3 days Ago By DANIEL SHEPARD 406 MT Sports
HELENA — Montana Western and Carroll College are tied atop the Frontier Conference standings, but in completely different positions with respect to the faraway-but-fast-approaching NAIA playoffs. The Bulldogs look like a legitimate national championship contender. Carroll still needs to answer questions offensively and solidify an identity.
A full season still awaits. College of Idaho was the Bulldogs’ biggest test and they aced it Saturday. If not for a walk-off Hail Mary last season in Caldwell, Western would’ve become the first Frontier team to complete an undefeated regular-season since 2019 (C of I).
That hurdle now cleared, Western seems poised to check that box in 2024. C of I isn’t the same team as a season ago, but Western scored on its first three drives, turned the Yotes over on downs inside the red zone, and surpassed 540 yards offensively for a second consecutive week. Michael Palandri is a top-5 NAIA quarterback, and Eli Nourse and Dylan Shipley are top-10 NAIA wide receivers.
Two top-25 contests remain on Western’s schedule (@ Southern Oregon, Sept. 28; vs. Montana Tech, Oct.
12). No Frontier team currently possesses the ability to overcome the Bulldogs. They’re too good offensively, and just good enough defensively.
This sophomore is a reason why Western can’t be beaten. Saturday was Nourse’s 10th career (in 13 games) 100-yard receiving game and established his career-best single-game yards per catch mark (25.4).
Nourse caught two touchdowns longer than 30 yards, and in the third quarter, he returned a punt 55 yards that was called back for holding. He is assaulting every Western receiving record after breaking two in 2023, and yards-wise, is out-pacing his All-America freshman campaign. C of I was the only team to hold Nourse under 50 yards receiving last season.
He dropped 127 on the Yotes Saturday. The Bulldogs are 9-1 when their top receiver eclipses the century mark. Through two games, three Western wide-outs are averaging 18.
1 yards or more per reception. That’s a nearly five yard jump from Nourse’s 13.2-yard average in 2023.
Good luck defending Nourse, much less all three. Prka’s three longest runs, as part of a career-high 79 yards, aided scoring drives Saturday, providing sparks to an offense averaging 19 PPG through two weeks. Sure Prka ran as a necessity because the coverage was good or a defender flushed him, but in the open field, the senior proved slippery as an eel.
In the past, Carroll has messed around with designed quarterback runs and actually scored Prka on a keeper against Tech. Save for Spencer Berger’s go-ahead field goal, Carroll’s offense was shut out in the second half Saturday. The Saints are averaging 352 yards of offense, fourth-best in the Frontier, but once again lack explosivity necessary to score points.
It’s hard to piece together 10- or 12-play possessions, that’s why five of Western’s six scoring drives against C of I were of eight plays or fewer. Carroll’s top running back exited Saturday’s victory with injury, as did the Saints’ best shot at fielding a 1,000-yard rusher. Prka isn’t Michael Palandri or Andy Peters, but a mobile Carroll quarterback only helps the Saints keep chains moving.
Graedyn Buell was sacked three times on Saturday, twice on Rocky’s opening drive. Through three games, Buell has been sacked 14 times (average of 4.7 per game).
No other Frontier quarterback suffered even half that many so far in 2024. Rocky likes to move Buell in the pocket, run some option, and even designed quarterback run plays, but the Battlin’ Bears love slinging the football, too, and that requires time. Rocky is averaging 65.
5 rush yards and 16.5 points in two losses this season. Tyler Duncan was a decorated signal-caller in the Sooner Athletic Conference, the guy Arizona Christian needed under center for its Frontier introduction.
Herrera, a 5-foot-10, 180-pound senior, began a new era for the Firestorm Saturday, completing 11 of 22 passes for 111 yards in a loss to NCAA Division II Fort Lewis. Herrera was sacked a couple times, wiping out a 15-yard run, but ACU generated just 239 yards of offense and 12 points in its 2024 opener. Herrera completed 15 passes for 105 yards as a junior and has yet to throw a touchdown (three career rushing scores).
Montana Western – No. 4 (+5) College of Idaho – No. 9 (-6) Montana Tech – No.
12 (+3) Southern Oregon – No. 20 (+3) , No. 3 College of Idaho 25 , Rocky Mountain College 13 Southern Oregon , Simpson University 7 Fort Lewis (NCAA Division II) , Arizona Christian 12 Whitworth (NCAA Division III) , Eastern Oregon 19 : Redshirt junior quarterback Michael Palandri, Montana Western^ : Junior linebacker Keegen Muffich, Montana Western : Junior kicker Spencer Berger, Carroll College Offense Montana Western quarterback – 19-for-28 passing, 416 yards, 4 TDs, INT; 23 rush yards, 2 TDs Southern Oregon quarterback – 20-for-27 passing, 354 yards, 3 TDs Montana Western wide receiver – 9 receptions, 179 yards, 1 TD Southern Oregon running back – 113 rush yards, 3 TDs College of Idaho quarterback – 23-for-44 passing, 261 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 89 rush yards Montana Western wide receiver – 5 receptions, 127 yards, 2 TDs Defense Montana Western linebacker – 12 tackles, 2.
5 TFL College of Idaho defensive back – 8 tackles, 1 INT, 2 pass break-ups Rocky Mountain College defensive back – 9 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 pass break-up Carroll College defensive lineman – 6 tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL Rocky Mountain College linebacker – 3 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1.5 TFL Montana Western defensive back – 8 tackles, 0.
5 TFL, 2 pass break-ups Special Teams Carroll College kicker – 3-for-4 field goal, long 44, 1-for-1 extra-point, 10 points Eastern Oregon punter – 3 punts, 128 yards, 42.7-yard average, long 49 Rocky Mountain College kicker – 2-for-2 field goal, long 35, 1-for-1 extra-point, 7 points Rocky Mountain College punter – 5 punts, 171 yards, 34.2-yard average, long 44, 1 punt inside 20-yard line Eastern Oregon vs.
Montana Tech ( )** MSU-Northern vs. Arizona Christian ( )** Carroll College vs. Simpson University ( ) Southern Oregon vs.
College of Idaho ( ) Lewis & Clark College (NCAA Division III) vs. Montana Western ( ).
