ASHLAND – The No. 16-ranked Southern Oregon football team kept its playoff hopes alive by pouncing on Eastern Oregon early in a 49-21 Frontier Conference win Saturday afternoon at Raider Stadium.
Gunner yates rushed for 269 yards – 186 of which he accumulated over the opening 16 minutes – on 21 carries and
Gabe Foster delivered his second three-sack performance in a row as SOU improved to 8-2 overall and 5-2 in FC play.
By all but assuring they won't move down in Monday's next Top 25 poll, the Raiders will likely be playing for a spot in the 20-team NAIA Championship Series in next week's regular-season finale at College of Idaho. A Frontier co-championship isn't completely out of the question either: SOU is tied with Montana Tech in second place, one game behind Montana Western and Carroll (Mont.).
The Mountaineers, who'd won five of their previous six games and were fresh off an upset at C of I, fell to 5-5 and 4-3 in FC play.
Yates deflated them within the first minute of the game when he busted out to the sideline for a 65-yard touchdown. By the six-minute mark of the second quarter, after a 52-yard pick-six from
Jalin Speed, the Raiders led 35-6.
Blake Asciutto completed 22-of-29 attempts for 202 yards and TD passes to
Sawyer Cleveland,
Jeremiah Faulstick and
Ryan Pelton. He connected with tight end
Jackson Clemmer five times for a team-high 78 yards, and he added an 18-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter.
The Raiders nearly doubled up EOU's total yardage, 546-284.
Isaiah Hidalgo contributed 46 rushing yards and a TD on eight touches.
SOU also got to Mountaineers quarterback Quincy Glasper – the reigning FC Offensive Player of the Week – for seven sacks. Foster led the charge,
Adonis Jackson had 1 ½ sacks,
Iona Purcell had another, and
Da'mon Carter and
Bryson Kievit shared one.
In addition to Speed's interception,
Jaxon Jedrykowski picked off Glasper and followed with a 16-yard return.
Ty Glumbik added seven tackles and
Dyllon Daniels recorded six.
The Raiders completed an undefeated regular-season home record for just the third time since joining the Frontier in 2012.
