A FEW MISTAKES AGAIN COST EASTERN

By The Observer

BUTTE, Mont. A few plays separate the Eastern Oregon Mountaineers football team from a 2-1 record and the 0-3 mark they assumed after Saturdays 23-16 loss to Montana Tech.

A snap went over the punters head, giving the Orediggers a 1-yard touchdown drive. A blown coverage in the secondary led to another touchdown.

All this despite a solid rushing day by the offense. Eastern gained 320 yards on the ground, including a 116-yard day by fullback Mike Kyle.

The majority of the game we played very well, and this is just frustrating, because this is one we should have won, Eastern Oregon coach Rob Cushman said. We broke down just a couple of times.

The same thing happened in the season-opener against Willamette. Eastern outgained the Wildcats, too, but made just enough mistakes to keep itself from winning the game.

Montana Tech quarterback Skyler Willard threw two touchdown passes, including a 39-yarder to Curtis Haynes in the third quarter that put the Orediggers on top 20-16.

Theyre a good football team, Cushman said. I really think we are too, its just the reality is that the winning validates that, and at this point we havent won so theres a little bit of doubt there.

Eastern (0-3) led 16-7 at halftime. Leon McDaniels intercepted a Willard pass deep in Mountaineer territory, and quarterback Mark Hanrahan led a seven-play, 75-yard drive that ended with his 11-yard touchdown pass to Phil Nyby.

Gabe Minthorn made a 33-yard field goal in the first quarter before Willard hit Ryan McGuire for a 6-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter. Easterns Matt Hamlin had a 2-yard touchdown run to give the Mountaineers their halftime lead.

Montana Techs comeback began in the third quarter when a long snap went over the head of Kyle, who doubles as Easterns punter. The ball was downed at Easterns 1-yard line, and Jay LeProwse ran it in for the touchdown.

Eastern plays its first home game in more than a month Saturday against Pacific Lutheran.

Eastern Oregon 10 6 0 0 16

Montana Tech 0 7 13 3 23

First quarter

EO Phil Nyby 11 pass from Mark Hanrahan (Gabe Minthorn kick), 7:19

EO Minthorn 33 FG, 1:51

Second quarter

MT Ryan McGuire 6 pass from Skyler Willard (Chris Casne kick), 13:43

EO Matt Hamlin 2 run (run failed), 3:56

Third quarter

MT Jay LeProwse 1 run (Casne kick), 8:14

MT Curtis Haynes 39 pass from Willard (kick failed), 2:31

Fourth quarter

MT Casne 39 FG, 12:32

EO MT

First downs 21 14

Rushes-yards 65-320 32-91

Passing yards 145 211

Comp-att-int 9-14-1 12-31-2

Punts 5-29.8 3-37.7

Fumbles-lost 2-1 0-0

Punt returns-yards 2-14 2-31

Kickoff returns-yards 1-12 4-92

Penalties-yards 9-66 5-77

Third-down conversions 8 of 18 5 of 14

Fourth-down conversions 1 of 1 0 of 2

Sacks byyards lost 0-0 1-10

Time of possession 30:48 29:12

Individual statistics

RUSHING Eastern Oregon, Kyle 23-116, Hamlin 11-73, Davidson 3-35, Hanrahan 15-32, Geske 3-25, Morriss 5-17, Allard 3-16, Villa 2-6. Montana Tech, LeProwse 19-112, Johnson 6-25, Willard 5-2, Rooley 2-(minus 48).

PASSING Eastern Oregon, Hanrahan 8-13-1-116, Kyle 1-1-0-29. Montana Tech, Willard 12-31-2-211.

RECEIVING Eastern Oregon, Nyby 4-72, Geske 4-61, Pritchett 1-12. Montana Tech, McGuire 4-71, Kelly 3-45, LeProwse 2-30, Haynes 1-39, Norbryhn 1-23, Watson 1-3.

TACKLES FOR LOSSES Eastern Oregon, Young 2-55, Moore 2-10, Christensen 1-4, Ekart 1-3, Wilson 1-2, Jorgenson 1-1. Montana Tech, Stepan 4-23, Mansanti 1-6, Kelley 1-1, Albrecht 1-1, Streitz 1-1, Anders 1-1.

INTERCEPTIONS Eastern Oregon, McDaniels 1-23, Ekart 1-0. Montana Tech, Haynes 1-0.

MISSED FIELD GOALS Eastern Oregon, Minthorn 32. Montana Tech, Casne 42.