2018 Frontier Football Preview: Running backs are still the centerpieces of Frontier Conference offenses

You can have all of the spread offenses you want, but in the Frontier Conference, if you can't run the football, you're probably not going to win the Frontier championship.

Even Southern Oregon, which has been one of the most prolific passing programs in modern NAIA football history, has had a 1,000-yard rusher in each of the last four seasons. Yes, that's just the way it is in the Frontier - you better be able to run the ball.

New Montana State University-Northern head coach Andrew Rolin has understood that from the day he was hired to take over the Lights. And he's said as much.

"We're going to run the football," Rolin said. "We'll line up and tell you we're going to run it. That's going to be an important part of what we do offensively."

And the Lights, who began fall camp Sunday night, are hoping to run the ball on the back of junior Jett Robertson. Robertson spent two seasons mentoring under one of the greatest running backs in Frontier history in Zach McKinley, and hopes were high heading into last season. But an injury wound up sidelining him for the year, and as a result, the Lights struggled in the running game.

Robertson has now made a full recovery, however, and after a strong spring, he is looking to have that breakout season he's been waiting so long for. Northern fullback Wyatt McKinlay is also one to watch this fall.

"We're excited about what Jett brings to the table," Rolin said. "He's going to be the man for us."

Of course, the Frontier is always dotted with top running backs, and this season will be no different.

The top rusher from 2017 is back in Montana Tech junior Jed Fike. He burst onto the Frontier season last fall, and wound up rushing for 1,252 yards and 15 touchdowns, all while averaging nearly 140 yards per game.

Fike isn't alone as a top rusher in the league, however. Carroll College's Major Ali and SOU's Rey Vega were also All-Conference performers a season ago.

Ali (5-8, 202) is a junior and a powerful back who bullied his way to 980 yards and nine scores a season ago, while finishing third in the league in rushing. Vega (5-10, 205) is a similar power back who rushed for nearly 1,000 yards and 11 scores, and, like every other skill player at SOU, is also an excellent receiver.

Rocky Mountain College isn't short on running backs either. Head coach Jason Petrino returns both senior starter Mason Melby and junior speedster Sam Sparks. Last year, Melby rushed for 700 yards and nine touchdowns, while Sparks added 600 yards and four more scores on the ground.

Of course, both College of Idaho and Eastern Oregon return quarterbacks that were top rushers last year. The Yotes' Darius James-Peterson rushed for over 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns, but the Yotes will need to fill the shoes of the departed Zach Garzoli. EOU QB Kai Quinn led the Mounties in rushing last season, but they do return sophomore John Lesser, who rushed for nearly 500 yards a season ago.

At UM-Western, head coach Ryan Nourse will be looking to fill the big shoes left behind by Hunter Thomsen, who ran for 975 yards a year ago.

Editor's Note: This is the seventh story in our series on the top returning players at each position in the Frontier Conference. For a look at all of the head coaches in the Frontier, see Wednesday's's Havre Daily News sports section.