Lights aim to start a winning streak at EOU

The Montana State University-Northern Lights drove 10 hours east to pick up their first win of the 2017 campaign. Now, they're looking to start a winning streak with another long bus ride, this time out west.

The Lights (0-4, 1-4) return to Frontier Conference play after beating Mayville State 43-29 last Saturday in Mayville, North Dakota, when they visit the Eastern Oregon Mountaineers for a Saturday night game in LaGrande, Oregon. Kickoff at Community Stadium is set for 7 p.m. M.D.T.

And, while Northern will have to travel 12 hours to play the Mounties (1-3, 1-3), the long trip will feel a lot better now that the Lights have broken the ice on the win column this season.

"It was a good win, an important one for the program," head coach Aaron Christensen said of last week's victory at Mayville, in which the Lights rushed for a school-record 376 yards, and held the Comets to -2 rushing yards. "I think it was a step in the right direction as far as the maturing and growing up process of this football team."

It was also a big step in the right direction for the Lights as far as winning on the road. Northern hadn't won a road game in the Christensen era, and now they'll try to do it back-to-back.

But, it won't be easy against an EOU squad, which has struggled out of the gate. After reaching the NAIA semifinals a year ago, the Mounties graduated 15 starters, and they are feeling the effects of that change this season. EOU, which was one of the top offenses in the country last season, is averaging just 20.5 points per game in 2017. The Mounties were extremely dynamic offensively a year ago, behind the likes of quarterback Zach Bartlow and running back Alfred Gross, but this fall, they are last in the Frontier in passing offense and just sixth in rushing offense, as EOU now starts red-shirt freshman Kai Quinn at QB and fellow freshman John Lesser at running back. However, the Mounties still have one of the most explosive offensive weapons in the Frontier Conference in WR/KR Calvin Connors, and the Lights will expect to hear his number called a lot on Saturday. In his career, Connors has two kickoff returns and one punt return for touchdowns against the Lights, so they know full well how dangerous he is.

Also, Christensen isn't taking the Mounties' lack of offensive production lightly either. He knows that EOU will be a handful for his young defense, which is ranked last in the Frontier in rushing, scoring defense and total defense, despite stars like Garet Fowler and Alec Wagner having big seasons at the linebacker position.

"They're a good football team," Christensen said of the Mounties. "They present a lot of different challenges for a defense, because they are balanced and versatile there."

Northern should present plenty of challenges to EOU's defense, which was also decimated by graduation last spring.

The Lights come into Saturday's game with a renewed vigor running the ball after last week's performance at Mayville, which was spearheaded by Trey Blanchard, B.J. Peters and quarterback Tommy Wilson, as well as two redzone rushing touchdowns by freshman QB Dylan Cook. However, Northern is still a potent passing team. Wilson is averaging 241 yards per game through the air, with the likes of Marvin Williams, Caymus Thomas, Donovan Garner, Bryce Bumgardner, Sam Mix and tight end Kagen Khameneh just a few of the many targets to throw to.

So while Northern is feeling good about its running game, it will certainly look to the air as well Saturday night, and the Lights could have success there considering EOU is seventh in the Frontier in total defense, and last in the conference in passing defense, as the Mounties surrender almost 290 passing yards per game. EOU is also allowing 37 points per game, and putting points on the board will be a big key for the Lights.

"We have moved the ball very well all season," Christensen said. "But at Mayville, we were able to finish those drives and put points on the board. We scored a lot of touchdowns and that's critical if you want to win football games. You have to move the chains, but you have to score when you get those opportunities."

The Lights did that last week in North Dakota, and, they're hoping for a similar result Saturday night in LaGrande. Of course, EOU, despite its record, will be a much more complete team than the Comets were, and while Christensen is excited about the progress the Lights made last week, he knows a Frontier road game is a different animal all together.

"It will be a big challenge for us ... another really long trip," Christensen said. "And they'll (Mounties) be fired up and ready to go. It's a night game and they haven't played at home in a while. So this will be a big challenge for our football team."

Saturday night's game, which is also homecoming for the Mounties, will kick off at 7 p.m. M.D.T. The Lights return home next Saturday to host Rocky Mountain College at 1 p.m. inside Blue Pony Stadium.

Long Trip Part 2

MSU-Northern Lights (0-4, 1-4) at Eastern Oregon Mounties (1-3, 1-3)

Saturday, 7 p.m.

in LaGrande, Ore.

Streaming: www.msun.edu/athletics

Radio: 92.5 KPQX FM

Twitter: Twitter/Havredaily