EOU Drops Close One On Road

Barrett Henderson

BOX SCORE

A late EOU rally came up short, as the Mountaineers drop their second game of the season, 20-28.

A late fumble ended the hopes for Eastern on Saturday at Montana-Western. EOU had four possessions to even the score with a touchdown and two-point conversion, but came up to empty.

The Mountie defense held the Bulldogs scoreless for the final quarter, but the offense could not get into the end-zone on their final four drives. Freshman quarterback Brad Padayao's 12-yard touchdown run was the final score for the game with 2:43 left in the third quarter. The score capped off an eight play, 75-yard drive.

Padayao led the Mountaineers in rushing with 86 yards on 17 carries. He also threw for 62 yards, completing four of his 12 passes. Senior Ian O'Brien completed nine of his 13 passes for 56 yards.

James Mayfield and Clint Rogers did well at the receiving end. Mayfield caught five passes for 32-yards, while Rogers had four catches and finished with 62-yards.

Western got on the scoreboard first with a Keali'l Perbera 13-yard touchdown pass to Craigh Cornelius with 8:36 to go in the first quarter. That would be the only score of the first quarter.

Derrick Pluff would take a hand off 19-yards into the end-zone, just eight seconds into the second quarter. On their next possession, Perbera would keep it himself, and run in the next score for eight-yards with 12:30 to go in the half.

EOU would turn their final two possessions of the quarter into a pair of Thomas Akers field goals, the first from 28 yards with 5:50 left and the second from 46 yards with 1:30 left in the half.

Eastern would open the scoring in the second half with a two-yard touchdown pass from Padayao to Travis Morscheck with 7:28 to go in the third quarter.

Just 28 seconds later, the Bulldogs would walk in the end-zone. Perbera's 40-yard pass connection with Cornelius would finish off a two-play, 64-yard very short drive.

Montana-Western's Perbera would finish with 238 yards passing, completing 17 of his 35 passes. He threw two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Pluff carried the ball 16 times for 136 yards. Cornelius caught eight passes for 131 yards.

Frontier Conference leader in tackles, Corey Dunn, had 12 tackles, one being a sack for a loss of nine-yards for Eastern.

Overall, EOU ran for 248 yards to Western's 88 yards. The Bulldogs threw for 238 yards to the Mountaineers 118 yards. Eastern lost three fumbles and Montana-Western threw two interceptions. And, EOU had the ball for just under 36 minutes to UMW's just under 24 minutes.