CollegeFrontier Conference

Actions

Rocky pulls past upset-minded MSU-Northern 27-12 in Frontier Conference football

Kyan Jesperson
Posted

BILLINGS — Rocky Mountain College felt the heat from MSU-Northern on Saturday but pitched a shutout in the second half to claim a 27-12 victory in their Frontier Conference matchup at Herb Klindt Field.

Rocky quarterback Graedyn Buell found Josepth Dwyer with an 8-yard touchdown pass to give the Battlin' Bears a 24-17 lead in the third quarter. It served as the only TD of the second half for either team.

Austin Drake added a 30-yard field goal later in the third quarter for Rocky, which improved to 1-1 overall and 1-0 in the Frontier with the win. Northern is now 0-2 overall and 0-1 in the conference.

But the Lights, who were looking to break a 41-game Frontier road losing streak, went up 6-0 in the first quarter on a 27-yard scoring pass Zach Brooks to Reid Woodward.

Rocky answered with a 53-yard TD run by Buell and a 25-yard scoring throw from Buell to Eric Lira to go up 14-6, but Northern scored on special teams when Spencer Lehnerz scooped up a blocked punt deep in Bears territory for a touchdown to make it 14-12.

Still, those were the only points the Lights would score. Rocky got a 37-yard field goal from Drake before halftime to go into intermission ahead 17-12.

Rocky outgained Northern in total yards 344-202. Buell threw for 128 yards and rushed for 79. Ben Rooney had 93 rushing yards for the Bears.

Mason Dionne had a game-high 94 rushing yards to lead Northern. Brooks threw for 56 yards but was intercepted twice, once by Cade Reynolds and another time by Mason Browning.

Sign up for the Headline Newsletter and receive up to date information.