Last season, the Montana Tech football team opened the 2021 season at home — the first game in nearly two years and the first for head coach Kyle Samson — with a narrow two-point loss to then-No. 18 Eastern Oregon team.
That loss sparked a two-game skid that then saw the Orediggers struggle to reach .500 in late October.
Tech now looks forward to a season-opening rematch with the Mountaineers on Saturday in La Grande, Oregon. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Mountain Time.
“It’s a new year, you put the past behind you,” said center Max Anderson, one of four returning offensive linemen for Tech. “You can learn from it, but you either win or you learn and you don’t lose. I believe we have to do what we have to do to beat these guys.”
Tech finished the 2021 season at 5-5, including a sweep of the ranked Rocky Mountain College program. It was a disappointing finish, however, and Tech, after winning its first three games, dropped a six-game losing streak to a disappointing 2021 European Union berth.
Saturday’s opener at La Grande pits two teams determined to outdo last season.
“We know it’s going to be very difficult,” Samson said. “Coach (Tim) Camp does a great job, he’s got a great team. But we’re definitely looking to avenge last year’s loss and our goal is to start with a win Saturday night.”
Front Conference Week 1 Schedule
MSU-Northern College of Idaho
Montana Western at Carroll College
Rocky Mountain College in Southern Oregon
Montana Tech at Eastern Oregon
