Frontier Notebook: Running, passing on an NAIA level

Take Southern Oregon and Montana Tech out of the equation, and it's becoming harder and harder to figure out just who the next level of Frontier Conference contenders really are.

For example, look at the last two weeks for the UM-Western Bulldogs. A thrilling home win over Montana Tech, followed by a blowout loss to College of Idaho. The Yotes' 59-27 beat down of the Bulldogs was C of I's second straight conference win, and it's only the second time in the last four years the Yotes have won back-to-back conference games. It moved the Yotes into a fourth-place tie with the Bulldogs, and effectively ended any chance Western had of vying for a playoff berth down the stretch.

And that's the Frontier we seem to live in these days. Even with Montana Tech's loss to Western, it's obvious that the Orediggers and Raiders are a cut above this season. But there is a chance, albeit a slight one, that the Frontier still has a third member with a shot at a playoff berth.

The Rocky Mountain College Battlin' Bears blasted MSU-Northern last Saturday, to improve to 4-2 in the league standings. Rocky's remaining games certainly will give the Bears a chance to earn their way in. They play at home this week against a reeling Carroll College squad that is just 1-5 on the year, then will travel to Butte for what will be the biggest game of their season, if they get by the Saints. If Rocky were to go to Tech and beat the Orediggers, something they almost did last month in Billings, and then finish with wins over Eastern Oregon and Western, the Bears would get to 8-3, would certainly be ranked high enough in the NAIA Coaches Poll and would at least be in contention for a playoff berth.

Of course, in that scenario the only way Rocky and Tech would both get in the playoffs is if Tech were then to rebound and knock off Southern Oregon on the final day of the regular season. If all that happened, it is actually likely that a one-loss SOU, a two-loss Tech and a three-loss Rocky would get in the NAIA playoffs, even though a third Frontier team hasn't made the playoffs in years.

Now, we're obviously a long way from that happening, and any Rocky loss would eliminate them from the playoffs at this point. But it will certainly be interesting to see how it all unfolds down the stretch.

And it's now obvious that, the race for the Frontier title, and the playoffs, is down to just three teams. C of I made that happen last Saturday.

Ground Game

There's no denying it anymore, the Frontier Conference is once again a running back's league. Three of the Top 20 teams in the NAIA in rushing this season are from the Frontier. Rocky rushed for 373 yards against Northern last week, and the Bears, the top rushing team in the Frontier, are ranked 13th in rushing in the NAIA. Montana Tech and C of I, which both rush for over 200 yards a game, are ranked 16th and 18th, respectively.

Individually, Tech's Jed Fike is leading the NAIA with his 157 yards per game. Fike has 943 yards on the season and is certainly following in Nolan Saraceni's footsteps. C of I quarterback Darius-James Peterson is also averaging just over 100 yards per game, which is 20th in the NAIA.

Now, that's not to say Frontier schools don't pass. Two of the top passing attacks in the nation reside in the Frontier, with Montana Tech third in the NAIA in passing and Southern Oregon fifth. And SOU quarterback Tanner Trosin is second and Tech QB Quinn McQueary is fourth in the country in total offense. But overall, teams that have had success on a weekly basis in the Frontier are certainly getting it done, on the ground.

Tackle Time

Speaking of getting it done on the ground, MSU-Northern senior linebacker Garet Fowler is doing a good job of getting opposing offensive players to the ground.

Fowler leads the Frontier in total tackles, 73, and is averaging 11 stops per game. Fowler is having a huge senior season for the Lights, as he has tallied four tackles for loss, two interceptions and a sack this season. Fowler has quietly put together a great career at Northern, as he now has 260 tackles in three-plus seasons as an MSU-N linebacker.

Fowler, and his defensive mates, like safety Dequincy Bergen, who has 52 stops, and fellow linebackers Steven Fernandez and Alec Wagner will have their hands full this week as they travel to Butte to try and slow down Fike, McQueary and a Tech offense that averages 45 points and 569 yards per outing. Tech rolled up more than 800 yards in a 70-27 win over the Lights last month at Blue Pony Stadium.

Yote Honors

With their huge win over Western last Saturday, College of Idaho players swept the weekly Frontier awards.

C of I QB Peterson was named Frontier and NAIA Offensive Player of the Week with his school-record 454 yards of total offense. He passed for 230 yards and rushed for 240 more against the Bulldogs.

Yote DT Trevor Henderson was named the Frontier Defensive Player of the Week, and kicker Kyle Mitchell was named Frontier and NAIA Special Teams Player of the Week. Mitchell set a school record by going 8-for8 on PATs, while also making a 40-yard field goal against Western.