So Close: Rocky dims Lights in a thriller

The Montana State University-Northern Lights found themselves in a place they haven't seen much of in recent years Saturday afternoon at scorching hot Herb Klindt Field in Billings. And that place was being a couple of minutes away from a season-opening win on the road, no less.

But the young Lights just didn't finish.

Northern took a 25-24 lead on Rocky Mountain College on a 36-yard pass from Tommy Wilson to Beau Wilhelm with just 1:17 left in the Frontier Conference-opener for both squads. But, as fast as the Lights took the lead, RMC's Sam Sparks took it back.

On the ensuing kickoff, Sparks returned it 80 yards for the game-winning touchdown, though the Lights did drive down in the final seconds, before what would have been a game-winning pass by Wilson was intercepted in the endzone with 15 seconds left.

"We squibbed it, and he (Sparks) kind of bobbled it at first, and that caused our guys to converge more than they should have," Northern head coach Aaron Christensen said. "He was able to sneak through and then we just didn't make a tackle."

The return was a gut-wrenching way for the Lights to fall in what was an exciting 2017 season debut.

Northern rolled up more than 400 yards of offense, and played plenty well enough on defense to hold the Battlin' Bears at bay. So, there were plenty of positives, though, the Lights were certainly disappointed.

"You want to win every game," Christensen said. "So we're obviously very disappointed. We feel like we let one get away.

"But at the same time, anytime you're in the fourth quarter with a lead, or in the final minute, with a chance to win the game, you know you've played well. And I thought we played well at times on both sides of the ball. We did some really good things. We just have to do a better job of finishing the game."

The Lights did play well, considering how young they are, the situation on the road in brutal conditions, and MSU-N, having won just once in the last two years, still trying to find its footing in the Frontier Conference.

Offensively, the Lights quickly erased a 7-0 Rocky lead with Wilson scoring on a 1-yard run and throwing a TD pass to Bryce Bumgardner. The second-quarter scores gave Northern a 13-10 halftime edge.

Northern also showed resolve in the second half.

Rocky (1-1) got a pair of Mason Melby touchdown runs, including a 71-yarder to lead 27-13 after three periods. And that lead held for much of the fourth quarter. But, just when they needed it, the Lights' offense gave them a spark as Wilson threw TD passes to Marvin Williams and Wilhelm in a 3-minute stretch to take the lead back. Unfortunately, special teams miscues, a missed PAT early in the game, as well as the return by Sparks, would turn out to be the difference.

In his starting debut, Wilson threw for 297 yards and three scores, while running back Trey Blanchard, also making his Northern debut, rushed for 78 yards. Williams, a freshman, caught six balls for 86 yards, while Seth Roemmele added five for 62, and overall, nine different Lights caught passes in their strong offensive debut.

Northern's young defense showed grit as well. The Lights held the Bears to just 18 first downs and 107 yards passing. On the ground, Melby did have a big day, rushing for 149 yards and three TDs, while Sparks added 114. Garet Fowler finished with a game-high 14 tackles and an interception, while Steven Fernandez added 10 tackles for the MSU-N defense.

"For the first game, with so many different guys at different positions, I was really pleased with how we played for a lot of the game," Christensen said. "So there's a lot we can take away from this. Our message to the players afterwards was, we played well enough to give ourselves a chance to win in the fourth quarter. We did a lot of good things that we can be proud of. And, since it was just the first game, we have a lot of room for improvement, and we have time to do it. So, I was happy with our kids and proud of the way they played."

The Lights (0-1) will now get set for their 2017 home debut. That comes this Saturday when they host No. 6 Montana Tech (1-0). Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. inside Blue Pony Stadium.

Rocky 32, MSU-Northern 25

MSU-Northern 0 13 0 12 - 25

Rocky 7 3 14 8 - 32

First quarter

RMC: Mason Melby 1 run (Griff Amies kick), 8:30

Second quarter

MSU-N: Tommy Wilson 1 run (Tommy Langley kick), 11:53

MSU-N: Bryce Bumgardner 21 pass from Wilson (kick fail), 5:11

RMC: Amies 24 field goal, 0:18.

Third quarter

RMC: Melby 1 run (Amies kick), 9:23

RMC: Melby 71 run (Amies kick), 0:06

Fourth quarter

MSU-N: Marvin Williams 8 pass from Wilson (pass fail), 4:39

MSU-N: Beau Wilhelm 36 pass from Wilson (pass fail), 1:17

RMC: Sam Sparks 80 kickoff return (Max Gray run), 1:02

Individual statistics

RUSHING: MSU-Northern, Trey Blanchard 16-78, Tommy Wilson 10-26, Bryan Peters 6-8, Marvin Williams 2-3, Caymus Thomas 1-0. Rocky Mountain, Mason Melby 17-149, Sam Sparks 18-114, Jacob Bakken 8-25, Jade Olson 2-20, Team 1-(minus 1).

PASSING: MSU-Northern, Tommy Wilson 27-48-297-3; Rocky Mountain, Jacob Bakken 11-20-107-1.

RECEIVING: MSU-Northern, Marvin Williams 6-86, Seth Roemmele 5-62, Sam Mix 3-27, Trey Blanchard 3-12, Beau Wilhelm 2-49, Caymus Thomas 2-14, Bryan Peters 2-9, Bryce Bumgardner 1-21, Donovan Garner 1-7, Kitrell Willingham 1-6, Fotios Jordanoglou 1-4; Rocky Mountain, Max Gray 4-45, Taylor Schwartz 2-21, Prince Shonola 2-15, Brandon Mosley 1-18, Josh Kraft 1-5, Sam Sparks 1-3.

DEFENSE: MSU-Northern, Garet Fowler 14 tackles, 1 interception, 1 tackle for loss; Steven Fernandez 9 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss; Rocky Mountain, Paris Wilcox 10 tackles, 1 tackle for loss; Dallas Mack 7 tackles; Kirk Durtsche 7 tackles; Ryder Rice 7 tackles; Terrance Williams 2 interceptions.