BILLINGS, Mont. – Valley City State erased a 17-point deficit and took a fourth-quarter lead Saturday, but Rocky Mountain delivered the final answer, scoring with 19 seconds remaining to hand the Vikings a 31–24 loss at Herb Klindt Field.
The Vikings piled up 457 yards of offense and rallied from a 20–3 deficit behind a balanced passing attack and a defense that held the Battlin' Bears scoreless in the third quarter. Jonathan Hunter's 3-yard touchdown run put VCSU ahead 24–23 late in the fourth, but Rocky Mountain regained the lead on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Jhett Schwahn to Javonte King.
Brayden Medeiros completed 27 of 43 passes for 324 yards without an interception. Exavian Westbrook and Jake Deutsch each hauled in eight catches, finishing with 113 and 103 receiving yards, respectively. Laggarius Marshell paced the ground game with 80 yards on 20 carries.
Rocky Mountain struck first on a 48-yard touchdown connection between Schwahn and King. Walker Brondos put the Vikings on the board with a 42-yard field goal early in the second quarter, but the Battlin' Bears added two touchdowns to build a 20–3 advantage.
VCSU began chipping away before halftime. An 11-play, 76-yard drive ended with Nick Mears punching in a 1-yard touchdown run, bringing the Vikings within 20–9 at the break.
The Vikings carried that momentum into the second half. Their defense kept Rocky Mountain off the scoreboard throughout the third quarter, while Brondos connected from 32 yards to cut the deficit to eight.
Early in the fourth, VCSU reached into its playbook for another score. Deutsch threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Jeffrey Yoder, bringing the Vikings within 20–18 after the two-point attempt failed.
Rocky Mountain answered with a 24-yard field goal, but VCSU continued its push. Hunter capped the next scoring drive with his 3-yard touchdown run, giving the Vikings their first lead of the afternoon. Another unsuccessful two-point attempt left the margin at one.
The Battlin' Bears responded with the decisive touchdown drive. Schwahn found King for their third scoring connection of the game, and a successful two-point conversion made it 31–24. VCSU's final possession ended without a score.
Anthony Madsen led the Viking defense with 12 tackles, including eight solo stops and a tackle for loss. Solomon Harris added six tackles and an interception, while Aiden Russell also recorded six tackles.
VCSU finished with 29 first downs to Rocky Mountain's 19 and outgained the hosts 457–294. The Vikings' comeback carried them all the way into the lead, but Rocky Mountain's final scoring drive left them one touchdown short.
The Vikings continue their road stretch Saturday, Oct. 10, traveling to Mayville State for a 1 p.m. kickoff at Jerome Berg Field in Mayville, N.D.
