DILLON — Montana Western's football team threw quite the housewarming party on Saturday afternoon.
Redshirt junior quarterback Michael Palandri racked up six touchdowns — three passing and three rushing — and sophomore receiver Eli Nourse piled up 126 yards and a 26-yard touchdown as the No. 11 Bulldogs scored early and often en route to a 59-21 drubbing over Eastern Oregon in Western's inaugural game at its new on-campus facility.
Palandri, who helped guide Western to the Frontier Conference championship last season, hit Coby Tanioka for a 62-yard catch-and-run touchdown less then three minutes into the game to kick off a scoring frenzy for Western.
Palandri then scored on a pair of goalline quarterback keepers to lift the Bulldogs to a 20-0 halftime lead and then hit Dylan Shipley for a 22-yard score midway through the second quarter to give Western a 28-0 advantage.
Some miscues then gave the Mountaineers a glimmer of hope. Quarterback Quincy Glasper hit Malachi Spurrie for a quick 79-yard score after the receiver was able to slip behind Western's secondary. Then Blain Shaw scooped up what was ruled a backward pass by the Bulldogs and returned it 32 yards for a score to cut the Bulldogs lead to 28-14 with 4:45 remaining in the first half.
Then Tanioka returned the ensuing kickoff for a 100-yard return touchdown and Palandri then scored his third rushing touchdown of the game to put Western up 42-14 at the half.
Palandri completed 18-of-25 passes for 320 yards and was sacked once. Jake Humphrey led Western's backfield with 73 rushing yards and a second-half 43-yard score. Western outgained the Mountaineers on the ground 238 yards to 31.
On defense, defensive backs Braden Swank and Brady Mount each tallied three pass breakups and defensive back JK Shealey and linebacker James Ochs each had seven total tackles and a tackle for loss.
The Bulldogs now gear up to host No. 4 College of Idahothe team that ousted the Bulldogs in the national playoff quarterfinals last season. Eastern Oregon will travel to Spokane, Washington, to take on Division III Whitworth University.
