallied a career-high 148 all-purpose yards against Rocky Mountain. He caught for a career-best 98 yards on 10 receptions, scoring one touchdown, and added 50 yards on kickoff returns.

20 FOR 20
Connor Dunlea leads Western with 20.0 total tackles on the season. He also ranks first on the team in solo takedowns with 14 and tied for second in assisted efforts with six.

SHARING THE WEALTH
Eight Bulldogs have reached double-digits in tackles this season: Connor Dunlea (20.0), Manuel Variz IV (16.0), Liam Rowe (14.0), Tyson Hirrlinger (14.0), Tyler Schoen (13.0), Romeo Simpson (13.0), Bodie Smith (10.0), and Canyon Sargent (10.0).

BULLDOGS IN THE RANKINGS
The Bulldogs are ranked in the top 25 in two stat categories. They sit fourth in the nation (second in FC) in passing yards per game (343.3) and 20th in the country (fourth in FC) in total yards per game (452.0).

Individually, wide receiver Eli Nourse is ranked third in the NAIA in receiving touchdowns (six), sixth in receiving yards (388), 13th in points (36), and 14th in receptions (20).

WR Seth Shook is also ranked in receiving scores, sitting 13th with four touchdowns on the year.

Kicker/ punter Maclain Burckley is third in the nation in yards per punt (43.2).

Quarterback Kaden LaPlaunt sits seventh in the country in passing TDs (10) and 13th in total passing yards (889).

Finally, defensive back Bodie Smith is tied for 11th in the NAIA with one fumble recovery in 2026.

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON
2026 football players Canyon Sargent, Eli Nourse, Jakob Humphrey, and Drew Humphrey are all second-generation Bulldogs. Their fathers, Jason Sargent, current UMW head coach Ryan Nourse, and Jim Bob Humphrey also played football for UMW (then Western Montana College).

Moreover, the Humphrey brothers and Nourse have won two Frontier Conference Football Championships together (2023, 2024), just like their fathers did as teammates in 1994 and 1995.

THE OPPONENTS
Dickinson State is 1-3 on the year, averaging 19.0 points, 142.3 passing yards, 160.8 rushing yards, and 303.0 yards of total offense.

The Blue Hawks have posted nine touchdowns, four field goals, and 79 first downs. They have scored on four-of-five red zone attempts and converted 19-of-54 third downs (35.19 percent).

Hudsen Grovom leads the team in rushing with 63.75 yards per game, followed by Jackson Simonson (47.25). The duo has scored three and two touchdowns, respectively.

Markiel Cockrell and Caleb Rist have also ran in TDs for DSU.

Grovom has also had the bulk of the QB duties for the Blue Hawks, averaging 127 pass yards per game with two passing touchdowns and a long of 61.

Adrien Calderon is averaging a team-high 35.0 receiving yards per game, followed by Kohbe Smith (28.67) and Jackson Whicker (25.25). Smith and Whicker have both caught touchdown passes for DSU.

On the defensive side, Bordy Jenness has earned a team-best 20.0 tackles, followed by Deegan Tvedt and Ryan Racht with 18.0 apiece.

Racht leads the team with 12 solo tackles while Jennes leads in TFLs with 3.0 (12 yards).

Shel Osborne has recorded a team-high 1.5 sacks (10 yards).

Five different Blue Hawks have each garnered one interception.

Jaymn Medlock, Armani Smith, Doug Sheldon, and Ben Glasscock have all forced one fumble. Johnnie McClusky Jr. has recovered one fumble.

SERIES HISTORY
The Bulldogs are 8-1-0 all-time against Dickinson State. In last years matchup, UMw earned the 41-21 win at home (9/27/25).

UP NEXT
The Bulldogs open divisional play at home next week against Southern Oregon. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. MT.

For complete coverage of UMW Football, be sure to follow us on social media at @umw_football (Instagram), @UMW_Football (X), and @Montana Western Football (Facebook) or visit our official website at UMWBulldogs.com.

#GOBULLDOGS!

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Players Mentioned

#18 Eli Nourse: WR; 5' 10"; Senior

#93 Liam Rowe: DL; 6' 3"; Sophomore

#24 Canyon Sargent: LB; 5' 11"; Redshirt Junior

#9 Seth Shook: WR; 5' 10"; Redshirt Junior

#22 Bodie Smith: DB; 5' 11"; Junior

#55 Manuel Variz IV: LB; 5' 9"; Redshirt Junior

#1 Maxwell Williams: WR; 6' 1"; Sophomore

#6 Maclain Burckley: K/P; 6' 1"; Redshirt Sophomore

#20 Connor Dunlea: DB; 6' 0"; Redshirt Sophomore

#54 Cole Flugge: DL; 6' 2"; Redshirt Freshman

#10 Carson Gulick: WR; 6' 2"; Redshirt Freshman

#3 Tyson Hirrlinger: DB; 6' 1"; Redshirt Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#18 Eli Nourse
: 5' 10"; Senior
: WR

#93 Liam Rowe
: 6' 3"; Sophomore
: DL

#24 Canyon Sargent
: 5' 11"; Redshirt Junior
: LB

#9 Seth Shook
: 5' 10"; Redshirt Junior
: WR

#22 Bodie Smith
: 5' 11"; Junior
: DB

#55 Manuel Variz IV
: 5' 9"; Redshirt Junior
: LB

#1 Maxwell Williams
: 6' 1"; Sophomore
: WR

#6 Maclain Burckley
: 6' 1"; Redshirt Sophomore
: K/P

#20 Connor Dunlea
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Sophomore
: DB

#54 Cole Flugge
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Freshman
: DL

#10 Carson Gulick
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Freshman
: WR

#3 Tyson Hirrlinger
: 6' 1"; Redshirt Sophomore
: DB