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Orediggers bury the Lights in Butte

MSU-N suffers horrific, and record-setting loss at Montana Tech

The Montana State University-Northern football team was a long shot to win at Montana Tech this past weekend, but it was hard to foresee the offensive display put on by the Orediggers.

Tech, which came into the game ranked No. 11 in the NAIA, demolished the Lights in Butte Saturday, scoring 66 points in the first half and racking up nearly 1,000 yards of total offense in a 93-19 win. Montana Tech (6-1, 6-1) remains within one game of first-place Southern Oregon in the Frontier Conference, while Northern fell to 0-7 in the Frontier Conference and 1-7 overall.

Tech beat Northern earlier in the season 70-27 and Saturday in Butte, the Diggers got things going early as Jed Fike opened the scoring with a 37-yard touchdown run in the opening stanza. Fike added another touchdown run in the first quarter for Montana Tech, which also got two touchdown passes from Quinn McQueary as it built a 35-0 lead.

The Orediggers continued to dominate in the second quarter and added to their lead on two long touchdown runs by Fike, one from 52 yards out and another that went for 68 as the score at halftime was 66-0 in favor of Montana Tech.

Northern, which used three different quarterbacks in the game, Tommy Wilson, Bryce Missey and Dylan Cook, finally got on the board in the third quarter, when Trey Blanchard scored on a 43-yard touchdown run. The score was 66-7 at that point, but the Orediggers would score four more touchdowns, including a third touchdown pass from McQueary, which made it 73-7.

Facing a big deficit, Northern kept battling. Sam Mix got the Lights’ second touchdown, as he caught an eight-yard pass from Missey. Then in the fourth quarter, Caymus Thomas hauled in a nine-yard touchdown pass from Cook, a Butte native.

"All those guys kinda did what we thought, but they weren't able to get anything done early," MSU-N head coach Aaron Christensen said to the Montana Standard. "We were trying to change things up and get a play, but it just wasn't happening."

Montana Tech, which finished with a school-record 932 yards, got a spectacular outing from Fike, who ran for 247 yards and four touchdowns. Braden Feisthamel also contributed with 91 rushing yards and two touchdowns. McQueary threw for 295 yards and three scores to pace the Diggers. Dion Williams also had eight receptions for 141 yards and a touchdown.

Northern got 108 yards passing from Missey, who threw one touchdown and one interception. He also ran for 33 yards. Cook, a Butte native, was 6-for-6 for 62 yards and a score to go along with 55 yards rushing, while Blanchard added 62 rushing yards on six carries and a touchdown. Thomas caught five passes for 59 yards for the Lights, Mix also added three for 22. Both have receiving touchdowns in the loss.

“We got a game next week, we go back and practice, obviously we have to tackle better, just do a better job offensively and defensively,” Christensen said. “If you play like the way we played today, you’re not going to win in the Frontier Conference.”

The Lights (1-7, 0-7) will be back in action Saturday at Blue Pony Stadium, when they will host Carroll College. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

Montana Tech 93, MSU-Northern 19

Northern 0 0 13 6 – 19

Tech 35 31 14 13 – 93

TECH – Jed Fike 37 run (kick good)

TECH – Sean Sullivan 6 pass from Quinn McQueary (kick good)

TECH – Tanner Osborne 45 pass from McQueary (kick good)

TECH – Fike 7 run (kick good)

TECH – Derrick Holt 33 field goal

TECH – Fike 52 run (kick good)

TECH – Fike 68 run (kick good)

TECH – Osborne 4 pass from McQueary (kick good)

TECH – Dion Williams 16 pass from Davan Norris (kick good)

MSU-N – Trey Blanchard 43 run (kick good)

TECH – Quade McQueary 17 pass from Norris (kick good)

MSU-N – Sam Mix 8 pass from Bryce Missey (kick failed)

TECH – Braden Feisthamel 71 run (kick good)

TECH – Danny Peoples 1 run (kick good)

MSUN-N – Caymus Thomas 9 pass from Dylan Cook (kick failed)

TECH – Will Wyatt 15 run (run failed)

Individual

Rushing - MT, Jed Fike 12-247, Braden Feisthamel 9-91, Will Wyatt 5-72, T. Vendetti 5-72, B. Porter 8-40, D. Peoples 3-12, Quinn McQueary 1-8, D. Norris 1-1; MSU-N, Trey Blanchard 6-62, Dylan Cook 7-55, Bryce Missey 9-33, B.J. Peters 3-5, Jace Koester 2-2, Sam Edwards 1 (-2), Tommy Wilson 6 (-15).

Passing - MT, Quinn McQueary 16-25-295, D. Norris 10-11-116, D. Peoples 1-1-2; MSU-N, Bryce Missey 10-26-108, Dylan Cook 5-5-61, Tommy Wilson 3-9-24.

Receiving - MT, Dion Williams 8-141, Tanner Osboure 4-72, Sean Sullivan 3-50, A. Steele 3-38, R. Nelson 2-5, C. Kelly 2-44, C. Lachance 1-4, S. McCamley 1-2, Z. Bloom 1-6, Quinn McQueary 1-17. MSU-N - Caymus Thomas 5-59, Sam Mix 3-22, Bryce Bumgardner 2-46, Marvin Williams 2-37, Kitrell Willingham 2-3, B.J Peters 1-2, Kagen Khameneh 1-2, Jordan Pugh 1-9, Fotios Jordanoglou.

 

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