The Montana State University-Northern Lights dropped their Frontier Conference road matchup against No. 5 Montana Western, falling 52-0 on Saturday in Dillon.

The Bulldogs came out fast, building a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and extending it to 31-0 at halftime. Western added 14 more in the third quarter and capped the scoring with a touchdown in the fourth.

Northern finished with 112 total yards of offense, including 85 rushing yards and 27 passing yards. Quarterback Ashton Platt went 6-for-9 for 23 yards, while Roman Bradley carried the ball 10 times for 43 yards. Colter Woldstad sparked the run game with a 45-yard rush and added two catches for 12 yards. Tim Arnold hauled in a 24-yard reception.

On defense, Jackson Kink was a standout with 13 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss totaling 17 yards. Braydon Cline added nine tackles.

Montana Western's offense exploded for 521 total yards—425 through the air and 96 on the ground. Quarterback Michael Palandr was efficient, completing 28 of 34 passes for 379 yards and four touchdowns. Landon Charlton rushed 16 times for 52 yards, while Jonathan Kirkle caught seven passes for 111 yards and a score.

Defensively, the Bulldogs pressured Northern all afternoon, recording eight sacks and five pass breakups. Tyler Walker led the charge with 10 tackles, including 5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.

The Lights fall to 0-2 on the season and will return home to face No. 13 Dickinson State on Saturday, Sept. 13, at noon in Havre.