DILLON — Montana Western football's defense set the tone early in the Bulldogs' spring game on Saturday afternoon.
Early on, running back Aidan Lammers rumbled to the 1-yard line to setup a third-and-goal situation. Western's defense then responded by delivering consecutive stops to force a turnover on downs.
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That goal-line stand was an encapsulation of the afternoon for both the offense — which was held without a touchdown — and a defense that was frequently batting down passes and clogging running lanes. The defensive performance of the game came from junior defensive back Drew Humphrey, who came down with two interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown.
"I really thought our defensive guys got ready and came well-prepared to play and really compete today ," said Western coach Ryan Nourse. "They did an excellent job of executing their assignments, playing with confidence, attacking downhill."
The Bulldogs' search for who will succeed quarterback Michael Palandri continues, and Kaden LaPlaunt, Jaxon Jensen and Sam Wulff shared reps on Saturday.
The Bulldogs also announced their team captains for the upcoming 2026 season: redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Ethan Larson, junior wide receiver Eli Nourse and redshirt freshman defensive back Connor Dunlea.
"It's just a blessing for my teammates to have that sort of confidence in me, to represent them on a bigger scale," said Dunlea of being named a captain.
Montana Western will open its 2026 campaign at MSU-Northern on Sept. 5.
