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Rocky Mountain College Athletics

Rocky Mountain College Battlin' Bears

Events and Results

Events and Results

Battlin' Bears vs Tech '23
Brandon Stinson
21
Montana Tech MONTANA 4-2 , 3
28
Winner Rocky Mountain ROCKY MO 3-4
Montana Tech MONTANA
4-2 , 3
21
Final
28
Rocky Mountain ROCKY MO
3-4
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
MONTANA Montana Tech 14 7 0 0 21
ROCKY MO Rocky Mountain 7 7 14 0 28

Game Recap: Football | | Brandon Stinson | Sports Information & Media Coordinator

Rocky Football Takes Down #16 Montana Tech 28-21 on Herb Klindt Field

BILLINGS, Mont.- Rocky Football snapped their three game losing streak with an impressive win over #16 Montana Tech, led by a combined 400 yards and four touchdowns from junior quarterback Graedyn Buell.

Montana Tech began the day with the ball and got on the board quickly as quarterback Blake Thelen found Wyatt Alexander for an 80 yard catch and run on third down to give the Orediggers an early 7-0 lead. 

After both teams traded punts, the Battlin' Bears worked their way down the field with a 10 play, 80 yard drive that was capped off by an eight yard touchdown from Graedyn Buell to Matthew McGrane. The senior tight end's first career touchdown reception tied the game at 7-7 midway through the first quarter. 

Montana Tech quickly responded, as big plays hurt the Rocky defense throughout the first half. Fullback Landers Smith broke free for a 25 yard rush, followed by Thelen finding tight end Grant Kelly on a flea flicker play for 29 yards. Running back Blake Counts would eventually capitalize on the big plays, running in from two yards for the touchdown. 

The Orediggers would have a similar drive early in the second quarter, as Thelen would find Alexander for a gain of 32, eventually leading to a short Blake Counts touchdown to give Montana Tech a 21-7 lead. 

Buell would lead the Battlin' Bears offense to a response on their following drive, as he had three rushes for over 10 yards, as well as a 33 yard completion to Joseph Dwyer and a 22 yard completion to Matthew McGrane that led to a one yard rushing score from Buell to cut the deficit to 21-14, which would hold through the half. 

The Rocky defense would open up the second half making plays, as John Aragon got into the back field on Tech's first offensive drive, forcing an Oredigger fumble on a sack from behind as Prince Johnson would fall on it to give the Rocky offense great field possession. 

Graedyn Buell would make the turnover count, as on the second play from scrimmage after the fumble recovery, he would find DeNiro Killian Jr. in the endzone from 15 yards out on an impressive cross-body throw on the run to tie the ball game early in the second half. 

After Rocky's defense forced another Oredigger punt, Buell led a nine play, 80 yard drive where he was a perfect six-for-six for 75 yards passing, capitalized by finding DeNiro Killian Jr. in the endzone again to give Rocky a 28-21 lead with three minutes left in the third quarter. 

The Orediggers opened up the fourth quarter driving into Battlin' Bear territory, but Kaysan Barnett halted the Montana Tech momentum and gave the ball right back to the offense, intercepting an overthrown pass for his fourth interception of the season to put Rocky inside their own 20 yard line. 

The Battlin' Bears offense burned four minutes off the game clock before punting back to Montana Tech, as Wyatt Brusven pinned the Orediggers at their own 12 yard line after a penalty. 

Again, the Orediggers put together a drive that led them into Battlin' Bear territory. On a 3rd and 4 on Rocky's 23 yard line, senior captain Prince Johnson came into the backfield untouched on a blitz for a sack to force a long fourth down try for the Orediggers that they were unable to convert on, giving Rocky the ball back with four minutes remaining. 

The Orediggers forced a Rocky three-and-out, but Wyatt Brusven made one of the most crucial plays of the afternoon, booting a 51 yard punt that bounced inside the five yard line and stopped at the two yard line, leading Tech's Wyatt Alexander to pick the ball up to make a play, only to be met immediately by James Mozon III to pin the Orediggers inside the five yard line. 

Rocky's defense made one final stop to secure the victory, holding Montana Tech without a first down to seal it, highlighted by another tackle for loss for John Aragon and Jasper Djouma on third down and a QB pressure by Aragon on fourth down to secure a victory. 

Junior Graedyn Buell finished the game 22-for-40 passing for 265 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions and was not sacked a single time in the victory. Buell also rushed for 135 yards and a touchdown. Buell's 135 yards rushing are the most by a Battlin' Bear this season. Zaire Wilcox also added 39 yards rushing and had three catches on the day. 

Joseph Dwyer tallied his third 100+ receiving game of the season, finishing the day with six catches for 124 yards. DeNiro Killian Jr. added five catches for 52 yards and two touchdowns. The Rocky offense finished with 441 total yards on the day, the most in a single game this season. 

Defensively, Wyatt Brusven led the game with nine total tackles and one tackle for loss. Prince Johnson finished with eight total tackles, including 1.5 sacks on the day. John Aragon tallied two sacks and three tackles for loss, as the Battlin' Bears tallied 10 total tackles for loss and forced two turnovers in the victory. 

Brusven also punted seven times, averaging 45.4 yards per punt, pinning three of his punts inside the 20 and had three punts longer than 50 yards. Austin Drake was four-for-four on PAT attempts. 

The Battlin' Bears (4-4) will head into a bye week, before traveling to Arizona to take on Arizona Christian on November 4th. Tickets for the VIP Arizona Experience are available through Friday, October 27th and can be purchased at bit.ly/rmca-tickets. 
 
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