Badlands Bowl: Love kicks North Dakota past Montana

by The Daily Inter Lake
| June 23, 2014 10:48 PM

DICKINSON, N.D. — Kicking for the North Dakota All-Star team in the Knights of Columbus Badlands Bowl, Ben Love hit five total field goals, including the game winner in overtime to lift North Dakota over the Montana squad 25-22.

Love hit a 24-yard field goal with three seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime before his 36-yarder proved to be good enough for the win as the Montana squad couldn’t answer in their offensive half of the extra time.

The North Dakota squad lead 16-7 at halftime.

Glacier standout Evan Epperly returned an interception 35 yards for a score to cut the deficit to 16-14 early in the third quarter, but the Montana team couldn’t overcome Love’s foot.

Montana’s quarterback, Will Weyer threw for 285 yards and two touchdowns, including a 72-yard strike to Bozeman teammate Wyatt David to take the lead with just over two minutes to play in the fourth quatrter.

Montana successfully went for two to claim a three point lead 22-19, which proved vital as North Dakota marched down the field and sent Love on for his game-tying kick.

Knights of Columbus Badlands Bowl

Saturday

at Dickinson, N.D.

North Dakota 25, Montana 22 (OT)

Montana 7 0 7 8 0 — 22

North Dakota 10 6 3 3 3 — 25

First quarter

MT -- Eric Dawson 13 pass from Will Weyer (Matthew Martinez-Tillman kick), 10:15.

ND -- Eric Bachmeier 3 run (Ben Love kick), 6:38.

ND -- Love 40 field goal, 2:28.

Second quarter

ND -- Love 25 field goal, 13:33.

ND -- Love 47 field goal, :24.

Third quarter

MT -- Evan Epperly 35-yard interception return (Martinez-Tillman kick), 12:46.

ND -- Love 24 field goal, :28.

Fourth quarter

MT -- Wyatt David 72 pass from Weyer (Dawson pass from Weyer), 2:20.

ND -- Love 24 field goal, :03.

Overtime

ND -- Love 36 field goal.

Team statistics

MT ND

First downs 12 14

Rushes-yards 24-0 42-83

Passing 18-36-3 15-30-2

Passing yards 285 232

Total yards 285 315

Penalties 8-75 7-50

Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0

Individual statistics

Rushing — Montana: Hunter Gappmayer 11-19, Noah James 5-8, Eric Bachmeier 1-0, Will Weyer 7-(-27). North Dakota: Brady Thielges 16-31, Chad Bartosh 15-27, Eric Bachmeier 5-17, Levi Hoiby 4-6, Kimani Benjamin 1-4, Kolton Larson 1-(-2).

Passing — Montana: Will Weyer 18-36-3, 285 yards. North Dakota: Chad Bartosh 15-30-2, 232 yards.

Receiving — Montana: Eric Dawson 6-103, John D’Agostino 3-75, Wyatt David 1-72, Zach Hollenback 2-28, Teague Blome 3-10, Hunter Gappmayer 2-(-5). North Dakota: Dylan Skabo 7-100, Hunter Braaten 3-60, Eric Bachmeier 3-52, Wyatt Mund 1-15, Brady Thielges 1-5.